[Five Spiritualities Testimony] 😊 Finding God's Love in Naju: Embracing the Treasure of Humility, More Precious Than Worldly Success, in the Embrace of Our Lady of Naju

 Finding God's Love in Naju: Embracing the Treasure of

Humility, More Precious Than Worldly Success,

in the Embrace of Our Lady of Naju 💘

(Gemma Jeong Hye-rin, Daejeon, South Korea)

Journey of a Life Fully Committed to Catholic Faith 

I have been a devout Catholic since childhood, actively involved in parish life in South Korea. For over ten years, I served as a catechist for youth in the Diocese of Daejeon and participated in the Legion of Mary, diocesan retreats, and numerous events.

I also joined retreats with religious orders and undertook pilgrimages, including Taizé, Lourdes, and the Camino de Santiago. I attended World Youth Day in Australia with Pope Benedict XVI. And I volunteered at Asian Youth Day in Korea during Pope Francis’s visit, where I had the grace of briefly greeting him. 

Pursuing worldly dreams with passion and dedication

I aspired to become recognized globally, working as a freelance English instructor and fitness trainer, and later earning a master’s in sports medicine that led to a stable hospital job. 

Seeking broader experiences, I used my savings to travel, study, work, and live freely abroad, viewing the world as full of opportunities while dreaming of building a holy family.

The moment I was led to know Our Lady of Naju

While staying in Faro, Portugal, I decided to visit Our Lady of Fatima, and the name “Naju,” which I had first heard about over ten years earlier, suddenly came to mind. Curious, I searched and later, during Mass at Casa San Benedetto in the Vatican on February 28, 2010, celebrated by Archbishop Giovanni Bulaitis, I saw for the first time a video showing a Eucharistic phenomenon in which the consecrated Host appeared as flesh and blood in Julia Kim’s mouth.

A deep repentance from the heart

The shock I felt at that moment was tremendous, and it felt like my heart would burst, making me realize how carelessly I had treated the Holy Eucharist. In tears of repentance, I reflected on my sins—judgment, lack of love, gossip, and impurity—and felt embraced like a child in the arms of the Lord and the Blessed Mother. 

Since then, through Julia Kim’s talks, writings, and the miraculous graces of Naju, I have come to a deeper awareness of Jesus’ profound love.

The Church’s Challenge with Korea’s Youth Faith Crisis

Coming to understand the true love of Jesus and the Blessed Mother, as well as the truths of the Catholic faith, especially the Holy Eucharist, has made me feel anger toward Church leaders in Korea. Many young people, never spiritually nourished, are being swept away by the world. South Korea faces a severe mental health crisis among youth, with even students taking antidepressants.

For over a decade, I served as a catechist but struggled to help them see the importance of the Church or retain those who left. Eventually, I focused more on social activities than teaching the faith, realizing that the Church can no longer truly guide teenagers and young adults spiritually.

The Church’s Challenge Amid Korea’s Youth Faith Crisis

Coming to a deeper understanding of the love of Jesus and the Blessed Mother, as well as the truths of the Catholic faith — especially the Holy Eucharist — led me to reflect profoundly on the spiritual struggles faced by many young people in Korea today. Many youths, lacking sufficient spiritual formation and support, appear increasingly influenced by secular culture and experience deep interior difficulties. South Korea continues to face serious mental health challenges among its younger generations, including growing emotional and psychological burdens among students.

For more than a decade, I served as a catechist and earnestly tried to help young people appreciate the importance of the Church and remain close to the faith. Yet I often experienced the limitations and difficulties of this mission, especially when many gradually drifted away despite sincere pastoral efforts.

Over time, I found myself focusing more on social and community activities, while carrying a growing concern that the Church in Korea faces significant challenges in effectively accompanying and spiritually guiding teenagers and young adults in the modern world.

My worldly passions were gradually transformed into a deeper desire to live for Jesus. My life had long been filled with pursuits that never brought lasting fulfillment. After reading Julia Kim’s The Life Prepared by the Lord and the Messages of Love from Our Lady of Naju, I came to reflect more deeply on the immeasurable love and providence of God.  I was especially moved by the thought that even an ordinary person could become a humble instrument inthe hands of the Lord.

Although I had always prayed for a holy family life, I increasingly felt drawn to dedicate my life more completely to Jesus and to the service of the Blessed Mother. Even before visiting Naju for the first time, I experienced a strong interior desire to set aside many worldly ambitions and seek a life centered more fully on faith.

Despite the difficulties of the pandemic, circumstances unexpectedly opened a way for me to travel to Naju without significant delay, which I received with gratitude as part of God’s providence.

Finding a Spiritual Treasure in Naju

Because of the controversies surrounding Naju within the local Church in Korea, my decision to become involved there brought significant concern and opposition from my family, especially from my mother, who had faithfully served in our parish for many years. This caused me deep interior suffering, as I never wished to hurt my family or distance myself from the Church that I loved.

Nevertheless, through prayer and discernment, I gradually came to believe that the spirituality I encountered in Naju was leading me closer to the Lord through deeper repentance, love for the Eucharist, and a life of sacrifice and prayer. Eventually, I entered the sisters’ community in Naju with the sincere desire to dedicate my life more fully to God.

Along this journey, Julia Kim became an important spiritual guide and witness for me through her example of sacrifice, perseverance, and love for souls. I felt that I had discovered a spiritual treasure that was drawing me toward a deeper relationship with God and a more wholehearted living of the Catholic faith.

Lessons Learned Through Our Lady of Naju

Through Our Lady of Naju, I have come to reflect more deeply on humility, the boundless mercy of the Lord, the tender love of Jesus and the Blessed Mother, and the importance of loving my neighbors with sincerity and sacrifice. I have also learned that even small acts of sacrifice and reparation are meaningful before God, helping draw souls closer to Him and deepening my own life of faith.

Through Julia Kim’s teachings on the Five Spiritualities Amen, Semchigo, The Life of Offering Up, Turning Our Daily Lives into Prayers, and It's My Fault, I have gradually learned to respond to difficulties with greater patience, prayer, and trust in God. When I experience hurt or misunderstanding, I try to practice Semchigo as if I were loved and to pray for those involved rather than harbor resentment. Through these efforts, I believe my heart is slowly being transformed toward greater love and understanding.

This spirituality has brought peace and deeper meaning to my life. Without these experiences, I believe I would have remained far more attached to selfish desires and worldly values. Through Naju, however, I have experienced a gradual interior conversion, learning little by little to live not only for myself, but also with greater love and concern for others.

How Naju Changed My Heart Toward Priests

Before coming to Naju, I spent many years serving as a catechist and working closely with priests. Over time, I came to see both their strengths and human weaknesses, and at times I found myself judging them or becoming deeply hurt.

However, through the messages associated with Our Lady of Naju and the guidance of Julia Kim, I gradually came to reflect more deeply on the dignity and vocation of the priesthood. I learned to see priests not primarily through their human limitations, but as men called to serve the Church and entrusted with sacred responsibilities.

Rather than dwelling on criticism or disappointment, I began trying to approach them with greater respect, understanding, and prayer. I have also come to appreciate more profoundly how precious the priesthood is, especially through the celebration of the Holy Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, through which the faithful receive God’s grace and mercy.

How Naju Deepened My Love for Confession and the Eucharist

Through my experiences in Naju, my appreciation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist has deepened greatly. In the past, I went to confession only occasionally, but now I approach it much more frequently as a means of spiritual renewal and conversion. Although I sincerely strive to live a virtuous life, I remain aware of my weaknesses and shortcomings. Through confession, I experience God’s mercy and grace, which help me prepare my heart more worthily to receive the Holy Eucharist. 

Participating regularly in Holy Mass, both in the morning and evening whenever possible, has gradually strengthened my desire to remain close to the Lord each day through prayer, repentance, and the sacraments.

Naju and the Spiritual Renewal of Young People

Meanwhile, I am currently serving as a youth coordinator at the Naju Shrine.  During this summer’s Five Spiritualities youth retreat, I witnessepeace, and hope through prayer and community life. Many participants shared that, through the retreat, they came to feel more deeply the love of the Lord and the Blessed Mother, and rediscovered joy and meaning in their daily lives. Some also testified that they were able to live with greater emotional stability and found renewed strength through faith and prayer.

For many years, I have participated in parish, diocesan, and various youth retreat programs. Yet witnessing so many young people experience profound interior consolation and spiritual transformation within such a short period of time was deeply moving and left a lasting impression on me.

A Humble Petition for Naju

With deep reverence and filial devotion, I humbly express my sincere hope that, in God’s providence and according to the Church’s wise discernment, pilgrimages to Naju may one day be permitted for the spiritual benefit of the faithful. Many believers who have encountered spiritual consolation and renewal through Naju continue to pray earnestly for unity with the Church and for guidance under her maternal care.🙏

Gemma Jeong Hye-Rin November 6, 2025

57-23, Hyanggyo-gil, Naju-si, Jeollanam-do, South Korea

👇🏻 “Click to watch the testimony video.” 👇🏻

✨Come to Naju and experience for yourself! ✨

YouTube, Facebook: Naju Mary

Email: marysnaju@najumary.or.kr