[김애란] 'A person who cries together'

'A person who cries together'  

By Kim Ae-ran

How blessed is a person who cries! Crying is one of the spiritual elements in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12. I think being able to shed tears is also a grace.

"A Person Who Cries Together" is a collection of 32 essays recently published by Pauline. It was originally written by Bishop Peter Lee Ki-heon for "Shade Tree," the pastoral monthly of the Uijeongbu Diocese.

Bishop Peter was ordained to the priesthood in 1975 and was consecrated as bishop in 1999. Then, he became the second Bishop of Military Ordinariate and was transferred to be the second bishop of the Uijeongbu Diocese in 2010. At present, he is the president of the CBCK Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People as well as the chairman of the Episcopal Commission for Mission & Pastoral Care.

His essays are easy to read and touching like a watercolor painting or lyrical poetry drawn from his personal sensitivity and pastoral experiences. The titles of the essays are filled with various memories such as "Mother," "See you again in heavens," "Like offering a rose," "Memory of the rosary," "Meaningful loneliness," "A precious bridge connecting today and tomorrow," "A happy spiritual reading," "Thinking of my friend Deacon Kim Jeong-hoon," and "Have you held their hands?"

In one of the essays, titled "A person who cries together," he shared a story of his companion who served for his parish during his pilgrimage to Europe. He asked a favor of his priest friend to take care of the parish while he was away. There was a stubborn man in that parish who didn't go to church despite the sincere proposals of his wife. By the way, when he came back from his travels, he found him coming to the church.

Unfortunately, during his travels, his wife passed away due to cancer, and the priest friend wholeheartedly consoled the family. Thinking of the sad situation of leaving two children and the husband behind, that priest sympathized with the family and they cried together during the funeral. Looking at his tears, the husband was so touched that he changed his mind and started going to church.

In fact, many people are interested in Catholicism after observing the funeral ceremony where the faithful keep coming to pray constantly for the eternal rest of the soul and to console the family. This warm-hearted gesture usually changes the hearts of people.

We are becoming more and more individualistic and egoistic. Living in the era of individualism, fragmentation and convenience in the digital world, we are nevertheless longing and looking for unity and integrality. We are physically far away from one another, but we are seeking some ways to communicate in the online space to be interconnected.

What a paradox! The fact that we need the community and mutual communication is a reality. Communion and sharing are essential words to witness the love of God. By nature, we are created to collaborate and complement one another.

When I ultimately made up my mind to enter the Congregation, what I felt strongly was the necessity of the community. I was inclined to enjoy being free and independent, but in the long term, I needed the community.

It is said that the communitarian spirit or the sense of belonging to the family is disappearing, but deep in our heart, I can see a sincere and even desperate longing for the joyful presence of others.

A healing and cheerful presence comes alive and active when living together in the community. That is why we are touched when people sympathize and cry together. Truly, sympathy and empathy are two pillars of disinterested love.

The author is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul (Figlie di San Paolo) living and giving the Good News to the world by means of social communication. Learn more about the congregation at fsp.pauline.or.kr.