Every third or fourth year the young people of Korea meet from the 16 Korean dioceses to share their experiences and renew their faith. This year 2000 young people met in Seoul under the auspices of the diocese from Aug. 11 to 15 with the theme "It is me, do not be afraid" (John 6:20).
Both Catholic Weeklies reported on the event and the hope they have for the future. An interview with the bishop who was the committee head for the Korean Youth Day (KYD) mentions the situation of the young people in Korea. Words and phrases which have spread widely express the frustrations of the young having to give up: courtship, marriage, childbirth, job, home ownership, relationship etc. Briefly, they no longer have the hopes that the previous generation enjoyed.
An old Korean proverb: "From a stream, a dragon rises" meaning from rags to riches, a reality now rarely seen. The best of efforts in the eyes of many young people are of little avail in our society. Even during the struggles for democracy courtship and hope for a job were present. Today's college students don't have the time for romance and love but are busy getting the necessary qualifications to apply for jobs that are not there.
The workplace has been inundated with artificial intelligence, mechanization, and digitization, decreasing the jobs available, says the bishop. Capitalism has met many limitations. This requires a new way of looking at society and the need to accommodate.
In this kind of milieu where romance and love are missing, they have to find a place for spirituality and God.
The bishop is not asking them to lower their horizons but if they follow the dictates of society in attempts to find happiness they will face unlimited competition and conflict. One has to compete with another to find happiness. A new standard of values are necessary to replace the ones they have followed.
A new frame of reference is required. Following the worldly standard, they may find success, money but it will not bring true happiness. They have to find a different set of values and this says the bishop was the aim of the KYD.
This year different from the previous KYDs was the change in the age requirements. They took the example from the other national youth meetings in other countries and this year accepted those from 16 to 39. The bishop found that the impact on teenagers was far greater than on the older young people. The program was meant to show that not only is the head important but the person's whole being was a primary aim of the three days.
This year the numbers were lower than was expected. The participants were hosted by the local families who volunteered. In conclusion, the bishop wants pastoral workers not only to work with those who are coming to church but to go out to them where they are.
An 88-year-old Buddhist monk was taken to a hospital after a hunger fast of 41 days— demanding reform in the largest Buddhist order in Korea. Within the order he held important positions and was asking for the resignation of its leaders for corruption and illegal operations. Writing for a monthly bulletin for priests, the priest writer informs the readers of the issues involved.
A television program brought to light the suspicions of corruption within the order and the monk's demand for the resignation of the leaders. Those with the same understanding of the situation met together with the monk, and arranged for a press conference. Many of the different strata of society attended. Since the order receives government subsidies they asked the government to investigate the suspicions of corruption but only silence followed.
The writer makes known the virtuous life of the monk, who despite the hot weather continued the fast. His follow monks convinced him that he was more important alive then dead and he terminated the fast and entered a hospital.
Two days later the leader of the order declared he would retire. This was the desire of the fasting monk. Not only Buddhism but the other religious entities, although different in degree, desire to get rid of long-standing vices.
Religion is the soul and spirit of our society. The mass media gave the issue a hearing and made known to the citizens the need for reform. Like in society, religion is corrupted by money and power and when it becomes part of the structure we have it multiplying. Reformation within religion is one of the signs of the times.
In the Buddhist world, there has been a struggle to reform as was seen by the long-time fasting of other monks in the past. At time it was done with a club in their hand in attempts to get rid of evil customs. Corruption will always be present, and some monks will be in search of reform. Few priests within Catholicism demand the clearing away of long standing evils and demanding reform. On occasions, priests have criticized the doings in the church, but often they were not supported and suffered only pain. Recently, in one of the dioceses an older priest criticized the diocese and bishop and demanded reform. In response, the bishop punished the priest with suspension. In some way, it can be seen as an abuse of the bishop's authority.
The fasting of the monk brought change. The reforms in other religious groups and the clearing of long-standing evils will have to happen from the bottom up—like the candlelight vigils we experienced in our recent history in Korea.
In Korea recently 7 different religious groups have inaugurated a movement which in Korea would mean literally to 'live like' what we are called to do: live like mothers, like fathers, like children, like students, like teachers etc. A passable English translation: "Do what you're doing" (Age quod agis) familiar in the Catholic tradition. The hope of the leaders is to go beyond the religious groups and become a national campaign.
In 2014 the movement began under Catholic auspices but an editorial in the Catholic Times expresses sadness that it lost its vigor and a reason for the new beginning. The lay members of the different religious groups are to live according to the teachings of their respective groups and they hope this will go beyond those with religion.
It's a movement to get rid of deception, manipulation, seeking authenticity, genuineness, honesty, sincerity in whatever is done. For Christians,not following the ways of the world but being true to one's beliefs and consciences. On Aug. 8th the movement was legally incorporated.
▲ Live like a good neighbor to others
▲ Like a family member, work to make a happy household
▲ Live like a truly religious person
▲ Live my occupation, turning away from temptations to corruption and abuse
▲ Share like a member of society
▲ Work toward peaceful unification like a good citizen
▲ Go beyond the differences of religion and personal ideologies to work for peace like a world citizen
Doing what you are doing, concentrating on the task at hand and doing it to the best of one's ability are words often heard but rarely achieved, distractions are many. Colossians 3:23-- "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men."
Different religions don't find it easy to work together on some common task. But doing what we do, well, according to the dictates of our religion is a task that all can accept without difficulty. This can also be extended to the larger community of citizen who asked to do what their consciences tell them to do, to the best of their ability, should find agreement among the majority. Would this not help in bringing about a better society?
Recently we had the death by suicide of a popular politician, sympathetic to the struggling ones in society and showed this in his words and actions. He was lamented by many, those who agreed and disagreed with him. A university professor in a Catholic Peace Weekly column visits the issue and uses the occasion to reflect on suicide.
How difficult must it have been in his own mind to deal with the thoughts which came? He was a good man. His fault was not to report a gift of money which he acknowledged as stupidity. He was not asked or did he do anything because of the donation. The professor uses the words of the French sociologist Emile Durkheim to describe reasons for suicide.
First is the selfish suicide. It happens when you feel alienation because you cannot compromise or adapt to reality; it often happens in a society where the tendency towards individualism is strong.
Second is the altruistic suicide where a person is overly attached to the society or group to which he belongs. This is a society with a strong collective tendency.
Anomic suicide (socially alienated) a lack of connection with society—weak social cohesion. When we have extreme changes in society and a person feels confused and disconnected suicide is possible.
Catholic faith teaches that life is given. God created man from the dust and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being (Gen.2:7). My life is not my own. I was not born because I wanted to be born. God created man in His holy image. In the end, it was God's will that we were born on this earth. Therefore, a man should not cut off his precious life which God has given. This is a betrayal of God's love.
Saint Mother Teresa on a visit to the United States after giving a lecture was accosted by a woman who told her: "I have decided to end my life. I no longer have the strength nor the desire to go on."
Sister Teresa responded: "I have something to ask you before you kill yourself, come with me to Calcutta and work for a month."
The woman accepted the invitation and worked for those dying from hunger and disease along with Teresa. She realized how happy she should have been and reconsidered her thoughts on death. The darkness of her future turned into a bright light. She decided to live a new life caring for the precious life that God had given her.
In Korean, if the word for suicide is read backwards we have 'let's live'. If one has the courage to commit suicide one also has the courage to live. One of the well known and beloved Korean poets is Ku Sang whose poem: "The Place of the Flower" comes to mind as he concludes the article. "Life at times looks like a thorn bush but it's really a flower."
On the opinion page of the Catholic Times, a one time newspaper editor, reminds us how to discern fake news from the real thing. Among poor articles and fake news you have sentences with the passive ending: has been known, has been communicated and the like. Why is this so?
In press coverage, it is of high priority, in press ethics, to disclose the sources. In Korean, in the passive tense, the subject of the action is not known. The reporter did not make an accurate account of what transpired. This can happen when the reporter uses conjecture or prejudice or words like it is said that.... We have a lack of accuracy, objectivity, and fairness in journalism.
There are also other methods that do not use the passive voice to hide the subject of an action: criticized, evaluated, pointed out, all these expressions can hide the source.
▲The evaluation of the company showed various favorable positions.
▲ It is pointed out that it is against the law to raise that kind of money during the election year.
▲ Criticism was made that it was somewhat behind the times.
In the above sentences, there is no indication of who has evaluated, pointed out or criticized. In other words, an unidentified third person seems to be the subject of the action, and one can easily have doubts about the objectivity of the report.
At first glance, it seems to represent public opinion. In fact, the journalist's own evaluation, knowledge, and criticism are often irresponsibly transferred to an unidentified third party.
If you want to correct this sentence to conform to the press ethics principles, you should put a source for information.
▲ The evaluation of the company which has various achievements is in a favorable position according to Mr. So and So etc. and similarly with the other statements.
"It is known" is not the way reports should be made but nonetheless, not only general reporters but also famous anchor journalists and newspaper columnists use it without hesitation. One has little difficulty in understanding how this is part of the internet news world in which we live.
In cyberspace, many individuals using SNS have little knowledge on how to cover news stories and write sentences tailored to press ethics. There are many cases in which the text of a large medium is modified with violation of serious ethics—plagiarism.
A few years ago, the slang for reporter, used sarcastically, was the word (ki-re-gi) made up from garbage and reporter. Some reporters were reporting the news in an unethical way instead of accurately, objectively and fairly as the writer mentioned in the above article.
"You Commie..." These words were addressed to a religious sister on her way to the convent after her work for the day was over. She writes about her experience and the thoughts that came to her in an article for the Kyeongyang magazine.
She wasn't able to make out the words at first; probably from his timidity in putting a knife in her back but quickly noticing that she wasn't responding the words were repeated. She gave no notice to the man, most likely he saw the yellow ribbon (a symbol remembering the victims and families of the Sewol ferry disaster in which 304 died) on her handbag, with which there is much prejudice and violence associated.
She blames the prejudiced mass media for attacking those who side with the weak of society with their "false news" inciting violence. Anti-communistic ideology and the belittling of women is a form of brain washing that continues to develop and get stronger.
She was overcome with anger loathing and contempt but also sorrow for the man. She wondered what would have happened if this encounter was at night, she was afraid to give it much thought. We all have different ways of dealing with the weak of society but she reminds us that it's an indication of the kind of person we are.
Each Sunday in a certain area of Seoul we have the feminists meeting and shouting: "We will rid ourselves of our corsets." Corsets signifying the feminine beauty demanded by society. Women are tired of the modern corsets that society demands from women. Women go makeup free, wear glasses and cut their hair short.
Sister is not concerned with what is happening for it is the response to the pent up feeling of many women. Time and communicating is necessary. Men and women are not on the earth to loathe each other.
We don't know where the 'Me Too' movement is going. The dignity of humans and gender equality is what sister is waiting to see develop. Violence is not only seen between men and women but in out ordinary lives, where we only tolerate, easily oppress and exclude.
The church needs to get rid of the pyrimid structure that still exists. The clergy have to change the way they use their authority. Need for transparency, listening and including all in the decision making for the community. Leaders are needed who are able to work together with the individual gifts of the members and the mission of the community as a whole.
We need a new understanding of the meaning of masculinity and femininity. She wants to go back to the beginning in the way God created us, to heal the breach. This is the way we can help to heal the darkness and violence we find in society with the salt and light of the mission we have received.
We all get old and the books on how to do this gracefully are many. In the Catholic Peace Weekly a review of a book written by a Seoul Diocesan priest on this issue has gone into a second printing within a month of publication.
Aging is part of life. When we reach middle age, wrinkles occur, energy diminishes, thoughts and attitudes become hardened. When young, we had the strength to listen to others, but with age, even this gets harder. Growing old gracefully is easy to talk about but not so easy in the doing.
Growing Old Gracefully is a guide to lead adults to communicate with 'dignified authority'. Since we are going to age it's best to do it with grace.
One of the traits of the elderly is to spend a great deal of time in the past and little time in the present and future. This mentality will obviously keep the young away and bring loneliness to the elderly. The older we get the more we fear change, but if we remain the same we will regress.
The writer gives us the word Olympics to help remember his 8 recipes for aging with grace. Openness, Listening, Yielding, Modesty (humility), Possessions, Interest, Clean and bright, (Smile, Spirit and Soul).
We need to be open and listen to the stories around us. Opening ourselves is sometimes accompanied by pain but without the pain, we fail to grow inwardly, personally and spiritually. Listening to those around us; stepping back and yielding to others; modesty and humility; not grasping our possessions but emptying ourselves; interest in life; clean and cheerful and finishing with the last chapter on Smiling, Spirit, and Soul.
One strong message of the book is the age question in Korea. How old are you? Unlike the West, Korea is a society with strong formal authority. The senior/junior relationship is very strong and makes for a great deal of formality, lack of spontaneity and naturalness.
We are obsessed with what we possess and often make much of the cultural bias of the young and forget the bias of the elderly. Real authority is not only based on age and position but comes from genuinely dignified and respectful behavior. Adults should not stick only to their own values and worldviews but have an open mind and listen to the opinions of others.
The writer emphasized the importance of the 'inner journey'. When focused on the 'external journey', we're overcome with youthful vigor, external appearance and desire to know the world; he recommends we begin learning to become a 'mature old person' through reading, retreats, prayer, and meditation. "Let's be like the sun during the twilight, passionately painting the the world beautifully."
"I'm sorry I was born. I'm sorry I'm alive." One of the students who suffered from sexual violence posted these words on SNS. A professor in the humanities department of a Catholic University writes about her embarrassment and sadness on reading these words. She expresses her thoughts on the opinion page of the Catholic Peace Weekly.
Sexual violence refers to sexual harassment and sexual assault. It is a combination of physical, psychological, and legal violence that inflicts harm to others in sexual matters against their will.
In the early 1990s, violent incidents such as sexual torture, sexual violence and murder became well known in Korea, raising social interest in sexual violence. As a result, social awareness has gradually changed, but misconceptions are still widespread. Today often we blame the victim for one reason or another and the victim is burdened with guilt.
Often, when a sexual assault occurs, the victim's clothing, drinking, the late hour and behavior are all listed as problems. "If I didn't do what I did at that time it wouldn't have happened." "Why did I act in that way?" In cases of sexual violence, often the victims end up blaming themselves.
Victims suffering sexual assault are required to go to the hospital, receive emergency medical treatment, collect evidence but care for the victim should be first. In addition to victims' own efforts, family, friends, colleagues, and agency personnel should help the victim overcome their physical and psychological difficulties and to live their lives comfortably. If necessary, appropriate intervention and counseling by professionals should also be carried out. It is necessary to give courage and strength to victims so that they can overcome their fear, hurt and pain, listening and sympathizing with the story of the victim without reprimanding or sympathizing with pity.
It is not appropriate to force the perpetrator to understand or ask for forgiveness. The perpetrator must also take full responsibility for his or her wrongdoing before blaming his mistake on others, the social culture, or the victim.
Sexual violence, dating violence, domestic violence and all other violent incidents are caused by the power relationship between the strong and the weak. It occurs in the relationship between men and women, adults and children, teachers and disciples, bosses and subordinates, depending on age and gender. It is not easy for the victim in the position of the weak to appropriately deal with the perpetrator in the position of the strong. Sexual violence prevention and related measures should be approached as a problem of society as a whole
First, education in sexuality should be carried out step by step from the time of childhood to cultivate a correct sexual consciousness. In addition, it is necessary to build a practical and integrated victim support system and correction system for the perpetrator. We must build a society that respects and protects human equality and dignity.
Recently one of the members of the Korean National Assembly took his own life, a politician considered by many as a person of integrity and honesty. A lawyer in the The Catholic Times' open forum, writes about his death.
He considered those opposed to his position like mosquitoes and what was needed when they gathered to demonstrate their oposition was a can of mosquito spray. As a leader of one of the progressive parties his efforts to get rid of long standing evils was not accepted by many. In a joking way he considered those who were against reform a swarm of mosquitoes.
Roh Hoe-chan, a generous and humorous lawmaker, committed suicide on July 23rd. In his suicide note he admitted that he received two political donations totalling 35 thousand dollars.He was not asked for any favors and neither did he do anything in return but the law requires that a political donation be reported which he did not do; his guilty conscience was too much to carry. He considered the failure to report, stupidity on his part.
The cleaning ladies of the National Assembly lined up and cried. The opposition members who were against reform also had great sorrow on hearing of his death. Since he used humor and did not call call them the 'force of deep rooted evil', the opposition was not turned completely against him.
What would it be like if Mr Roh had not chosen to take his own life? He would be called to a special investigation every day. Why didn't you report the money? What did you do in return for the money? He would have gone throught a tortuous period. The mass media daily would criticize and condemn him. "You pretended to be an apostle of justice and clean but were taking bribes. You were a hypocrite." He would have been able to paper his room with the hate filled comments that would have come his way. Eventually, he would have made the same choice after all the humiliation. He forsaw the future and took his life.
The situation in society is of concern: we are made captive by a great deal of blind hate.Those taken in for questioning by the police continually large numbers take their own lives. It's not the torture and abuse during the course of the investigation which they can accept but the murderous criticism of the press and public opinion are too much for many.
It is clear that the 'Me Too' movement, which has changed the male-centered thinking and system that has been going on for a long time, does not mean to create a women-centered society by using men as the enemy. However, some women insult patriot Ahn Jung-geun because he was male, pickets asking the president to commit suicide, criticizing the church's anti-abortion campaign for violating the women's right to self-determination and even the desecration of the Eucharist to try to make a point.
Furthermore, some people who are pointed out as perpetrators blame themselves for being for a second time on the offensive when they ask for the truth through a public trial. It is not perfect, but the trial is the last step guaranteed by the Constitution, in seeking the truth.
There is no fault in this world that is so heavy that the person's existence needs to be denied. The Pope recently made this a teaching of the church which for many is a stumbling block. Life is sacred, the death of another is no longer necessary to maintain law and order. The cheapening of life is seen when we can condemn and criticize others enough to lead to suicide. Not to hate and correcting mistakes is very difficult, but it is the way to go.
Have we entered the times where we begin drawing up filial piety contracts between a mother and her child? So begins an article in the Peace Column of the Catholic Peace Weekly by a welfare commentator.
Problems of the elderly are not recent arrivals but the words 'filial contracts' in society gives us a look at a cross-section of society which was not present in the past. The writer works in the social welfare field and hearing such a legalistic expression aroused her curiosity.
Contents of the contracts in which parents ask for money for their years of care from their children is a new reality. Things are beginning to change but parents would often give all of their savings and real estate holdings to the children or buy their houses and sacrifice all for the children and in their old age be left to fend for themselves.
Filial contracts are legal documents that make it mandatory for all grown children to financially and emotionally care for their aged parents if they have benefited from the parent's gifts. This is strange; sadly deemed necessary because of the situation in society. The meaning of family takes a blow with the implementation of these contracts. The actual numbers are increasing.
The aging of the population is a global trend. The high percentage of the elderly population is not a big concern but Korea only took 27 years to become an elderly society compared to Europe which often took more than a 100 years. The side effects in Korea were many.
In Korea, the poverty of the elderly is high compared to other countries, and there is a sudden increase in the number of people dying alone and neglected. Since 2009 the suicide rate of the elderly occupies first place among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries.
Japan quickly recognized the problems of the elderly and supports them so as not to be alienated from society. Nursing care insurance for people who can not maintain their daily lives relieves the burden on the family and provides convenient facilities with care for the elderly in various places. It's a policy of the Japanese government to guarantee a happy old age, and remarkably maintaining human dignity and promoting family life.
Since 2008, Korea has been building a legal and institutional framework to become a welfare state, starting with long-term care insurance and linking care services with the local community. However, when problems arise they work to fix them but leaving many blind spots in the process.
How has the care and preparation for the elderly progressed? We should think about whether the dignity and ethical living of the elderly is fostered, not just pledges to seek the good of the elderly during the election period.
The Vatican has recognized the inequalities of elderly people, which are easily exposed in society, and called for special attention to ensure the dignity of the elderly. Pope Francis also emphasized there is no future for anyone who does not care for grandparents.
In the Christian life, "what good do I have to do in order to have eternal life?" Jesus said "Take care of your parents." Parents are signs of God's parenthood and motherhood, allowing us to enter society.
It is time to urgently improve the government's care service system in accordance with the reality along with the care culture for the elderly. We need to think as human beings before using the absurd and unfamiliar words of "a contract of filial piety" between parents and a child.
Korea has one of the best Catholic presences in the mass media compared with countries much larger and with more Catholics. The Seoul Diocese operates a newspaper, radio, television and internet resources for the whole Church but the responsibility is diocesan.
Korea has come a long way but when it comes to the internet the Catholic presence has probably been weakened because of the algorithms used. This is the way the word Catholic will be used in the search engines. From personal experience, which may be far from the reality, the sympathetic use of the word Catholic in searches has been greatly neutralized from what it was ten years ago. Not surprising but good to know. However, websites are accessed by addresses which is not haphazard and that is where we should put our interest.
The other media are doing well and growing in Korea. Just recently the Vatican has launched its Korean service (www.vaticannews.va/ko.html). The Vatican News is the official online news portal of the Vatican.
The Korean branch of the Vatican Broadcasting has been providing Korean language service since 2015 but only available through the Vatican Radio website. Recently with the addition of the Korean language to the other 33 languages offered it is now possible to access articles in Korean. Currently, about 80 percent of the original articles are available in Korean.
Search for 'Vatican News' on any smartphone and you will have the website appear. The menu gives you four categories: Pope, Vatican, Church, and World, select Korean as your language and you have a new vehicle to the Catholic world of news for the Korean speaking.
The Vatican, which communicated the news with the Vatican Radio website, launched the Vatican News, to "spread the gospel using new media" a few years ago. For those interested in the website in English for the Korean Bishops'Conference, you can access it at (http://english.cbck.or.kr/).
Some dioceses have developed a smartphone-friendly internet platform so parishes can easily establish an internet presence for their parishes. Many parishes have their own homepages, the beginning is easy the continued development and search for interesting, profitable learning experiences is difficult.
One diocese has designed the platform so anybody with a basic knowledge of web pages, blogging and e-mail can easily manage the parish homepage. Surprising how little the study of the internet as a means of evangelization has failed to gain the attention of church leaders.
Catholics, at least in theory, should have a similar understanding of what it means to be a Christian. Sadly, we pick and choose, forgetting that faith is something given and our lives are not our own. Not easily experienced in the 21st century.
Using cyberspace for the good of others and in search of what is the One, the Good, the True and the Beautiful are all attributes of Being and of God. In search of these we are in search of God whether we realize it or not.
Over and over again we hear about the new technological revolution that will change the way we live, think and act. It will be different from anything we have experienced. We have the signs of this new revolution in our society but no idea of how it will develop.
A professor at the Catholic University writes in the Kyeongyang magazine about a new philosophy needed to understand the changes that will come. The media, like never before, tells us that the industrial revolution will retreat, information will take over and artificial intelligence will change our lives.
What is behind this thinking? Does a Christian see the future in this way? Our writer agrees that it is an important issue for the future but our societal response is excessive. It will depend on the way we adapt and respond to the changes in society that will make the difference.
The industrial revolution of the 18th century had two faces. It brought great changes to Europe: great wealth and dominance; the rest of the world came under the control of imperialistic thinking. Colonialism became common and Korea suffered from it for many years. A period of barbarism and violence. We are still suffering from the twists and turns of being behind in the first revolution but in the world of public opinion and our lead in information cyberspace, we are very sensitive to the changes in society that will come from the 4th revolution— artificial intelligence.
We have been in the information age for some time, but have we determined what has happened to us in the process? Our writer doesn't think we have studied the results of the information age, its meaning, or examined and meditated on the impact on humanity. We have entered the 4th revolution, not conscious of what is happening.
Our modern civilization has come to a point of change. A change in the way we have been doing business, but also because of the limitations of the worldview that came with the enlightenment— liberty, democracy, and reason and the discussions that resulted. This was shown in the many 'post-isms' that began to flood our age and a reason we will need a new philosophy for the 4th revolution.
We hear about posthumanism and trans-humanism. Scientists are talking about life science engineering. Attempts to improve ourselves by engineering on our humanity. Making supermen, and overcoming the limitations of our humanity. The movie Ex Machina is an example of this thinking and much of the science fiction.
He finishes the article with a hope that we will not be fooled by the thinking of many of the futurists who are talking about moving humanity to another level. If we listen to this kind of talk without skepticism, and welcome it without questioning, the results will be emptiness and a loss of meaning in life.
As Christians and not only as a Christians but as human beings what will the change in industry, politics and finance do to our understanding of ourselves and society? Christianity has the anwers but even among the Christians we have many degrees of fidelity and a philosophical understanding would give answers to many seekers in this new changing society.
Gifts are very much part of the Korean culture. Distinguishing between a bribe and a gift is not always easy. A gift is given without any thought of return. This is usually the case. This may not be true in the world of business but in ordinary daily life, giving and receiving gifts is a sign of the regard one person has for another.
In a diocesan bulletin, a teacher writes about gifts and what they have meant to him over the years. He begins by stating that a gift is a medium expressing the feelings of the heart. Strengthens our positive emotions and solidarity between people. Nine out of ten Koreans are happy in giving gifts but not always. They can be a burden.
Traveling overseas the thought of bringing back a present was a concern. Husbands who take trips overseas, a gift for the wife looms large, especially in sorrow that she is not making the trip. Until they find the right present they will be stressed out. Once found, peace returns to the face.
On trips overseas, he has returned with gifts for his wife he thought appropriate. However, the results were not what he had envisioned. It is not easy to pick a gift that the recipient finds gratifying. Both have to lower their expectations.
Often at the school where he teaches he buys others a cup of coffee or a drink, they often after a trip come back with a ballpoint pen or a keychain or similar gift and he has a drawer full of these mementos. In the beginning, he was thankful but over time the giver and the receiver found it a burden. It took some time for this custom to disappear.
Over the years he has given and received many gifts. Many have been given with a pure heart but also even a small gift often is a burden when given to people with whom we are concerned. However, a gift from the heart moves one greatly.
He remembers during teachers' training many years ago he was the homeroom teacher for a first-year girls' high school. It was Teachers' Day which he had forgotten and as he was entering the teachers' room he was presented with a bouquet of flowers and a red carnation was pinned to his lapel. He still remembers this with emotion.
Giving a present requires a little bit of 'savoir-faire' a basic technique of some kind is required and the writer admits that his wife has more than he has. When he has been absent on a couple of occasions, she has changed the interior of many of the rooms and papered the walls and brought some articles which he had desired. All done without any inconvenience to the writer giving him great pleasure.
Learning an important lesson, during his wife's pilgrimage to Europe he took it upon himself to clean the bathroom. It took three days. He got rid of all the mold and dirty spots, coated the tile floor. It was a difficult task but he did it with joy. On the return of his wife, she was very happy with what she found and he decided to find other ways of giving gifts in the future.
His gifts in the past were not the kind that gave emotional joy; gifts were given mostly out of habit. More than concern for the other person was a concern for himself. In the future, gifts with interest in the other, filled with love and the money value of the gift of little importance. The amount of sincerity involved and the joy of making another person happy will be his interest.
One minute after he started his lecture one of the women shouted: "Good heavens, It's annoying." A college professor was giving a retreat to the women of Magdalena House and writes about his experience in the Catholic Times.
Since 1985, Magdalena House, near Yongsan Station in Seoul, was a resting place for those who were involved in prostitution. A laywoman, a Maryknoll Sister, and priest were there to help those living in situations of violence, oppression and helping those who wanted to escape, gain independence and begin a new life.
The women who shouted continued: "Hurry up and finish." He knew in preparing his talks about the difficulties he would have and spent a lot of time preparing what to say and prayed. He didn't realize all that he was to experience and in retrospect considers the experience a great grace—he was able to share some of the hurts, scars, and tears with the women. He will never forget the experience.
They received a lot of support from benefactors, especially the late Cardinal Stephen Kim who visited frequently and never questioned them on their life but was a friend. He was always there to help and often said the funeral Mass for the Catholics who died.
Mary Magdalena was the first to inform the apostles who were stupefied and fearful of the news of Jesus' resurrection. In the 'patriarchal' society where men have all the power, the important role and authority in society was the male. Knowledge and virtue are appropriated by the males and women are easily perceived only as auxiliary workers. But a patriarchal society, which recognizes women's place and role only as accessories, is incompatible with Jesus' declared "Kingdom of God".
What is needed for the healthy growth of a young child is a mother's breasts and warm love, and those suffering in the world need 'divine maternal love' which reveals 'God's mercy'! The church inspired by the Holy Spirit has testified to the world the "joy of the gospel" by the actions of the spiritually healthy laypeople, religious, and clergy.
This is the 'field hospital' that Pope Francis often mentions. Magdalena House is very important in the modern history of the Korean Catholic Church. In the midst of some of the most vulnerable, marginalized and abandoned women, the church was present supporting their human rights and helping the women to become self-reliant and proclaiming everybody is precious in the eyes of God.
Unfortunately, last year, Magdalena House was closed but has been working on a variety of ways to care for and support women in these desperate situations. Today, the Korean church looks bigger, but the church doors smaller and the walls are getting higher. When the church exists only for itself, its salt will lose its taste.
The professor concludes the article praying that the place of 'light and salt' in the work of the church increases as in 'Magdalena type communities', witnessing to the joy of the gospel among the poor and needy. "I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine you did it to me" (Matthew 25:40).
A religious sister in the Catholic Peace Weekly, recalls a time when studying in the States, she volunteered in a summer camp program where there were a number of Korean teenages. A swimming test during the camp showed the Korean students as good swimers with the right posture, similar to the best champion swimmers.
The swimming instructor was very pleased and praised the skills of the teenagers. He took the children to the deepest part of the pool and let them jump in turn. What happened surprised the sister and the instructor for they all began to struggle in the water. The instructor quickly jumbed into the water to help the teenagers.
The instructor ask incredulously—what in the world is going on? The teenagers answered simply: "My feet did not reach the ground." What does this mean? They never had the chance to swim in an area where the water was over their heads, even though they had excellent swimming skills.
The instructor, who learned the reason went to the place were the 6 and 7 year old American children were playing in the water. He was determined to teach the teenagers a lesson. He connected a pole to the sides of the pool and told the children to jump in, which only after a little hesitation, they all did. Coming up they grasped the pole.
The sister seeing what was happening never forgot even after the passage of many years. What did the Korean teenagers thing after seeing what happened? She was embarassed to see what the results of the naked Korean educational experience was demonstrating. 'Intelligence' is learned knowledge; 'wisdom' is knowledge given life by experience.
At the campsite, little children did not know how to swim, but had the wisdom to overcome the fear of the deep water. She was so envious. How could such youngsters, age six or seven, bravely enter the deep water? She was greatly inpressed with the instructor who enabled these youngsters to do precisely that.
Swimming is not simply a movement of hands and feet enabling the body to stay afloat. It's finding the wisdom of overcoming the fear of the depth of the water with the experience that comes with the ability to swim. However, our children had only knowledge to swim and lacked the wisdom to survive in an unfamiliar environment. Experience is a wonderful teacher, which transforms stored knowledge into wisdom. Fear of what is strange and the uncomfortableness of an unforseen future is made acceptable.
We learn about life by living. It does not mean we need to learn to swim, but to go deeper in what we do and overcome fear. The difference between knowing and living is greater than we may think.
If I could only live what I knew, I would have already become an adult. However, when we hear a negative word, hear something nasty about ourselves, something we didn't want to hear, everything crumbles. My self esteem is hurt. Emotions are often products of our experiences without the learning from wisdom.
We need to go into the deep. If I swim only in the shallow places, the world will change and I will remain in the same place. I will be confined by the same thoughts and attitudes and fail to know my true self and grow. I will be stuck at home plate.
