[✨Leader Retreat] 💞 This retreat was not just a journey to a holy place, but a journey into my own heart.

💗 Leader Retreat Reflection – Dora 💗

From the moment we arrived at Naju Shrine and stepped into Mother’s House, I felt surrounded by love. It was not only peace, but a warmth that seemed to embrace my heart. During this retreat, that feeling grew deeper, drawing me closer to God and to Our Lady of Naju. I felt invited to open my heart more each day and to understand more deeply the Love and Mercy of God, Our Lady of Naju, and Mama Julia.


On the first day, we reflected on Mary’s Ark of Salvation, her Bosom of Love greater than the universe, a shelter where I can rest, a heart open to all who seek comfort and guidance.

Being at Naju Shrine made this reality even more tangible. It is a place where the united love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary is quietly revealed. Mother Mary’s love leads us to Jesus. Her heart is a place of protection, healing, and guidance, an invitation to trust and to surrender fully to God.

On the second day, we witnessed something beyond words: a spinning, dancing sun. Everyone saw it with our naked eyes, and it caused no pain or discomfort. Within the spinning light, I saw the Sacred Heart of Jesus crowned with thorns. I felt God’s presence so close, reminding me that He hears my prayers and is living among us at Naju Shrine.

Even amidst the persecution, misunderstandings, and opposition surrounding Naju Shrine, God revealed His reality through this miracle. It was not about spectacle, but about a quiet assurance that Naju Shrine is real and that God is attentive to our hearts.

On the third day, we reflected on Mama Julia’s life, a life carefully prepared by the Lord. Though I had read books and heard stories about her, experiencing the places where she lived and suffered made everything real.

At Bong’s Spring, where she took care of Bong, and at Sugang Apartment, she offered her life and sacrifices for the sanctification of the clergy, the repentance of sinners, and the salvation of the world. Her love was quiet, unconditional, and beyond words. Standing in those places, I began to understand more deeply how Mama Julia expressed her love through hidden, patient, and selfless acts, all aimed at saving souls. She taught me that true love and suffering, when united with God, can save souls.

On the fourth day, we visited the Attic Room, a small, simple space where Mama Julia lived for 20 years and spent 7 years in seclusion. It was difficult to imagine enduring the summer heat and winter cold in such conditions, yet this room became a place of profound holiness.

The calmness there was tangible, and I could sense the Holiness, Sufferings, and Miracles that had taken place. Special phenomena were associated with this space, yet what touched me most was the quiet fidelity of Mama Julia’s life, a hidden Holiness lived through constant suffering and love for the salvation of souls. Her life is a living example of the Five Spiritualities, a testimony to the transformative power of humility and love.

During the Stations of the Cross, even crawling and carrying the cross for a short distance allowed me to glimpse the weight of Mama Julia’s love.

Her life was marked by unending physical discomfort, yet her trust and obedience to God never wavered. Mama Julia’s suffering is not just a story of the past; it is a living witness of love and sacrifice, a call to examine my own heart and an invitation to respond with gratitude, faithfulness, and a willingness to offer even small acts of love for God and others.

During reflection, the song “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?” was sung, and the words pierced my heart: Am I the one who crucified the Lord?

I felt in a very personal way that I am a great sinner and in a sense, responsible for the suffering of Mama Julia, who endured so much outof love for me and for all of us. It was a painful and humbling realization, yet full of grace. I understood that her suffering was not only historical but a living testimony of love, calling me to conversion and to deeper faithfulness.

Later that evening, Father Alex’s talk on confession gave me a deeper understanding of this sacrament. Confession is not just about naming sins, but about opening one’s heart fully to God, trusting in His mercy, and desiring true change. It encouraged me to approach God with humility and courage, knowing that He always welcomes His children back with love.

We also reflected on the Secret of Heaven and the Five Spiritualities. Heaven is our true home, and we were reminded that the “shortcut” to Heaven is not found in extraordinary deeds, but in faithfully living the Five Spiritualities in our daily lives.

Even simple daily tasks can be transformed into acts of love and prayer, for example, making a sandwich and turning it into a prayer. Through the Five Spiritualities, daily life itself becomes a path of grace. Mama Julia’s life is the clearest example of living the Five Spiritualities. For the salvation of souls, she endured suffering, accepted everything with love, and offered it to God. She turned her daily struggles into prayers, her pain into intercession, and her ordinary life into a continuous offering.

Through Mama Julia, I began to understand that the Five Spiritualities are not just teachings, but a way of life. They teach me to accept difficulties with gratitude, to offer sacrifices with love, to transform suffering into prayer, and to live each moment united with God.

Heaven is not far away. It begins here, in the way I live each day. When I practice the Five Spiritualities in small, sincere ways, my daily life becomes a journey toward Heaven. Mama Julia walked this path before me, and now she gently invites me to follow.



This retreat was not just a journey to a holy place, but a journey into my own heart. I experienced the love of God, the gentle guidance of Mother Mary, the witness of Mama Julia, and the power of the Five Spiritualities. I left Naju Shrine with a renewed desire to live my faith more sincerely and to practice the Five Spiritualities faithfully in every small act of my life.

Thank you. I thank God for the invitation to join this fruitful and life-changing retreat. Amen Amen Amen

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 From. Dora