Wednesday, December 31, 2014

On the spirituality page of the Catholic Times the columnist mentions meeting with a priest only a few years younger, who still had his youthful looks."What is the secret for staying so young?" he asked with an inkling of jealously."Thanks, for thinking so. There is no secret, I am living with a community in which we are sharing happiness and for that I am grateful.""You must be busy in the parish work?"

"All is very ordinary. By the way, interestingly, at the last pastoral council meeting we did make a big decision.""What was that?""In the area of the parish, because of poverty, many have registered their marriages but have never had a ceremony. The parish decided to take care of all the expenses for the marriages."

"Are you saying that it will be completely free for those who want a marriage ceremony?"

"Yes, for those who can't pay for the photographer we will take care of even that expense. We have arranged for the guests to have a meal at a restaurant close to the parish that serves a beef soup with rice, and is very tasty. However, if they find that a burden the parish will feed them a noodle meal at the parish hall. We will be responsible for all the expenses, for the flowers and the use of the facilities. It will be simple but all free. Even one of the Catholics who has a large beauty shop has offered to take care of the preparations for the make up and the hair dressing needs for the bride. We are taking pride as a community to be able to help those in need."The columnist hearing what his friend said remembered the words of a parishioner he heard some years before. They were looking for a beautiful parish Church with a large parking lot. But when they went to ask about the ceremony, the expenses were such that it was impossible to think of having the ceremony in the Church. The poor are not welcomed.The columnist on saying good bye to his friend before he took the bus to his parish offered to preside at the services if necessary. His friend laughed, and got on the bus. He was proud to see a pastor do something about the problems with marriages in the Church.

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

A recent topic of discussion was the video seen on the news and the internet of a monkey who saved the life of another monkey, electrocuted on a railroad track in India. Seeing the unconscious monkey his fellow monkey with great effort tried to revive the
monkey by biting the throat and face and ferociously shaking the
monkey. There was a pool of water besides the track in which they
repeatedly dumped the monkey and at the end of 20 minutes of frantic
effort on the part of the two fellow monkeys the unconscious monkey was
revived. Those seeing this video were heard to say monkeys are
better than humans in showing concern for one another.The
columnist of the Peace Weekly on the opinion page of the paper
expresses sadness in hearing that in this present society such words can
be heard. Humans are in a higher state of life but we see actions in
our world that do not even reach that of the monkeys in the video. Our
intellects should help us act humanly. Our intellects do not only help
us to live human-like but nuture a mature faith life. Reason is a great
gift given to us by the Creator that not only leads us by love to God but helps to open our eyes to his presence.In society
we see many whose faculty to reason has been paralyzed. Many are the
young people who have become accustomed to blurting our abusive language
very naturally. We have children who abandon and kill their parents; quarrels among family over inheritance. Issues that you would not
imagine happening in the animal kingdom, and we are living in
an enlightened civilization.Jared Diamond in Guns,Gems, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, a
best seller, is quoted as saying: 'As civilization grows the human
family bonds get weaker and with stratification of society tenderness begins to disappear.' The society that we have made with wealth has made for a class society and our descendents will see the results. However, Diamond says there is no reason
to be frustrated for with our reason we can work to make things work
out differently. We can recover from the decline caused by money, the
lack of virtue and the individualism in society by our efforts to purify the society. However, if we are to be successful in purifying
our civilization we have to use our reason and begin with a respect for
the dignity of the human person. "Another cause of slavery is corruption on the part of people
willing to do anything for financial gain. Slave labor and human
trafficking often require the complicity of intermediaries, be they law
enforcement personnel, state officials, or civil and military
institutions. This occurs when money, and not the human person, is at
the center of an economic system. Yes, the person, made in the image of
God and charged with dominion over all creation, must be at the center
of every social or economic system. When the person is replaced by
mammon, a subversion of values occurs” (Pope Francis' Peace Message 2015).The
columnist ends his words by asking all of us to help the world that is
dying be energized by the breath of God. We have to assist in this
work and not give up. We have to nurture this dream in our
communities.

Monday, December 29, 2014

How does one get rid of a fixed idea? This was a topic in a round
table discussion sponsored by the Catholic Digest. One of the
participants, a priest nearing retirement age, looking over his own life
experiences, expressed his opinion. Often he says
people would come to him with their problems; expressing their
frustrations and looking for help. Financial, family, marriage problems
and the like, and he would listen. During the listening he would ask questions, if not clear, or get clarification in what was said, in most
cases those who came for help end up with their own solutions.Many who came for help were filled with anguish over their
situation and by just talking over the issue they found release from the hold their thoughts had over them. When they found
peace from the encounter with the priest it gave him great joy.In
his own life what brought him much joy and peace, and the stimulus to
change his way of life was time spent in meditation. He remembers
hearing in a lecture the words 'God of history' which entered his
head not to be forgotten. The way God entered the life of the
Israelites, God was entering his own life and he wanted to uncover the
ways he responded over the years. He was not
baptized as an infant but while in the sixth grade of Elementary School,
and he went on to the seminary high school. He felt that he was being
led along the way by an invisible hand, which was God's will for him. As
a deacon he wanted to go to Germany for studies but although the other
students failed the test he thought he would pass the screening, but he
also failed. If he had passed the exam he would have been ordained to
the priesthood in Germany but having failed he was able to be
with his family at ordination.He was given a
scholarship to study in France where he went on to study Asian
philosophy hoping to write about theology from an Asian perspective.The studies helped him greatly to look for the will of God in his own
life. Finding what God wants from him is where he is able to find
happiness.This is the best way of not being a slave to obsessions that can bring havoc into our lives.

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Today is Holy Family Sunday and the sermon in the Seoul Bulletin
wants us to see an aspect of family life we overlook. A celebrity who
because of some irregularities was absent from the limelight for some
time made an appearance on the stage and told the audience: "When I was in trouble it was only my family that gave me support and strength."
When the priest hears these and similar words he feels uncomfortable. Often we reduce the meaning of family to suit are special understanding of
what a family is. It becomes a shield to protect ourselves and to exclude
others. From whom do we get our biggest scars? The
hurts usually come from those that I know best, from those nearest to
me. Those who are not close to us, even if the words are meant to
inflict great harm, they don't do much damage. We have little difficulty
in ignoring them. But it is different with those close to us:
violence in the family, conflict between the parents, indifference to
the others in the family is another matter. Violence in the family is
so embarrassing one is not able to speak about it. Many psych themselves to say it is no serious problem but the scars that are inflicted, contrary to what we may think, are many.Not
far in the past we had many families living together in rented homes in
the same building. Provided the owner was a decent person, they would
all live in harmony concerned with each others needs.Today with the advances that have been made, many of the needs
have disappeared. But the members of the priest's generation remember those days and how the families lived harmoniously with one another.We
have become independent of others with the technological advances. Neighbors have disappeared. We have become oblivious of our surroundings. We are
only concerned with ourselves and our families. When we watch the news the problems of others have no connection with ourselves.
He concludes the sermon wondering if we are not just interested in taking care of the needs of the family and all else is immaterial.We
call this the feast the Holy Family. Confucianism
has influenced our society to a great extent and the virtues of
humanness and etiquette have helped to make the family strong. Filial
piety was strongly emphasized. Christianity has introduced God, and his providence, by remembering we are members of many other communities helps to make our families holy.

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Reading with the eyes only is not reading. Likewise seeing an image
only with the eyes is not to see. The Catholic Times' column: Electronic and Book World wants us to reflect on the meaning of these words.What
we see, read or hear requires an effort to interpret the meaning. We
are living, buried in an avalanche of information and when it gives no
meaning to our lives it is of little value. There is much reading with
little understanding which makes us functionally illiterate. She quotes
Alvin Toffler who said that modern illiterates: "no longer want to
learn and are not able to read the information they receive."When
I read something and remember it there is some meaning. The difference
between meaning and no meaning is vast. When we read or see something
this should not be a simply act of reading but with perception we gain
knowledge and meaning by the process of interpretation. This requires
the activity of the mental and spiritual dimensions of the person. A
research team at Washington University in the science of the mind, she
explains, discovered when something was see without any meaning only a
small area at the back of the brain was activated but when the same
thing was see and given meaning new channels were opened. The moment
meaning was added to the reading more neurons in the brain were
activated, two and three times more. When we perceive and interpret, our
mental world can't help but be changed.Don't we say
we see the world with the personality we have developed? We
perceive and act according to the meaning we have given to what we have
seen, heard and have become aware. When we stay at the level of
seeing and hearing and don't enter the process to find meaning, we have no hope of changing the way we live. What we see is
not the real, but we make it real by our awareness and interpretation. It will
depend on how much meaning I can give to what I read that will make the world come to
me. Daily we have to ask ourselves are we encountering the real world?Daily,
in the subway, walking, in the work place when we are fingering for words, images and sound are we just seeing and enjoying the
superficial world in which we are in, and live without meaning as a
wanderer and illiterate?

Friday, December 26, 2014

Today the Maryknoll Family in Korea with many other priests and a large congregation said the the funeral Mass for Fr. James Sinnott who died on Tuesday Dec.23. The Mass was offered in the Church of Repentance and Atonement in Paju, 50 kilometers northwest of Seoul. The Church was built with the help of both North and South Korean artists. The mosaic on the left is the work of the North. Father Sinnott came to Korea in 1960 and after language study was a assigned to the diocese of Inchon where he worked in pastoral work, built a hospital for the sick, and showed the love of Jesus to the alienated in society. The funeral sermon mentioned the prophetic role that Fr. Jim was forced by his own loving heart, and inability to accept injustices, to work against the injustices he saw. During military rule eight innocent persons were condemned in 1975 for being members of the so called "People's revolutionary Party" and after torture and their 'confession' they were executed the day following sentencing. Fr. Jim with a Protestant missionary George Ogle were deported because of their activities in opposition to the execution. In a retrial in 2007 all eight were acquitted and the families received a large compensation. This injustice which Fr.Jim saw made him sensitive to injustices in society. He was invited back to Korea and in retirement began painting and giving his paintings to others in his outreach in love.Below is a poem by Fr. Jim Sinnott written for his 80th birthday and read on the visit of the families of those who were executed, and came to celebrate the day with Jim. We included this poem in a blog in 2009 and recopy it for today.

Write it downBefore it goes away:Eleven people sitting round a tableOut on a lawn under a treeHere where I live now,Remembering the things we did,Attempts against some thingsHappening here in South KoreaMore than thirty years ago:Men falsely accused, jailed unfairly –One of them, eight years imprisoned,Sitting next to me andThe widow of anotherSitting at my other side.We are gathered here todayBecause I’ve just turned eighty,A thing impossible to dream ofIn one’s early years,As impossible as the eventsThat happened here in South KoreaMore than thirty years ago,Events that knit us into one,An inseparable fabricLabeled by security policeThe “In hyek dang”The Peoples’ Revolutionary Party,That phony dictator’s concoction,That lie that changed our livesAnd made widows of these womenAs well as years-long prisonersOf twenty other men.Eight men were hangedOne early morning, an evil solsticeMore than thirty years ago, nine April,When for us the sun stood still,A day declared “Black dayIn the history of jurisprudence”By the lawyers of the world;A day etched in the memory of my guests today,Gathered round this tableOn the lawn outside my houseFor an eightieth birthday celebration,An occasion no young personOf my generation gives much thought to,Anymore than one would planTo be involved withMurderous judicial decisions,Torture of the chosen victimsWho were innocent of any crime,As an apologetic nationFinally admitted -Thirty years too late.And so we gather at this tableAnd reminisceAbout the ways we tried to fightThose terrible decisionsAnd we sing again the songs we sangAs we paraded on the streets,Breaking the “peaceful order” lawsOf those dark times of martial law;Eleven men and women sitting at a table,On this day, this summer solstice,Remembering, together,Before we also go away.James Sinnott, MM

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Christmas is here, a pastor writing for Bible & Life helps us
to meditate on the words of John's Gospel: "The Word became flesh and
made his dwelling among us" (John 1:4). Jesus is the Word a very
meaning-filled 'nick name' that fills us with awe. Poets often use
metaphors in their poetry and here we have a metaphor that is more than
a metaphor."In the beginning was the Word; the Word
was in God's presence, and the Word was God. " This is the way the
Gospel of John begins. A very mysterious existent being who was with
God before the creation of the world. "Through him all things came
into being, and apart from him nothing came to be." God had an
assistant at the Creation of the world. We accept this being as Jesus
Christ. "He is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all
creatures. In him everything in heaven and on earth was created" (Col.
1:15-16). In I Cor. 8:6, " For there is one God...and one Lord Jesus
Christ, through whom everything was made and through whom we live."
Jesus is called the word and we can see this prepared in the Jewish
Wisdom literature.In Proverbs 8:22, Wisdom is of
divine origin. It existed before all things. In Sirach 24: 3-9, we have
Wisdom coming from God and is distinct from him.In the Book of Wisdom: God of my fathers, Lord of mercy, you who have made all things by your word(Wis.
9:1). And in Revelation 21: "This is God's dwelling among men. He shall
dwell with them and they shall be his people and he shall be their
God..." The writer continues in this vein but at the end says it is
perfectly alright to forget this complicated explanation of the Word in
the Wisdom literature. God's Word. God's Son, God himself came to the
earth.Sufficient it is to remember that God became a
human because he loved us. We should never forget this. God found a
resting place among us. Humanity was overjoyed and is there anything
that expresses the meaning of Christmas more clearly.In
the history of humanity there have been all kinds of words uttered
about God many of them empty words. Jesus came as the definitive Word
of God and we need to indelibly inscribe this on our minds and hearts. A
word that does not include God, a word that doesn't come from God, a
word that only remains a word with no flesh are all empty words.

Jesus was the one in which life and wisdom were united. He is the one that told us openly to eat him.
Empty words are cheap and are scattered every which way when troubles
come. Only Jesus the true man and true word came to embrace us. A Blessed Christmas

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

A priest in the Seoul Diocese who is responsible for the pastoral care of the deaf and dumb, and is himself handicapped, writes in the Bible & Life Magazine about the words that have encouraged and energized him.He lives in a home with priests who are working in special ministries. He is the only one with a handicap. Community life, he says, is not easy for he can't hear or speak. While eating he sees the other priests talking and laughing, he is not able to participate and it makes it difficult to get close to the priests, and he remains alone in his eating. He tells himself he is not alone, and comforts himself with the thought that Jesus is always with him.When the estrangement gets deeper, even when he has something to talk about he does not go to his fellow priests. When this continues for any long period of time the relationship with his brother priests becomes awkward, and his identity as a diocesan priest becomes weak. Fortunately at one of the seminars there was a priest who knew the sign language and was able to translate for him. That day he was able to communicate with all his fellow priests. One of the priests approached him and said: "Father Park, a priest is not a loner, you have to be one with us!" These words he said with force. They were like a small light coming into the cave in which he had enclosed himself, and enabled him to come out of the cave, and relate with his brothers. His fellow priests did not treat him as handicapped but warmly and with hand signs communicated with him as fellow priests.

During free time many of the priests who liked soccer were preparing for a match and he was going mountain climbing. An older priest seeing him, called him to join them in the match. He didn't have the proper shoes and it was somewhat difficult but he joined them, and was thankful to the priest who called him. Shortly after a priest gave him a pair of soccer shoes. The gift meant a great deal to him. One day before a Mass for sponsors he was praying before the tabernacle when a parishioner got his attention and asked to go to confession. He told her that he was not able to speak or hear but she insisted that she go to confession. He explained that it would have to be with written words and she agreed. After the confession he saw her tears and he was thankful that she insisted for he realized that he could also hear confession without the sign language with which he was accustomed. He looked upon the parishioner as an angel.

When he is in low spirits it is these encounters that bring him out of the cave. "Father Park! you are one of us, when you have some difficulty less us know, we will help you, take courage!" These and similar words have given him strength, and is grateful. He is thankful for words of encouragement and for the many who continue to support him and bring joy into his life. At this time of Christmas it is good to remember how just a few words of encouragement can inspire and give strength.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

The columnist in the Peace Weekly recalls an incident that happened
back in the 80s. Unexpectedly a friend asked if he was interested in
going to the home of a student for a meat meal. They walked along a back
street for some time before they came to a small room where he prepared
the table with pork belly slices.They were both
college students and teaching in an evening school for workers. Many
of these types of schools at that time were located in Seoul. This
particular school was managed by the Church. He himself was a half baked
materialist but it made no difference in being hired.His
friend bought the meat with his savings, and they had plenty to fill
their stomachs. On the way back he asked his
friend what was the occasion for the party. The friend said the student
had TB and with the medicine, he needed some good protein to help in his
recovery. What his friend said left him flabbergasted. His friend would go once a week to the room of the
student to prepare a meat meal. They were both
the same age; he respected his friend but what his friend was doing
impressed him greatly and he wondered what enabled him to be
so altruistic.He leaned later on his friend was
thinking of the priesthood. Wanting to be a priest was all strange to
the columnist but it gave him an answer for his question. He became
curious in what motivated his friend. At that time the Church was
speaking out about justice issues in society. He later became a Catholic and his
friend went on to become a priest.No one with
words lead him to the Church, he said, it was the example of his friend that
aroused his interest. At that time he went to his first Mass at
Christmas. Later, with his camera, for twenty years he has taken pictures of
places were Jesus was being experienced by many believers. He became
director of the TV work and has not always been pleased with what he has
seen, his weak faith has hit bottom and he has returned. Often in the
darkness all around, he cries out: "Where in the world are you?" And
yet he fortunately has been able to return to the time with his friend
and his Christmas Mass. At that time he left his atheism and because of
his friend saw another way and he returns to the warmth he experienced
there like returning to the homestead.

The disciples of
Jesus after the trauma of the crucifixion and resurrection wanted to
return to their first days with Jesus in Galilee. This was the land of their first Christmas
and they remembered the warmth of those days. He will be trying to do
this during these days of Christmas with programs
prepared for the Christmas season for the Peace Catholic Television
Channel.

Monday, December 22, 2014

He was was born and lived in a little village surrounded by
mountains, both in front and back, left and right. The sky was less
visible than the mountains. He grew up without any toys for it was the
mountains and fields that were his playground, nature was his plaything.A
diocesan priest writing for a bulletin for priests reflects on what
this has meant for him. As a child his spiritual life was
composed of going to the mission station Mass against his will. The 14
stations of the cross on the wall only made him fearful. The mountains also caused fear
in his young heart but when he was hurt he would climb the
mountains; they received him graciously which gave him consolation
and peace, and for this feeling he was thankful. The mountains were like
a father to him. Even today when he prays the Our Father and says the
words heaven he sees the mountains of his childhood.There
was talk of turning this village into a dam and at that time he was
responsible for the justice and peace work in the diocese so he
worked together with the citizens to revoke the plans. During this time
he began to see the need for the Church to get involved in preserving our environment. The plan for the dam was
cancelled and he began to study the theology of ecology.Living
in the city and growing accustomed to the life he realized that he
was becoming alienated from nature. The emptiness he was
feeling was the estrangement from the natural, and dreamed of walking
the earth and fingering it again as he did as a child. The chance came
suddenly when he was given the work to head the Catholic
Farmers Association in the diocese.Since he was
responsible for the work among the farmers he decided he would have to spend time
getting acquainted with farming and spent a whole year full time
farming. The association had an old school
building that was used to educate farmers who were returning to the
farms, and a school for ecology. Being again close to the mountains he remembered his own dead
father. He walked again the earth barefooted, it felt so soft and
comfortable. The work was hard but there was great satisfaction, and he regretted not having done this earlier.The
Free Trade Act has opened the market to all the countries which will
bring hardships to the farmers. He feels strongly that this was a
lack of responsibility on the part of the government and repercussions will follow in the life of the nation. He also sees this
affecting our spiritual life. His work he sees as sacramental in being
one with the old people, and helping them to continue on the farms.

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Both Catholic papers had a review of the new book by the Cardinal Emeritus of Seoul, Cheong Jin-suk: In Pursuit of Happiness. Cardinal Cheong has published a new book every year from the first year of
his ordination on some aspects of spirituality. In the pursuit of
happiness, it is necessary, he says to reflect each day on what we have
done and continue to ask ourselves daily the important questions about
life. We need to ask ourselves how are we reacting with those with whom
we are living; we can't find happiness by ourselves.The
Cardinal seeks answers not only as an individual, but as a member of
society and with a universal dimension. Because we are human we can
change. When we become mindful of God's Providence all changes.He
wants us to ask: Who are we? The first fundamental question and
secondly: Where are we going? The ultimate question about life. To stop
with our parents is not sufficient when searching for why we are here,
nor is it sufficient to see our end as returning to the earth. Before we
die we have to find the answers to these questions.We
need to evaluate our lives, ascertain what are our values, educate our
consciences, determine the meaning of freedom, and the root of sin.
This is the first step. Secondly, we search for the common good,
remember solidarity of the earth family, the need to communicate, basics of language and see our human life as a part of the extended family. The third section has to do with evolution and the place of
God's providenceHe sees the advance of science as a
part God's providence and not as science opposed to theology. Creation
did not begin with everything all complete but was to evolve in God's
providence. When we consistently listen to the word of God and want to
understand the word, we begin to experience God.

When we work to live in harmony with God's Providence we find
happiness. We are weaving daily a tapestry;
depending on how we are relating with those around us, giving them hope
and joy or inflicting sadness or pain, will determine the kind of
tapestry that we will present to God, and will determine the success we
have made of the gift of life.

Saturday, December 20, 2014

The Diocesan Bulletin has in previous weeks addressed the culture
in which the young people live. Postmodernism and neoliberalism were
explained and this week we have the culture of cyberspace in which the young people live. The Salesian Priest
continues to explain the culture in which the young are living. Cyber culture is the network that both the older and younger generations
feel at home. Three distinctive features are listed.1)
A diverse culture: anonymous (at times dangerous elements appear),
and continues to create and allows one to express his own variety of
desires.2) Community culture: Each is able freely and
equally to enter the internet, one can communicate with those with the
same likes, and establish or join a community, share knowledge and
exchange information.3) A culture that produces:
prosumer (a blend of producer and consumer) (the user of the internet)
= the one producing and the consumer are both present. We are not only
passively receiving but making contents to appear on the site. There
is a new kind of communication. What is this
cyberspace culture in Korea? We have developed greatly in the multimedia
field and continue to do so. Moreover, 94 percent of our young people
are using the internet. Korea is number one with high
speed internet access. However, there are some misgivings about our
situation, he admits.

Some of the nearby Asian countries
have developed the knowledge, educational, and medical fields for the
general public. Korea on the other hand has developed the fun, and
entertainment elements: music, literature, movies, art, media and
pornography content. This he considers an embarrassment.

He explains why this was the case.

1)
We did not begin with an elite group but went directly to the general
public. Korea because of the IMF period of financial difficulty, they
were too much tied up working with the principles of capitalism.

2)
Society, for security reasons, was repressed and controlled and the
internet allowed many to express themselves freely and vent their
frustrations.

3) The technological properties of the
internet: globalization and creativity are open to the users of the
internet. Productivity of the internet continues. Fundamentally the control of the internet is difficult.
We have given the technology of the internet and its business
potential first consideration.This allowed us to ignore the soundness and the
cultural aspects of the internet and consequently now see the inadequacy.

Friday, December 19, 2014

In the Catholic Times the Desk columnist presents us with two Korean maxims which he wants us to reflect on as we come to the end of our calendar year. "Time to see the old year out and the new year in." And secondly: "Find a guide into tomorrow by taking lessons from the past." The second maxim we need to follow at all times, but fail to do so because of laziness. These two maxims he says should work together. The first one has to do with a government official who has been changed and a new one has arrived. When the new person comes there is a new environment that begins. But at the same time we remember to learn from the past so we wont make the same mistakes in the future. Whether it was failure or success, we learn from the past and with the new knowledge and understanding we begin again. History becomes a way of learning for the future. With the new year we throw to the winds the hurts of the past. We don't want to tie ourselves to the frustrations and despair of the Sewol disaster. We learned from the disaster to guide us during the new year. The new allows us to say goodbye to the old, but we also learn from the old how to live in the new.Pope Francis approached the parents of the victims of the tragedy not because of some teaching of the Church, or some ideology or political position, but because they were hurting. He was showing mercy and concern.

This mercy was shown in the way the synod was recently conducted and the way next year the discussion on the family will continue. Pope Francis is following the method of changing what needs to be changed to be closer to the teaching of the early Church and the apostles. The elements that do not serve the purpose he wants to discard and those that help us to be more Christ-like he wants to retain. We Christians with the experience of baptism and the cross rid ourselves of worldly values, and recover the values of the Gospel. We work for our personal reformation in which we throw out the harmful, but also learn from the old to prepare for the new.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Life is the repetition of waiting, meeting and leave taking. We wait for the right mate, for our children and grand children. We wait for the subway to arrive, workers for lunch time, waiting for the telephone to ring. The farmer for the rain, the student for graduation and a job, and the one who bought a lottery ticket for the windfall. We wait with joy and anxiety in our hearts, with hope and expectation which fills the passage of time. With these words, in the Peace Weekly, a columnist reflects on the waiting for 'Advent' and for God.

While in elementary school he remembers going to the streetcar station to wait for his mother. She was not in the first or second cars and continued to wait until late in the evening with all kinds of thoughts entering his mind. The waiting at the home would have been the same kind of waiting, and he doesn't remember why he went to the station. He was worried and when his mother finally arrived he was at peace and happy.

While in college and waiting for the girl that became his wife he recalls the same feelings. During the day remembering the date with his fiance, the work became heavy, and the whole day was filled with expectation. When the promised hour for the meeting had passed, and she was not there, the same complicated thoughts that he had as a child entered his mind.

Even though we are waiting for the Lord, the waiting for his mother and the girl that became his wife are not the same. The history of the Jewish people was a waiting of 4000 years for an 'Advent'. The Christian hope is a hope for all people, and we wait for the coming at the end of time. Come Lord Jesus: (Marana tha), the last words of the New Testament.

In the liturgy of the Mass we have two expression for this waiting. In the Nicene Creed: "We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come." After the Our Father: "Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ."We are all waiting for God in our own different ways. He mentions one of the most beloved novelists Choi In-ho (Peter) who died last year and according to his daughter who asked her father has the Lord come yet? Answered "No". This was repeated on three different days and on the last day, the day of his death he answered: “God
is here. I saw him. Okay. Let’s go,” these were Choi’s last words, according
to his daughter Da-hye.

On our last day of life will this be the way we will be waiting for God. Will my last days waiting for the Lord be filled with irritation and regret? If the Lord does not come what will happen to me?

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

The new liturgical year has begun, and we are now waiting to begin
another calendar year. Sadness was evident during a great part of the
year, not only the loss of 304 victims in the Sewol tragedy but also
many other incidents and a social environment that has left many of the
citizens with a heavy heart.The columnist on the
opinion page of the Peace Weekly reminds us of the plight of the
irregular- workers (working by contract and without a full time
job). This situation is getting worse. The leaders in our society by
their words and actions dishearten many in our society. Surprisingly,
they blame those who speak out against injustices and corruption as
hurting the peace and security of the nation. The press and those
enforcing the law are protecting those who blame the ones speaking
against the injustices of society. However, he asks, if those speaking
out remained silenced would we have a more peaceful society?Many
of the Documents of the Church we hear repeatedly that peace is the
realization of justice. Peace is not just the absence of war. Nor is it
maintaining a balance between two hostile forces. St. Augustine in
the City of God spends time showing how it was the corruption in the
Roman Empire that led to its downfall: lack of justice in the society.
For Augustine justice was to give every person what was due. When this
is not followed the persons should be punished.

God
in creation has given us an abundance of resources, plenty for all to
eat and live and when this is monopolized by a few we have an injustice.
When we merely follow the supply and demand principle and allow the
growth of the irregular workers we are increasing the numbers who are
being driven to live inhumanly, and what they should have is being taken
away. St. Augustine in Book IV of the City of God cries out that a
nation without justice is like a band of robbers.

We don't
lose hope concerning our own situation says the columnist. We are never
going to get the peace we want on this earth. Augustine accepts this as
given. We call this among Christians original sin. Once we forget this
we will be faced with much anguish and frustration in life, but we
continue working to search for the ideal and never give up, but the
complete peace will only come in the here after. For a Christian our strength comes from God. In John 14:27 Jesus says: "Peace is my farewell to you, my peace is my gift to you; I do not give it to you as the world gives peace. "
He concludes the column my asking us to accept the peace we have
received and have the courage of love to make it present wherever we
are.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Computers are becoming our minds, and we are living without our heads. The
religious sister in her weekly column in the Catholic Times wants us to
consider why we are becoming more intellectually lethargic. She
recalls her trips on the fast trains, less time consumed but was
more tired at the end; and wonders if this is because we are
not following the natural rhythm of life.

In our
technological advanced society, we are going at a
faster rate than our bodies have been programed to function: riding in cars, cleaning the house,
washing the clothes, all helped along with machines. Marshall McLuhan said: "we shape our tools and afterward tools shape us." According to McLuhan, machines are the extensions of the human body. She admits that when she sits down at the keyboard of
the computer the thoughts come to her much faster than the way she used
the pencil in the past. No need to look for
information, knowledge, understanding, or remember it, for it is all in
the computer, the computer has become part of our central nervous
system.Scholars have shown
that many of our children are intellectually lazy, and there are some
who lament the situation. Many students are non-rational, fragmented, and haphazard in their search. All they need do is go to the computer and search, no need to memorize. They read
quickly but the time they have to concentrate is little, and they find it
difficult to overcome tediousness in their studies. She
quotes a poet who wrote: "I found that when I shut the book I left my
head inside." She feels this is all too true for many of us. No time, but I wanted to do something, and started reading a book,
and when I closed the book I forgot all that I had read. The same is true with a search, after reading all is forgotten. The computer becomes
our brains and making us lazy and stupid.With
a plethora of information we lose our desire to use our brains. We are under
the impression we know it all, and can find anything we want with
ease; this paralyses the body and mind. When we search for
knowledge and make it our own we are alive with the meaning, and with
the joy that comes with the process, and we are filled with satisfaction. She
finishes her column by reminded us that instead of trying to
impetuously try to keep up with what is going on in the world, might it
not be better not to know all, be slow and enjoy the lack of
what we think we should have. We need the leisure to enjoy this lack.
The multiplicity of the equipment of the digital world will continue to increase, when we try to keep up, precious time will be lost. Amid all the changes, should we not be concerned with what does not change?

Monday, December 15, 2014

Aegibong is a mountain that faces North Korea.
In the Peace Column of the Peace Weekly we are told the historical
significance of the name. Back in the time of the Sino-Korean War the
governor
of Pyeongyang province, to escape the invasion of the Qing forces took
his mistress and fled. He Hoped to cross the Han River but was captured
by the Chinese forces, and taken to the North, only his mistress was
able to cross the Han River. She continued to look at the Northern sky
waiting for her lover. When she died she wanted to be buried on a peak
which overlooked the North.In 1966 Park Cheong Hee,
the president, visited the mountain, and understood the
feelings of the mistress towards her lover were much like the anguish of
the families separated by the division of the two Koreas, the peak was
named Aegibong.

Using
the telescopes on the observation platform of Aegibong one is able
to see many of the villages of the North and the displaced persons now
living in the South can look for their villages they had to leave.

Most
of the citizens know Aegibong as the place they light the Christmas
Tree. The lighting ceremony makes the news but as in the past it is
surrounded with much commentary. Right after the Korean War in 1954 they
began decorating a pine tree with Christmas decorations. In 1971 they
erected a 30 meter tower which was decorated with Christmas lights. The
Protestants prepare the tree for Christmas and have a lighting
ceremony. The ceremony is to celebrate the birth of Jesus and to pray
for the peaceful unification of the country. However, North Korea
considers the setting up of the tree, that can be seen within
North Korean territory, as a subversive act and an incitement to war and
oppose it.

Back
in 2004 when the two Koreas were talking to each other at the request
of North Korea the South stopped the Christmas lighting ceremonies but
they resumed in 2010. The tower that was used in the past for the
decorations was considered old and dangerous and was torn down; in
its place a 9 meter temporary tower was erected by the Protestant
Christian Confederation with the permission of the Ministry of National
Defense.

The
North Korean Religious Council considers the tree a vile
psychological tactic that incites to war and is putting pressure to
prevent the ceremonies to proceed. The villagers also who surround the area
are very much concerned because of the threat of the North to not stand idly by if they have the lighting ceremony.The villagers say they will use
physical force to prevent the lighting of the Christmas tree. They are
afraid of the bombing of the area and the danger to the villagers.

The
columnist ends up with a question for the rest of us Christians. Christmas is a time of peace and we have a situation that forebodes
confrontation. How would Jesus look upon the situation?

Sunday, December 14, 2014

During the liturgical year we have many reminders of where our
attention should be directed, and today in Korea we think of the poor in
our society and share what we have with them. The third Sunday of Advent
is Almsgiving Sunday in Korea, and also Gaudete, (Rejoice Sunday) reminding us
we are to live with joy in our hearts. We have a
message from the head of the bishop's welfare committee that reminds us
of the many poor in our society. There are about 4 million Koreans who
are living in extreme poverty. Families with three members that do not have the minimum that the government has determined a family needs to live.In
the bishop's message he mentions that in a recent survey made, 86 percent
of the Koreans find living difficult. The quality of life in Korea is
one of highest in Asia, one of the economic strong countries in the
developed world, and yet many of the citizens consider life difficult: they work hard and have little time to rest. There
is good reason for this when we remember that Korea is a divided
country, and with all the talk of war, nuclear armaments, and occasional
belligerency, the ordinary Korean is not without serious worries about
the future. The country is surrounded with three giant countries which
have not always looked favorably on the South.The top
20 percent of the citizens are earning 6 times what the lower 20 percent
are earning. Neoliberalism is a strong economic philosophy that
influences a great deal of society. The philosophy has helped Korea progress very
quickly in the ranks of the economically strong countries, but also at a
great price. The students are well educated and have shown this in
comparison with other countries but here again the competition is
unrelenting, and for the losers a cloud that remains with them for life.Christians, the bishop reminds us, can't separate the love of
God from that of our neighbor. We have all heard that even a nation
cannot eradicate poverty, it is the work of all of us. We need to participate in improving the way of life for all the citizens,
and to help all live in the manner fitting a human being. Joy in
life should be a given for all; sharing what we have with those who
have less than what they need is to be doers of the word and not only
hearers.

Saturday, December 13, 2014

The Desk Column and the editorial in the Catholic Times presents
us with thoughts on the 'Social Gospel Awareness Week' which follows Human
Rights Sunday, the second Sunday of Advent. The columnist mentions the respect he has for a friend who graduated
from one of the three premier colleges in Korea, SKY: Seoul National
University, Korea University and Yonsei University. Not only graduated
from one of the best schools but is a member of a well known
Protestant Church, and lives in one of the better areas of Seoul.
However, he has been labelled a follower of the North (meaning for many with Communist sympathies).He
is not overly concerned with this turn of events and found some
encouragement from Pope Francis' words while in Korea concerning the
North. He feels that his friends just don't understand him, and still has
a bright disposition.

There are many who have a wrong understanding of what the Social Gospel is all about, and think
that it should not be our concern. This he says is not understanding
what Catholicism is all about, for it has to do with the ten
commandments, and living them in our daily lives. The
teaching of the Social Gospel appears in the Catechism of the Catholic
Church in part three:Life in Christ. When we refuse to accept this
teaching we are abandoning what it means to be Catholic. The popes
in their exhortations, encyclicals, pronouncements have made
this our formal teaching. We are able to see life in society, politics,
economy, labor, peace, the environment, life, human rights, and many
other issues with the vision that comes from the Gospels.

The Church is like a boat making its way on a rough ocean. We need a compass to find the way.The Social Gospel is the compass that shows us the way. When we refuse this direction we are only accepting half of what Jesus has given us. Can we call this a mature faith life?

Friday, December 12, 2014

In Korea there are many things that are illegal but you would
believe were legal. An article in the Peace Weekly begins with the words
of a doctor turned ethicist who mentions a news story where 117
persons were apprehended for child pornography and of that number, half
were in their teens and one third of those were in elementary school.Doctor
Lee was a well known gynecologist who is now teaching at Catholic
Universities the ethics of life. He received his doctorate in ethics at a
university in Rome last year. In 2008, at the age of 64 he decided
to go on to study moral theology.He wanted to find
out why God made male and female to be one. Why was the Church
opposed to artificial birth control and condoms? He wanted to find out
where the roots of this teaching on life came from. This desire as a
Catholic to find the reasons for the culture of life teachings,
at his age was difficult, but he was adding to the knowledge he
had as a doctor, which made it very satisfying.The
doctor was now more interested in the moral issues associated with life than the field of gynecology that he had devoted most of his
life. He was now interested in natural child birth, problems with birth control, abortion, stem cells, suicide and the other issues connected
with the culture of life. He now wants to share his knowledge with
others.Korean society has little teaching on sex which
is a large problem. Schools have given up on sex education which makes
it open for all kinds of distorted views. By the coupling of the male and female, we have new life and the meaning of this life:
morally, philosophically, is to be taught within the Church. There are
certain elements that can't be taught with medical and
scientific knowledge.

Doctor Lee has entered late into
the movement for life. Even though he is well on in years, he feels
it is a call of God, and wants to dedicate the rest of his life to the
movement. In Evangelium Vitae (#5), Pope John Paul II addressed an appeal to all of us: "in the name of God: respect, protect, love and serve life, every
human life! Only in this direction will you find justice, development, true
freedom, peace and happiness!"

Thursday, December 11, 2014

On the spirituality page of the Catholic Times the columnist writes about the heart of a young person. A quality that most of us find very attractive especially as we get old. The columnist met a follow priest at the cathedral parish who was there to get some Mass wine. They hadn't seen each other for some time so they went to a coffee
shop for quiet time. His friend mentioned they started a
catechism class in the parish and one of the new catechumens was an
unique individual.What do you mean by unique? asked the
columnist. His friend mentioned the man was in his 50s and a person who was successful in life. The reason he gave for wanting to come
into the Church was the example of the pope in his visit to Korea. The
man followed very closely what the pope was doing on TV, and was greatly
impressed with what he saw.The appearance of the pope
was that of a young person, said the man. He wanted to have that same
kind of heart and joined our catechism class. Hearing his story the
friend was embarrassed in comparison, for he was doing it all without any religious belief. Although he was the president of a company that
was successful he did his own driving, and his clothes were very simple
as was his life style. From the profits of the company he was putting some of it back into the society to help the poor, and was personally involved
in helping others. The only person that knows about his service to
others was his fiance The columnist was surprised to
hear that he was in his fifties and not married. His friend was not able
to give him any information on his home life for he hadn't questioned
him yet, but his whole manner was one of humility and simplicity, said
the friend.Persons young of heart may not be a quality
that is easily recognizable but it has an irresistible power to
attract. We are all searching for peace, security, happiness, and in the
whirlpool in which we live these qualities of life are not easily possessed. The man in his fifties was attracted to an old man, the pope,
who showed the spirit of youth. This was his motive for entering the Church. This is a rare motive but one that should be more common. St. Paul did tells us that the body grows
old but there is no reason why the heart (spirit) has to grow old. In
Jesus, we will find that the dreams and youthfulness that should be a
part of our life even as we near death, can be found in him.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

"We can count on many lay persons, although still not nearly enough, who
have a deeply-rooted sense of community and great fidelity to the tasks
of charity, catechesis and the celebration of the faith. At the same
time, a clear awareness of this responsibility of the laity,
grounded in their baptism and confirmation, does not appear in the same
way in all places. In some cases, it is because lay persons have not
been given the formation needed to take on important responsibilities.
In others, it is because in their particular Churches room has not been
made for them to speak and to act, due to an excessive clericalism which
keeps them away from decision-making" (#102). And again,"I readily acknowledge that many women share pastoral responsibilities
with priests, helping to guide people, families and groups and offering
new contributions to theological reflection. But we need to create still
broader opportunities for a more incisive female presence in the
Church" (#103). Words of Pope Francis in the Exhortation: Joy of the Gospel.The
issue of women in the Church is ongoing, and the Korean Church
has been concerned with the lack of satisfaction on the part of many
women for a long time. Pope Francis has shown his interest in expanding
the role of women within the Church and the Korean Church continues to
work to implement what has been the direction, but there are
roadblocks along the way.The Bishops' Subcommittee For
Women was begun with a need to empower the women in the Church. The
recent seminar of the Subcommittee discussed women's work in the present and future. Both Catholic papers had articles on the seminar
and mentioned a presenter who very clearly expressed the opinion that we
have heard often that the clergy have to change their way of thinking
and attitude towards women if we want to see change.The
first presenter at the seminar, a seminary professor, who expressed the
above opinion also expanded to say in the Korean Church women's role
has been a supporting one, and discrimination is readily seen. In the
questionnaires and surveys taken among the women we continue to see a
desire for a smoother way of communicating between priests and women, a desire to see a change in the patriarchal mind caste, and to be in
the decision making in parishes. All realize without the participation
of the women with their special gifts, sacrifices and capabilities we
would not be able to maintain the parishes.Two women
who are now presidents of the parish council gave
talks at the seminar. One stressed the need for educational programs for women. The first women to have the position as parish council
president in her parish mentioned how difficult it was: physically,
internally and externally. The atmosphere in the parish was cold but
with her efforts in being the first to greet the parishioners, and going out of her way to be of service to the community the gaze of the
parishioners soften, and she began to get people encouraging her.

One
of the men mentioned that a woman president gives the women confidence,
and inspires them and we have a mellower way of being a leader but we
are not able to sit down for drinks and relate easily with the women. In
our traditional society to be in that position is cause for uneasiness
for many.

The time away from the family is a
problem for a woman, and the misunderstanding that may arise in the
family. One of the men mentioned the need for the woman, if she is a
homemaker, to make good use of her time and not to hear from the family
that she is spending too much time at the Church.

The
efforts of the Church to bring the women into the decision making of the
parish life continues, since most of the workers in a parish are women,
we will see an improvement with the conscientization we have had over the years.