Koreans look to Mary

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

How beautiful to read this article in Zenit, dated June 7, 2018:

To entrust peace on the Korean peninsula to the Virgin Mary and put under her mantle the path of reconciliation between North and South Korea: with this spirit the Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People in the Archdiocese of Seoul organized a special “Night of Prayer” with the Virgin Mary at the conclusion of the Marian month. As reported to Agenzia Fides, Cardinal Yeom, Archbishop of Seoul, was present at the prayer, who said in the central message of his homily: “We pray for peace on the Korean peninsula with our Queen of Peace, patroness of the diocese of Pyongyang”.

(bold print - emphasis is mine, throughout this article)

On 31 May, priests from North Korea, religious, lay people, families with relatives, North Korean refugees, asylum seekers and members of the campaign, launched by some faithful, took part in the special nocturnal celebration held in the “Garden of Mary”, within the complex of Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul in order to “recreate a parish” in North Korea.

All those present lit candles and prayed the Holy Rosary to ask for peace on the Korean peninsula. In his homily, Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-Jung, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Seoul and the Apostolic Administrator of Pyongyang, invited to pray together for peace on the Korean peninsula and the proclamation of the Gospel in North Korea, saying: “Every time we have faced challenges and difficulties in history, the Korean Church has overcome them by praying with the Virgin Mary. It is no coincidence that the Patroness of the Diocese of Pyongyang is the Queen of Peace”.

In the second part of the event, there was a special session in which North Korean refugees shared their stories and experiences, the difficulties experienced in the North in their life of faith, deprived of freedom of religion.

The “Night of Mary”, lived this year in a peaceful atmosphere, following the historic inter-Korean summit and the declaration of Panmunjom, is a moment in which every year the Korean Church asks for the intercession of the Virgin for peace and reconciliation on the Korean peninsula.

May God grant peace to Korea, through the intercession of our Mother Mary. I read (not too long ago) that the presence of the Legion of Mary had grown tremendously in Korea, and so I was not completely surprised by this article – but very happy indeed!

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us, especially Korea.
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Tis_Bearself,

Thanks for the picture. Where is it located? It is lovely.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

It’s the ceiling of the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal (originally built as the Public Chapel of the Immaculate Conception) in Philadelphia. Very nice, well preserved big old church.

 

[MariaChristi]

Thanks so much, Tis_Bearself,

I would have thought it to be an Eastern Church from the position of Mary’s Hands in prayer. It also reminded me of an icon we have in our home of Mary and the Apostles at Pentecost with the tongue of Fire over each head. She is seated and I’m reminded of her title as “Seat of Wisdom”, on whose lap rested the Word Made Flesh.

It is so beautiful to me that we celebrate the Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church on the Monday after Pentecost; and in a similar manner, today we celebrate the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, on the Saturday after the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Mary is truly Mother and Model for the Church for she is ever faithful to God as we are called to be!

I’ve been re-reading St. Louis de Montfort’s book, “The Love of Eternal Wisdom”, and in Chapter 10, he describes Jesus thus:

…He was born of the sweetest, the most tender and the most beautiful of all mothers, the Immaculate Mary. If you would appreciate the gentleness of Jesus then consider first the gentleness of Mary His Mother, whom He resembles by His pleasing character. Jesus is Mary’s child; in Him there is no haughtiness, no harshness, no unpleasantness, and still less, infinitely less in Him than in His Mother because He is Eternal Wisdom; He is gentleness and beauty itself.

When I think of the Korean people, the women in particular, I see a certain gracefulness – much like other Eastern cultures. May the Lord grant His Grace, through Mary Queen of Peace, to both President Trump and the leader of North Korea at the Summit in Singapore on Tuesday, June 12.