Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI
Archdiocese of Seoul
Seoul (Agenzia Fides) – The life of every Christian is what the Holy Scriptures describe as “a journey through the desert.” “Even for those who believe in God and follow the Gospel, the Christian journey is rarely an easy one, from light to light. More often, it is a demanding pilgrimage, a constant struggle between darkness and light, the values of the world and those of the Gospel, revenge and forgiveness. But just as Our Lady endured the desert with God’s help, so too can we feel His hand guiding us on our journey,” said Peter Soon-taick Chung, Archbishop of Seoul and Apostolic Administrator of Pyongyang, in a message to the faithful released today, August 13, by the Archdiocesan Press Office on the occasion of the upcoming Solemnity of the Assumption.In the message, Archbishop Chung recalls the journey of the Holy Year as a “pilgrim of hope,” noting that “the people of Israel in the Old Testament wandered through the desert toward the Promised Land, and the Blessed Virgin Mary, too, endured long periods of trial and silence with patience and humility in her daily life.” “We too,” he continues, “sometimes have to pass through desert regions before we reach the Father’s house, where Christ has prepared a place for us. God does not always remove all trials at once, but gives us the grace and strength to endure and overcome difficulties, and promises to always accompany us on our journey.”Applying this perspective to the current situation on the Korean Peninsula, the Archbishop emphasizes: “In recent days, there have been small but significant changes in relations between North and South Korea. When our government stopped broadcasting loudspeakers to the North to protect border communities and ease tensions, the North responded by stopping its broadcasts to the South.” “Every change begins with small acts of determination and courage. May this seemingly modest change be the first step that leads our wounded country through its desert toward the promise of peace,” the message reads.On the recent “Day of Prayer for Reconciliation and Unity of the Korean People,” the Catholic community reflected on the biblical passage “GIve them something to eat” (see Fides, 9/8/2025). “We are committed,” Archbishop Chung said, “to live in the spirit of mutual sharing. However humble our gifts may be, if they arise from genuine charity, the Lord will work great miracles through them.””In all difficulties and trials,” the text concludes, “we hold fast to hope and place unshakable trust in the Lord, who leads us to the heavenly homeland. Above all, we ask the intercession of the Virgin Mary, so that she may remember us who seek the Lord in the desert and obtain for our country the grace to be reunited and to find lasting peace.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 13/8/2025)
Share: