Sr. Maura Cho, solph, Korea/USA - Catholic Biblical Federation

Questionnaire “35 th Anniversary of CBF”Sr. Maura Cho, solphEC member 1988–1990Korea/USA1. Your connection with the CBFHow and when did you become acquainted with the CBF? What is your connection with CBF? Inwhich areas of your work do you relate to CBF?In the early 1977, I heard about CBF and visited the office in Stuttgart where I met the people of CBFat first time. Immediately after the visit, I reported about the membership of CBF both to the superiorgeneral of our congregation and to Cardinal Stephen Kim who was the chairman of the Korean Bishops’Conference at that time. Both of them, our superior and Cardinal Kim, commissioned me to enrolthe Korean Bishops’ Conference as a full member, and our congregation, the Sisters of Our Lady ofPerpetual Help (SOLPH) as an associate member, since our congregation has been hosting theCatholic Bible Life Movement (CBLM) in Korea.From that time on, my connection with the CBF has continued. I was sent to the Second Plenary Assemblyin Malta in 1978 as a delegate of the Korean Bishops’ Conference. In 1988, I also participatedat the regional meeting in Chicago, in the U.S. In 1995, I attended the Fourth Plenary Assembly inHong Kong, as a delegate of our congregation. In 2000, I was invited to the preparatory meetings inGermany where I was asked to create new Bible reading methods for the upcoming Plenary Assembly.From that time on, I had worked for the project, and made the workbook, named “Gong Check” forthe delegates of the Sixth Plenary Assembly of CBF. In 2002, I also participated at the Sixth PlenaryAssembly in Lebanon as one of the resource person.2. Significance of CBFWhat do you associate with CBF? Why is the CBF important for you? If you had to describe the CBFin a nutshell what would you say?For me, CBF is associated with Catholic Bible Life Movement (CBLM) in Korea. It was a great surprisefor me to know that the purpose of CBF was very similar with CBLM.CBF has been important for me in connection with the Bible apostolate and a good fellowship. Earlyafter the Second Vatican Council, the Bible apostolate was almost desolate in Korea. We felt so lonelyand helpless to confront so many difficulties and hardships. We felt so relieved when finding out theworld fellowship of CBF.I would like to view the CBF as a bridge on which so many people of the Bible in our days have communicated.It has conveyed so much biblical materials and methods. Moreover, it made people exchangetheir knowledge, ideas, and various ways of the Bible apostolate,3. In retrospectWhich special occasion, which special person or which special event connected with CBF left a specialimprint in your memory?It was Fr. Paul Brunner, S.J. who introduced me the biblical people from the different countries inEurope. When I was in Rome in 1977, incidentally I met Fr. Abbott, S.J. who was one of the coremembers at the early days of CBF. By his introducing, I visited the office of CBF in Stuttgart, Germany.This incident seemed a very tiny thing, but it had so much meaning for our Bible movement aswell as for me personally.There are two women whom I am always pleased to think about connecting with CBF: Ms. ChristaMaier of the CBF office and Bettina Eltrop of the Bibelwerk. Whenever I happened to attend the Bible

congress or meetings, I would meet these two women who showed their faithful services. Christa wasthe first staff of CBF whom I met. I was deeply impressed by her diligent effort to help all of us. Shewas always kind, complacent and hard working. Bettina Eltrop was a woman of the Bible with a warmheart; she seemed never tired for the service of the Word of God. I admired at her eagerness for theBible studies and searching for the historical footsteps of the biblical world.A special person of CBF whom I have deeply impressive is Fr. Ludger Feldkamper, svd. I met himduring the Second Plenary .Assembly in Malta, 1978, I noticed that he was easily able to understandother people’s minds with his missionary spirit. He could strangely understand even Korean. When hevisited Korea, I and the other sister accompanied with him to visit people, connecting with the Bibleapostolate. When it was time for dinner, I realized that I forgot to bring enough money for a good meal.I was talking to the sister and tried to figure out how we should feed our guest, Ludger already understoodour situation without comprehend a single word of Korean. He wisely suggested to us that weshould just have a simple meal. We laughed and were happy for his understanding beyond the verbalcommunication. He always met people with authenticity and great understanding; I sensed no superficiality.As a long period of his service as General Secretary of CBF, I could not help but notice his hardwork and dedication to the Word of God. He has been a faithful servant of CBF with understandingmind for all the different nations of the world.One of the special imprints in my memory was the happenings during the time of the Second PlenaryAssembly in Malta in 1978. Sr. Veritas Kim was a delegate for our community while I was a delegateof Korean Bishops’ Conference for the Plenary Assembly in Malta. On that time, we were the only fewfemale delegates among the participants. Most of them were priests, bishops and men scholars. Itwas the beginning ceremony in the cathedral of Malta, all the delegates made procession in the middlewhile there were full of people who welcomed the delegates of the World Catholic Bible Federation.Sr. Kim and I were on the line of the procession for the opening Mass with the host bishop of thecathedral. When we were in the middle of the procession, one of the priests who were beside me,whispered to me: “Are you going to concelebrate Mass with the priests?” When I heard his joking remarks,I realized that we were in the middle of priests who were going to offer Mass in the sanctuary.We became puzzled and embarrassed, and as soon as we reached the sanctuary, we escaped fromthe lines and went out through the side door of the sanctuary which was directly opened to the street.After that embarrassing moment, we tried to re-enter into the cathedral, but couldn’t come back insince there were so many crowds of people in the church. We could not stop laughing and tried torealize our position in the Church.4. CBF in futureWhat are your hopes for and expectations of CBF in the near and far future?My hope and expectations of CBF is that CBF opens its’ vision toward the new generation especiallyfor the young adults in this present time. From my experience there have been so many young adultswho thirst and hunger for the Word of God. They have so much enthusiasm and eagerness to servethe Lord and the Church. However, we have very few opportunities to provide their spiritual needs inthe field of the Bible apostolate. We lack sufficient resources and guidance in spreading the Wordamongst the youth. This lack of direction includes not only the materials but also the personal. It hasbecome urgent to respond to their needs. This should become one of the main tasks which CBFshould regard seriously for our near and far future. We have many capable young men who are eagerto search the truth but it seems that there is no room for these young adults in CBF. I hope that CBFprovide rooms for the young adults not only to pay attention to them, but also to allow them to participatein it’s events such as the Bible congress in Rome of 2005 and the upcoming Plenary Assembly in2008.We need to have a clear biblical vision for the young adults. Like the day of the Pentecost, it wasprophesied that: “I will pour out a portion of my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your daughtersshall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.” (Acts 2,17) In order to make our young men see the visions, we as the CBF’s old members must dreamdreams for the future. To encourage to the young men, and make them joyfully offer their talents, energiesand abilities for the Word of God, we need to find a way for a new field of the Bible apostolatefor the young adults. We must do our best not to lose the faith of this young generation. I pray for thisdream may be realized in many areas of the CBF’s future goal. When our eyes are opened widely, wewill surely meet capable young adults who have full of zeal and enthusiasm for the Word of God.

A Biblical prayer should be cultivated in many ways. We as the CBF members need to develop akind of prayer method deeply rooted in the Bible. The people in our days are searching for deeperspiritual life. We need the appropriate prayer methods responding to their needs. Many youths in ourdays are falling upon eastern methods and styles of meditation and reflections. We shouldn’t becomeafraid of this; however, there is a need to be investigated about this matter so that we can improve ourown ways of prayer and discover its true essence rooted in the Scriptures. In the present and the future,biblical prayer will be our energy for the renewal and strength of CBF, I believe.5. Personal informationYour present occupation? What is important for you in your biblical pastoral activities? What motivatesyou?I am involved in Catholic Bible Life Movement in the United States. Particularly, I am working diligentlywith the young adults in California. I am arduously training Servants of the Word among young adultsto serve God’s people and other young adults around their communities and hopefully for the world.I would like to make a bridge for our young adults to be connected with CBF. In the fellowship in CBF,they may be more authentic and open minded servants of the Word who will proclaim the Good News“to the ends of the world” (Acts 1,8). This is my hope and prayer. At first, CBF became a bridge for ourBible Life Movement, but now I hope our young adults can become a bridge to CBF and to the younggenerations of the world.6. What is your favourite passage in the Bible?Being one of the servants of the Word, I have so many favourite passages but following three versesare particular meaning for my life:(1) Genesis 1,31 “God saw it was indeed very good.”This is the verse which made my first encounter with God since 1971.(2) John 17, 17 “Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth.”This is the verse which I have prayed for all the servants of the Word include myself for past 33 yearsof my Bible apostolate.(3) Philipians 2,6-8 “[Christ Jesus] Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regardequality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of aslave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becomingobedient to death, even death on a cross.”This are the verses, about the Kenosis of Jesus Christ, which made my new encounter with the Wordof God and have greatly influenced my prayer life.