[The Five Spiritualities Testimony] 😍 No matter how difficult or challenging things get, I often think, “What would Mama Julia have done?

✨Even when I am in pain or suffering, if I offer it up graciously with 

Semchigo, even the smallest and simplest acts, turning my daily life into 

prayers, I become so joyful and uplifting. 💪😆

I am Stella Kim Yeong-ran from Chuncheon, South Korea. I would like to share how I practiced the Five Spiritualities.

I am doing beekeeping in Yanggu, Gangwon Province, and to run the beekeeping work, I needed to build a processing facility. To build it, I borrowed 50 million won from my younger sister. She had the money and lent it to me without interest, saying, “Sister, just pay me back whenever you can.”

But suddenly, after only six months, she told me to return the entire amount.

So after arranging for the construction of the processing facility, I suddenly had to stop the project and ended up losing 5 million won. I gave the money back to her, but I was so upset.

However, because I had heard Mama Julia’s “It is my fault” spirituality countless times, I said to myself, “This is all my fault. I started this even though I didn’t have enough money, so it’s only natural that I suffered this loss. This is clearly my fault.” And when I told my sister, “It’s my fault,” my heart felt completely at peace.

So I said to myself, “Even though I couldn’t complete the processing facility and lost 5 million won, I believe that Jesus will give me something far greater!” When I made up my mind that way, my heart became so light and peaceful.

And through Mama Julia’s life, which the Lord has prepared, I am learning so many things. Whenever I think about her life, my heart aches deeply. I used to think that my own life had never been easy and that I was doing my best to live faithfully. Throughout my life, I have probably had about 35 different jobs. That’s how many kinds of work I have done.

When I read that Mama Julia carried the baby and moved to the hospital room, I cried so much. No human could possibly endure, but Mama Julia always offered everything up, offering up even any neglect from her husband with Semchigo as if she was loved by him. 

I think my husband is the most diligent person in the world. I always believed I was diligent too, but compared to him, he is probably a hundred times more so, and trying to keep up with someone like that has been very difficult for me.

 At 4:30 in the morning he tells me to prepare breakfast so he can start working, and we always have to do the beekeeping work together; when we return, I have to cook for him again. I have arthritis, so my legs hurt even more, but he doesn’t take that into consideration.

Even when we work together, he just lies down and watches TV, telling me to prepare his meals, which can be so annoying.

But when I think of how Mama, even while suffering so much, offered everything up with Semchigo as if being loved, I tell myself, “Okay, even though I’m in pain, I will offer it up with Semchigo as if being loved, as if he were helping me.” Then fragrance of rose brush past me, and I feel so energized. I get so full of strength that I start humming happily again, and my husband says, “When were you saying you were in pain while humming a tune?”

One day, even though I was hospitalized with pneumonia, he told me to come out and work. When we work, I set everything up for him, and without me, he can’t do anything, so he urges me to come out quickly.

I thought, “Oh, Jesus! If it were Mama Julia, she would have done everything, giving her best.” During that week in the hospital, I went out to work twice.

I went out for two days to work, and then he said we had to plant peppers in the field. As I was planting them, even though I was in so much pain that my fever was rising, I prayed, “Jesus! For each of these pepper plants that I plant, please cleanse the souls of all sinners and let them go to Heaven. Jesus! Please wash away all our sins so that these souls can stand rightly before God.”

When I turned it into prayer and offered up everything graciously with Semchigo as if I were resting comfortably in the hospital, my husband Francisco didn’t seem annoying at all. He looked so lovely to me.

When I offer up even difficulties and hardships with Semchigo as if being loved, I feel energized just like Mama Julia did. No matter how difficult or challenging things get, I often think, “What would Mama Julia have done? How would Mama have handled this?” Every time I face difficulties, I ask myself, “What would Mama Julia react or respond to this?”

And when the children act in a way that upsets me, I say, “Ah, okay, I’ll just practice Semchigo as if they loved me.” When I do that, everyone around me, all my neighbors, even strangers, look lovely. I am not annoyed at all.

When I offer up everything with Semchigo, even if the priest says something critical to me, pointing out that I couldn’t do something, even though I am such a busy person, I think, “I’ll practice Semchigo as if I am receiving good advice from the priest!” Then the priest also looks lovely to me. I really feel like I am living a life of resurrection everyday!

Even when I am in pain or suffering, if I offer it up graciously with Semchigo, even the smallest and simplest acts, turning my daily life into prayers, I become so joyful and uplifting.

 

I am truly an unworthy sinner. Some days I get angry, and some days things just don’t go well, but then, like Mama Julia, I tell myself, “Today I will start anew! I will begin again!” and I feel so much strength!

And when things don’t go well, I remind myself, “I must do my best! I must do my best!” 

Keeping that in mind makes the day so good, and each day becomes a life of resurrection.

When I strive earnestly, I feel that Jesus comes even closer to us. All glory to the Lord and the Blessed Mother!

June 3, 2023, Stella Kim Yeong-ran from Chuncheon, South Korea