Chiara Corbella Petrillo 키아라 코르벨라 페트릴로

  

"Siamo Nati e Non Moriremo Mai Piu: Storia di Chiara Corbella Petrillo" ("We were born and we will never die again: the story of Chiara Corbella Petrillo") was first published in Italian in 2013, and it was translated into English under the title of "Chiara Corebella Petrillo: A Witness to Joy" in 2015. And finally, the Korean translation came out under the title of "Choice of Chiara" in November.

I read this book in one sitting on the train to my third sister's home in Daejeon. A thoroughly enjoyable read, the book caught my attention since it bears witness to the indescribable preciousness of life and the mysterious beauty of pain.

This book is a collection of testimonies about the life of Chiara (1984-2012), who is undergoing the process of Beatification as a servant of God. The book is a detailed chronological record of the journey of Chiara's response to the unfathomable will of God. Willingly saying "Yes" to the calling of God, Chiara was able to dance in pain, and thus, she lived in joy and peace to the end.

Born in 1984, Chiara was a devout Catholic. After dating Enrico for six years, she married him in 2008, but she had to face a special situation that is very difficult to imagine as a young person.

In spite of all the pain, she faithfully walked toward the kingdom of God and passed away on June 13, 2012, at the age of 28.

After her funeral, Enrico was unable to respond to all the requests for information on her. So, he consulted with his spiritual guide, Fr. Vito D'Amato, and asked Simone Troisi and Cristiana Paccini, who was close to Chiara, to write this book.

The book chronicles the two authors' perspectives and the memories of Chiara's relatives and friends who witnessed all the heart-wrenching moments that she went through with the firm belief that "God, the Father who loves me, will give me the best."

Chiara knew that her first and second babies would not live even if they were born due to serious disabilities in the womb. Nevertheless, she carried her children to the end and sent them to God with the birth.

When she was pregnant with her third child, she discovered cancer, but she delayed cancer treatment for fear of harming her fetus. With unchanging faith, she responded to the calling of God. Thus, she was able to dance in pain and live in joy and peace.

With the help of this faithful testimony of the couple who took care of life with love and acceptance, we are enlightened to believe that we are truly born for eternity and we will never die. How beautiful and marvelous it is to witness the holiness of living as a couple through the sacrament of marriage and the greatness of the power of love!

The first leading cause of death worldwide is abortion and the second leading cause of death is infectious diseases. It is said that more than 42.6 million abortions were performed worldwide last year alone. Over 3,000 abortions are performed a day in Korea. Considering this worldwide situation, this book draws much attention.

"I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you, life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live." (Deuteronomy 30:19)

 

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2022/12/162_342031.html

The Korea Times/ Thoughts of the Times/ December 22, 2022

 

키아라 코르벨라 페트릴로

 

 "Siamo Nati e Non Moriremo Mai Piu: Storia di Chiara Corbella Petrillo"(우리는 태어났고 다시는 죽지 않을 것이다: 키아라 코르벨라 페트릴로 이야기)라는 책이 2013년 이탈리아어로 처음 출간되었다. 영어 번역본은 2015년 "Chiara Corebella Petrillo: A Witness to Joy"(키아라 코르벨라 페트릴로: 기쁨의 증인)이라는 제목으로 나왔고, 마침내 한국어 번역본이 지난 11월 "키아라의 선택"이라는 제목으로 출간되었다.

 나는 대전에 있는 셋째 언니 집으로 가는 기차 안에서 이 책을 단숨에 읽었다. 가독성이 있는 이 책은 내 눈길을 끌었다. 이루 형언할 수 없는 생명의 소중함과 신비로운 고통의 아름다움을 증언하기 때문이다.

 이 책은 하느님의 종으로 시복 절차를 밟고 있는 키아라(1984-2012)의 삶에 대한 증언 모음으로, 헤아릴 수 없는 하느님의 뜻에 키아라가 응답한 여정을 시간 순서대로 자세히 기록하고 있다. 하느님의 부르심에 기꺼이 "예"라고 응답한 키아라는 고통 속에서도 춤을 추었고 마지막 순간까지 기쁘고 평화롭게 살았다.

 1984년에 태어난 키아라는 신심 깊은 가톨릭 신자였다. 키아라는 엔리코와 6년 동안 사귄 다음 2008년에 결혼했지만 젊은이로서 상상하기 어려운 특별한 상황에 직면해야 했다.

 그 모든 고통 속에서도 키아라는 하느님 나라를 향해 충실히 걸어갔으며, 2012년 6월 13일 향년 28세의 나이에 세상을 떠났다.

 장례식이 끝난 다음 곳곳에서 키아라에 대한 온갖 정보를 요청하자 엔리코는 대처할 수 없었다. 그래서 엔리코는 자신의 영적 지도 신부인 비토 다마토 신부와 상의하여 키아라와 절친했던 시모네 트로이시와 크리스티아나 파치니에게 이 책을 쓰도록 부탁했다.

 이 책은 두 저자의 관점은 물론, "나를 사랑하시는 아버지 하느님께서 나에게 가장 좋은 것을 주시리라"는 굳센 믿음으로 키아라가 겪어낸 모든 가슴 아픈 순간을 목격한 친지와 벗들의 기억을 기록하고 있다.

 키아라는 태중에서 시작된 심각한 장애로 첫아이와 둘째 아이를 출산한다 해도 살아남지 못한다는 것을 알고 있었다. 그럼에도 키아라는 마지막 순간까지 아이를 품었고 출산과 함께 하느님께 돌려보내 드렸다.

 셋째 아이를 가졌을 때 키아라는 자신이 암에 걸린 것을 발견하였지만 태아에 해가 될까 염려하여 항암 치료를 미루었다. 키아라는 변함없는 믿음으로 하느님의 부르심에 응답하여 고통 속에서 춤을 추며 기쁘고 평화롭게 살 수 있었다.

 사랑과 받아들임으로 생명을 아끼며 돌본 이 부부의 신실한 증언 덕분에 우리는 참으로 영원을 향해 태어났고 결코 죽지 않으리라는 것을 믿는다. 혼인성사를 통해 부부로서 함께 살아가는 거룩함과 위대한 사랑의 힘을 보여주는 것은 참으로 아름답고 놀랍기만 하다!

 세계적으로 첫 번째 주요 사망 원인은 낙태이고 두 번째 주요 사망 원인은 전염병이다. 지난 한 해에만 세계적으로 4260만 건이 넘는 낙태가 이루어졌다고 한다. 한국에서는 하루에 3,000건이 넘는 낙태가 이루어지고 있다. 이러한 세계적 상황을 고려할 때 이 책은 많은 눈길을 끈다.

 “나는 오늘 하늘과 땅을 증인으로 세우고, 생명과 죽음, 축복과 저주를 너희 앞에 내놓았다. 너희와 너희 후손이 살려면 생명을 선택해야 한다.” (신명기 30,19)

Short memory, good memory 짧은 기억, 좋은 기억

 "He took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.'" (Luke 22:19)

When Jesus gave himself for people and, thus, instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist, he recommended them to "do this in memory of me."

As far as we remember his love realized through his death and resurrection, we will do the same as a sign of love for others in our daily lives.

However, because our memory is short, we often forget about his testimony and live freely without thinking.

How large would be the space of our memory? It is said that the human brain is composed of 100 billion nerve cells (neurons), of which only about 1 billion are considered to be "pyramid cells" related to long-term memory.

Lots of information are just passing away. Otherwise, we will be very tired of keeping memories. It is good to have a good memory and it is also good to have a short memory. Some memories appear like a flashlight while some memories disappear like a firefly.

"When is the date of birth of your father?"

It was one of the questions in the "DS-160," online nonimmigrant visa application. I had to answer various questions within a limited time.

At that moment, I couldn't remember the date of birth of my father at once. Right away, I took a look at the certificate of my family relationship, but it didn't appear because of some problem with the computerization in the administration office.

I tried to remember, but it didn't come to my mind immediately when I faced the question. In the end, I simply replied: "I don't know."

Finally consulting my eldest brother, I was informed that my father's birthday is May 14.

One day, when I visited the Catholic Common Ossuary Cemetery in Sannae, I noticed his birthday written on his nameplate.

Now, I will never forget the birthday of my father who was born on May 14, 1914, and passed away on Oct. 13, 1976, when I was in middle school.

From my second brother, I heard that our grandfather went to Japan during the colonial era and died there by accident. So, nobody in my family talked much about my grandfather. Left alone, my grandmother Susanna Cho raised two sons.

When my father married my mother, he was baptized with the Christian name "Gosma" and his younger brother was named "Damiano."

Even though my father didn't study at school, he had a very special talent as a carpenter. So, he was fully occupied with building and repairing the houses every day.

The first article I wrote for "Thoughts of the Times" in 1989 was about my father, but I couldn't find the file. In search of it, I recently went to National Assembly Library. How glad when I found it! I remember I wrote it as a sign of a turning point in my life.

"Remember clearly what the Lord, your God, did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt: the great testings which your own eyes have seen, the signs and wonders, the strong hand and outstretched arm with which the Lord, your God, brought you out." (Deuteronomy 7:18-19)

 

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2022/12/162_341345.html

The Korea Times/ Thoughts of the Times/ December 13 (online), 14 (offline), 2022

 

짧은 기억, 좋은 기억

 

“예수님께서는 또 빵을 들고 감사를 드리신 다음, 그것을 떼어 사도들에게 주시며 말씀하셨다. ‘이는 너희를 위하여 내어 주는 내 몸이다. 너희는 나를 기억하여 이를 행하여라.’”(루카 22,19)

 예수님께서 사람들을 위해 당신 자신을 내어 주며 성체성사를 세우셨을 때, 예수님은 사람들에게 “나를 기억하여 이를 행하여라” 하고 권고하셨다.

 예수님의 죽음과 부활을 통해 실현된 그 사랑을 기억하는 한 우리는 일상 가운데 다른 사람들을 향한 사랑의 표시로 그처럼 행할 것이다.

그런데 우리는 기억력이 짧아 예수님의 증언을 자주 잊어버린 채 아무 생각 없이 자유롭게 살아간다.

 우리 기억의 공간은 얼마나 클까? 인간의 뇌는 1,000억 개의 신경 세포(뉴런)로 이루어져 있으며, 그 가운데 장기 기억과 관련된 “피라미드 세포”는 10억여 개에 지나지 않는다고 한다.

 많은 정보가 스쳐 지나간다. 그렇지 않으면 끊임없이 기억하느라 우리는 몹시 지칠 것이다. 기억력이 좋은 것은 좋은 일이고 기억력이 짧은 것도 좋은 일이다. 어떤 기억들은 손전등처럼 나타나고, 또 어떤 기억들은 반딧불이처럼 사라진다.

“아버지의 생년월일이 언제입니까?”

 이 물음은 온라인 비이민 비자 신청서인 “DS-160”에 나온 물음 가운데 하나다. 나는 제한된 시간 안에 여러 물음에 답해야 했다.

 그 순간 나는 아버지의 생년월일을 곧바로 기억하지 못했다. 이내 가족관계증명서를 살펴보았지만 행정실의 전산화 문제로 날짜가 표기되어 있지 않았다.

 나는 기억해내려고 애썼지만 질문에 직면했을 때 곧바로 떠오르지 않았다. 결국 나는 "모릅니다" 하고 대답했다.

 큰오빠께 여쭤본 결과 아버지 생신이 5월 14일이라는 것을 알았다.

 어느 날, 산내에 있는 가톨릭 공동 납골당 묘지를 찾아갔을 때 아버지의 명패에 생신이 적혀 있는 것을 보았다.

 이제 나는 아버지 생신을 결코 잊어버리지 않을 것이다. 아버지는 1914년 5월 14일에 태어나 1976년 10월 13일에 돌아가셨다. 그 당시 나는 중학생이었다.

 나는 우리 할아버지가 식민지 시대에 일본에 가셨다가 그곳에서 사고로 돌아가셨다는 이야기를 둘째 오빠한테서 들었다. 그래서인지 우리 가족 가운데 아무도 할아버지에 대해 말을 많이 하지 않았다. 홀몸이 되신 할머니 조 수산나께서 두 아들을 키우셨다.

 아버지가 어머니와 결혼했을 때 아버지는 “고스마”라는 이름으로 세례를 받았고 아버지의 동생은 “다미아노”라는 이름으로 세례를 받았다.

 아버지는 비록 학교에서 공부하지 않으셨지만 목수로서 매우 특별한 재능을 가지고 계셨다. 그래서 아버지는 날마다 집을 짓고 수리하는 일에 분주했다.

 1989년, 내가 처음으로 “Thoughts of the Times”에 낸 글은 아버지에 대한 것이었는데, 그 파일을 찾을 수 없었다. 그 글을 찾아 최근 국회도서관에 갔는데, 이를 발견했을 때 얼마나 반가웠는지 모른다! 내 삶의 전환점의 표지로 그 글을 썼던 것을 나는 기억한다.

 “너희는 주 너희 하느님께서 파라오와 온 이집트에 하신 일을 똑똑히 기억하여라. 너희가 두 눈으로 본 큰 재앙들, 그리고 주 너희 하느님께서 표징과 기적들을 일으키시며 강한 손과 뻗은 팔로 너희를 이끌어 내신 것을 기억하여라.”(신명기 7,18-19)

My father 나의 아버지

                                                          
                                                         (written in December 1989)

 I remember it’s good to remember the past, whether the memory is good or bad because doing so makes one more thoughtful. I think, for example, of my father. He was a farmer and a carpenter. I remember that he was always busy. When I was 14 years old, in my second year of middle school, he died of liver cancer at the age of 62. I was just a child at that time.

 I didn’t like my father mainly because he was strict and cold and did not give me the attention I expected. He didn’t have enough time to pay attention to me because he was busy with farming and carpentry. I can’t remember expressing my feelings to my father or discussing my problems with him.

 One Sunday because of the bad weather, I had to say “Our Father in Heaven” and “Hail Mary” at home instead of going to church. I was supposed to respond to my father’s prayers, but I forgot the words at the very moment I was to speak. How angry he was with me! He scolded me, saying “how come you don’t remember even the basic prayers?” I thought I was still young enough to be excused. I felt so hurt and frustrated that I couldn’t say anything. The barrier between us deepened more and more. I even began stealing coins from his pocket or cabinet to spend on candy or sweets. I purposely did exactly what he didn’t like. I really felt he didn’t like me.

 In addition, I thought I was losing my mother because of him. Being the youngest daughter, I slept in the same room with my parents all the time, as usual in the past in Korea. I didn’t know anything about my parents’ relationship, even in the second grade of middle school. I just felt something strange and a bit alienated when I noticed my father’s arm was around my mother. I didn’t like it. Looking back I can see that I was a barrier between them.

 Another reason why my father couldn’t pay attention to me was probably because of his worries about my third brother, who was always sick. He died about one year after my father. I also didn’t like my brother because he had tuberculosis and was trouble to other family members. He got all the attention and caused my parents grief and worry all the time.

 But my father was a good husband to his wife. I never heard them quarrel. Our neighbors used to say my parents were a lovely couple. I wonder why such a good, devoted, considerate husband was not a better father to his young daughter…

 I was afraid of seeing my dying father when he was in bed at home after coming out of the hospital. One night after his death, I cried a lot, not because I was sad about his death but because I dreamed a dreadful dream. I dreamed I was becoming smaller and smaller, or larger and larger. Everything around me was dark and I kept falling farther and farther. I was comforted because my second sister, who was already a nun at that time, was there. At my father’s funeral, I had a hard time because tears didn’t flow. I wanted to shed tears for him but was not able to cry. I pretended to cry as I walked into the funeral procession.

 Later on, I grew melancholic, gloomy, sensitive, unsociable, and introspective. Even though I disliked my strict and cold father, I longed for his presence. It was only after high school that I recognized my faults and felt sorry for myself. I missed him. I could have been a good daughter but was too late. Misunderstanding, dislike, and hatred for him disappeared as time went on and sympathy took over instead. I was sorry and sad.

 He was a very firm, sincere, and faithful person in nature. He was a good and considerate husband to his wife and worked very hard for his family. He was respected in the church as well as in the village. He rarely caused harm to others and was, in fact, generous. How unfortunate it is that I did not approach him because of his strictness! I talked to him only when necessary. I was really childish and immature.

 My heart bleeds when I think of my faults when I was very young. I pray that he is happy with God in heaven. I know now that he always liked me and wanted me to be a better person in the future. I seek his guidance from heaven whenever I have difficulties. He is there. He is no longer in this world but he will always be with me in spirit.

                                    The Korea Times/ Thoughts of the Times/ December 9, 1989