700. Climbed Up the Mountain, Hung a Crucifix on a Tree, and Prayed Throughout the Night

700. Climbed Up the Mountain, Hung a Crucifix on a Tree, and Prayed Throughout the Night

One day, while I was busily working at the beauty parlor from early morning attending to a stream of customers, President Rufino from the Docho Island Secondary Station came looking for me. “Julia.” “Mr. Rufino? What made you come all the way from the island? You must have had a hard time traveling such a long distance.” I greeted him warmly.

But he kept coughing and repeatedly said, “Julia, please help me.” So I first took him into the master bedroom and asked him to wait for a moment. Then I returned to the parlor and finished the customer’s hair I had been working on. Although the parlor was extremely busy and I felt sorry for the hairdressers, I asked for their understanding and then went back to him.

He explained to me why he had come from the island to the mainland. “Julia, there are many tuberculosis patients around the Docho Island Secondary Station. As part of my mission work, I spent time with them—sharing makgeolli and food. But then from some moment, I began coughing badly, and no matter how long I took medicine, it was no use.

So, my wife planted garlic to sell and gave me money so I could go to the mainland, get examined, and receive treatment. But once I arrived, I had no place to go. The only person who came to mind was you, Julia, so I came to Jeong Beauty Parlor.” He said this while coughing severely.

“I have been coughing a lot. I think I might have tuberculosis.” “Excuse me? Tuberculosis?” At that time, if someone mentioned they had tuberculosis, people would run away in fear of catching it. Treatment was not very effective back then, and the social stigma was severe. On top of that, since I was running a beauty parlor, I was required to undergo regular health check-ups.

I was very surprised when he told me he had tuberculosis. If he truly had it, I would have had to close the beauty parlor. Nevertheless, I did not show any signs of worry so as not to make him feel uncomfortable. I felt sorry for him and allowed him to stay at our house, even though it was small and cramped. “Mr. Rufino, let us pray together first. We can go to the hospital later. The good Lord will surely heal you.” At that time, I never prayed for healing on my own, but I decided to do so for him while he stayed with us. I was not even afraid of catching tuberculosis.

I thought that if he could be healed, I would gladly suffer any pain. Since he had contracted the illness while doing mission work in the remote island village of Docho, I was confident that the Lord would heal him. As the children were still young and my family could not risk being infected with tuberculosis, I let him use one of the two rooms separated by a sliding door, while the seven of us shared the other room, practicing Semchigo as if we were using it more spaciously.

Actually, I was very busy with work at the beauty parlor, parish activities, Legion of Mary duties, and more. Nevertheless, I offered my time entirely for his healing. I prayed in the small room where I had enshrined the small statue of the Blessed Mother, which I had kept since my catechumen days. At night, it was difficult to pray out loud.

It was because my family was all asleep behind the thin sliding door. So I prayed very quietly. Then Rufino said, “Julia, let us go to the mountain and pray.” I hesitated much, as going up the mountain alone with a man in the middle of the night made me feel uneasy. However, since I had already agreed to pray for Mr. Rufino’s healing, I decided to accept his suggestion.

Asking the Lord and the Blessed Mother to be with us, we went up Namsan Mountain in Naju. I brought the crucifix with me, reverently hung it on a tree, and sat on the grass, praying through the night. Even though Rufino dozed off at times, I remained fully awake, not sleeping for a single moment, and devoted myself wholeheartedly to praying for his healing.

We also prayed the Rosary together, and I placed my hand on his chest while holding the rosary as I prayed for his healing. Even though he was a volunteer serving the Lord, because he was a man, I never held Rufino’s hand during prayer. When he asked to hold hands while praying, I did not take his hand but instead intertwined the two rosaries to keep them from coming apart.

The two of us each held a crucifix and prayed. Over the course of three nights, as we went up the mountain to pray, I endured countless sufferings on behalf of Rufino. I coughed severely, to the point of spitting up blood, but I kept it hidden from him, not wanting him to feel guilty.

Despite coughing up blood, my only wish was for the healing of all the negative things in Rufino’s soul and body. Even though I coughed as if my lungs were being torn apart, I offered it up joyfully through Semchigo as if I were loved. I prayed that he would return to the remote Docho Island Secondary Station in good health, able to serve the Lord with even greater zeal.

“O, my beloved Lord! May not even a single drop of blood I shed be in vain. Through this suffering, may Mr. Rufino be healed. And may he never suffer from such illness again when he returns to Docho. Heal the sick there as well. So, if he could serve the Lord in good health and work even harder in his mission, spreading the joyful news of the Gospel to the ends of the earth so that the Kingdom of the Lord may come to this world, what more could I ask for? Through this suffering, may You be praised and glorified, and may Your Kingdom come to this world! Amen!” 

With that, I offered up the Prayers of Life and prayed even more fervently for his healing.

My personal reflection note with Mama Julia🌹💗 

Link 👇🏻

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