We Should Never Be Controlled by the Devil of Disappointment and Cause Others to Commit Sins With Our Own Judgment

(Short Reflection of Julia Kim of Naju, South Korea)

There lived a lady in Naju who was unable to get pregnant for eight years. One day, a false prophet said to her, “I will grant you a baby in your womb today.” From that moment, her belly became swollen.

I said to her unwittingly, “You should go to the hospital. What are you going to do if it is not a baby?” But she had already heard from the false prophet, “The one close to you will tempt you.” So she thought, “Ah! Julia is the one tempting me!”

When she was three months pregnant, I said to her again, “Go see a doctor.” Then she said, “Sister! When I took my pulse, I could feel my baby’s pulse too.” At six months pregnant, I said again, “Please go see a doctor. Now you say you are pregnant, but if you do not give birth later, what would you do?”

I said it before I knew it, thinking to myself, “Why am I saying this to her?” She said to me, “Sister, touch my belly. The baby is moving in my womb!” When I touched it, her belly was really swollen, and I could feel the baby moving. Still, I suggested she have a checkup.

When she was finally examined, she was diagnosed with a false pregnancy. She was crying and screaming. When I prayed for her, the Blessed Mother said to her through me, “When you open your heart wide and come back to Me, I will give you a baby in three years.”

After three years, she felt severe pain. She went to the hospital and was inside the CT scan machine to get a scan. Then the doctor said, “Wait, ma’am! There is a possibility that you are pregnant. Go to the OB/GYN first.” As a result, it turned out that she was three months pregnant. She truly got pregnant after three years.

Time passed, and one day, pilgrims from Gyeonggi province came in three buses. Then I got a call that she was struggling in delivering the baby. So I prayed, “Jesus, I entrust her to You. Lord, please arrange it Yourself. Since You granted the baby to her, please guide everything.”

While delivering Messages to the pilgrims, I got a call that she bore a son. I heard that she finally had to have a C-section operation, but it was the Lord’s Will. If I had come to pray for her, she might have had a natural delivery, but her cesarean operation was God’s Will. When the doctors cut her belly, they found two big lumps in her womb. It was unavoidable for her to miscarry due to those lumps. That is why her delivery was said to be a miracle.

Not only that, since her ovaries were totally infected, it was impossible for her to have a baby. That is why the doctor said, “How could she get pregnant with the ovaries like these?” Since it was Sunday, the chief OB/GYN doctor was not around. So the surgical intern took the baby out and just sutured her belly. If there had been an OB/GYN doctor, her ovaries would have been removed. Soon after, she got pregnant again and bore another son! Her two lumps were still there, and her ovaries were still infected. She got pregnant in a totally impossible situation. God showed a miracle again!

I loved the lady so much to the point that I let her rest her head on my arm. But she misunderstood me and caused a grave problem. We must never judge others without knowing the truth of anything indeed.

Please listen to me well. Magdalene Lee, Tae-hwa, you are here now, right? When she lived in Incheon, she had no fuel to use or rice to eat. Despite her desire to come here, she could not afford the bus fare. She could not cook meals or heat her room because of a lack of money. She had undergone so many hardships. She then was able to ride in one brother’s car to Naju because there was an available seat. She received grace here and was overjoyed. She asked me if she could bring her children here. I said, “Of course!” So she took her children here, and they also received graces.

Her son was a juvenile delinquent, but he escaped from the group after the pilgrimage to Naju. The group slandered him continuously. So I said to her, “Come to Naju. If you move here, I will get you a room to live in. Let us live in Naju!”

Sister, am I right? (Yes, right!) Then she made a call to me one day because she wanted to come here quickly since I told her I would get her a room. Then the lady, whom I loved so much, received that call when she was at my home. When the lady could not bear a baby, her husband had an affair at his work. Her husband, his mistress, and the mistress’ father were in danger of being fired from that office. So the lady asked me to help her husband not to be fired.

I had an acquaintance in that office and helped her husband transfer to Gwangju. Because the couple was so poor, I offered them Room No. 301 at the Sugang apartment where the Blessed Mother’s statue had been enshrined earlier. While having the affair, the husband even bought a motorcycle, which cost the same as a car. It was scrapped due to an accident. He bought another but discarded it again due to another accident. He then bought a new car. So they had no living expenses.

Seeing that, I suggested to Julio, “Even if we should eat only Kimchi and rice, why not give them some money out of your monthly salary?” So we gave them 250,000 KRW every month.

Dear ones, we must stay awake indeed! The lady was completely barren, but the Blessed Mother granted her the second baby. While taking care of her first baby, she could not help me though she wanted to do so. So my mother said to her, “Oh... you got pregnant again though only now you can afford to help Julia!” My mother should have offered her only congratulations. At my mother’s words, the lady felt disappointed. The devil of disappointment can even lead people to commit formidable sins.

The lady got angry and said to my mother, “Okay! I will leave here! Give my room to others too!” But Magdalene Lee, who was supposed to move to Naju, called me at that very moment. The lady answered the phone without letting me know the call and asked Magdalene why she called. Magdalene said, “I have something to tell Mama Julia.” Then the lady said, “Tell me about it.” Magdalene, unaware of this situation, just said, “Mama said that she would get me a room in Naju, but I am not sure how it is going now.”

Then the lady thought, “Oh! The volunteers must be in collusion already with Julia to make her a new volunteer and to offer her the room I used!” How grave her misunderstanding was! I had already got another room for Magdalene near the Chapel. If I had answered her phone, I could have said to her, “Just move now.” But I could not call her because I was so busy.

The lady who misunderstood me visited my parish priest on that very day and wrote a letter against me to the local Bishop. She wrote all kinds of unspeakable stories slandering me in the letter. She even wrote falsely that I went to Shin Yang Park Hotel in Gwangju with Father Chang almost every week for an affair. She wrote all sorts of false things there indeed. It was caused by her little bit of disappointment! But her letter truly brought a serious result.

The Archbishop of Gwangju had said until then, “I will only see the fruits of Naju, for its approval.” But because of her false letter, his attitude totally changed too: “I cannot approve Naju!” Nevertheless, I have never thought, “It happened because I tried to get a room for Magdalene.” I thought, “Oh, this must be the Will of God. This suffering must be required for me.” I offered up my suffering, allowed by God, with Semchigo as if I was loved.

Magdalene, our sister! Is the story I told right? 

Magdalene: Yes, it is right. The lady said to me back then, “Tell me everything. I will convey all your message to Julia, so you don’t need to talk with her.” I told her the story, and she had such a big misunderstanding, so I always feel sorry for Mama Julia. It is because if I hadn’t called at that time, Mama Julia wouldn’t have suffered. Because of me, the lady framed Mama Julia, and even all of her family had to suffer together.

But my suffering must have been required to fulfill God’s will so that He may select the good grain. If Naju had been approved at that time, we couldn’t have stayed close like this due to the massive amounts of pilgrims, right? (Right!)

So what I clearly tell you is this: when something happens, without verifying the facts, we should never judge with our own thoughts and backbite. We must not speak ill of others with our own judgment. Many people easily tell others uncertain things. You don’t do so, right? We should truly watch out for such a thing. Backbiting! Because of it, there have occurred really grave and serious things.

Nevertheless, I’ve never thought even once, “How come Magdalene didn’t tell me directly at that time?” If we don’t tell others in person but convey it through someone, the words can always be changed. So, it’s better to tell in person. If we ask someone to convey our message, as soon as it is conveyed, it can be changed. Even the words uttered just now can be heard incorrectly by others. To divide our relationships, the devil can completely change our words.

(Devil: "Let’s change the words to upset her and divide them.")

Human: "You are really good at this work. I respect you so much!"

Devil: "How bad you are at work! I’m really disappointed whenever I see you."

We should truly watch out! And let’s not hurt others with words anymore. If we do not quibble over trivial matters, arm ourselves with the Five Spiritualities in everything, and practice them, we can easily overcome everything. Amen!

💌 Because of One Word

One word uttered carelessly can inflict wounds onto others,

One word harsh and rude can make hatred bud and grow,

One word uttered without self-restraint can cause confusion in others’ hearts,

One word spat out cruelly can be a dagger that pierces others’ hearts,

One word impolite and discourteous can make burning love ice-cold,

One word to defend and justify oneself is unwise and cowardly,

and One word slandering others can make a neighbor commit sins.

On the other hand,

One word gentle and joyful can give joy to others,

One word kind and considerate can bring peace of mind to others,

One word of praise can give others courage and a surge of energy,

One word gentle and sincere can plant peace in others,

One word that is wise can help others overcome a crisis prudently,

One word asking for forgiveness and reconciliation can transform into love,

and One word loving and graceful can bring pleasant happiness into everyone’s heart.