Archbishop Peter Soon-taick Chung of Seoul has called on the faithful to persevere in hope and work for national unity in his message for the 2025 Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Reflecting on the Assumption, Archbishop Chung described the Christian journey as “a demanding path marked by continual struggle between darkness and light,” urging believers to walk with humility and courage.
“The mystery that the Blessed Mother, who lived a life of humility and simplicity, was taken up into heaven body and soul to share in eternal glory stands as a radiant pledge of the salvation our Lord Jesus Christ promised us,” he said.
The prelate, who is also the Apostolic Administrator of Pyongyang, likened the struggles of life to the “journey through the wilderness” in Scripture, where God provides refuge and strength to endure.
“Even for those who believe in God and follow the Gospel, the Christian path is seldom a smooth road from light to light,” he said. “More often, it is a demanding pilgrimage through the constant struggle between darkness and light, the values of the world and those of the Gospel, vengeance and forgiveness.”
Archbishop Chung also drew from Korea’s history, recalling how the joy of liberation was followed by the pain of division. “This day calls us not merely to remember the past, but to heal its wounds and to ready ourselves for a new dawn of hope,” he said.
He pointed to the recent “Day of Prayer for the Reconciliation and Unity of the Korean People,” where the faithful pledged to live out a spirit of sharing.
“However modest our offerings may be, if they are born of genuine charity, the Lord will work great wonders through them,” he said.
Noting “small yet meaningful shifts” in inter-Korean relations, the archbishop cited the government’s decision to halt loudspeaker broadcasts toward the North and Pyongyang’s reciprocal move.
“Every transformation begins with small acts of decision and courage,” he said. “May this seemingly modest change become the first step leading our wounded nation through its wilderness toward the promise of peace.”
He ended his message with a call for prayers through Mary’s intercession, asking that she remember those seeking the Lord amid life’s trials and obtain for the nation the grace to be made whole again in lasting peace.
