Thursday, January 31, 2019

Processes Lead to Results

The Olympic motto: Faster, Higher, Stronger  influences much of our world culture. However, we also want these results with as little energy, money and time expended as possible. A parish priest  brings our attention to the problems that arises with this view of life in an article in the Bible & Life magazine.

He recalls stopping at a red light, turning green, it was not two seconds before the car behind blew the horn. Granted,with that time the car could have  traveled some tens of meters, was that the reason for the feeling of mistreatment? Is this not the society in which we live? Two seconds can become a problem for many.

We live in a neo-liberal society, dealing with unlimited competition. Speed is of the essence of life.This does not mean the action is speeded up but the time to arrive at the action—the process is shortened. Since speed is important, ways to shorten the process is considered good—small expense for the greatest results.

This way of thinking has become embedded in our culture. Some feel it's ideal to skip high school and get into college. Pride is expressed that we have done in 10 years what took other countries 100 years. The results  are important, process can be overlooked, the shortest methods are held up for praise.

However in life no matter how difficult there are certain processes that have to be followed. The birth of a child is one such process. It takes nine months if we try to speed up the process not all turns out well. The love of the mother and child is nurtured and after the child is born we have the breast feeding period, infancy, childhood,  teenage period, if one of them is ignored the growth into adulthood is harmed.  

This holds true with a building that should take three years to build and with so much money and workers. When we diminish the time, expenses, number of workers, problems arise.  When we look at our history we have many examples of the results of this thinking: 'modernization of the fatherland',  'energizing the citizenry' are all popular phrases used  often  to  take shortcuts. Many of the tragedies in our society were not concerned with processes. 

We still are looking for the least time on processes, cheapest methods and greatest results. With this attitude what happens is those who need to be given help and protected are further pushed into poverty and death. Those with whom we should be living together in harmony are sent to the fringes of society.

He mentions the temptations in the desert where Jesus was tempted to take short cuts. We also are tempted to take the easy way but Jesus shows us that's not the way of the Christian(Math.4:1-11). 

Jesus did not take the easy way but the difficult one. We are invited to take the same journey together with others.

Go quickly alone, achieve alone, eat to the full alone, be comfortable alone is this happiness? Is it not rather to have less to eat but with others, be somewhat uncomfortable but with others, but even, if slower to walk with others and even if more difficult, to do it with others, is this not the way to achieve what we want with joy in our heart? "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

'Hikikomori' in Korea

A college professor writes in the Catholic Peace Weekly about a discussion he had with some students finishing their final college exams. He talked with the seniors about their plans for the future. "I really wanted to work, so I gave my resume to various places but received no answers," said one student shaking his head. He decided to go on for more study.
 

The students presented their self-introduction and study plans to the professor for corrections. He looked closely at the materials and made the necessary changes. Later a text message came from the student: "Professor, I failed the exam. I wanted to give you good news ... The professor would always answer giving hope: "Do not be discouraged. A better opportunity in the future will appear."
 

About 23% of all unemployed in Korea are young; the highest figure among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries. Koreans in the army number 610,000, so a huge number of young people, half of the Korean army, can't find a job. This is happening every year and getting worse.
 

If the state and society can't solve the problem of youth employment the "hermit-type loner" like in Japan will be entering our society. In Japan, the 'Hikikomori' is a term used to describe modern day hermits who now number nearly half a million of the youth who have become social recluses. The professors feel this is spreading to the Korean society and will become a serious social problem. 

Let us think for a moment on the great number of students graduating from college who can't find a job and he wonders if his own child was in that predicament what it would mean for family and society. You would have many of the walking dead in society, a great loss.
 

Article #32 of the Korean Constitution states that "All citizens have the right to work. The state clearly strives to promote the employment of workers and guarantees the appropriate wages." The government has proposed a number of possibilities but as of now, the professor says there is no policy to fundamentally solve the problem except for the expansion of public employment.
 

At the end of last year, a survey of job seekers at an internet portal site asked the young people what four-letter phrase would best express the situation of the young in the new year. The phrase that was selected by the greatest number was:'(枯木死灰),   like an old tree without life— A person without spirit or desire.        
 

This is the year of the Golden Pig a lucky year. The country and society need to join forces, to make jobs for the youth not only in Korea but also abroad. Young people should not be despairing anymore. If they begin to despair, they can become Korean red vests like the French yellow vests. 

On the first day of the New Year, he wants to recall the 'prayer of peace' "Where there is despair, let me bring hope. Where there is darkness let me bring your light. Where there is sadness, let me bring joy."

Sunday, January 27, 2019

The Church Always Reforming

For the radical followers of the Enlightenment at the time of the French Revolution, the Church was another 'Ancien Régime' to overthrow. They threw church authority into the flames of the public square and confiscated church property filling the empty barns of the revolutionary government. The priests, who refused to give a loyalty pledge, dragged and made to kneel before the guillotine. So begins an article in the Catholic Peace Weekly.

The conflict between the church and the state was settled after the passage of the Napoleonic era and the enactment of the Ordinance on the Separation of Church and State in 1905. At that time, the church was able to get some of the property that they lost if it conformed to the rule of State. St. Pius X  said: "The spiritual property of the church is more important than the material property. We must give up our material assets to keep the spiritual."

The Vatican was involved in a serious scandal in the 1982 bankruptcy of the Ambrosio Bank of Italy. The Vatican was the major shareholder of the bank and the Vatican Bank was suspected of involvement in money laundering. The press poured out stories of how the Vatican became a major shareholder of the private bank and some of the clerical criminal offenses. These scandals fanned church distrust. Pope John Paul II made a bold decision. He ordered the bank to close all debts left by the Bank.

Both of the above events give us much food for thought. First of all: "The Church, however, clasping sinners to her bosom, at once holy and always in need of purification, follows constantly the path of penance and renewal." Constitution of the Church #8. The church will always have sinners.
 

The Church in France was honored to be the eldest daughter but shown to be indifferent to the suffering of the people. They were aligned with the monarchy and the rich and earned the anger that was directed at these members of society. The anti-clericalism that wriggled in their consciousness was also regarded as nothing special. The members of the higher clergy were dirtying the face of the church and allowing the unfaithfulness and mockery bomb to explode in the church.
 

But the two cases teach more important points. Even if the church loses money and property, even if it is insulted, it has to keep the spiritual assets to the end. The two popes informed them of what should be left in their hands at the crucial moment and what they should not lose, even if they lose their lives. Mental assets are the core of the church, the spirit of the gospel.

Bishops of various dioceses in Korea have mentioned the necessity of renewal in their new years' messages. Renovation and reform are hard work. Pain appears in improving management, transparency in finances, and improving organizations.  Resistance of those who do not want to change has to be overcome.
 

In early spring, grape farmers prune the branches of their grape vines to get rid of the wild growth, the thick branches that tangle with other branches, and seek to  allow the sun to bathe the vine in the summer. This will open up the plant to bear good fruit and make the plant strong.  Renovation work is not different from pruning of vines.

The Pope was asked when will this work of renovation come to an end and he answered that it will never end. "The Church is at once a sign and a safeguard of the transcendent character of the human person" (# 76 of the Pastoral Consitution). Even people without religion want the church to stand up for this teaching. The writer dreams of practicing the virtues in 2019 more diligently than in any previous year.

Friday, January 25, 2019

Plagiarism in Korea



A one time editorial staff newspaper man writes in the Catholic Times Weekly about  plagiarism within Korea. He mentions how two TV channels in South Korea broadcast the same news on the same day. They reported that North Korea requested 10,000 dollars from each reporter that came to cover the destruction of the planned demolition of the Punggye-ri nuclear facility. 
 
The destruction of the Punggye-ri facility was a symbolic event given by North Korea on the road to the denuclearization negotiations, and received international attention. As a result, viewers  exposed to the broadcasts responded: "North Korea is obsessed with money even in the face of a serious international situation." Often  opinions pass as  information that confirms the  existing preconceptions of those reporting.

However, as a result of an investigation by the Korean Communications Standards Commission, it was revealed these broadcasts were made without the necessary confirming coverage. The reports were copied from another media report without giving the sources, a typical case of plagiarism.

In the end, one news media took information from another news media without giving the source of the news,  contrary to a  basic principle of journalism and  failed to confirm the source, which  adversely affected the news and made for a big press mistake, Plagiarism is an act of stealing "intellectual property".

Article 8 of the Guidelines for the Practice of Newspaper Ethics stipulates: 'Media and journalists should not plagiarize contents of newspapers, communications, magazines and other periodicals, copyrighted publications, photographs, pictures, music and other audiovisuals.' But in reality, plagiarism in the media is serious—and routine.

Of course, it is not just the media. We are accustomed to the plagiarism in society, such as academia and the cultural community, where the copying of the works of others is familiar. Lying has become necessary to find a place in high society, go to the right schools and stay out of the military—often said sarcastically.

Plagiarism is considered a very serious crime in developed countries. If the plagiarism is confirmed, the punishment for it will be enormous and the persons will be socially ostracized. So, some years ago when the problem of plagiarism of the members of the National Assembly was raised in Korea, an overseas press responded: "Korea is a plagiarism paradise".


Plagiarism of the media usually is to cite all or some of the content of another media, but not to specify the source. Instead, it treats them as ambiguous sources such as "according to one media" or "according to one claim," or passive terminating endings such as 'known' or 'reported by the media'.

All media such as broadcasting, internet, portals as well as newspapers have related ethics regulations and autonomous investigative mechanisms, and are subject to after the fact penalties for plagiarism. However, self-review rules and organizations are always overflowing with plagiarism cases due to weak mandatory penalties. The media harmed may appeal to the media arbitration committee or the court in violation of copyright law but this method is not easy.

In the traditional media such as newspapers and broadcasts, as well as in the large and small internet media the copying without giving the sources is commonplace. If you look at the plagiarism situation, you can't say that Korea is a civilized country.

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Catholic Media Use in Korea

We are surrounded by all kinds of media. "YouTube" is a typical example. Regardless of sex, age, all kinds of people are watching the videos on their smartphones. Media and smartphones are an inseparable part of our daily life. An editorial in the Catholic Times reminds us of the place the media has in the life of the church.
 

Smartphones have changed not only the way we communicate but also the social culture in which we live. We can simply click with our fingers and become neighbors with anyone in the world and build new communities with them. The spread of the gospel using new media is the mission of the church.

In particular, the church needs to reach young people through this pastoral ministry of the media. For the elderly, smartphones may be new technology and difficult to access, but smartphones are a reality of life for young people who have been using them since they were born. Young people want to learn about the church and communicate with the church through the media they use in their daily life. The church must respond to the demands of these young people.

In line with the media age, the Korean Church has provided the believers with a variety of media content. The Seoul Diocesan Public Relation Bureau recently launched the 'Seoul Bible Online Bible Channel' and the youth section is preparing 'Youth News' to inform youth activities through YouTube. (https://www.facebook.com/cpbctv/)
 

The pastoral ministry of the church should not be a matter of concern only to some organizations and pastoral caregivers. The whole church should be concerned with proclaiming the gospel with all the means available in the new media age. The gospel, the Word of God, has not changed. However, the church must adapt to the ever-evolving media environment.
 

Changes in the media do not stop with changes in the tools. Changes in the way of communication bring about changes in lifestyle, a way of thinking, and faith consciousness. Therefore, the media should not be recognized only as a means and tools. It is important to pay attention to the changes in the spirit of the times called Web 2.0, which refers to the spirit of sharing, participation, and openness with which we are familiar but we are headed for Web 3.0—artificial intelligence assisting us by  understanding the user and personalizing everything.
 

On the other hand, not only elements of new media and communication methods but also communication using analog media such as face-to-face communication, writing, books, and magazines should not be neglected. Though new media and communication methods are spreading widely, elderly believers are familiar with analog communication. In some ways, most believers tend to be more attached to analog communication, which emphasizes the personal dimension rather than cold digital media.

Therefore, the church should pay attention to adapting to new media and advanced communication methods, while at the same time making appropriate use of the existing communication methods with which we are now familiar.

Monday, January 21, 2019

Examination of Blessings


"Best wishes for a Happy New Year." For the Asian, the coming lunar new year is the real thing and in the Eye of the Believer column of the Catholic Times a priest, college professor, wants us to reflect on what we mean wishing others (福) 'Pok' blessings for the new year.
 

 What is a blessing? We tend to think of 'fortune' as a blessing for a person to live more comfortably by 'possessing' or 'acquiring' wealth, clothing, work. But is it a real blessing to live alone and comfortably in the midst of economic difficulties and political turmoil? Let us reflect together on the meaning of 'blessing'.
 

Koreans live in a culture where 'han' is prevalent (a feeling that an injustice has been done to them, an ache in the heart). It is the sense of being wronged by a superior agent: the Japanese colonial period, the Korean War, losing their parents, families, homes, birthplaces, the fear of the pain of war among the elderly—in present-day Korea, the common unending competition, battle for jobs, the uncertain future of the young.
 

The 386 generation refers to people now in places of authority in society. They attended university in the 1980s, born in the 1960s. They were the ones who brought the country back to democracy, protesting against oppression and hardships in the authoritarian era. In the early 1990s, the latest computer model was Intel's 386 from which they take the name. However, now that generation, in self-contradiction for what they fought, are pursuing material power, money, and recognition.
 

Koreans are keen on getting ahead in society, but are exhausted, spiritually depleted in constant comparisons and competition. Young people, adults, and the old are not communicating with each other and the results are great distress.
 

The neoliberal gospel does not allow mercy for the loser. Winning in the age of infinite competition today is important and many have only wounds, 'han' and sorrow. 

Education was the means of climbing the ladder to success and recognition and this has not delivered as expected. Like himself many have their doctorates and return with a great feeling of inferiority for that is not enough, they need to be written up in international journals, have dissertations published and more people to impress. He laments that we don't have many who are satisfied with God's recognition.
 

Health, success, and riches of the worldly gospel are both necessary and good for life,  but these are only means and not the purpose of life. True blessings are in restoring the perfect relationship with God and freely sharing everything that comes from Him. The greatest beatitude within the community of the Church is bliss that comes from experiencing the Kingdom of God! The kingdom of God is not a place where I live alone comfortably, but a world where justice and peace flow like a river. A world where the lion and the lamb can play together is not an unrealistic utopia, but a truly holy and blessed place where every human being is acknowledged for their dignity in their everyday life and the common good is realized and the true master of the world is revealed to be God.

Rather than filling our bodies with 'han' let's ask for the grace to take away the thirst that God desires to accomplish through us in the world. God after creation looked upon it all and said it was good. This original blessing is what we seek. In 2019, the new year is called the year of the pig, but the truly rich are those who give and share much. What a blessing to possess the  "heart of God" and share it freely with others.
 

(Teresa of Saint Avila)

Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.

Saturday, January 19, 2019

Avarice— Psychology and Cure


The rector of a Catholic University writing in the Kyeongyang magazine introduces us to his thoughts on avarice and its cure. He begins by telling us of Freud's  'anal character': parent's excessive concern with the child's toilet training, in time developing into obstinacy and parsimony—a desire to amass money. The opposite was noted by Freud with those who did not receive the training and defecated anywhere—they were the wasteful types with money.
 

The study of money and our emotional life began in the second part of the 20th century. Giving us much information on the way it affects us. Goldberg and Lewis with money we have security, power, love, and freedom. With money, we decrease uncomfortableness —security. Money adds value, superiority, and control—power. Money gives expression to affection and its alternatives—love. Money gives us the  means to achieve what one wants— freedom. Obviously making for a close connection with our emotional life, our mental state and what we do.                                
Forman divided the pathology of money into five types: Miser—hoards money;  spendthrift— compulsive and uncontrollable in their spending; tycoon—totally absorbed with making money; bargain hunters—searching for bargains; gambler—feels exhilarated and optimistic in taking chances. Outside of addictive gamblers and shoppers, the other three are not considered abnormalities.
 

How does one go about having the right relationship with possessions? We hear often from the Scriptures the vanity of pursuing the material. Jesus tells us we can't serve both possessions and God. There are Christians who speak about the problem with possession and yet are possessed by them.
 

The Church Father, Clement of Alexandria, has shown us the correct connection with the material. We are not to be wasteful with what we possess. Having material goods is a value, we can do things, of value and work for justice. God made the material for us, so we need to use the material things correctly. The responsibility rests with us.
 

Material goods make our lives fuller and with greater value. Our faith life tells us where these possessions have come from and how they are to be used. St. Paul tells us "We brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it, but as long as we have food and clothing let us be content with that (Tim. 6:8).
 

According to St. John Chrysostom the truly rich person is not the one with much but the one who has no avarice and is satisfied with what he possesses and the poor person is not the one who lacks possession but who is full of avarice and not satisfied with what he possesses.
 

For a person not to fall into the sin of avarice it doesn't mean he is not to desire anything, but a person who is content with what he has. We need to be thankful for what we now have but we can have a desire for more. Granted this is not something easily achieved for most.
 

Our first Christians showed us this way of life they held everything in common. They did not use the words: mine, my. Consequently, all had enough to eat. They recognized who was the owner of what they had and were not slaves to what they owned.
 

There is a saying that if we don't have control over money, money will control us. We need training in this in how to share what we have. We need to be in charge and not become the slave of the material.

Thursday, January 17, 2019

Vanier's 10 Rules for Life


In a bulletin for priests, one of the diocesan priests has taken the 10 rules for life that Jean Vanier has composed and has spoken about and was released on a YouTube video and translated them into Korean. Listed below are the rules back in their original English.
 

Jean Vanier is a Canadian Catholic, philosopher, theologian and humanitarian. He founded L'Arche for persons with developmental disabilities and later co-founded the Faith and Light movement which works also with the families and friends of persons with developmental disabilities. He continues to live with members of the community in France.
 

1) Accept the reality of your body  
One needs to be at ease with his body. We are born in weakness.  I am ninety. I am not fifty, or forty this I have to accept.
 

2) Talk about your emotions and difficulties Men have difficulty speaking about their emotions.
 

3) Don't be afraid  of not being successful 
You have to discover you are beautiful as you are regardless of whether or not you are successful.
 

4) In a relationship, take the time to ask "How are you?" Has he married his success in work, or has he married his wife? What is the most important? Is it to grow up the ladder in promotion?
 

5) Stop looking at your phone. Be present!  To young people he says, "You are people of communication." But then he asks, "Are you people of presence? Are you able to listen? To be human is to know how to relate."
 

6) Ask people "What is your story? 
Vanier emphasizes the importance of relating to people and listening to them. He says, "To meet is to listen: Tell me your story? Tell me where your pain is? tell me where your heart is? What are the things you desire? I need to listen to you because your story is different from my story"

7) Be aware of your own story 

"You are precious. You have your ideas: political, religious, non-religious, you have your vision for the world, your vision for yourself," says Vanier. He acknowledges that when we fear our identities, worldviews, and cherished opinions are being taken away from us we are liable to become angry. He adds, "we have to discover where our fears are because  that is the fundamental problem."He asks, "Maybe in your story, there is a story about fear?"
 

8) Stop prejudice: meet people 
“The big thing about being human is to meet people.” We need to “meet people who are different” and “discover that the other person is beautiful.”
 

9) Listen to your deepest desire and listen to it
“We are very different from birds and dogs. Animals are very different.” He says that unlike with animals there is a “sort of cry of the infinite within us. We’re not satisfied with the finite.” He asks, “Where is your greatest desire?”
 

10) Remember that you'll die one day “I’m not the one who’s the king of the world and I’m certainly not God,” says Vanier. “I’m just somebody who was born ninety years ago and will die in a few years time and then everybody will have forgotten me. This is reality. We’re all here, but we are just local people, passengers on a journey. We get onto the train, we get out of the train, the train goes on.”

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

"Charged with the Grandeur of God"

In the recent issue of Bible & Life magazine a priest reflects on what a sabbatical meant for him. During the year he made the walk to Santiago de Compostela; an 800-kilometer trip carrying a backpack of 10 kilos and walking for 20 to 30 kilometers a day, it took over a month. If asked what did he get out of the trip he answers with one word—happiness.
 

He has never considered his life to be a happy one. Occasions of happiness were present but it was his choice of life and he worked hard in what was required, with little time for anything else; happiness was not part of his consciousness. The pilgrimage to Compostela was not easy but he wants to shout out loudly and has done so often, he was happy.
 

In early morning he would wake up in one of the hostels for travelers; begin his daily walk, at night go to the hostel to sleep. Each day was spent in the same way but each moment was one of great joy. Each morning he would wonder what gift would be awaiting him. Nothing special these gifts that came: a beautiful blue sky, sunbeams on the fields, the view of the outstretched road ahead, the forest and trees, flowers, the weeds at the edge of the road, the evening sky—moon and stars...and all the people he met in the villages, talk with fellow travelers, the visit to the village churches, simple prayers.  All that we do every day was filled with great joy.
 

We have heard that God is hidden in the daily tasks of each day. We are surrounded by the presence of God. Jesus did not spend most of his time in the Temple but in the boondocks of the country area of Galilee. We in faith are living in God's world in the here and now. St.Paul expresses this with few words:  "In God we live, move and exist" (Acts 17:28).

The writer thinks we are so familiar with the depravity and redemption dichotomy we forget we are to be filled with joy and happiness. All the universe was made with the outpouring of God's love. The reign of God is with us now.
 

Father William A Barry in his book Finding God in All Things reminds us to find God's goodness and beauty and respond to the wonders with praise and gratitude, which should fill our hearts.

When it came time to compare God's kingdom to what we know, one of  the metaphors the writer found the most moving was the comparison of the kingdom to a mustard seed. Hidden in our everyday life with small acts of love—sacrifice,  forgiveness, encouragement, caring, a word of kindness— without our knowing becomes a big tree with the birds coming to rest in the branches.
 

Our lives he compares to a trip to Compostela. Difficult but with great consolations. We have lost the ability to see the hand of God in creation. We have lost the capacity to see the splendor all around us. We are so taken up with the 'doing' that 'being' escapes us. He concludes the article with a quote from St. John of the Cross in which all of nature was his beloved: "mountains, valleys, strange islands, sonorous rivers the whistling of the air, the peaceful night, the quiet music, the sound of solitude..."
 

"God is love, and whoever lives in love lives in unison with God and God lives in union with him."  When we walk with the beloved, all of life becomes living in God's kingdom.

Sunday, January 13, 2019

Maryknoll Missioners in Korea

The Catholic Times had an article on the first foreign mission society established in the United States for Americans in 1911—The Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers. Father Gerard Hammond, the local superior of the Korean unit, in an interview with the newspaper, gave his impressions on the work of missioners.
 

"You must fall in love with people who you come to serve. This love should begin with understanding their religion and culture and looking at their needs through dialogue; we should give unconditional love to people in mission fields with patience and enthusiasm."

In particular, "We should not compare the culture of the mission field with the culture of the missionary's home country. Instead  of trying to inject my culture, we should try to accept good things in the religion and culture of the mission field." He is there to bring Christ and not his home countries' culture. The missionaries need to make an effort to see what the people need, rather than only what they want to give, he is not sent to be a 'lone ranger'.

On the other hand, he pointed out that for the evangelization of Asia, there should be an interest in Asia on the part of the believers. At the time of the founding of the Maryknoll Society, efforts were made to inform American believers of why they should be engaged in Asian missions.
 

To advance our relationship with North Korea, this has to be done getting all involved with a desire for unification and making efforts for its realization with continual interchanges and contacts. The evangelization of Asia requires the same type of interest, extended to the seminaries, to create an atmosphere for Asian evangelization.
 

Korea has been blessed with many vocations for the clerical and religious life and with an intelligent laity, they should be a leader in the evangelization of Asia. In Korea the days of Western missionaries have passed. Koreans are similar in appearance to other Asians and there is a common Asian culture with Confucianism and Buddhism. With the history of the church in Korea, the martyrdom of so many for the faith, this should help vitalize the church in its missionary outlook.
 

He prays that they will have some of the zeal of their ancestors in the faith to continue the efforts for the evangelization of Asia.

Friday, January 11, 2019

Do not stop, move forward. Do not be afraid. "

A committee member of a unification research team in the Diagnosis of Current Affairs column of the Catholic Peace Weekly gives us three words to spend some time on: Dialogue— Peace —Change.

# 1 Dialogue: A Singaporean scholar mentions the gift given for the Korean peninsula on June 12, with the North Korean and  American Summit. It was on that date in Singapore that Kim Jong-un and the Trump Summit was held. On the memorial stamp for the occasion the word "Sentosa," was written in the Malay language, which means peace and tranquility. The  Singaporeans, felt pride that they played a role as peace mediators. For Singaporeans, the conversation singled peace.
 

# 2 Peace: On the Korean peninsula, peace cannot be guaranteed by dialogue alone. From spring to autumn in 2018, seven historic summits were held on the Korean peninsula, which shook the terrain, all talked about peace.
 
However, residents of North and South Korea are still hesitating at the entrance to peace. Where we stand in the year 2019 is not the place of stable peace but on the  border of an uneasy peace.
 
Stable peace can only be achieved if no consideration is given to the use of force as a means of resolving conflicts. There are two ways to do this. The first is a political commitment to the abandonment of military use through peace treaties. The second is to bring about 100 American businesses to North Korea  and 100 businesses from North Korea to Washington. Then common sense tells us that conflict brings about self-destruction. Both journeys to stable peace require fundamental changes in the thinking, awareness, and behavior of the leaders of the three countries.
 

# 3 Change: The key to controversy over denuclearization is whether North Korea,  under the leadership of Kim Jong-un, will change. Denuclearization skeptics say that Kim Jong-un has not changed and will not change and has shown no sincerity in concerns for  denuclearization. Negotiators, on the other hand, assess that North Korea in the Kim Jong-il era and North Korea led by Kim Jong-un are different. They believe that Kim Jong-un wants to become a leader of a wealthy nation even if it means giving up nuclear power. Consequently, Kim Jong- un should be  provided with the opportunity to change.
 

There is only one person who knows the mind of Kim Jong-un and that is Kim Jong-un. He is the only person who attended all seven summits of 2018. He would have arranged his thoughts by now. 

The United States and China have agreed on a three month truce on the trade war. We are presented with a few months in which Pyongyang and Washington have the opportunity to negotiate. At the beginning of the new year we have this hope and prayer for a stable peace on the Peninsula.
 
The dialogue efforts that the leaders of the three countries of North Korea, South Korea and America have accomplished in 2018 were working towards peace. Now is the time for the leaders to show change in thoughts, understanding and attitudes. The message that Pope Francis gave to  President Moon Jae-in is hopefully remembered by the leaders: "Do not stop, move forward. Do not be afraid. "

Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Clergy Renewal =Parish Renewal

In the recent issue of the Catholic Peace Weekly, an online survey by the Catholic Pastoral Research Institute, showed some interesting information and areas that need to be addressed. The survey was far from scientific, with only 886  who responded, but can be judged to be the most interested in church, knowledgeable and devoted believers.

The questions asked were direct: What is urgent and necessary for the Korean Church renewal and growth in the Gospel life of the community? Secondly what needs to change in the way the bishops, priests, religious and laypeople have lived their lives.

Bishops: a need for dialog 59%, self-righteousness and authoritarianism 52%, lack of concern for social justice 50%,  too much concern for material things and results  48%, living the easy life 47%.

Priests: self-righteous and authoritarian 73%, dialogue and comunication73%,  more concern for sermons and Mass preparation 66%, extravagant hobbies and interests 65%, lack of pastoral vision and leadership 65%.

Religious: immature language 42%, the narrowness of vision 38%, lack of prayer and spirituality 32%, authoritarian and self-righteousness 28%, lack of concern for the poor 26%.

Laypeople: factionalism 63%, conflicts with others 61%, lack of prayer and a spiritual life 57%, lack of sincerity in their spiritual life 48%, associated with the wealthy 48%.

Overall one sees rather quickly that the laypeople want to see a change among the clergy. They want more communication between the clergy and laypeople and less self-righteous and authoritarian behavior.

There is a saying that 'church renewal depends on clergy reform. Clerical authoritarianism blocks communication and hinders the church from fulfilling its mission of evangelization. In a survey conducted in another diocese recently, believers answered: "I feel the joy of living the faith when a humble priest  treats believers with sincerity and love."

Monday, January 7, 2019

A New Paradigm for the Family

Last year family committees in the parish councils had problems deciding what to call the retreats being prepared for the parishes. In the past, they would be called couple retreats but times have changed. So begins the column in the "Eyes of the Believer" of the Catholic Times.

Today it is necessary to include other types of families: divorced, separated, bereaved, nonmarried and even the 'goose families'. (Families separated for the education of the children in foreign countries— mothers only return seasonally reuniting the families like migrating geese.)  The scope of the retreat was expanded and promoted with the title of "family retreat". Often over half of the participants registered alone. The content is not limited to marital relations but includes communication and human relationships.

May is Family Month when marriage renewal ceremonies were carried out in many parishes, today no longer welcomed. In parishes the number of married couples is small and programs are not able to keep up with the changes in society.  A new family pastoral paradigm is necessary otherwise efforts will miss the targets.

Homes of the 21st century are undergoing rapid change. The number of households is increasing due to the increase in the single-person households, low fertility rate, divorce, and remarriage etc., if the church continues to adhere to the traditional 'normal family' then all others will be excluded.

Moreover, even though today all households are greatly influenced by changes in social structure and systems, the existing family pastoral approach seems to remain in the past and the individual or family differences are bypassed, limiting the problem of the family to the private domain. The church still has a patriarchal family problem, so the unequal structures in society in which women are alienated and suffer are not treated as an issue, and the reality of discrimination continues.

This year's parish pastoral direction for the diocese is the foundation for mission;  emphasizing the family community—highly anticipated because it focuses on pastoral care. It offers a variety of family programs for the spiritual growth of the members, communicating the heritage of the faith in grandparents, parents, and children with specific pastoral activities, daily household prayer, and weekly gospel sharing in the home. There are, of course, programs that take into account changes in the times, but the impression is that they are mainly focused on homes made up of couples and children.

The way the pastoral care of the family can be combined with culture is infinite. He hopes the diocese will put money and personnel into the research to make this the future reality.

Saturday, January 5, 2019

Freedom of the Will and Quantum Physics

An article in the Kyeongyang magazine on freedom and willpower by a teacher and researcher in quantum physics gives us some thoughts to reflect on. He recalls as a child that the parents at the start of a new school year would tell the homeroom teacher if the children don't listen, punish them so that they will be good persons.  There were teachers that would do just that. Our writer did not go along with this and thought much on what was rightful punishment.

Children grow up in the manner that the adults teach the children, when a child does something wrong it's the adults who are responsible. Should they not be the ones who are punished?

He remembers while a student in philosophy class hearing about the predestination teaching of John Calvin the Protestant reformer. God knows from the moment of the creation of the world all is decided whether I will go to heaven or hell. When he heard this as a child he got angry for God made him a puppet. He was even thinking of giving up on religion and went to see his parish priest.

The priest told him this was wrong thinking. Catholic believe that God gave us freedom of the will. He was relieved to hear this from the priest. Later he heard about the 'Uncertainty Principle' of Werner Heisenberg 1901-1976 and from that time wanted to be a physicist.

He mentions the thinking of some at the time of the industrial revolution who thought all that was to be discovered was discovered. J.C.Maxwell the English physicist made known electromagnetic waves and Tesla and  Marconi discovered wireless communication. Edison discovered the light bulb and Bell the telephone.

Newton with his law of gravitation and motion they were  able to not  only explain but to forsee what would happen. The French Astronomer and matematicism Pierre -Simon Laplace said if he knew the position and velocity of every single particle in the universe he could predict the future. 


Max Planck a German theoretical physicist is considered to be one of the founders of quantum theory. From one of his teachers he heard that little is left to be discovered in physics, we need now to go deeper and in more detail but in  1920 Heisenberg came out with his uncertainty principle which brought great change to physics.

With Newton, the law of motion determined what would happen  and now we hear about the uncertainity principle which makes us realize the limit of knowing. Einstein had problems with this and that is why he is quoted as saying:"God does not play dice with the world."

The problem of free will can't be solved by science and athough quantum physics does not give an answer neither does it take away the possibility  of free will but rather gives room for it.

In the Scriptures  we have the choice of good and evil which requires  freedom of the will. In Ecclesiasticus 15:14-16: "He himself  made man in the beginning, and then left him free to make his own decisions. If you wish you can keep the commandments to behave faithfully is within your power.  He has set fire and water before you; put out your hand to whichever youy prefer. Man has life and death before him; whichever a man likes better will be given him."

In Steven Covey's  Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, we have those who have deduced from  these habits a  theory of decision according to  the following categories: biological, phycological and environmental. In the biological, the genes are blamed—the ancestors. In the psychological, the way they were brought up— parent's fault. With the enviroment the faults are with others. 

We are to develop this freedom of the will; take responsiblity for our own lives and develop habits that will foster the strengthening of our willpower. The future is not decided but will depend on us, God is calling us to that future.

Thursday, January 3, 2019

Remembering the Death of a Temporary Worker

Writing in 'In the Eyes of the Believer' a Catholic Times' column, a lawyer mentions his cell phone on the desk was ringing. He didn't sleep;  just closed his eyes as he laid in bed, not answering the phone—another drunk friend calls to come out in the middle of the night.

The phone kept ringing at intervals for an hour. Oh, that crazy guy. But that was not it. At around 3 am his sister, who lives in the same neighborhood, knocked on the door, shouting:"Brother, why aren't you answering the phone? I got a call from the hospital emergency room. Yong-gun is in the emergency room I don't know what's going on."

He descended into hell. In the early dawn of the new day, the turnpike had few cars but his sister felt all the cars were going too slow.The brother was overcome with all kinds of thoughts and as he was beginning to recover some peace of mind his body revolted and he became nauseous.

"The young man fell from a high place, some of his forehead and face bones were fractured but there was no internal bleeding and he is conscious. He has no breaks in his back or legs. He has been favored from heaven" these words of the doctor took him from hell to heaven but they were his wishful dreaming.

Oh, my God, He didn't know the word 'son' was such a word filled with dread. It doesn't take much to turn one's world upside down.

The trip to the hospital was long. They entered the hospital and looked for the name of his nephew on the emergency room list but couldn't find it. Yong-gun was lying in the hospital morgue, the doctors were not able to do anything. The 24-year-old son, in the prime of life, his body was separated from his head, the body burnt on the conveyor belt.


The son was a temporary worker at a power plant burning coal to produce electricity.He followed the conveyor belt to pick up the coals the fell from the conveyor belt. He would use the light of his mobile phone to do the work.
 

Seeing the work site the mother noticed the risk for accidents was spread throughout the workplace. The handrails provided for safety are of little help in preventing falls. Safety equipment that would stop the conveyor belt if someone was caught was not part of the safety net. Using such devices slows down the operation from time to time and that is bad for business.
 

It is said there were about 40 workers who died in the power plant in the last five years. It's more profitable for the company to have a fast machine without safety devices and compensate workers who are killed and injured. Money controls the world.
 

That's right. "What can I do to heal this world that causes a 24-year-old youth to die needlessly? I will pray for help to decide what to do to make this world a better place."
 

Yong-gun was eager to rid the country of temporary workers and so will the mother.  {workers without the full employee-benefit packages}
 

"I want to see you a lot. You have left us but your mother will be working like you to get rid of the temporary workers. I love you, my son."

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Work and Life Balance

In the Peace Column of the Catholic Weekly, the writer is surprised  on hearing about the young people of Korea. They have lost their desire to do big things and instead want to pursue (Small but Certain Happiness). A phrase that the young people have now made their own.  

As an expression of frustration waiting for the future: marriage, childbirth, and homes he is saddened since their hopes have been greatly curtailed. However, this pursuit of  small happinesses such as eating delicious food, drinking coffee, chatting and traveling is possibly a big step in the right direction.

The writer does see an overlapping with the teaching of the Little Flower, St. Teresa.  She died at the age of 24 but left us the message of the "small way to God" which  has given many comfort and peace. "I understood that every flower created by [God] is beautiful, that the brilliance of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not lessen the perfume of the violet or the sweet simplicity of the daisy. I understood that if all the lowly flowers wished to be roses, nature would lose its springtide beauty, and the fields would no longer be enameled with lovely hues."

The search for 'small sure happinesses will continue— social class systems are not going to easily change. This has been the reality for some time. We  hear a lot  about well being, healing and YOLO, the acronym for "you only live once". This is not only true in Korea these post-neoliberalism values are spreading throughout the world and to all  age groups in society.

The phrase 'work-life balance' has been Koreanized with the first sylables of the phrase put into Korean script. We have similar trends in Japan, and Taiwan; similar to what is happening in parts of Europe.

One of the professors working in the field of  'Happiness' says:  Happiness is not in the degree but in the frequency that is important. He agrees we need to turn our attention to little happinesses in life which will make us much happier.

Carpe diem, which means to enjoy the present— to be true to this moment— is a word coming down from the Roman era. He quotes the words of Elizabeth Kubler Ross that God gave us a world where we can live a better life today, not tomorrow. She recalls the moments of play, people near death have enjoyed. "Do you remember riding a bike on a country road?" "Do you remember going to the beach?" No one says: "I would have been happy if I had just a little more money." She says: "(play) is the life force of all life ..." People know how to work, but they do not know how to exist." Teresa also said, "My God, you know that I have only time today here and now to love you."
 

Pope Francis emphasized in his Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete Et Exsultate (Rejoice and be Glad). "Holiness will grow in small gestures. Here is an example: a woman goes shopping, she meets a neighbour and they begin to speak, and the gossip starts. But she says in her heart: 'No, I will not speak badly of anyone.' This is a step forward in holiness" (#16).

Piling up small happinesses with small gestures— Carpe Diem recalls the path of happiness and sanctification. The problem is not knowledge but moving our feet to the practice of what we believe.