727. To Make Reparation for the Sins of Those Who Receive Sacrilegious Communion

💌727. To Make Reparation for the Sins of Those Who Receive Sacrilegious Communion

Writhing in sudden pain, I felt myself slipping into unconsciousness. With great effort, I dragged and pushed my feet forward, inch by inch, struggling to move on. Then, I saw white, round objects shaped like the Holy Eucharist scattered here and there on the ground in a market alley. I was so shocked that I cried out, “Oh my, oh my, look—the Sacred Hosts!...”

I felt as though I might suffocate and die at any moment. In my mind, I reflected on how those who receive the Eucharist sacrilegiously prevent the living Jesus in the Host from dwelling within them, causing Him to fall to the ground, discarded carelessly, and being profaned—trampled underfoot in the wet, muddy grime of people’s steps. This thought filled me with overwhelming sorrow and shock.

Back in 1980, when I was still a catechumen, Jesus had already shown me the suffering He endures because of sacrilegious communions. So, with a heart full of reverence for the Eucharistic Jesus who was being insulted and trampled upon, I summoned every ounce of strength in my earnest desire to hasten and pick Him up. Bending deeply, I stretched out my uncooperative hand and barely managed to pick up the round, Host-shaped object discarded on the ground.

Struggling to steady my blurred mind, I looked closely and realized it was just a white piece of paper stuck inside the bottle cap of makgeolli, a traditional Korean rice wine. It was clearly not the Eucharist, but seeing those pieces of paper trampled and crushed under the countless feet passing through the market painfully reminded me of the Eucharistic Jesus being profaned through sacrilegious Communion, breaking my heart.

To make reparation for the blasphemy and ingratitude inflicted upon Jesus truly present in the Blessed Sacrament, I began to reach out with hands that were almost paralyzed, gently and reverently picking up each piece of paper one by one. I moved with all the strength I could muster, gasping for breath, practicing Semchigo as if I were receiving His boundless love. As I meditated on the Sacred Heart of the Lord—torn and bleeding because of sacrilegious Communions—uncontrollable tears poured down my face.

My vision was blurred by the endless flow of tears, and I was in such pain that I felt as if I might collapse at any moment. Yet, for the repentance of sinners who commit sacrilegious Communion, I offered up all my suffering through the ardent Prayers of Life. Although Mr. Rufino merely looked around while I struggled desperately to pick up the paper, I offered up my suffering by practicing Semchigo as if he had helped me.

Clutching the host-shaped paper I had struggled to pick up, I slowly dragged my uncooperative feet and finally reached a spot near the home of elderly man Bong Il-dong—about a minute away. Although I had come close enough to clearly see the elderly man’s house, my body would no longer listen to me, even though my heart longed to reach it. With an aching sense of urgency, I forced my weary steps forward with more difficulty.

Through my lips tightly sealed in pain, a heartfelt hymn escaped:

 “One step, then another—each footprint filled with burning tears and crimson blood.

A path that cannot be walked without tears, a path that cannot be walked without blood...

Since it is the path the Lord has walked, how could I not follow?”

As I meditated on the Lord’s Passion, I sang the hymn almost in a wail. Tears clouded my vision, and my throat tightened with emotion until I finally broke down, weeping aloud. I offered up all my suffering for the repentance of sinners. Although the distance from the market alley to the home of elderly man Bong Il-dong would normally take only five to seven minutes, it took me an hour and forty minutes while offering up the suffering.

Still, as I meditated on Jesus walking the Way of the Cross and practiced Semchigo as if I were participating in His Passion, I—who had always longed to be with the Lord—found that time to be truly joyful. To bathe the elderly man, the first step was to draw water and heat it. But as soon as we arrived at the elderly man’s house, Mr. Rufino urgently called me over.

“Julia, I need to use the bathroom,” he said, then turned around and walked away. Although I could not bathe the elderly man together with him, since I was in so much pain that I could not even walk, I thought, “The Lord must have sent him at just the right time to help fetch the water!” However, since he walked away, I felt a bit helpless, but trusting that it was the Lord’s will, I offered it up with Semchigo as if he had helped me fetch the water.

My personal reflection note with Mama Julia🌹💗 

Link 👇🏻

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