Local parishioner Rhonda Gliffhouse told friends she is struggling to finish her spiritual director’s most recent book recommendation.
Gliffhouse has seen Fr. Kyle Murphy regularly for the past few years as her spiritual director, who she says often recommends her spiritual classics and other books to help her faith journey.
“Normally, his reading lists are very helpful,” Gliffhouse said. “But last month when I told him about my struggles with feeling so ordinary and small, he ordered me to read something called ‘The Story of a Seoul.’”
Gliffhouse reports the book is confusingly dense and dry.
“I don’t know what the history of South Korea’s capital has to do with my spiritual life, but in humility I’ve been trying to finish it,” she said. “Fr. Murphy always has a point to his book requests, so I just need to be patient.”
Her friends have been trying to help her figure out Fr. Murphy’s purpose in recommending the university-level history textbook. So far Gliffhouse says she has made progress.
“I see now that it’s a metaphor for my spiritual essence,” she said. “I’m just like the small, earthen mounds of Pungnaptoseong with my lack of merits, but just like the Three Kingdoms over time can transform Wiryseong into a glorious metropolis worthy of the great Changdeokgung, so too the Three-Person God can build up my spirit into a beautiful dwelling place for his own merits!”
Gliffhouse’s friends said “that must be it” and commented how “beautiful” of a story it was.
“Don’t you worry girl, you will be transformed into South Korea’s largest metropolis just whenever God wills it!” they each told her one after the other.
The Daily Inquisition reached out to Fr. Murphy, who told us Gliffhouse got exactly what he hoped she would from the South Korean history textbook.
“After all, it was written by a Saint!” Fr. Murphy said. “I’m not sure which one, but someone who was into history no doubt.”
