On the occasion of Korea’s Liberation Day and the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Archbishop Peter Soon-taick Chung shares a reflective message that intertwines themes of national significance and spiritual insight. The full English translation of the archbishop’s message follows below.
Blessed are you who believed that
what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled. (Luke 1:45)
Dear brothers and sisters,
As we embrace the peak of summer in mid-August, we commemorate the significant occasion of Liberation Day, alongside the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as observed in the Church’s liturgical calendar. In complete communion with God, the Virgin Mary, who walked alongside Jesus on the journey of salvation, was ultimately assumed into the heavenly Jerusalem, body and soul, in her entirety.
The Assumption of Mary presents a paradox of faith, and a paradox of heaven and earth. With profound silence and attentive listening, Mary traversed the “night of faith” (cf. Redemptoris Mater, 17) and, by the grace of the God who “has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly,” (Luke 1:52) she was gloriously assumed into heaven. This paradox holds a profound truth: God elevates those who, with hearts attuned to listening and communion, commit themselves to His people. The Assumption foreshadows the destiny of those who humble themselves.
Inspired by Mary’s faith, exemplified through her humility, attentive listening, and communion, we are prompted to examine the current state of the world. Our society is replete with deceptive images that seem more authentic than reality itself. Driven by an insatiable appetite for possession and conspicuous consumption, individuals measure the world and their relationships through the lens of material wealth, inadvertently consuming their own lives. As the French author Albert Camus observed, we pursue possessions because we lack the wisdom to appreciate what we hold. This materialistic conditioning breeds a difficulty in opening one’s heart to truly listen to others. Authentic listening, therefore, demands silence. In this silence lies the discovery of self-giving—a generous devotion of our time to others. This practice of listening represents the “first service one owes to others,” and an “apostolate of the ear” crucial for today’s world (Pope Francis, Message for the 56th World Day of Social Communications, 2022).
Mary’s faith is deeply embedded in this sacred act of listening, rendering her the spiritual mother to us all through her ever-present, attentive heart. Listening fosters unity, and those who experience such healing from division embark on strengthened paths of faith. As we understand the mystery of communion, those who have wandered various paths to journey together as protagonists, united in heart, advancing towards God. This vision is captured by the synodal Church’s mission: to prepare a path of walking together. Being protagonists in this mission through “participation” and living in “communion” is our form of evangelization, and Mary, who exemplified this pilgrimage, is indeed “the image and beginning of the Church” (cf. Lumen Gentium, 68).
It is especially crucial to recognize the role of youth as principal protagonists in this journey. Their spirited participation will infuse vitality into the synodal path established by the Church. I envision the youth following Mary’s footsteps and becoming leading figures on this spiritual odyssey. This exhilarating vision, I hope, will permeate every facet of the World Youth Day Seoul 2027, encompassing its entire preparatory phase. I pray fervently that young people, irrespective of faith backgrounds, will walk along this path of hospitality together.
Through the historical event of the Liberation, Korea has risen to global admiration as a beacon of democracy and culture, despite deep scars of war. Contemplating the true significance of Liberation Day and meditating upon Mary’s journey of unity and peace, we must ask ourselves: Have we indeed been liberated from the entrenched enmity and division within us? Embracing this reflection, I hope that the WYD Seoul 2027 become a genuine new beginning of liberation that restores light, serving as a new opportunity for peace and unity.
Dear brothers and sisters, in this joyous celebration of the Assumption of Mary and Liberation Day, let us seek the intercession of Mary, our Mother of hope and peace, adorned with heavenly glory. She traversed the path before us, embodying God’s plan as her life’s mission, thus becoming a true protagonist in the divinely guided history of the world. The glorious Assumption granted to Mary is not only her past and present but also our future. Through the noble intercession of our Mother, who received the grace of the Assumption, may the joy of unity and peace bestowed by God fill the hearts of each and every one of you, extending also to all our compatriots in North Korea.
