Seoul (AsiaNews ) - Catholics in South Korea "are to pray in a special way for our brothers and sisters in the North , so that the Lord will grant them abundant blessings of love, compassion and grace." This is the New Year's message from the archbishop of Seoul , Msgr. Andrew Yeom Soo- jung , to the faithful: "Dear brothers and sisters , we have welcomed the year of 2014 with dreams and hope. May the Lord's blessings be with you throughout each day of the New Year."
In the text , the archbishop wrote: " Everyone longs for a happy life. Real happiness, however, lies within our own state of mind. If we are thankful for what we have, and if we share it to other people, we find happiness easily through the life of loving our neighbors". However, he immediately adds , " Many people, however, find it hard to be happy because they are too selfish and greedy. That is why Jesus said, "blessed are the poor in spirit" (Matthew 5:3). It is to live a humble life and put ourselves entirely in the hands of God. This is the truth about happiness that we should never forget".
Msgr. Yeom concludes, "I pray that we can all follow the example of the Holy Family. The Holy Family was small and ordinary, but they were strong-faithed; they made big miracles happen through love and sharing. In order to do be like them, it is important that we start by loving our own families".