In the Land of Martyrs
withthe Message of Salvation
Fr Augustine Mundackatt
V C
As life ebbed
out of headless bodies fallen to the ground,
several believers
cried out with tear-filled eyes and unwavering faith, "May a thousand faithful
arise from every
drop of blood;
may the name of
Jesus
be proclaimed
on Korean streets."
Korea is a land sancti fied
by the cruel massacre of thousands of Christian believers. We stood on
the soil drenched with the blood of martyrs and prayed with tear-filled
eyes for the evangelization of Korea and that of the whole world. Anita
Choo, who organised the retreat in Korea, said to us: "On this spot thousands
of Christians were brutally beheaded by Emperor Deh-Won-Goon. The soldiers
cast their heads non- chalantly into the river. The river Han flowing along
the outskirts of the Korean capital, Seoul, became literally a "river of
blood".
Chol-Du San is a bare mountain
overlooking the river Han. The name indicates the reality. It means the
mountain of massacre (Chol-to cut off; Du-head : San-mountain). Today hundreds
of pilgrims visit this mountain to offer prayers. To the glory and hounour
of the Korean Church, there are 143 canonized Korean saints. The first
native priest-martyr of Korea is St Andrew Kim.
The Christian laity, who
came from China, first sowed the seed of Christian faith in Korea. In the
initial stages, as in the early Church, believers gathered in the homes
of one another to pray together.
During the days of the Byung-In
persecution, on September 16th, 1866, Jong-un Kim and Yuhang-Neh-Park were
cruelly killed and their lifeless bodies hung in the market place for public
ridicule for days together.
That was the punishment
for believing in Jesus and proclaiming that he alone is God. Following
this, in 1868 was the mass murder of 2000 believers by beheading them one
after another by the soldiers of the king. As life ebbed out of headless
bodies fallen to the ground, several believers cried out with tear-filled
eyes and unwavering faith, "May a thousand faithful arise from every drop
of blood; may the name of Jesus be proclaimed on Korean streets." when
the severed torsos were thrown into the Han river, the King and his armies
mistakenly thought, their victims were destroyed forever. We stepped into
the river Han, which was a witness to those events, and collected some
water into our cupped hands. It seemed as if, even after a century, the
river was singing the glorious triumph of a life of faith.
North Korea is under a communist
government today. Believers are being persecuted there even today. There
is religious freedom in South Korea. Yet that country is caught up with
the rat race for economic prosperity.
As we journey all over Korea,
we can see, specially in the night, luminous crosses decorated with electric
bulbs lighting the path of faith for believers and standing erect as memorials
of true witnessing to Jesus Christ.
It was as a group of 23
people that we went from Singapore to Korea to celebrate "Vachanolsavam"-the
festival of the word. From India were advocate A M Mathew and I, while
from Singapore came Fr Vincent Lee. The rest were there for intercessory
prayer and to help out in other services. Most of them customarily went
abroad atleast once a year for a trip or holiday. However, after the Potta
ministry became known in Singapore, several people began to come to Muringoor,
Divine Retreat Centre to make a retreat. Thus the Lord has been preparing
many missionaries in foreign lands. Pleasure tours have become missionary
journeys and worldly festivals have been substituted by festivals of the
word.
It was because of the ministry
of the word and healing services conducted successfully last year in Korea
by this same team in an acceptable manner, that the National Charismatic
Team and the Bishops invited us this year.
Seven hours and a half by
flight from the airport of Changi in Singapore took us to Kimpo airport
in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. On the way the plane stopped for
an hour at Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. This interval proved a blessing.
We could spend some time on that soil praying for Thailand and the people
there who are noted for their superstitious beliefs and worship of natural
elements. The Holy Spirit inspired us to intercede for the city of Bangkok
steeped in corruption and superstition and pray for mercy in the middle
of the night.
In half an hour the plane
took us from Seoul to Taegu. From the airport we went directly to Sam Duk
Catholic Church, the venue of the convention. Around two thousand people
had thronged the Church and were waiting for us with songs and hymns of
praise to the Lord. Young girls in native Korean dress were dancing to
the rhythms in the front row and all around the people. When we saw the
people of God lost in those songs of praise and dancing as one nation,
with one mind and heart, it seemed as if we were in heaven with angels
singing and dancing. The praises that rose to heaven were so full of fervour
that we felt as if the glorified souls of the Korean martyrs were reliving
in these believers. In a service that lasted for six hours, the celebration
of the Holy Mass, proclamation of the word, prayers for healing and intercession
at midnight for God's mercy on that big city, were all full of the anointing
of the Spirit. Several illnesses were healed. Lucia Kim, paralysed for
four years, leaped up during the prayer and walked up to the stage; this
deepened the faith of the people. She kept proclaiming aloud. "Jesus Christ
is alive." Monica Ee's breast tumour was healed and she testified to it
instantly. Then followed a long procession of people healed miraculously.
Several were visibly touched by the discourses given by Fr Vincent Lee
who stressed the need for conversion, for renewal of life through repentance
and a return to the Lord. One could see them shedding tears, beating their
breasts and weeping aloud.
Fr Paul Yong, the Director
of the National Charismatic movement had this to say at the end: "In the
last 20 years after the Charismatic Renewal was started in Korea, there
were no services, conventions or ministry of the word that produced such
deep conversions and impressive instances of healing."
The venue for the next day's
services was the indoor stadium. We had conducted the services in the same
place last year too. There were four thousand people eager to listen to
the word. Most came for healing of ailments. There was a long line of people
to give personal testimony to the healing they had received the previous
year. Cases of cancer, tumour, paralysis, heart and kidney diseases, were
plenty. Those who gave up alcoholism, smoking and gambling were also rushing
to the stage to acknowledge God's mercies. The following three days we
spent giving a residential retreat at the Taegu Charismatic centre for
all the Charismatic Leaders of Korea. These leaders evinced great interest
in knowing and learning the manner of conducting prayer services along
the lines prevalent in Potta. This retreat was a follow-up of the one we
conducted the previous year for the leaders. After it was over, the very
same night, we went by bus to Pusan, nearly 400 km away and reached there
by midnight. The next day the services were at the Pusan Cathedral. It
was inaugurated with Holy Mass celebrated by the Bishop of the diocese
in the Cathedral Church in the midst of around 3000 people. The number
was greater than that of the previous year and the prayers more fervent.
The Bishop remarked while delivering the homily that the retreats, services
and healing of the past year had served to make the people's faith stronger.
On the next day, May 8th,
we went back to the capital city of Seoul and after a two-hour bus ride
reached Suvan. In the spacious auditorium were gathered about six thousand
people right from early morn, praying and praising God and waiting to listen
to his word. At 12 noon, with 30 priests and the Suvan Bishop as the main
celebrant, our services began with the Mass. The entire place took on the
air of a great festival. The words, "I have taken off the robe of peace
and put on sackcloth for my supplication; I will cry to the Everlasting
all my days" (Bar 4:20), became a reality to the people of Suvan. The
Koreans called on the name of the Lord, wept and cried out to him, renouncing
the pleasures of city life and the comforts of modernity. I have never
participated in a convention where cases of physical healing were so numerous.
Fr Vincent Lee led the ministry of the word. Like mangoes falling from
the trees during the monsoons, came the people descending the steps of
the stadium and heading towards the stage to give their testimony. When
those, who were carried in the wheelchair or on stretchers, began to get
up and walk, the people became keenly aware of the presence of God among
them. "Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them
from their distress; he sent out his word and healed them, and delivered
them from destruction" (Ps 107:19-20).
The last service in Korea
was again in the capital city of Seoul. The three thousand people who attended
the three-day retreat from 9 am to 8 pm, had all registered their names
beforehand. Due to lack of space, some had to return on the 2nd and 3rd
day. The main themes were inner healing, renewal of life and anointing
of the Holy Spirit.
During the baptism of the
Holy Spirit, people used to fall on their back as soon as hands were laid
on them. About four volunteers, therefore, constantly accompanied us as
we went out into the midst of the people, in order to support those who
were falling. When the Holy Spirit descended on them like a hurricane,
about three fourths of the number were slain in the Spirit. But no one
sustained any injury.
To translate the sermons
and the services from English into Korean,there were a priest, a nun and
a layman. The layman, Gus Kim, a University Professor, was one who had
suffered a brain injury and a stroke and had lost the power of speech.
He had been healed at one such service. Though he re-gained the faculty
of speech, the arm and the leg still remained paralysed. The people, listening
to his testimony of the touch of Jesus, could not restrain their tears.
The services in Korea were
an expression of the dominion of the kingdom of Heaven, of the authority
of Christ over diabolical powers and the bondage of sin. On May 13th we
returned to Singapore. There followed a week's service after the model
of the Potta ministry at St Francis Xavier Retreat Centre whose director
was Fr Vincent Lee. I shall go again to Singapore to lead "Bible Festival
1998"- an international Bible convention and healing prayer from July 20th
to 25th. And then our destination will be Malaysia, Kenya, Uganda where
plans are laid already for the ministry of the word . May I request the
prayers of the readers of Vachanolsavam and members of the World Evangelisation
Team (WET)! Many thanks for your prayers and help!