Saturday, September 30, 2017

Happiness Restaurant

Even if it's only temporary there is a restaurant that makes all the patrons happy. One may order a hamburger and get ravioli, order noodles and get pork cutlet. It's a strange restaurant, a university professor in a diocesan bulletin introduces the readers to a restaurant known in Japan, absurd as it sounds: 'meal order mistakes in abundance'  restaurant. Consequently when ordering it is wise to not expect to get what you ordered. 

The reason is that waiting on the tables are  6 grandmothers who work part-time in the restaurant. All 6 have different degrees of Alzheimer's disease to contend with. When they take the orders, an everyday occurrence is not remembering the order and returning with something the patron did not order.
 

However, there are no patrons who are angry at the mistakes that are made. Like a child, the patrons  have a good laugh and try to explain to the grandmothers what the mistake was and in the process, enjoy communicating with the grandmothers.
 

Patrons wait to see what kind of meal will come from the kitchen and the grandmothers rather than afraid of the mistakes made are given the courage to continue in their work.

The restaurateur began the work wanting to change the thinking and the prejudice towards those with dementia. His efforts have done much to attain his goal.
 

Without any provocation, often over some small mistake, we have many who are not able to accept the inconveniences that result. We are exposed to a warlike atmosphere over trifles, we have persons going for the collars of another to assuage their so-called grievance. The professor would like to see more of these 'meal order mistakes in abundance' restaurants appear in many of our towns and villagers.
 

He concludes the article with a wish that many of our weak and marginalized citizens would find a place in these type of restaurants were all could spend time together in a joyous atmosphere of acceptance.
 

Exclusion is the strongest where contact is the least:  an easy way to understand some of the problems we have in society. We have social exclusion often of migrant workers, persons with disabilities, some racial exclusion and many other ways we fail to go out to the alienated in our society. How to multiple contacts and communication with the marginalized is a goal of a healthy society.

Thursday, September 28, 2017

"Thereupon I Hated Myself"

In a poem by Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) a university professor gives us her meditation on his words in an article for the Kyeongyang magazine.  A literal translation of the poem from Korean: " I know that it was only good fortune on my part that I lived longer than my friends. Last night in a dream I heard the voices of my friends. 'The strong are the ones who live.' Thereupon I hated myself." 

During Nazism and Hitler's  hold on Germany, he  exiled himself from his home country of Germany. This poem was censored in Korea during the dictatorship which ended in 1988. The young people in Korea during the dictatorship recited often these lines of the poem, experiencing a feeling of guilt for not suffering the pain of others.
 

The professor recalls the suffering experienced by Brecht which came from his own history. She also remembers the suffering of many in Korea and the debt that we have towards them. We may not have the sorrow that Brecht had for the past but it is part of our history and are content and satisfied being alive. However, we are faced with another war like situation, with which for the most part we are ignorant.
 

She remembers a student in her class who with cancer is paralyzed from the waist down. How are we to understand this?  "Are you going to die right away?" No, she tells the young man to do everything possible to fight against the sickness but she is filled with regret and sorrow.
 

Recently we have heard about abuse of servicemen by their commanding officers. The strong oppressing the weak is something we are familiar with. But many who perpetrate this violence see it as necessary to maintain order in society and the right they have from their position.  A politician's sexual harassment on the golf course was dismissed by him as just some friendly pats that he would use with his daughter and granddaughters. What allows this kind of violence against the weaker elements of society?
 

Not important to select a few of these abuses of the weaker members of society for it enters into all the facets of our life. We kowtow to the strong in society and turn to the weaker ones and act similarly. A fact of life,  and is it not the reason many strive with all their energy to become strong in society? They don't want to be neglected.
 

However, our dignity does not come from our rank   in society. Where do we stand? Are we satisfied with little victories, and become filled with pride and become depressed with failures? Do we compare ourselves with others, see the different ranks in society and desire to be part of the elite?  Why is pain so often the lot of the weak and marginalized?
 

A healthy embarrassment comes when we take upon our self the sacrifice, the tears, and sadness of the weak of society. We need to  identify with those   pushed to the sides. If we are not to be shamed with disgrace we have to keep our eyes wide open and look around us. We must see and see again whether or not the exercise of legitimate power takes place over the wounds of others. Reflecting on the life that we live is making us fully alive, and we will be living with less shame.

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

What Kind of World do we Desire?



In Matthew's gospel 16:13, Jesus asks his disciples: "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" A priest writing for the Bible Life magazine from this question asks the readers: Who are we and what kind of world do we want to build? Religion gives us the answer to these two questions.

In John's gospel, he tells Mary Magdalen to tell the disciples: "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." We are all God's children. In Matt. 6:48, Jesus  raises our dignity: "You must, therefore, be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Buddhism and Confucianisms both have a similar teaching. They also have a spirituality. Everybody is of great value and possess dignity, a teaching of all religions. However, in our daily lives, we see discrimination and unfair treatment of others. We can't help but ask why this discrepancy from what we know to be true. This whole area of discussion is complicated but we have a responsibility to examine the reason for the ambiguity we face. Over 120 years ago both Buddhism and Confucianism were rebuked precisely on this point.

The writer mentions the English world traveler Isabella Bird Bishop who visited Korea in 1894 and in a period of 4 years traveled widely within the country and wrote Korea and Her Neighbors. In her book, she wrote: "In Korea, we have two classes, the plunderers and the plundered. The nobles and bureaucrats are vampires who have the license within society, four-fifths of the citizen are members of the lower class, commoners. The lower classes are to supply blood for the noble classes." According to this foreigner, the king and nobles divided society into higher and lower.  A peaceful mandate, which would maintain the status quo and their privileges, despite the harm to the greater society.

During this time Buddhism and Confucianism were inconsistent. Catholicism was busy building churches and looking down on the royal house from their high knolls. During this difficult time, there was one philosophy that was progressive and this was Tonghak. ( 'Eastern Learning' a nationalistic, syncretic religion that opposed Western culture and wanted social reform and the equality of all the citizens).

These were miserable times but many valued the presence of God within and if we accepted the presence of heaven within us we would have a brand new world order. Tonghak taught that we need to help one another whether one was wealthy or poor. When we have many doing this we will have heaven on earth. No reason for war and killings we can make a society without prejudice, without receiving or giving wounds, we will have a world of saints. We need not wait for a heaven after death but we will have it here on earth. These were the words of a leader of Tonghak to his daughter before being executed. 

The desire of putting the spirit of the Tonghak movement into the preamble of the new Korean constitution is heated. The leaders of the movement are praised and thanked for their efforts for independence and a new order: hundreds of thousands died for these ideas and a desire to give support to the movement  for their sacrifice to the nation. The first leader of the movement left four Chinese characters for his first disciple which asked him to fly high and far and spread the teaching of the movement.

The writer concluded the article asking the readers 
during the month of October, the mission month, to 
fly high and far to spread the goodness of God to the whole world.


Sunday, September 24, 2017

School For Love



One of the strange realities of life is the lack of education for the most important events in our lives. Catholics are required to attend a course of instructions before marriage but it's very short.   

In the Catholic Peace Weekly a woman who began a school in teaching about love, remembers that before her own marriage she spent only 4 hours in preparation and she believes it should be for a least a semester. Looking back on her own experience before marriage she decided to begin her school for communication and healing-- Love School. She is interviewed by a journalist for the paper.
 

The divorce rate continues to rise and even among the couples who have lived together for many years.  Divorce is not contemplated but many marriages are not happy. She had for 8 years given talks on marriage and met many married couples and was familiar with their concerns and concluded that if they were to love correctly they would have the solution to many of their difficulties. She spent time preparing the course and will begin this month.
 

How does one go about loving? Sweethearts, couples and family members can leave  scars in their encounter with the other. They express love for the other and at the same time, out of their mouth they spit out poisonous words. Isn't this because they have not learned what is happening in the encounter with the other? The reason for our writer to begin her school for communication and healing.
 

In the program, the participants will spend a great deal of time learning about themselves. Examine one's tendencies. How does one express what is going on inside, what are the feelings and how to express them and to practice how to make a request and say no. We need to know our hearts and bodies if we are to love.  'Love another as we love our self' but we understand this in our own way. For many, it calls for loving the other more than oneself. She maintains this is not loving but a sacrificial act.
 

The interviewer asked what did she think was the biggest problem between lovers. Thinking that they are loving was her answer. The male thinks it is by doing something for the loved one but the loved one has no desire for what was given. This is a common event between lovers. The female by talking feels she will achieve pleasing the other. Each fails to understand the other.
 

She was asked what did she believe was Jesus' understanding of love?  M.Scott Peck, in The Road Less, Traveled defined love thus: "The will to extend one's self for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth." She gives the example of not caring for a fish meal but eating it on occasions for the other. This extends me for the other. This is not forcing oneself but doing it willingly for the other and for one's personal  growth in virtue. This is what love is. Not using the other, controlling or using the other as an accessory for that is not love.

Friday, September 22, 2017

Let' s Have a Drink!

Korea is a society which encourages the drinking of liquor.  In a recent popular TV drama, the drinking to excess was romanticized in two consecutive episodes. In a preview for a drama, they had a caricature of drinking from a barrel for spring water filled with Soju (Korean liquor). They used famous young people as models. Beer is cool and Soju is smooth everybody can enjoy, are the methods to tempt the viewers. The mass media just shows the pleasure and delights of drinking with few of the dangers and the need for control.

An authority in the field begins his article in View from the Ark in the Catholic Times with the above words.  He reminds the readers that in the developed countries liquor comes with a warning. No well-known entertainers are used to push the products and all is done very simply by the display of liquor products. In the movies, you don't see scenes where you have conflict and the drinking to excess but only at banquets where it is done very naturally and without fanfare.

In our society it is different. Our young people are continually exposed to drinking scenes. 'I want the opportunity to drink like the entertainers.' 'When things are tough and spirits are low it's  time to drink.' ' Drinking to a point where losing control of yourself is romantic.' Our young people drinking is no longer considered misconduct. 75% of juveniles have experienced drinking and 25%  drink at least once or more a month.

When he meets a juvenile at the hospital because of drink he is baffled. They drink despite the efforts of  parents. When they meet the police officers they respond: "Don't all the adults drink? We have started a bit early is there any big difference?" The writer is disappointed that the schools and society are not  pro-active in trying to dissuade the young from drinking.

The brains of the young people are still being formed. Young people drinking causes a number of problems. They are not able to control their drinking. Usually an adult who drinks too much will be faced with drowsiness, headaches, nausea, and will stop but this is not the case in the young. In their brain the brake mechanism does not react. In one years time there are about 4000 acts of violence perpetrated by drink in the young. What is worse is that the young exposed to drink at an early age are 5 times more open to becoming alcoholics.

Once a person becomes an alcoholic the chances of change are difficult. Preventing the problem is much easier. Among the 30 nations of the OECD, the efforts made to control the abuse of alcohol-- Korea is near the bottom at 22nd place. The developed countries do not look upon the merriment that comes with alcohol as something good. Their culture sees restraint and carefulness as something to be attained.

In many countries the selling of alcohol and the  places where drinking is allowed are regulated. Advertising is regulated with strict guidelines. Adults  need to be concerned with the temptations that alcohol has for the young and take responsibility.

Pope Francis had these words for the young in one of his talks:"You are the makers, the craftsmen of the future, Go out and 'make noise' because where there are young people there must be noise. Be courageous,  and when people say 'have a little alcohol, take a bit of drug', No. Go against this civilization that is causing us so much harm."

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Nobody Wants to Die

A radio performer writing in a diocesan bulletin gives us her thoughts on death. She does a lot of traveling and during her night trips which she takes often there is one person she remembers. He is the author of the well-known, The Little Prince--Antoine de Saint-Exupery. 

He studied architecture at the School of Fine Arts and became an aviator. In his bestseller The Little Prince, he did his own illustrations. The book quickly received the love of many in the different cultures of the world. His image was on the French 50 franc paper currency indicating the respect and love he received from the French people. In 1944 on a flight over the Mediterranean he disappeared.

When the writer was in her twenties she was sorry seeing that he died so young but since he mysteriously died similar to the way the Little Prince exited from the narrative she found this charming. Like the stars in a desert that keep on moving they both returned to the stars....


However, a few years later on a night trip to South Africa, her thinking changed. She no longer considered Saint-Exupery's death something beautiful but painful and lonely: leaving this world in deep darkness and alone.
 

She believes these thoughts on death come to her now because of age. She was talking to her friend about the blessings of death. Her friend is ready for death if it comes in her sleep. She is prepared for it now or if it comes in 10 years she will welcome death.
 

The writer, however, is not so open about the situation. We are all afraid of death. We all have to experience death for the first time and bribes don't work. Just a few weeks ago while in bed she had an excruciating headache that prompted her to even think of calling 119 (emergency telephone number). While in that condition she was overcome with drowsiness. She asks the readers if they could imagine what was going through her head at that time.
 

She didn't want to go to sleep for she feared that she would die in her sleep. She couldn't help but laugh at her thoughts. She hadn't written her will and wasn't ready to die. She got up the next morning with the sun and gratitude in her heart.
 

She remembers a French popular song from the 1980s: 'Tout le mond veut aller au ciel mais personne ne veut mourir."  Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die.

Monday, September 18, 2017

'Me Alone' Society

A survey that was recently made shows that in the year 2025 we will have over 30 % of the citizens living alone. 'One member household', 'eating alone', 'individual economy', all new ways of expressing a new social reality. We moved from the extended family to the nuclear and now the living alone situation. A priest professor writes in the Kyeongyang magazine on this new reality. In his opinion not a temporary phase but a new cultural reality.
 

A broad definition of culture would be the mold for the life we live. Consequently, once we change the culture we have all kinds of confusion in society. Korea was a nation with the extended family and respect for the elderly, filial piety was a great value. We passed very quickly to the nuclear family and to the one person household: single life, divorce, the death of a spouse, either willingly or not we have independence and isolation for many different reasons.
 

Korea for over 500 years during the Joseon dynasty, outside of politics and economics, stability was present. These days we have the  philosophy of individualism spreading and taking hold in society.
 

Individualism challenges tradition, cultural practices, established structures, and religion, with contrary values. Heidegger, the German philosopher, called this losing your hometown. Now everyone does their own thing.
 

Individualism of the West has matured and is embedded in society. Korea without any preparation is made to face this new way of being and the results are selfishness and immaturity. Also, we have chaos in society and many find it hard to cope: develop mental and identity problems.
 

This new culture of aloneness is not within the monastery but in the life of the city. On the foundation of individualism, an absence of security,  technological advances in communication, development of women's issues and the like which become part of city life.
 

In Sweden 47 %  of the citizens live alone. In the capital Stockholm 60 % live alone. Individualism and independence have supported the culture. However, they live alone but form communities, recreate together, eat together, simply expressed they are authentic and altruistic and have a well-developed welfare network.
 

The individualism of the West is based on a Christian foundation and contains a respect for humanity, and a person's autonomy and a high degree of welfare for the citizens. Korea has a shamanistic underpinning and outside of the individual, a universal concept is not well developed. A universal concept allows for devotion and a high degree of altruism and concern for social welfare. A  'me alone' society is concerned for itself. Money and time are missing for the interacting with others. We are so busy with our own needs that it's difficult to be concerned with others. This is not true with those with money and leisure.
 

Across all strata of society, there is a need to work on  identity, confidence in one's dignity and to increase a person's autonomy. A sense of joy in life will work to increase our concern for welfare. Happiness comes when others are also happy. Hell is  isolation and heaven, solidarity with others. This is true for those living alone and those living with others.

'Me alone society' has to be cognizant of this otherwise we are heading for disaster and for the writer this will not be easily avoided.

Saturday, September 16, 2017

Foreign Workers in Korea

Korea is no longer a homogeneous society and has come a long way from the days as the  hermit kingdom. In a article in a diocesan bulletin the writer reminds the readers that Korea has over two million migrants but has not acknowledged this reality. Stories of racial discrimination continue to appear in the news.

Since we have no laws protecting the immigrants, the children of Koreans married to immigrants and the migrant workers have a difficult life. Korea needs to understand the multicultural reality of society and begin adapting to it.

Korea is an aging and low birthrate country, consequently the need for  workers and the need for mates for their citizens which requires foreigners not only as workers but as spouses for many of  the country areas, making for a multicultural nation. Many see them as a necessary evil and do not accept them as helping to build up the nation.

Society needs to see the problems associated with the large numbers of  foreigners in society and understand the difficulties that the migrants have in adapting to Korean life: the lack of a sufficient knowledge of Korea makes for difficulty in relating and having a harmonious family life with the spouse and children. This often results in conflict over small issues and  the break down  of family life and divorce. 

The children within this family have difficulty in school and are often bullied and not accepted by their classmate. All making for future social problems.

Korea has also to deal with refugees. They have different kinds  of obstacles to face. Korea has one of the highest entry barriers for refugees and the numbers are few but the migrant worker problem is a different dimension. Korea needs workers who are willing to do the difficult, dangerous and dirty jobs that Korean are unwilling to do.

The country has not come to grips with the immigrant integration problems because the foreign born population is still small and temporary. More efforts are made to prepare foreigners with a basic knowledge of Korean and the culture. The migrant workers have helped the country to prosper and  some are  proposing  an increase of  foreign workers on a more permanent basis. A sign that we made see changes in the near future.

Thursday, September 14, 2017

"Reading" in Korean Catholic History


During the Jeoson Dynasty (1392-1897)  book reading was fostered. Wise kings would do much to  increase learning  and put the wise sayings and doings of the sages into print. The  government  would control everything.  Kings for the most part would  at least hold as an ideal the life of scholars. An article in the Catholic Peace Weekly on the subject written by a literary critic reminds us of this history.

Interestingly during the Jeoson Dynasty the king with his retainers would have something similar to a forum to discuss philosophical and political questions. This was considered very important and  looking back in history the  wise rulers were readers and would never miss a forum to discuss questions with their retainers. The ideology behind it  was Confucianism a religion of the book. Scholars did not just memorize the teaching in the texts but practiced in their lives what they learned. Through their reading they wanted to meet the wise men of the past: Confucius and Mencius

When Catholicism  entered Korea this was the culture they found. Yi Byeok (1754-1785) played a important role in the beginnings of the Roman Catholic community  of Korea. He on his own studied the teachings of the Church. He was absorbed in reading  books from China on western  learning. He was the person who convinced  Yi Seung heun,  Peter  (1756- 1801) to be baptized. On his return he brought many books and religious articles which helped spread the teaching in Korea.

In the reading of these books they became familiar with the teaching of the west and called what they were acquiring western learning rather than Catholicism. Because the historical times were very propitious to learning from books this made it easier for the spread of Catholicism. The way the ancient scholars and sages acquired knowledge in the past was the way that Catholicism spread.

What we describe as Lectio Divina  the reading and meditating on the Scriptures the scholars who were showing interest in Catholicism were reading the new books and putting what they were reading into practice and finding  change in their way of living.

The first printing house for the Scriptures came in to Korea from Japan in1886. The Daughters of St. Paul and the Benedictine press  started later, and we have the increase in the number of religious books published. He concludes his article by asking how much reading our we doing.? The number of those reading continues to decrease and he asks  the readers to imitate the early Christians and their love for reading.

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Deliver Us From Evil

Recent movies made, show that humans can no longer live on the earth as they once did: nuclear war, technology, climate change. The earth that we know will no longer be  living space with which we are accustomed. We will be controlled by machines,  robots with alone be ridding us of trash, and earth people will be going to other planets to live so begins  a seminary rector article in With Bible.

According to a  survey that was made in 2016  of the 14,900 nuclear weapons 93 % are possessed by Russia and the United States. France,  China,  England, Pakistan,  India and Israel each of them, it is surmised,  possess from 80 to 300 and North Korea would have under 15. Pope Francis reminds us in the first chapter of Laudatio Si that  the earth "is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us." And  yet we have enough nuclear  fire power to destroy the world   a number of times over.

Nuclear power plants likewise are  dangerous. He mentions the Chernobyl  Fukushima and the Three Mile Island accidents. At  present we have 442 nuclear power plants. The  spent fuel will take 10 thousand of years  before declared safe. They are not safe and or not economical and are not friendly to our environment.

We pray to be delivered from evil Matt. 6:13 scripture scholars  remind us this is not subjecive  evil but human evil that will harm all of us. At the time of Jesus people thought that the devil was the cause of much of sickness, Evil  brings about division and death, People doubted the dignity of those who were sick and were treated as sinners. and where isolated from the community. Jesus worked against this to reunite  people to the community.

We no longer believe this to be the case but the devil has found in recent times a better way to bring about division and death  with more efficient methods: wars, development of munitions, military installations,  corruption,  lies, violence, conflict,  destruction of the environment. 

He conculdes  the article with the mention of a Paris Foreign Mission who died recently at the age of 78. He spent the last 16 years in the seminary as a teacher  and friend to students. He asked the students in his talks do you bring to prayer the things you read in the newspapers? Regretfully many Christians separate the religious life from the daily life and privatize and individualize  what they hear and see. They do not see Jesus suffering  in what is happening in the world. When we are indifferent to the suffering of our brothers and sisters we are indifferent to God.

He remember on a trip to the Holy Land  in a room where the Lord's prayer was commemorated he heard the missioner crying. He asked  him the reason for the tears and he replied: "Why is it that we all recognize God as our Father  but can't do it together. When will that day come?"

May we be delivered  from the indifference  to the suffering of our brothers  and sisters. Deliver us from the exploitation and the destruction of the creation you have given us only in search of profits and mammon.

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Support For Families After Suicide


September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day and a religious sister, who is the chairperson in suicide prevention in the Seoul Diocese writes her thoughts in View from the Ark in the Catholic Times.
 

The World Health Organization and the International Association for Suicide Prevention to emphasize the preciousness of life met in Stockholm Sweden in 2003 and together established the Suicide Prevention Day. Korea since 2007, each year remembers the day with academic meetings and programs for the prevention of suicide.
 

For the last 12 years according to the OECD, Korea continues to be the leader in the number of yearly suicides. In 2015 Korea had 13,513 suicides. Considering that the average family is 4 we have over 50,000 who are affected by the death.
 

According to studies made, compared to others, depression is 7 times more frequent and the danger of suicide is over 8 times more frequent in the families of suicides. Not only the deep sorrow but for those that remain, a feeling of guilt and helplessness for failure to prevent the death. The contrary feelings of anger and resentment towards the dead person are also often present. The living have to take responsibility for the debts that were incurred.
 

Consequently, we need to work for the prevention of suicides, work with those who have attempted suicide, and show concern for the families of those who have died by suicide. Society and the church need to be involved.
 

Since suicide in the church is taboo, those who contemplate or the families of the suicide, instead of receiving help, they feel alienated and afraid to be hurt again, many  leave the church. Often the families try to hide the death because of the stigma associated with suicide in the understanding of many and the need, she emphasizes, for the church to be concerned.
 

In the 1917 canon law, those who died by suicide were forbidden a church funeral but this was changed in the revision of 1983. We pray for those who take their life and the families that they can get over their sorrow and despair.
 

The 'One Heart and One Body Movement' of the Seoul Archdiocese has a retreat and meetings of those who have suffered this loss.Those who have left the church are enabled to return and begin life anew. Many were able to exist a dark tunnel and return to a normal life.
 

She concludes with the hope that we will always be sensitive to the hurting of others and be quick with a smile of recognition and our outstretched hands, ready to listen to them and participate in their sorrow to give strength.

Friday, September 8, 2017

Peace Apostle to North Korea

The recent edition of the Catholic Peace Weekly had a one page interview with Fr. Gerard E. Hammond, the Maryknoll Fathers' local superior. He recently received the highest honor given by the Knights of Columbus, "The Gaudium et Spes Award for his work with the Eugene Bell Foundation an ecumenical movement which brings medicines to tuberculosis patients in North Korea.

The award was given in the United States in recognition of  the work of Fr. Hammond with the sick of North Korea. The first recipient of the award was Mother Teresa of Calcutta. He is the 13th person to receive the award and the first priest. He will receive an honorarium of $100,000 which Father plans to use in building homes for the sick.

Father Hammond who came to Korea in 1960 and is now only three years away from his sixtieth year of priesthood, began his trips to North Korea in 1995. He has now made 56 trips to North Korea as a trustee of the Eugene Bell Foundation. They have helped over 250,000 sick  and are now taking care of about 2000 patients.

In response to a question on his feelings in receiving the reward, Father responds that what he did and hopes to continue doing is what any missioner would do and he receives the award for all missioners.Korea is a country that has suffered much. Jesus is with the suffering of those in the North and  the missioner needs to go. He quotes Pope Francis in showing solidarity with those who are sick.

They are taking care of about 2000 patients and taking the medicines they have 80% who are returned to health, 20% die from the disease. Every six months they return to the North to give the medicines. Plans are in progress to build about 20 convalescent  homes on the outskirts of Pyongyang which will cost about 70,000 dollars each and he plans to use the honorarium money to help build these buildings. Each one will accommodate about 50 patients.

To the question whether he has made any friends in the North he answers that he has only been concerned about the work. They are all Koreans just like the ones in the South. When he was younger they called him comrade but now he asks them to call him grandfather and he calls them his grandchildren.

He tells the interviewer that in his opinion they are not starving. They also like all other societies have some poor but they seem to have a leisurely life all with their hand phones.

Why does he continue his work in the North?  Fr. Hammond replies that Maryknoll began work in South Pyongyang Province in 1923 and the diocese was established in 1927. When unification comes he wants to be one of the first to be with those in the North.

The division of the peninsular engenders a great deal of anger what does he have to say to the Catholic Church of Korea? It's a dangerous time in Korea right now. If a war breaks out we are all destroyed. Three things  should be remembered: we need to maintain peace, without conditions we work for peace. Secondly we work towards reconciliation with the North and thirdly, we continue to work for dialogue between the North and South. Prayer for peace on the peninsular and for the suffering church in the North not only this month of the martyrs but continually.

Fr. Hammond's interview continues with his growing up years and personal reminisces of life in Korea. He concludes that he would like to continue what he is doing: working with the Eugene Bell Foundation with TB patients of the North. It's a bridge with the North and he hopes that in November they will be able to return to the North and asks for prayers.

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Minimal Life In Philosophy and Spirituality

Interest in  the 'minimal life' style exists in Korea. A philosophy professor at a Catholic University gives us his ideas  on the simple life in an article of Bible 
and Life. 

In Korea we have extreme competition and indiscriminate consumer desires, little interest in society or ecology, lethargy and depression; concerned individuals see and are worried. Without a change in our life style we will not be happy.

Consequently we have more people using the word 'minimal life', attracted to its meaning. A healthy situation, for efforts are made to rid ourselves of the obstacle to happiness. A life not based on riches, honors or power but  ridding ourselves of these obstacles, hindering us from enjoying life.

Simple life is a positive approach to life but there  are reasons for concern. You have advertising for Nordic and Kinfolk style furniture which is very simple, well made and called the minimal life style furniture but this is not what the writer is talking about. He is talking about a mind set that eschews this materialism. The simple life is a philosophical and spiritual way of looking at life, a positive mode of living.

He introduces us to the book by the French writer  Dominque Loreau who has written a bestseller on how to simplify, where less is more. He also wants us to familiarize ourselves with the Danes and Finnish people to learn about the simple life style .

According to our philosophy professor the minimal life is a way of finding happiness. In ancient Hellenism  especially in Stoic understanding and Epicurus, strange  with all his talk of pleasure, he stressed the simple life. They considered serenity and self sufficiency, philosophy's area of competency. This can be compared to the Asian ideal. Even the present day philosophers and thinkers help us to understand this simple life.

Philosophy makes known that the simple life is the key to happiness. Expressed differently, the formula implementing this way of life requires  practicing virtues. The most important is the virtue of temperance. Minimal life begins here. Happiness is the result of a minimal life, and begins with temperance. 

The natural moral virtue of temperance is not what we talk about in spirituality but is the ground from which we go to the spiritual. Temperance is one of the cardinal virtues: prudence, courage, justice and temperance which preceded the coming of Jesus by hundreds of years. We have added the theological virtues of  faith, hope and charity. They are the basis of our study of humanity and morality. The German philosopher Josef Pieper was one who explained this teaching in his many books.

The spirituality of the minimal life knows temperance and contentment. Our eyes are opened to creation and see it differently, becoming more humble, developing a more contemplative joyous enjoyment of creation. Living in the love of our creator we receive consolation, hope, and with the purity of heart  participate in worship  and the journey of faith, the paradigm of our religious life.

Monday, September 4, 2017

Still Do We Need to Help North Korea?

Why do we need to help North Korea? In the column on Unification and Reconciliation of the Catholic Times the writer gives us his reasons which sadly are not easily accepted by the South Koreans. Why help when they are not acting in harmony with the rest of the world community? If our desire for unification and reconciliation is more than a romantic dream we have to face this difficulty.

The issue is a complicated one, entangled in politics, a controversial topic. Recently North Korea tested a ballistic missile that could reach the  United States. Whether that is a fact or not is not important, they are threatening. This is of course upsetting South Korea, the Untied States and the rest of the world. This can't be denied.

Coming this far we have another question. Why help the North to become independent and better their quality of life? In a word from the Chinese we find an answer in the  'livelihood of the people'. Punishment is important but not hurting the people is also important. The UN Security Council also makes clear that no matter the primacy of punishment, in certain cases, relationships with the North, trade and needs of the people are allowed. Using diplomatic language, we need to distinguish between the North Korean government and the North Korean people.

For Catholics what words can we use to bring about understanding? He quotes from a priest who was the  head of a  committee for the reconciliation of the nation. "Government oppression of the North makes life of the citizens all the more difficult. To ignore  North Korean people is not right for us as Catholics. The first responsibility is that of the government, but it's not easy to say this. When the conditions are of this type we need to calmly go on helping the Korean  people. Helping them to make a better choice."

We need to love the Korean people more than we hate the Korean government is what the writer understands the priest to be saying.  "Our attention should me on the North Korean people who want to live a normal life. When the Church meets up against ideology, philosophy, politics, we should not forget the people and the life they want to live. We need to begin with the thought they are one with us in God. This is the way our society will change and and our hearts will change. This is not easy but we need to begin."

Saturday, September 2, 2017

Mechanisms to Solve Conflicts


A specialist  on conflict resolution has an article in the Catholic Peace Weekly on the subject. He writes about the problems faced: regional conflict, gender, left/right. The government with plans to raise taxes, decrease our dependence on nuclear power, policies on real estate etc. will all come up against public opinion.

Korea is known to have a high level of conflict in society and few provision for their resolution. We have no mechanisms working to resolve conflicts. Parties involved in the conflict need  to find satisfaction in the resolution, without  a great outlay of money and time. We need a way that the two parties will be satisfied with the outcome. We usually call this mediation and arbitration. 

Conflict between North and South Korea presently is the biggest. Here we have to move with the changing  circumstances and continually make proposals for resolution. The writer feels the present government has many such proposals ready. When negotiations don't go well we look for another proposal and with the North/South conflict he wonders whether this is not the way to go. 

In Korea we have the separation of the three powers of government: administrative, legislature and the judiciary. Considering this the citizens need to support the legislative branch of the government with their authority. Public opinion committees that are formed and when the citizens are actively involved this is a great help to the legislative branch of government. Committees formed to make agreements should be supported.

In Europe  public opinion meetings are important. In the United States in the past they used the help of foundations and universities. Korea has to find a way to easily access pubic opinion.

How does Korea arrive at a smooth method of solving conflicts? To this question he responds a trust in society. He praises highly the movement of candle light processions that were present recently.  In contrast to this the culture does not  find it easy to discuss and go deeply into social problems. We need occasions to devote time to these discussions. Here we have the possibility of solving our conflicts. Each of our conflicts  needs this type of  mechanism to allow for discussion as a means of finding a resolution.