612. The Lapsed Catholic Doctor Decided to Return to Church During Our Conversation

💌 612. The Lapsed Catholic Doctor Decided to Return to Church During Our Conversation

The various pains that were constantly being given to me were something I could offer up with joy and gratitude. However, my heart ached deeply knowing that those close to me were also suffering and I found myself shedding tears, like drops of dew, alone in my hospital room. It had been quite a while since I came down to Busan and I was deeply worried about the Blessed Mother’s house. I was also concerned about my mother who was suffering in my absence, as well as my children, who still needed their mother’s care and my husband.

At that moment, my attending physician came on his rounds. I tried to hide my dew drops but the doctor asked me, “Ma’am, may I know who you are that you are crying so much?” Although I had been in Maryknoll Hospital for over two weeks, I had never mentioned who I was. Moreover, I had made sure to ask the priest-director of the hospital and the nuns to keep my identity private, so my doctor knew nothing about me.

I had no intention of speaking about myself at all but somehow, without realizing it, I found myself telling him about the Blessed Mother, who was shedding Tears and Tears of blood. Forgetting even my own pain, I fervently shared with him the picture of the Blessed Mother’s Tears and the candlelight image of the unborn baby, along with the message books I had brought, passionately explaining to him about the Blessed Mother of Naju.

Then, with a deeply moved expression, he said, “Madam, you must surely be someone whom God has sent to me. In fact, I was baptized as an infant and attended Church diligently when I was young but now I have lapsed. I have been away from the Church for the past three years because of my busy work but I always thought I would return someday. 

However, after seeing the picture of the Tears of Blood, the candle image of the unborn baby and the message books that you showed me, tears began to well up from my heart. I will no longer delay. This coming Sunday, I will immediately go to confession and attend Mass. And when I open my own private practice, I will frame these pictures you showed me and put them up everywhere.”

He added, “As an obstetrician, the candle image of the unborn baby is undoubtedly the image of a baby.” He firmly promised to attend Church and even shed tears. I prayed for him. To my surprise, the attending doctor said, “It is not that I am treating your illness but rather, you have treated the illness of my soul.”

“Oh, my beloved Jesus, truly You are not only the light and Savior for me but for all the children of the world.” The Lord continued to show me how He worked through the suffering of me, an unworthy one, so that no matter how severe the pain that followed, as long as I could give glory to the Lord, I would be filled with nothing but joy.

At this point, most people would have already been discharged from the hospital but I was in no condition to return to Naju. The pain persisted and even though I had not fully recovered from the surgery, I also received the pains of the five stigmatas and offered them up. Moreover, this was before I asked God to take away the fragrance of roses, so whenever I passed by during Mass, all people would immediately recognize me by the scent of roses.

Many people kept coming to visit me, seeking my counsel and prayers, so I could not rest at all. As a result, the wound from the surgery had no time to heal. So, I made arrangements with the priest-director of the hospital and agreed to be transferred from Maryknoll Hospital to Saint Joseph Hospital in Busan. The Lenten season was nearly over and I was supposed to transfer on Holy Thursday but because my condition was not improving, I was transferred on Holy Saturday instead.

I attended the Easter Vigil Mass at Saint Joseph’s Hospital and the Resurrection of Jesus became a great comfort to me. The priest-director of the hospital from Maryknoll came to visit and he even held an Easter party. The priest-director of the hospital prepared sashimi for himself and me, and mulhoe (sashimi cold soup) for the nuns and everyone ate happily. Since I could not eat sashimi, I told them I would not have any.

However, the priest said, “It tastes better with soybean paste than with the chili-pepper paste vinegar sauce,” and even put some sashimi in my mouth personally, even though I did not know what it was. I was grateful to the priest who fed me with all his sincerity and love and I could not spit out what he had put in my mouth when I thought of the souls that would be abandoned. I offered it up with Semchigo as if I were eating my favorite food, chewing carefully and eventually, I was able to appreciate its favor.

Moved by the priest’s heartfelt love, I ate a few more pieces of sashimi with the soybean paste. From that moment on, I was able to eat sashimi. That day, we celebrated the joyful resurrection with the priest-director of the hospital and the nuns. Practicing Semchigo as if I were celebrating the Lord’s resurrection with the Blessed Mother, who had shed tears, I prayed for abundance of graces to be bestowed upon the pilgrims who came to the Blessed Mother’s House to celebrate the Resurrection. At that moment, the Blessed Mother gave me great comfort and I felt overjoyed as if I had been resurrected.

However, the very next day, on Easter Sunday around 11 o’clock, the stigmata of the Five Wounds began to appear distinctly and I continued to be unable to get up and received so much sufferings. Although I had suffered during Lent, I would usually spring up again on Easter Sunday. But that year, on Easter Sunday, I sang the glory of the Lord through my suffering.

“O my Lord, who gives me everything I need, as much as I need, at the right time! Through my small suffering, may You be praised. Please accept my worthless and humble devotion and grant a cup of Your blessings that will flow like a river and moisten every soul parched like a desert in ruins.

O my Lord, who can accomplish anything! In this time when sacrifice and reparation are needed, may my small suffering bring You comfort and glory and may You perform the wondrous miracle of love that leads sinners to repentance, fulfilling Your will. Amen.”

My personal reflection note with Mama Julia🌹💗 

Link 👇🏻

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