Sunday, December 30, 2018

Happy New Year

You look much younger than your age is always welcomed and gives joy to those hearing these words, be they elderly or young. So begins an article in a diocesan bulletin preparing for the New Year by a college professor.
 

Many are those who work diligently to look just one year younger. Basic is to take care of the skin; trying to keep the face—wrinkle free. Consequently, the use of all kinds of lotions and programs to achieve this.
 

He doesn't exempt himself from the efforts for he has used face creams, face packs to keep the wrinkles away. Watching TV has shown him the ways. However, there is a time that what worked at a younger age ceases to be effective. External methods are of no avail.
 

He began to look at the faces of those who uniquely stand out as looking much younger than their age. They were not using creams, toners and the like but their facial expressions were the secret for their youthful looking faces. Even faces with wrinkles when they laughed they looked much younger. And the opposite was true with those who had little facial expressions or looked angry.
 

In Korea there is the expression:一笑一少一怒一老 meaning the moment you smile, you become younger and the moment you anger, you become older. The professor finally understands what was being said with this well know the phrase.
 

We are beginning a New Year and he hopes that we will take these words to heart and make this new year one of much laughter. He mentions the words of  Pope Francis in his exhortation: Exultate and Gaudete (Rejoice and be Glad).
 

St. Paul in 2nd Corinthians 4:16 tells us:"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day."  Our bodies are getting older and there is little we can do about it but there is no reason why the spirit should grow old. Happy New Year!

Friday, December 28, 2018

Gossip Can Kill


In her column in the Catholic Peace Weekly, a religious sister introduces us to three cowardly phrases which are often heard.

The first she experienced herself recently. She met Mr. B, who she had known for some time. They exchanged greetings when suddenly an uncomfortable memory about him returned. The wound had not healed. She doesn't remember the exact situation but the gist of what came to mind: "some people say" introduced his complaint about her in the words of others. She was young at that time and felt an excessive sense of responsibility and did not give him the consideration he deserved. The feelings on meeting him brought back memories, resentful of his act of 'gossiping' and raising the level of the attack by anonymity.

There is a saying that "gossip kills three people":  the speaker, listener, and the object of gossip. However, delivering the "gossip" directly to the object of gossip is an act of killing twice.

She lists the three most cowardly words. The first is Mr. B's way: "Someone doesn't think too much of you" and goes on the attack. Second are the words that come after the gossip—"actually I was not going to repeat this but...." These words are not only cowardly but mean-spirited. 'I am not the person who tells you this'—defending themselves and at the same time, blaming others. 


The third type of gossip tears down another's personality and then says: "Of course I don't believe this..." These are not my words, but someone else is saying this. This is the only way they say what they want to say and escape behind anonymity. They shoot the arrow and hide.
 

Jesus tells us not to murder, but also not to injure our neighbors with our words (Matt. 5: 21-22).   
Many are the ways we can kill another and words do it fairly well. Pope Francis is quoted as saying:
"Gossipers are terrorists because with their tongues they drop a bomb and then leave, and the bomb they drop destroys reputations everywhere." He also said: “I am convinced that if each one of us would purposely avoid gossip, in the end, we would become a saint! It’s a beautiful path!” 

It's difficult to have a  face to face fight with another but being attacked by an unidentified person when defenseless, inflicts a bigger wound. Online it is easy to hide behind anonymity— cowardly and maliciously making gratuitous comments and using them as tools of attack.
 

Today with the internet we are bombarded with false news, distortions, satire difficult to discern, yellow journalism, exaggerations, sensationalism, ideology disguised as news and a plethora of opinions masquerading as truth. Gossip may be even true but that doesn't mean there is a need to make it known to the whole world without good reason and in a manner that is unnecessarily cruel.

We don't realize the power of the words we use. If we don't have something good to say, better to say nothing is not the ideal, but unless we are absolutely sure of what we utter it is only just and honest to make this known to the listeners and not to pass it off as certain truth. Transparency in what we say is the ideal, and when it comes to having an uncomfortable feeling about another we need the courage to face the person directly and to convey our thoughts and feelings instead of speaking behind their back.

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Plans After Retiring

It was late in autumn after a meal and watching the movie Bohemian Rhapsody that a priest reminiscences in a bulletin for priests on his life after retiring.
 

He recalls the question of one of his fellow priests who asked: What do you plan to do after retirement? This sudden question caught him by surprise and left him embarrassed. He answered that according to the doctor's recommendation, if he takes care of himself in his seventies, he will in his eighties be able to briskly walk for about 9 years. Later he gave a hearty laugh and thought something was missing in this reply.
 

About a month ago he gave up an apartment in which he lived and moved to a joint retirement home prepared for by the diocese. Before the move, he tells the readers about his housekeeper who worked in the kitchen for 25 years. She told him that she was thankful for the opportunity to work doing the same thing every day for 25 years.
 

"Everyday I wake up thankful for the joy and happiness to do the same thing like a machine preparing three meals each day for an elderly priest which gives me great joy and fills me with gratitude. I am given a new day in the God's kingdom. How can I not be filled with joy." The priest on hearing these words felt that he was hit in the back of his head with a blow of a hammer.
 

Yes, priestly life in retirement is to get the strength to live the same 24 hours of each day in a new way in God's kingdom. What a great blessing filled with thankfulness to live in God's kingdom. When he looks back on his past fifty years of pastoral life, he is sorry for not feeling the joy, pleasure, and happiness of  God's kingdom even though by saying the daily Mass daily, he was living this liturgically, condensing the life of Jesus and all that he came to give us.
 

Living his community parish life with his coworkers he was oblivious to the joy and happiness of living the kingdom of God with the parish community taken up with the duties of his office. Anyway, even if he didn't feel the  joy of living God's kingdom in his ministry, now after retirement his plan is to live as his housekeeper expressed so clearly with joy. Each day will be to meditate on the life of Jesus through the daily sacrifice of the Mass and to realize each day as he wakes up that he is in the kingdom of God with all the sacrifices, happiness, joy, and thanksgiving of the Kingdom.
 

The priest has come to an understanding on the great gift he has received to live each day which is the same as yesterday but in the kingdom of God;  grateful for the strength to be a part of the kingdom but now in faith. He has no idea how long  he will be helping to build up this kingdom. It's  his plan to live with gratitude for the joy of life.

Whenever we say the 'Our Father': "Thy kingdom come, they will be done on earth as it is in heaven" he prays that all of us experience the love, joy, happiness, and thanksgiving of the kingdom.

Monday, December 24, 2018

Christmas And Communication

It was a holy birth, (literal translation of the Korean word for Christmas). A baby was born in a remote place, not at home, in a stable, a baby's birth called holy. Why? Because it is the birth of the Son of God. So begins a meditation on Christmas in the Peace Column of the Catholic Peace Weekly.

Why did the Son of God become a man? Why did the Creator who created the universe become a creature? The Bible speaks of love for the sake of salvation. "God loved the world so much that he gave his only son so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life" (John 3:16).

Was there not another way to save humanity? God could with a word abolish all the evil of the world. With a word, could have transformed all the wrong ideas, words and deeds of human beings completely, why would he choose to become a creature, born as a newborn baby in a shabby stable?

The writer found the reason in 'love at eye level' or 'communication' which is desperately needed in all ages. Love needs to match the eye level of the beloved. If not, the object of love can't acknowledge the love or understand it. The best way for the Creator God to communicate and have this love realized by his creatures is to come down and be one with them.

But the question arises: true love does not need to reveal or announce itself. Why was it necessary for God to become one of us to make known his love? Was it not to communicate at eye level with the one loved. Communication is not unilateral, not one-sided, not orders or instruction. Communication is interactive. It's reciprocal. So, if you do not open your mind and heart to the other, you are not communicating.

But there are many times when communication does not exist between people because of walls, ranks, and discrimination. The strata of society you belong to will determine who you will be communicating with. Those in the higher levels of society speak to their own and so with those in the lower levels of society. The most effective way to break this reality is to have the person on the top come down. Not to rebuke and direct, but to open up and to come together. Was this not the reason God came to the earth as a baby to be one with us?

But why do you want to communicate in this way? Communicating brings about a meeting of minds and hearts. Communication that does not do this is not true communication. By forming a sympathetic bound with one another, the motivation to share goals and work to realize them is achieved. The vitality for this comes from the inside. Without true communication, a union is not formed, we lack goal consciousness and motivation.

Is this not the reason why the Son of God came to the poorest as a helpless baby? His life is the most vivid example of the way and purpose of true communication. He has showed us that all are God's beloved children and that every person is made noble with the power given to us by his love.

So the birth of a baby born in a stable 2000 years ago is still the greatest message on the meaning of communication. The Christmas message of communication is a need of our age. A blessed Christmas to all.

Saturday, December 22, 2018

Dead Poet Society

A university art professor in the Catholic Peace Weekly writes in the current affairs column on an assignment he gave the students to write about what they considered the best example of art education both at home and abroad. Reading the reports he was amazed since all the students had graduated from high schools in the humanities.

The professor went through all the papers and the overall impression was the students in high school felt a thirst for art that was never satisfied. Art and music were elective subjects. College entrance subjects such as Korean, English, mathematics pushed out the art subjects. They asked their teachers to make the art subjects more available but that was not possible because of college entrance preparations.

Hearing the voices of the students he was quick to make a club for those interested in music where they were involved in making a musical. In six months 20 of the students working together presented their musical which gave the professor a great thrill. He was overcome with emotion, after all, that is why they came to the art school.

There are many regular courses related to art. In the case of elementary school we have: 'joyful life', 'physical education', 'music' and 'art'; in middle schools: 'physical education', 'music' and 'art'; in high school: 'sports  for health', 'sports and culture', 'sports and science', 'music and life', 'music and career', 'art creation', and 'art culture'. Also, courses such as 'drama', 'movie', and 'literature' are included in many curriculums. However, these subjects have been lost due to entrance examinations; students are suffering from cognitive, emotional, and physical development due to lack of the arts.

The results of education in the arts are just too many to count. It develops harmoniously the body, intellect, and spirit. It greatly relieves stress, gives one confidence and self-esteem; develops independent thinking and problem-solving skills; develops communication and creative expression skills; leading to a larger world. Also, according to medical experts, art education is very helpful for improving cognition, emotional development, and empathy in adolescents. Abandoning education in the arts is like giving up on the future of students.

The professor reminds the readers of the movie 'Dead Poet Society'. The first scene is the entrance ceremony at a prestigious high school academy, in America. The calligraphy on the banner that was hoisted high at the ceremony was engraved with four lessons: 'tradition', 'honor', 'discipline' and 'be the best'. All teachers, along with the principal, teach according to these lessons for good order. However, Mr. Keating from this school teaches in a different way. He teaches that love and friendship are more important than Latin grammar. Students realize the meaning of "Carpe Diem" (enjoy the present life).

One of the students had a role in
A Midsummer Night's Dream.The audience applauded repeatedly. He was great in the role. However, the father was against his son taking time out of his studies to be in a play. He decided to transfer him to a military school. That night, the boy takes the father's hand gun from the desk drawer while his parents are sleeping and commits suicide. When the father sees his dead son, he wept uncontrollably over the body.  The cry is still ringing in the ears of the professor.

Schools should not take away students' dreams like the academy in the movie. Art education in schools should be essential, not optional. Schools should never become a 'dead poet society'.

Thursday, December 20, 2018

From the Head to Heart to Feet

The environmental problems both in Korea and all over the world are constantly being reported in the  media. Pope Francis, in Laudato si, his second encyclical: "On care for our common home" asks what is happening in our shared home? He mentions various environmental issues such as climate change, energy, waste, water and consumption.

A member of the bishops' environmental committee outlines some of the concerns faced by the church and society.Whenever she thinks about environmental issues she remembers the words of Cardinal Kim Soo-hwan: "Do you know where the longest journey in the world is? It is from the head to the heart. The second is from the heart to the feet." First of all: What we know to be true with the head has to be realized and felt with the heart and  descend to the feet and practice.

Here in Korea almost  everyone knows we are dealing with global warming, and climate change. But why don't we act?  Why is it so difficult to move from the head to the feet?
 

Recently, China has been suffering from a waste disaster and began restricting garbage imports. Korea among the world nations started the separation of trash early on and is trying to reduce the generating of garbage by enforcing a waste disposal system. If the garbage is recycled, it will not be a problem, why did it begin to export garbage?

The first problem is that we make too much garbage. The annual amount of garbage generated in Korea is about 16,000 tons per day for municipal waste— 1.01kg per person per day— approximately 369 kg per year. Among the OECD countries, the output and consumption of plastic is the highest.

The second problem is the misconceptions and expectations about recycling. Korea's recycling rate was 86.1% in 2013, 93.6% in 2014 and 88.5% in 2015 according to National Statistics. These statistics are calculated as the amount of recycled material brought into the recycling facility and not the amount recycled. This is an error in calculating the separation rate as a recycling rate. Even with waste plastics alone, the actual recycling rate is only 14%. Trash has to be reduced.
 

The biggest cause of the problem is excessive garbage, so this has to enter the heart. The beautiful earth is not going to be destroyed right away, so my practice for the environment may feel that it is not so urgent. However, the plastics that we throw away  become micro-plastics and penetrate almost everywhere, including fish, shellfish, bottled water etc.

In addition to the whale's belly, plastics, including vinyl, were in the seafood caught in our country. For our family's health now, environmental issues also require great effort. Of course, there are many things that need to be solved such as distribution and related laws as well as excessive packaging at the production stage, but if consumer's perception changes, the manufactures and distributer's will change.

 Let's think about what I can do first. We Catholics remember the  words: mea culpa "my fault my most grevious fault  movement" that was wide spread among the believers for some time. This needs to be remembered and brought back into our lives.

Koreans remember  the oil spill  on the Taean Sea and  was thought it would be difficult to solve within 10 years. The people wiped the oil up within a year with the use of  hands and  towels. 

Carrying along with us a shopping bag, taking a tumbler and not using disposables. Let's practice  eco-life (minimal life). Is it not the time for us to go on that long journey from the head to the heart and to the feet so that our descendants can live well in the earth God has given us?

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Avarice Seen from Religion and Pschology

The early monks and Church Fathers hearing the teaching of the Bible considered avarice not different from pride as their biggest obstacle in life. 

A rector of a Catholic University writes in the Kyeongyang magazine on the place of avarice in the lives of many. Not really relevant, we might believe, to the monks and the Church Fathers but it was a sin that one needed to be on the watch, for it prevented one from approaching the virtues. Evagrius Ponticus, also called Evagrius the Solitary, considered avarice the vice that prevented one from joy, and pushed them into darkness and a life of sadness and anxiety.
 

St. Basil the father of monasticism in his sermons often mentioned: "I will tear down my barns" (Luke 12:18) as his talking point in sermons on avarice. He considered the avaricious person not satisfied with enough. They feel a great lack with enough. Pope Gregory I, mentioned the 7 daughters of avarice: betrayal, fraud, lying, falsification, apprehension,  violence, apathy towards the poor. They all serve avarice.
 

St. Augustine sees avarice as the root of all evil. This was not limited to the material but in all areas of life where temperance was not in control.This applies to all our cravings which breaks the order of love. He introduces the two words 'frui': to enjoy— to love something for its own sake contrasted to 'uti' to love something for its use. God should be the object of our joy. The objects of possession (uti) are temporary, relative, limited. When exposed to these we have the break down of love followed by unhappiness which distances us from the virtuous life.
 

Avarice always wants a little bit more. The Latin word for pitiable, misery is 'miser', in English the derivitive is miser a skinflint—they were considered unhappy and miserable.
 

In Dante's Divine Comedy he put in Purgatory those that squandered their possessions and those who kept their possession and didn't share with others. They seem to be opposites but they are the same in their attachment to the material. Both in the Scriptures and in world history kings and servants, believers and nonbelievers, those with material goods and those without them, all can fall into this manner of life.
 

Avarice is the path to anxiety and feelings of inferiority. In society many are afraid of being fired, not carrying out their work well, losing their health, fear of old age, family members and friends leaving, these thoughts when they become chronic make them feel miserable. This, in turn, makes for creating a God that will get them through the difficulties felt.
 

The second problem is the feeling of inferiority that is nurtured. In a capitalist society, a person is judged by the money he has and when one falls short one is absorbed with its possession, not easily dispersed. This is why in the ten commandments we have the 9th and 10th to control this appetite. The craving for honors and material goods can give one the impression that happiness is there. But often behind the mask, we have frustration, depression, and loneliness This can be both a punishment and the means to leave this way of life.
 

When one sees life through the lens of profit, the workings of the community or the bigger society will always be seen passively or with apathy and life becomes more like an island.

Sunday, December 16, 2018

Difficulty Accepting Criticism


A priest writing for priests in a pastoral bulletin mentions an incident that happened a long time ago. A  religious sister in a parish took exception to the behavior of the pastor and opposed him. The priest angry, pushed her into a small room and locked the door. The nun reported the incident to her superior who notified the bishop.
 

The bishop immediately suspended the pastor and removed him from the parish. He shortly after died of cancer. He was authoritarian in his behavior, unable to change his mind once he had decided on something.
 

Priests, for the writer, seem less able to accept criticism and objections. Probably because of their position as a teacher, they fear to damage their authority. Since they are celibate and don't live in a family they are more likely to become narrow-minded and when shocked, find it difficult to accept and deal with the situation. It is said that you can tell what kind of person you are dealing with by how much opposition or criticism one can take. It is a good measure of personality. Accepting criticism is a gauge of love—an attitude towards seeking truth and justice. Jesus died with all kinds of opposition and criticism—an object of opposition.

Cardinal Kim Soo-hwan received a lot of praise and respect when the country was in trouble. However, as he grew older he began to get criticized. A newspaper reporter asked a priest who was active in social matters what he thought of the cardinal. The priest, critical of the Cardinal, said it was now difficult to expect anything from him. 


Later, the same reporter interviewing the cardinal asked the Cardinal what he thought of the priest's comments. The Cardinal said: "I am grateful to those who have made me look back on my life."  In this case, the Cardinal spoke wisely. It showed his big heart and proper attitude towards criticism which was well received by the people.

Han Yong-woon (1879-1944) was a monk who reformed Buddhism and was a courageous independence fighter. On many occasions sharing Korean beer with his disciples, he would tell his disciples: "You have to find and criticize my shortcomings. You have to go deeper and higher beyond me. Without that, just following me you will not grow."
 

This is truly amazing that this attitude was expressed so clearly and unambiguously at a time when disciples would be afraid to step on the shadows of their teachers. Professor Park Na-hae, a professor of Korean Studies at Oslo University, is a person who has studied Korea's society.  In his research on Han Yong-woon, the professor placed him among the greatest of Korea's teachers.

Our society and the times are changing rapidly. Human relations are among equals, self-righteousness and authoritarianism are not accepted. Changes have taken place among the church's clergy, but criticism and unfettered dialogue are still poorly established compared to the general public.

Friday, December 14, 2018

Living Power of Memory

Anamnesis is a Greek word that means memory but with a difference. For the most part, it is recalling something in the past but for the Christian, we try to remember what happened in the past to make it present again so as to live more fully.
 

In the Old Testament, this is what the Jewish believers did with the events in their history. As part of their celebration of the Seder meal at Passover a child asks: "Why is this night different from all other nights?" The answer is the story of the freedom from the slavery of Egypt.
 

A parish priest in a column of the Catholic Times gives us his thoughts on the medium of remembrance. He recounts the delivering of briquettes to the members of a poor area of the city, 160 volunteers were involved in delivering 3000 briquettes and other items. It was difficult but all was forgotten at meal time with the local residents.
 

It all began remembering the poor in society—their existence and to empathize with their situation. In today's society, the marginated, those at the edges of society are often forgotten. Help for these must begin remembering they exist.

Memory is a quality that makes us human. Consequently, we recall past memories, record history and reflect and examine the past. We know the pain that occurs when memory is lost or evades our attempts to remember both on a personal and social level.
 

In a visit to Germany, the writer recalls the many monuments that remember the death of the Jewish people during the Holocaust; the remains of the Berlin wall, Checkpoint Charlie, which brings to mind the division of the country during the cold war; the Cathedral with its memories, bringing all to mind in the here and now with a desire for peace and love and no more war and division.
 

Memory plays a very important role in religion. Saint Augustine, who wrote "Confessions", emphasized memories as cognitive abilities that recall the past and call back to memory what was forgotten.  Memory becomes the starting point for perception, it  convinces us to recognize and love God. In this sense, the power of memory is a precondition for the life of faith.
 

The Catholic Mass we offer every Sunday, every day, is remembering the Last Supper of Jesus 2,000 years ago, bringing it back to our minds, remembering the sacrifice of the cross and remembering Him now, reconsidering His will and pledging to live accordingly. The present remembrance of the memory of Jesus Christ should be embodied in the practice of faith. However, among many believers attending Mass, remembrance is limited to the time of Mass but once they leave the church, all is forgotten.  

We can not deny that the so-called "dementia of believers" is increasing in the church. Dementia is scary because it forgets, past memories are lost. Dementia patients are unhappy. We need a cure for the "forgetful believers" who have "deleted" from memory all God's graces, and find it easy to complain and grumble. When a computer no longer functions and does not work, it needs to be 'rebuilt' or 'formatted', a new rebirth.
 

We need to recognize the "forgetful believers",  help them to heal, and direct them toward God and neighbor. Henri Nouwen in his book "The Living Reminder" shows ways this can be done. Not only priests but all believers should be able to renew memories of God and neighbors—a living memory medium—a warm and humble  Advent practicing love and compassion.

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Korean Generation Gap

In the Catholic Peace Weekly Column, the writer recalls Chaucer's The Canterbury Tale and the pilgrims on their long trip relieving their weariness retelling interesting stories from life. An old man, a steward, when his turn arrives begins talking but what he says is too much like a sermon and was told so by one of the members. He mentioned the ‘Four live coals the elders have: Boasting, anger, greed and telling lies. They last until death.
 

This scene shows the disconnect between the elderly and younger generations of another society and age but true today also in Korea. More so today since society has evolved into a horizontal democracy.The elderly are not recognized for their age, wrinkles, and experience. Society doesn't need the old. When ethical disputes arise in a small community, the elderly do not act as arbiters, this is done by vote or opinion polls.
 

The elderly didn't anticipate change nor prepare for it—yesterday, poverty, today material prosperity but an ambiguous future. Korea has become an aging society in 2017, (14% over 65).  If you go to a local park, you can feel the depressing reality of an unprepared aged society.
 

Fortunate if you do not hear the word old fogey, (has been) when the elderly try to convey the wisdom of life that has been learned from trial and error. When news that an elderly man acted strangely in a  public place such as a subway, not infrequently, you hear hateful language about the person. 

Young people have something to say. Pre-modern patriarchal society is no longer the way society is seen. The abundance created by the older generation is criticized for its inequality in favoring those who have. The young often say it is difficult to find an adult who they respect. Not difficult to see why the steward's words have some truth but the young don't want to understand. Instead, they want the elderly to ask why they have lost their authority and find it difficult to adapt to the new age.
 

The generation gap is not only harmful in the home but also in society. The elderly with pain and patience have accumulated wisdom which is a precious social asset. Elders are responsible for transferring the assets of the past, and the young have an obligation to inherit it. The younger generation condemns "old fashioned" too easily. But it should not be forgotten that the old way was a structure that held up home and nation until the present.

In October, youths at the Bishops' Synod, listened to the white-haired bishops. Bishops also listened to the courageous remarks of young people. A layman in Samoa in the South Pacific likened this view to an old sage and a young man in a canoe. "The old sage knows how to read the constellations and sail the sea, and the young man has the strength needed  to go forward."

A healthy society is where seniors dream and their sons and daughters live as prophets (Acts of the Apostles 2:17).

Monday, December 10, 2018

Catholicism In Korea

'Do I have to get married?' 'Is not divorce a matter of choice? The perception of Korean society on marriage and family is changing rapidly. According to a 2018 report of the  National Bureau of Statistics: 48.1 percent of respondents thought that one should marry. One in three (30.3%) agreed with the idea that "men and women can live together, have children without marriage",  for the first time, over half , 56.4% agreed that one need not marry.  As for divorce, the percentage of people who think they may or may not has increased to 46.3%, and the percentage of people who think that they should not is down to 33.2%. 

The Church teaches that marriage, childbirth, and nurturing are both important obligations and fundamental rights in the order of God's creation. But in a rapidly changing reality, Catholic bioethics and church teaching are losing power. Catholic believers are more influenced by the social atmosphere than by church teachings. In a survey of 1,000 Catholics, six out of ten believers (59.8%) were in favor of 'conditional divorce', and the understanding of the ethical aspects of specific practical issues such as contraception, abortion, and euthanasia, show no big differences from the general population.
 

The church can not be ignorant of social change. Pastors must walk together with the believers.  The National Statistical Office conducted a survey of 9,000 citizens over 13 years old in May on the theme of family, education, health, safety and the environment. 

Statistics show that families are changing. The number of members living away from home has increased steadily since 2014, to 20.1%. The reason for living apart from the spouse was mainly due to work (67.3%), and unmarried children often live away because of work (57.3%) and study (35.6%). The number  of parents living with  their children is decreasing to 27.1%, and the proportion of parents living alone is increasing to 69.5%. 

With respect to parental support, the idea that "families should be responsible" is diminishing, and the idea that each are responsible is increasing. 48.3% of parents thought that 'family, government and society should all be concerned with the retired,   family responsiblity (26.7%). In fact, the proportion of parents solving their own problems is increasing to 55.5%, and the percentage of children providing for the parents has decreased to 44.4%. 

How should church pastors respond to the emergence of new and varied forms rather than the traditional home. "It is true that there is a request that the church should be able to provide services in line with a changing world, but what is more important is to rethink the universal and traditional values that the church can give," said a priest working wtih families.  The desire to be loved and to love remains. We need to  experience God and help people feel a sense of belonging to a community. In addition to this, we can look at changes in the areas where the church is deeply interested, such as youth issues, mental health, environment, 

Among Korean youths their biggest concerns were occupation, study, and appearance. According to age groups, students aged 13 to 18: study (47.3 percent), appearance (13.1 percent). Those  aged 19 to 24: working (45.1 percent) and studying (14.9 percent). 49.1% of the respondents said they shared their problems mostly with friends, followed by parents (28.0%) and (13.8%) solved their own problems.  76.7% of the students enrolled in secondary school thought of themselves as worthy, but the rate of satisfaction with themselves was relatively low (64.2%). 

In the past  year, 5.1% of the respondents had at least once thought of suicide. The reason was economic difficulties (37.3%), illness (15.2%), family disagreement (14.1%), loneliness, solitude (12.3% ). For teenagers, the biggest problem were grades and attendance at school (35.7%). 54.4% of the respondents said they were stressed in everyday life, and 71.8% of them  found the stress at the workplace,  49.6%  in school and 40.8% in family life. 

Regarding environmental problems, anxiety about fine dust (82.5%) was the highest. To prevent environmental pollution, efforts are needed in disposing and separating household articles for  recycling (91.7%) and to reduce food waste (83.6%).  Approval for tax burdens for environmental protection was 50.1%.

Saturday, December 8, 2018

Wearied With Blind Dating...

In the Catholic Digest, a pianist writes about the results of her blind dating and what she learned. She entered college with difficulty and through graduate school worked zealously on her studies but also played and lived her religious life.

With friends, she visited restaurants, enjoyed the chatter, and when she had the time traveled, like others when the time came she would marry. And all this time worrying about her academic degree and finding work.
 

Her major was piano. She was happy to be in a field of work she enjoyed and could earn a living. Doing her best would bring success and a job for life.
 

Going into her 30s her friends began to marry. Two of her best friends married and went to the States and she was left alone. She was preparing her students for college entrance and a musical performance. She was tired and leaving her study practice hall to eat, lost in thought, fell on the stairs and ended up with a cast. If she continued in this way she would have serious problems. She had to start being concerned about her future. And that meant marriage.
 

Will she be happier thinking about success in her work? Or would it be better to start looking for a mate with whom to spend the rest of her life? Would she be able to do both: look for success and find a mate?
 

She began to ask all her friends to introduce her to blind dates. In the beginning, she was very nervous but had great hopes. Gradually more than nervousness she was hoping it would not be a bad experience. One of her teaches in college introduced her to the marriage academy. Without any great hopes, she decided to go. She was surprised to see over 200 people there. The talks were not only about marriage but the concerns before marriage and other values in life.
 

She liked mostly the  talks that dealt with the qualities wanted in a husband. In the past that was never clearly an object of thought but rather what would her parents think about the choice. Although not expressed externally, she wanted a house in Seoul before getting married. Since she was a freelancer, in the process, she desired a kind and capable civil servant with educational credentials greater than her own and a fellow Catholic.
 

Meeting this kind of mate was difficult. Internally she kept that desire but tried to see everybody that she met, positively, as the right person. In order not to be scarred she hid her inner feelings and judged the occupation, age, appearance etc.  But what she heard at the academy was different she was not to be concerned with the thoughts of others or her parents but humbly to understand the other's inner life and to give attention to that.   

A house in Seoul as a condition, she may end up like a woman in her sixties, who is still not married. Is having a house that important? Material things are important but the other person's thoughts and temperament are more important. Her own mental health and disposition also have to be of concern.
 

She is praying for her future husband every day. In the future, more important than appearance, she will pay more attention to her mates thoughts, values, and interior life. She gives credit to the marriage academy for changing her thinking.

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Future of Catholicism in Korea

One of the bishops, who attended the recent synod on youth, writes in the Catholic Times on his thoughts on the subject.  He feels secularism that surrounds the young makes it difficult for young people to find their role in life. The journey to find what God desires of them in a world that is in pursuit of success according to worldly values makes the task difficult.

The Theme: "Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment" was to emphasize the place of faith in the lives of the young people, helping them to see the world with new eyes—not asking them to come out to the church to serve, work in groups. In their own hearts, they are to judge what are true values in life and what a fulfilling life under God would be for them and to go into the world to accomplish this. This is growing in faith. The role of the church is to accompany the young to follow these values in life.
 

The bishop stressed the synod was not a place to provide concrete answers to difficulties but to examine the situation young people are facing and to see the direction the church should be taking. He has his homework to do, even though the synod was  on the subject of youth, many young people do not even know that we had the synod. Pastors need to share the literature and to listen to young people. Some of the voices of the young people were printed in an accompanying article.

▲ Worn out volunteers, are we considered expendables? Young People working in parishes as volunteers are often overburdened and exhausted. The church is relying too much on its volunteers. If a professional staff is needed they should be hired and allow young people to do real service— volunteers should be gaining strength and deepening their faith while serving.
 

▲ How old can a young person be and still be considered young? There are so many different categories of youth today. Some marry early and others are single into their 40s.  Many have the enthusiasm and opportunity and desire to serve but because of age feel uncomfortable in deciding. Where is the borderline between youth and adult life.
 

▲ Pastoral care of the youth without youth. When young people want training or retreats, their support and cooperation in volunteer work are often primary. From childhood I have heard we are the future church. When does this take place?
 

▲ Pseudo-Religions aiming for Catholic Youth.  Catholic youth lack a  basic catechesis. Looking around, there are many young people who have spent decades within the church community and have not studied the Bible properly. We need to increase the number of small-scale Bible meetings that some of the cult groups use to attract young people.
 

▲ Life of faith = Taking time? If you plan an event, youth participation is low and you have to beg and entreat. Few companies will give you the time to make a 3 day retreat. Young people with jobs have difficulties finding time to participate in the parish community.  The employed have money but no time; students have the time but no money. Realizing the difficulties the young people have should be understood.
 

The Bishop told the young people they are the subjects of the pastoral work of the church. It's not the Church teaching and the young learning but the church accompanying the young people to help them  find the right path in their journey of life.

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Repentance and Forgiveness

Forgiveness is always a big problem for many. Writing in Bible & Life, a seminary moral professor, gives us some thoughts on forgiveness and its meaning for a Christian.  

He recalls seeing the movie 'Secret Sunshine' which opened in 2007. It moved him deeply. A child of a widow had been abducted and killed. She had become a Christian and her new found faith was asking her to forgive; she visited the prison to forgive the killer of her son.
 

She told the prisoner she was there to forgive him. However, he told her very calmly that he also had become a Christian and had been forgiven by God. She was the one he should be asking for forgiveness and hearing the words of the prisoner, destroyed the little faith she had. "The story of a Bug" on which the movie was based had for its theme: A person who takes away the opportunity to forgive is less than a bug. The movie leaves us with a number of questions.
 

Who is forgiving and why the forgiving? We all remember cases where harm was done to us either physically or mentally and we found it difficult to forgive. In the confessional, this is one of the more frequent sins confessed. Why is it so difficult to forgive?
 

Strictly speaking, it is only with the help of God that it is possible. Because the reason for forgiveness is to remove the injustice committed and to return to the pre-injustice situation. Asking for forgiveness, we want to return to the position where we are no longer a sinner. This is only possible with God. Like in the movie 'Secret Sunshine', after we inflict pain on another all we need to achieve peace is to go to God for forgiveness? Obviously not—we can not make our sinful actions disappear. God is the God of truth.
 

What is necessary is the person who has inflicted pain needs to face the sin and repent and ask for forgiveness. We need humility and courage to ask for forgiveness. However, knowing this, the giving of forgiveness is not easy for we don't do it with the head but with the heart. At times we want to forgive with the head but the heart doesn't want to go along.
 

Those who refuse to forgive are pained from two sides. One is from the material loss and mental suffering from the action of the other and the breakdown of the relationship with the other. Because of this, there are many who can't live a normal life. Those who can't forgive and those who need to be forgiven both are in pain.
 

Consequently, repentance and forgiveness, the one who has committed the injustice and the one who suffered both have diminished their freedom and are in search of it. Forgiveness allows one to become free from the scars inflicted and to regain freedom. Forgiveness is the weapon that is to overcome the ever-present sin that spreads in the world. Both the one who forgives and the one forgiven are able to grow in spiritual maturity and in the knowledge of God's love
 

With this in mind we can speak out like St. Paul in Romans 5:20: "However great the number of sins committed, grace was even greater."

Sunday, December 2, 2018

New York Times and Confirmation Bias

A member of a Korean unification research team writes for the Catholic Peace Weekly column on current affairs. He gives his opinion on an article written for the New York Times by David Sanger, who wrote in a headline on the front page of the Times that "North Korea deceived Trump" showing some photos of a missile site in North Korea. He is a veteran reporter with many honors— both the reputation of the reporter and the authority of the New York Times did not allow doubts about the missile site. (The article can be read  understanding the bias without need to see it as dishonest, but easy to understand why the writer had difficulty.)
 

However, the New York Times article, which reported the site as a "hidden base," was reported by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Korean domestic media that a short-range missile was launched from that site in 2016. The New York Times' news was a bit faded. To attract readers' attention, it is often the practice to add stimulants to an article, and the New York Times is no exception. However, it is a distorted report when the  US-ROK intelligence agencies looked into the military base in the North and maintain that it is an unreported site and a huge deception. (The New York article did say 'suggests' deception).
 

Even before the date was set for the negotiation with the North in March, they had pictures of the North Korean site. Therefore, this shows clearly the United States' mainstream media's bias toward the North Korean problem. This 'confirmatory bias'  (the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses) is based on the belief that Kim Jong-un will not change, and even if he changes, it will only be temporary. Therefore, they are only interested in finding evidence that their North Korean allegations are correct. If you fall into a 'confirmation bias', you will see only what you want to see, facts become irrelevant and inflexibility overrides logic.

Politicians are the easiest people to fall into 'confirmation biases'— political arguments when to their advantage they deliberately ignore objective evidence that conflicts with their claim. President Trump seems to be an incarnation of 'confirmation bias'.

But in attacking Trump's North Korean policy, we should not ignore the mainstream media's 'confirmation bias' and close our eyes to the facts and flaws of logic. Politically, the 'confirmation bias' has existed since the very beginning of political party politics, and, can be cleaned at any time by the votes of the citizens.
 

However, we don't have a vote on the media. When the press gets caught up in the 'confirmation bias', it relies only on processed information for political attacks, instead of working to find the facts. The coverage of the media exists breathing in the political and social context in which they exist.

Professional journalists will not dispense themselves from the  "5W1H" way of reporting.  Bob Woodward of the Washington Post, who uncovered the Watergate affair, says he still advises his juniors to "bite the hand that feeds them". The media should not jump into political battles but only objectively report the conflicts.