In the Light of the World column of the Catholic Times the priest reminds the readers that we live in the world.
"The Church, sharing in mankind's joys and hopes, in its anxieties and sadness, stands with every man and woman of every place and time, to bring them the good news of the Kingdom of God, which is Jesus Christ has come and continues to be present among them. Amid mankind and in the world she is the sacrament of God's love and, therefore, of the most splendid hope, which inspires and sustains every authentic undertaking for and commitment to human liberation and advancement. The Church is present among mankind as God's tent of meeting, “God's dwelling place among men” (cf. Rev 21:3), so that man is not alone, lost, or frightened in his task of making the world more human; thus men and women find support in the redeeming love of Christ. As minister of salvation, the Church is not in the abstract nor a merely spiritual dimension, but in the context of the history and of the world in which man lives. Here mankind is met by God's love and by the vocation to cooperate in the divine plan. (Compendium of the Social Gospel #60)
"It's pathetic to see the opposition party! You're always in political trouble!" 2nd: "How is that the Opposition's fault? It's the fault of the ruling party!" 3rd person: "Criticism is good, but everyone needs to calm down! We're going to fight!"
These days, time flies by fast, He doesn't know if he can learn anything from what is going on. He saw an article called 'The Age of the Stale Adults' in a daily newspaper. When there are so many adults not acting like adults we hear such pitiable words. He is in his forties a time when he is not to be swayed by temptation. However, he is overcome with guilt feelings.[ Analects: Stages of life according to Confucius. At 15 I set my heart on learning. At 30, I planted my feet firmly on the ground. At 40, I no longer suffered from temptations. At 50, I knew what was the bidding of heaven. At 60, I heard them with docile ears. At 70, I could follow the dictates of my own heart; for what I desired no longer overstepped the boundaries of right].
For the past few years, he has written on the social doctrine of the church, what is meant by a good society in God's eyes, which is the aim of the Catholic Church. To do that, he had to look closely at what was happening in society. He would rather have preferred writing about beautiful things that could be an example to children but had to deal with social issues where problems and conflicts are frequent. It was a preferential choice of the scene and neighborhood in which we live.
Recently, when he meets his acquaintances, he doesn't have many optimistic stories to share. There are many injuries to life issues, and major negative factors in society, but the one that stands out for him is in politics. Some criticize the opposition party for not cooperating with the president and some take to the streets every weekend with candles again because they distrust the ruling party. He believes that both are doing it for the good of the country, society, the poor, and powerless neighbors, even if their methods and thoughts are different.
But someone said, "Father, all I can do is pray for the homeless who die without family, and for those who live on the streets." The employees of the Seoul Diocese's Labor Affairs Committee, where he works, were receiving signatures at the Seoul Station asking the citizens for their attention to commemorate the workers who died in industrial accidents and to prevent these unfortunate deaths. It's not for personal gain, it's purely because of compassion and love for neighbor. They are those who testify to the gospel and faith with goodwill.
Although confusing, there is love and warmth in society. It seems to be heading toward conflict and division, but some people cooperate, respect each other, and offer their hands in trust. So is the history of salvation that the Bible testifies to. There were always difficulties and tribulations, and many large and small empires rose and fell, but the faith community has continued to follow God in his providence and leadership in grace faithfully.
Without the generosity of the heart that is needed, there will always be antagonism and difficulties. Broken promises and deceit will continue to disappoint us. However, some wise people continue to write, pray, and look carefully at their neighbors and the world and are not overcome by temptation, work at doing the bidding of God, and have docile ears. They are the wise who are following God's right reason and he hopes that we are among such people.
