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What is the Last Supper? It is a banquet of love and sharing. In order to give the totality of my love, which is so high, deep and wide, to my beloved Pope, Cardinals, Bishops, priests, religious and all my children in the world, together with my Son Jesus, I am squeezing all of myself and giving them fragrance and oil. The fragrance and oil that I give for the sake of all are gifts from God and are also my presence, love and friendship. — The Blessed Mother’s message on April 8, 1993, Holy Thursday |
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The first two have been accomplished already. In fact, they are the signs and promises that precede the final exodus. It can be said that all Christians — the Apostles, the Saints, priests, religious and laity are marching toward this singular goal: the third exodus. Of course, this third exodus is totally dependent on the merits of Christ. It can be thought of as an unfolding application of the merits of Christ’s redemptive suffering to the deliverance of the world from evil. It was June 12, 1994, when I first visited Naju. Mr. Bernard from Switzerland, working at a retreat house in Japan, introduced me to Fr. Raymond Spies. Then, Fr. Spies directed me to Naju. The Blessed Mother’s statue in Naju that I first saw was in blue and white colors and had a height of about 50 cm. It looked like an ordinary statue that one could easily find elsewhere. This was the statue that was widely known for tears and tears of blood. But on the day of my visit, there were no traces of tears. I looked more closely and saw streams of oil from the left side of her head, flowing down on her forehead, both sides of her left eye, and her left cheek, reflecting light in the Chapel. I was not sure if it was from the oil, but the area around the statue and, actually, the whole Chapel was filled with quite a strong fragrance of roses, which one could easily smell even without paying attention. On June 14, two priests and about 30 other pilgrims from Japan arrived together with Fr. Spies. It was almost noon, when Julia also came out and the atmosphere in the Chapel became quite animated. Some people were on their knees, praying the rosary, and others were taking photos in front of the Blessed Mother’s statue. Julia was talking mostly with priests. She looked like a usual mother in a rural town, who seemed to have worked at a barley mill. I also took photographs with others and exchanged greetings. I had a long talk with Fr. Luige de Rucoru, an elderly theologian, about the Blessed Mother until we parted with each other. Several weeks later, I received some gifts from Fr. de Rucoru and Mr. Goga, an elderly layman in Japan, both of whom I had met in Naju. Fr. de Rucoru surprised me by sending 257 volumes of books, mostly on the Blessed Mother, and Mr. Goga sent me a small package containing several photographs taken on the day of their visit to Naju and a letter written politely with a brush. The three packages of books from Fr. de Rucoru were heavy and were sent by sea mail. They were very surprising and rare gifts. But let me move on to the other subject that may be even more surprising. There were two identical photographs among others that Mr. Goga, an elderly layman in Japan, sent me. They were two identical prints of a photograph of the Blessed Mother’s statue which was exuding fragrant oil. I could not understand why Mr. Goga included these two same photos in the package. Anyhow, these two photos were nicely wrapped in transparent vinyl bags just like other photos. What was surprising was that only these two photos were wet with some clear oil. How is this possible? What happened? Oil flows from photographs, from dry paper, as if the paper was alive? ... I observed this for several days, but it was a certain fact. My family and other people also confirmed this. Several days later, I went down to Naju and showed these photographs to Julia in her living room. As soon as she received the photos in her hands, the room became filled with a powerful fragrance of roses. The fragrance was spreading even to the outside of the room. Some of the volunteer workers were surprised and rushed into the room. They said that this oil was identical to the oil that was exuding from the Blessed Mother’s statue. When Mr. Goga heard about this, he carefully examined an identical photograph that he was keeping in his album but could not find anything unusual. Why is the Blessed Mother giving this gift of her fragrant oil and fragrance through these photos only to me? Is the Blessed Mother really giving her fragrant oil and fragrance as a special gift for me? What do this fragrance and fragrant oil mean? Anyhow, there has been no change to this fragrance and fragrant oil even now, three years after it began. Many people know about this. At the beginning of this writing, I quoted the sentence from the messages in Naju: What is the Last Supper? "The Last Supper" — This term appears once in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament. In Exodus 12:11, "Thus you shall eat it: you shall gird your reins, and you shall have shoes on your feet, holding staves in your hands, and you shall eat in haste." This meal refers to the last supper that the Israelites shared with each other before leaving Egypt. In the New Testament, the meal refers to the Last Supper that Our Lord shared with His disciples as the meal of the Passover before His arrest. The Last Supper that was shared as the Passover meal! These are not the words of someone who is unfamiliar with the Bible. Rather, they are the words of someone who penetrates both the Old Testament and the New Testament. "What is the Last Supper?" Who can dare ask this question and give a clear answer? The Blessed Mother is giving us a teaching of profound significance and high intensity by means of her message through Julia in Naju on April 8, 1993, and through Fr. Stefano Gobbi on April 13, 1995, both of which were the Feast of the Priesthood in commemoration of the Lord’s establishment of the Sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Holy Orders, on the profound meaning of the Last Supper that is to be shared as the Passover meal. In her message through Fr. Gobbi, the Blessed Mother quotes from the Bible, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer," and also says, "The entire life of Jesus was destined toward this sublime and irreversible moment," and "Jesus has been walking toward that pinnacle every day." She repeatedly emphasizes, "Jesus has always desired to reach the point where His Passover is completed." She again reminds us of the words in the Gospel: "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer." With these words of profound significance, she awakens us to the meaning of "the Last Supper" and says, "The hour that Jesus has desired so eagerly in this end time has begun. That is because, with His merciful Love, He is preparing the greatest victory." In conclusion, she says, "Therefore, you too should desire eagerly to eat this Passover meal before suffering." What is then the third Passover meal of this age that the Blessed Mother is asking us to desire eagerly and share with each other? During the first Passover before leaving Egypt, the meal that the Israelites shared in haste, with reins on their waist, shoes on their feet, and staves in their hands, was lamb meat, unleavened bread and bitter herbs. During the second Passover, the meal that the Lord shared with His disciples as the Last Supper before His arrest was bread and wine turned into Christ’s Body and Blood. Then, what is the meal during the third Passover of this age, which the Blessed Mother asked us to eagerly desire in her words through Fr. Gobbi? I believe that a very clear and perfect answer to that question can be found in the words from the Blessed Mother’s message through Julia Hong Sun Yoon Kim on April 8, 1993, which was quoted at the beginning of this writing. I have read the messages of Naju ten times so far, searching for the meaning of the fragrance and fragrant oil from the simple photographs of Our Lady’s statue that I received as gifts. I would like to point out, with a deep sense of caution and humility, to the Church and the faithful the meaning of these words in the messages that I have found, filled with profound gratitude and love. What is the Last Supper? It is a banquet of love and sharing. In order to give the totality of my love, which is high, deep and wide, to my beloved Pope, Cardinals, Bishops, priests, religious and all my children in the world, together with my Son Jesus, I am squeezing all of myself and giving them fragrance and oil. The Last Supper is a banquet of love and sharing, and she is squeezing all of herself to give the fragrance and the fragrant oil to all — from the Pope to the children in the world — so that they may share it with one another. The Last Supper during the second Passover was the Lord’s Body and Blood. Then, the Passover meal that we are to share as the Last Supper during this third Passover is the fragrance and fragrant oil that the Blessed Mother personally gives us by squeezing herself. Then, it would not be difficult to infer that it is the Blessed Mother who is leading us in the third Passover. If one thinks that some logical jump, exaggeration or rash judgment is included in this reasoning, more debates will be necessary. Continuing the reasoning, God, Yahweh, led His people through Moses during the first Passover and Christ led the second Passover. Then, it becomes clear that the third Passover, which will transform this sinful world into a new heaven and a new earth which will be with the Lord, will be led by the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is a created being but is elevated to the Divine Motherhood and is the Second Eve, as mentioned in the Proto-Gospel (Genesis 3:15). When one has an open mind, free from prejudice, it will be clear beyond doubt that the above-quoted message in Naju is a solemn declaration of the Last Supper and a marching order toward her beloved Church and the human race during the third Passover. Therefore, I think that not only the Catholic Church in Korea but also the Holy Father and the whole Church need to humbly and attentively listen to what is summarily contained in these words. When the Lord was being rejected in Nazareth, He said the following words which are terribly frightening to us. "During the time of Elijah when the heaven was closed and there was a severe drought for three-and-a-half years there were many widows in Israel. But Elijah was sent not to others but only to a widow living in Sarebda in Sidon. There were many lepers in Israel at the time of Prophet Elijah. But among them only a Syrian was cured." How should we understand these words of the Lord? As God chose the Blessed Mother, the Blessed Mother can choose Naju and Julia. Shouldn’t we remind ourselves that it is God, the Lord, and the Blessed Mother Who choose according to Their Will? Shouldn’t all of us fear God, know how to humbly bend our own will, follow God’s Will, and truly serve Him? Shouldn’t we thus stand on a beautiful and good foundation that is unshakable? I think that we all must keep in mind the Lord’s Words, "We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do" (Luke 17:10), follow the Holy Father, become liberated from the sense of vested rights, and, thus, return to this very free and fragrant place for accepting God’s Words. I look back at what the Lord did 2,000 years ago. He first changed water into wine, then, finally shared the Last Supper with His disciples and, then, was arrested to complete His Death. He shed His Precious Blood on the Cross as the Victim for all, and, finally, overcame the Death, opened the gate of the tomb, and came out. I also look back at what the Blessed Mother has done in Naju. First she showed her tears, then, tears of blood, then, fragrance and oil, and then, the Eucharistic signs. Unlike any other apparition sites in Church history, these signs were given in powerful ways, one after another, regardless of the world’s responses. Now, the Last Supper is nearing its end. Doesn’t this mean that there only remains the Passion and the Death, which will lead to the glorious Resurrection? Let us listen again to the solemn declaration of the Last Supper that the Blessed Virgin Mary is making to the Holy Father and all the children in the world of this age: What is the Last Supper? It is a banquet of love and sharing. In order to give the totality of my love, which is high, deep and wide, to my beloved Pope, Cardinals, Bishops, priests, religious and all my children in the world, together with my Son Jesus, I am squeezing all of myself and giving them fragrance and oil. The fragrance and oil that I give to all are gifts from God and are also my presence, love and friendship. There are several words in the above message that demand special attention: "together with my Son Jesus." At the climax of the second Passover, namely, during the Crucifixion, the Blessed Mother was standing with the Apostle John at the side of the Lord hanging on the Cross as the Co-Redemptrix. Likewise, this time, the Lord is standing at the side of the Blessed Mother, who is leading us in the third Passover, by giving us the fragrance and oil as the food by squeezing all of herself. The fragrance and oil that I give to all are gifts from God and are also my presence, love and friendship. This means that God is giving to this world in this age the presence of the Blessed Mother as His gift of love. As He gave His Only Son as the gift during the second Passover, He is giving the Blessed Mother, who is a descendent of Eve and is strengthened at the foot of her Son’s Cross, as a gift to the Holy Father and all the people of this age. She will not fall into the serpent’s temptation; rather, she will crush his head. It means a majestic accomplishment of God’s Will to rescue the human race, which was lost because of the weak and immature Eve, through the Blessed Mother, who is a creature but is elevated to the Divine Motherhood. We can surmise that God wills to achieve a more precious and glorious victory through the Blessed Virgin Mary, a descendent of Eve whom He created with love as "the bone of his (Adam’s) bone and the flesh of his flesh," instead of achieving the victory himself. The Blessed Mother herself clarifies her mission: "Today focus your eyes on this Heavenly Mother, who is enwrapped with the extremely pure light of the Paschal joy and is again declaring in a quiet and motherly way His glorious return to you." — Her message through Fr. Gobbi on April 7, 1996 We can clearly see from His life on earth that the Lord does not flatter or compromise with the world or with any other existing force that goes against His Will. As she chose little children and spoke through them in Lourdes and Fatima, I think that the Blessed Mother can choose a poor country woman to make a solemn pronouncement of the Last Supper of the third Passover that will conclude an era to the whole world. As he drew near, he saw the city (Jerusalem) and wept over it, saying, "If this day you only knew what makes for peace — but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides. They will smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another within you because you did not recognize the time of your visitation." (Luke 19:41-44) How wonderful it would be, if everyone in this age can listen to these Words of the Lord as a warning! I would like to end this writing by quoting the words of St. John suggesting to all that we listen to the loud voice from the throne in Heaven, as the revelations were approaching the end. Behold, God’s tabernacle is among men. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them. (Revelation 21:3) There are the Blessed Mother’s tears and her tears of blood. There are her fragrance and oil. There are her words that formed a book. As if she was trying to liberate the whole human race from the bondage of exile because of the old serpent, seven times she has solemnly manifested her Son Jesus (in the Eucharist), Whom she was carrying in her womb, as we have always prayed for. Then, even if that place is a poor cottage in a small town, we must all know that it is God’s tabernacle among us on earth and a dwelling place of the Blessed Virgin Mary who was conceived immaculately. According to her Son’s request while He was hanging on the Cross and shedding blood for our sake, the Blessed Mother is trying to gather all her children of this age who are like John the Apostle in her Immaculate Heart by squeezing herself and giving them fragrance and oil. I wish to ask everyone to open their eyes and recognize the Mother at the banquet of love and to participate in and walk at the head of the journey from this loveless, dry desert to the new heaven and new earth that will be opened with God’s Love, instead of falling behind. — from Mary's Touch, Special Issue 1998 #3
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