💌 566. Making a Deep Bow to My Mother-in-Law, I Asked for Forgiveness

When Jesus made me realize that my mother-in-law is truly my spiritual benefactor, I could not hold back my bursting tears and quickly stepped outside the church. Although I wandered around all day, but could not make a Confession, I returned home with light steps, having gained a profound realization of the Lord’s immense and far-reaching plan and love.

As soon as I arrived, I told my husband that everything that had happened in the meantime was God’s work to use me as His instrument. “Dear Julio, let us go to your mother together and ask for forgiveness for my mistakes,” I said, but he did not quite understand and asked, “Why are you asking for forgiveness when you have not done anything wrong?” Still, he accompanied me the next day.

We got up early in the morning, went straight to Gwangju, visited my mother-in-law, performed a deep bow, and asked for her forgiveness. Since my mother-in-law was used as an instrument to enlighten me, I felt deeply sorry, thinking that she had suffered because of me. “Mother, I have wronged you all this time. You are my benefactor. I will make every effort to serve you well for the rest of my life.”

My mother-in-law had a look of complete bewilderment and said, “Oh dear, why are you saying that you have done something wrong? Where else in the world could there be children who do as well as the two of you do?” I was astounded to see my mother-in-law so completely unaware of everything. It was clear that the Lord was performing a miracle of love, by using my mother-in-law as an instrument to give me a profound realization.

If it had not been for my mother-in-law, who hurt my own mother, how could I have come to realize the Lord’s amazing far-reaching plan of love? Embracing my mother-in-law, I shared a deep love. “Oh, my Love! My Lord! How could we possibly comprehend the depth of Your sublime and far-reaching plan?

From early dawn, I hurriedly searched through various churches to make my confession, but if it were not something that the Lord had planned, how could I have failed to meet any priests so thoroughly? And if there had not been delays on the way, how could I have heard that sermon?”

All of this was truly the Lord’s will and predestination. How merciful the Lord is! If I had gone to Naju parish or another church and found a priest there, made my confession, and attended Mass, I would never have realized such an amazing plan of the Lord’s love.

However, the Lord tested me by causing me to wander and wander in search of Him. The two elderly men I met that day were both Jesus. Later, I found out that the bus number 33, which the fallen elderly man, lifeless, whom I encountered at the bus stop, said he was going to take to Gwangju Terminal, did not even exist.

Also, just before going to the Bukdong Church, if the bus attendant had not pushed the elderly man who was physically uncomfortable from the bus, I might have arrived at the church earlier and met the priest before he left to make my confession. Therefore, it was part of the Lord’s plan to delay me by having the attendant push the elderly man, so that I would hear the sermon “Moses and the Staff.”

Through that sermon, the Lord enlightened me that He Himself allowed that suffering to use me as His instrument and granted me the grace of deep repentance, making me feel even more deeply that I am a sinner. The Lord's great love became a strong thrill, melting my heart like snow in an instant. Feeling that most sublime love, my heart beat in unison with the Lord.

Hidden in all that happened to me were the Lord’s wondrous will and profound love. I asked for forgiveness from my mother-in-law and then made a true Confession after returning. Freed from the two days of feeling like a lapsed Catholicism, a pitch darkness under which I could not receive the Eucharist, I was finally able to truly receive the Lord.

On that day, feeling the Lord’s profound love, I came to realize that He bestows even more abundant divine love when we earnestly desire to meet Him. The taste of the Eucharist, which I had yearned for so desperately, was a love so high, deep, and wide, and a great treasure that I would not exchange for anything in this world.

My personal reflection note with Mama Julia🌹💗 

Link 👇🏻

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