Korean
Catholicism has always been a fertile field for new movements. They
have done well here and continue to do well. The community of
Sant'Egidio
began in Rome right after the Second Vatican Council. It is a lay
movement with over 50,000 members in 73 countries. This month, Korea
will join the movement with its own
small group of about 20, sharing the spirituality and principles of
Sant'Egidio. The Catholic Times reports on their first meeting in Seoul
with the Sant'Egidio representative from Asia.
Prayer, they were told, is at the center of
their community life, as well as spreading the Gospel message to all who are seeking
to live a meaningful life, in solidarity with the poor, in voluntary and
gratuitous service. The
movement started in 1968, when a young man, Andrea Riccardi, only 19
years old, along with a group of high-school students, decided to put
the words of the Gospel into practice, very much like the beginnings of
the Church in the Acts of the Apostles.
After
hearing
the brief history of the movement, and following a question and answer
period, they went to the Martyr's shrine in Seoul for Mass,
where the priest, during the sermon, stressed that a distinguishing mark
of the Sant'Egidio community was to take attention off themselves and
direct their attention to God. The
movement in Korea has started with few members, he said, but with God's
grace we will
see miracles.
The movement says that war is the
mother of poverty. Working for the poor gradually developed into
working for peace: protecting, rebuilding and helping to work toward
dialogue. The members have been facilitators in working for peace in the world. Where this is impossible, they help to bring
humanitarian aid where most needed. The news services have mentioned that Sant'Egidio members have brought aid to the hungry of North Korea at the request
of their diplomats in Rome.
Ecumenism is another area in which they have taken great interest, wanting to facilitate dialogue, as well as striving to understand each other better in order to bring about a more
peaceful world. It is with this dream that the Sant'Egidio members
continue to work in many of the most difficult areas of the world.
The numbers of
those without a healthy religion are considerable,
begins the article on a priest psycho-spiritual counselor. The
Catholic Times journalist who interviewed the priest-professor
had some interesting points to make, especially when she asks: What is my own spirituality health
index?
The psycho-spiritual counselor, in addition to teaching at the Catholic Center for
Psycho-Spiritual Counseling, and being a pastor and a seminary professor, teaches a three-week course on becoming
a Christian dealing with the psychology of the spiritual life. The program
has been very well received by parishioners. The following questions: What is a healthy
spiritual life? And what is the relationship of mental health and our faith
life? form the heart of the program. The journey from anger to gratitude is also dealt with in
detail during the program.
The journalist, who meets many Catholics while engaged in her work, knows that
many have an emptiness in their spiritual life. Even those who are
known to be outstanding Catholics jokingly say they are half-hearted
believers. There does not seem to be an interest in nurturing a healthy
spirituality. However, probably different from most people of the West,
Koreans do not pride themselves in being independent of the community
to which they belong. Individualism has still not become a mark of the
Korean believer. They do not consider being 'a la carte' Christians as a
good thing, even though they may be such.
The
relation they have with God and the way they look at this relationship
is often distorted, says the journalist. Consequently, she says they
are not able to fill
the emptiness in their hearts. The first step of the counselor, she
says, is to have the troubled person discover the obstacles that are
preventing spiritual growth. One can
see that religion is often an obstacle that prevents one from being
happy.
An example would be the person that is not doing what is necessary in
the home but is faithful in going to Church. And
there are those Catholics who carry their anger inside, only to have it
manifest when certain circumstances arise.
The
Church, says the priest, has a long tradition of healing both body
and soul, but many Christians are lost, and try to find healing in
pseudo
and newly-formulated religions. It is the hope of the
psycho-spiritual counselor that they will be able to help those who seek
consolation in this way to discover the root problems they are dealing
with.
Each of us has certain habits or
failings that need to be changed by this type of counseling. He
recommends a network to make this a possibility. One of the problems
that must be addressed, he said, is
that pastoral workers often disapprove of these efforts. Counseling
should be a
way of life, and getting help in ridding oneself of obstacles to
maturity
should be welcomed. It doesn't mean getting rid of all the darkness but
such counseling can help be the first step in finding a small light in
the darkness.
The cardinals of
the Catholic Church, as they gather together at the Vatican to elect the
next pope, are being treated like Hollywood celebrities. The world
press is
approaching these men in red and asking for their opinions on both secular and religious
matters, and, of course, the currently most urgent question: who will be the next pope. The desk columnist
of the Catholic Times reveals his thinking on the all-important issue of selecting the next temporal leader of the Church.
In the recent elections for president, we
saw, the two parties either affirming their own candidate or trying to
diminish the status of the opposition. The elections, says the columnist, were as enjoyable to most Koreans as a horse
race, as expected there is little interest on the part of the ordinary Korean on the election for pope.
For Catholics, what is of interest may be simply the awe of the unknown surrounding
the election of the pope. Many see the the secret election at the conclave as the work of the Holy Spirit, as something sacred, worthy of respect. And though well over a hundred cardinals will vote for the next pope, most Catholics believe that the ultimate person selected will be decided by the Holy Spirit. But the columnist reminds us that the election of the pope is done by
humans, and he knows it is impossible to avoid the human element in the election. He believes that to think so is to be
blind to history or simply mentally lazy. In any event, the columnist recommends that we remain immune to the wild, and sometimes not so wild, conjectures of the Western media concerning the "most likely candidates."
One cardinal when asked what
happens in the conclave answered jokingly that not much happens, that it was rather boring: "We pray and vote, wait...pray and vote, wait...." More than a mystical experience, he said it's a time for patience and endurance, love for the Church, and
trust in God.
Each cardinal is thinking: in what direction do I want the Church to go? What are the areas of greatest concern for
the Church in its relationship with the world in the second decade, and beyond, of the 21st century? What kind of personality
and character, spirituality and tendencies, do I want in the new pope?
The
mass media is giving us the pros and cons of the different candidates; the cardinals, for the most part, are doing
this all internally. The media continues to focus its attention on the
scandals that have plagued the Vatican.The columnist recommends
that we develop an immunity to this static and talk without any
foundation in reality, and even to talk with some basis in reality. And trust in God that in his providence all will work out for the best.
The parish with the
largest percentage of Catholics in the Seoul diocese, with over 30
percent, recently made an in-depth study of its pastoral situation. The
results of the study, undertaken by a professional center equipped for
this type of diagnosis, and published in the Peace weekly, will help in
planning for the future. Of the 6000 parishioners, 2370 participated by
answering questionnaires and being interviewed.
The socioeconomic
status of the surveyed parish was considered middle class, and the goal
the parishioners selected as being the most important was Christian
maturity, followed by peace of mind, a happy family
life, a genuine faith life, and health, in that order.
Concern
for community life and its needs, however, did not rank very high. Only
10 percent of the parishioners were involved in parish activity as
members of a group. Members of the Legion of Mary had the highest number
of participants. Concern for individual spiritual health was seen as uppermost by the parishioners,
but there was not much interest by the parents in giving their
children a religious education, with many parents believing that a
religious education was less important in life than having a good
secular education. Half of the children answering the questionnaire said
that their parents did not want them to go to church. Getting a good
job was the parents primary concern for their children, and doing well
in school would be more helpful in the business world than would living a
virtuous life.
This same thinking was seen as the number-one
reason for not going to church: making a living and studies. Over 30
percent of those who are tepid, stopped going to church within three
years after baptism. Over 64 percent had no help from their guardians or
god parents. 56 percent said they didn't know any parishioners when
they stopped going to church. Only 9 percent said they had at one time
belonged to a parish society before becoming tepid.
Being a middle class parish the enthusiasm for
faith life and daily life was noticeably different. The idea that all life is one was not of special concern. The results of the
diagnosis are intended to direct future plans to improve community life,
help new
evangelizing efforts, educate parents to take more of an interest in
their children's
spiritual health, to spend more time on the pastoral education of the
parishioners rather than spending more money on construction projects,
and to be more actively involved with the poor, and with issues of peace
and justice.
The pastoral center stressed that the study and
the recommended efforts to implement the most pressing needs uncovered
by the study will have to be continued for years to come and should be
the concern of all. Not only the quantity but the quality of effort has
to be emphasized, and the necessary infrastructure has to be put in
place to continue the work. A report of the study will be summarized and
given to each household within the parish. The pastor will use the
study to make plans for the future. He hopes it will be the means of
maturing the Christian life of the parish.
The day before
Lunar New Year, Fr. Joseph, the priest responsible for pastoral care of
the foreign community and seamen, recounts in his Peace Weekly column
how he spent the day.
The members of the Filipino community
began to make their way to the cathedral parish, where every Sunday
afternoon at 4:00 he celebrates an English Mass for the foreign
Catholics in the diocese. However, since the Koreans during this festive
time would be with their families, the Filipinos were also anxious to
be with their fellow Filipinos and the place they decided on was the
cathedral parish, to play bingo, eat and enjoy each others' company.
They
asked him to start off their time together with a prayer. He was taken
by surprise by the request, but made the sign of the cross and said a
prayer. He turned
the microphone over to the master of ceremonies. The emcee, like the
emcee at a racetrack or a TV variety show, began with
eloquence and skill to set the atmosphere for their time together.
Everyone enjoyed his speech and bodily movements, joining in with
laughter and
applause.
The meeting place was separated from the sisters' convent only
by a wall so Fr. Joseph was somewhat concerned what the sisters
would be thinking. The possibility for the sisters to spend a quiet
weekend was seemingly in doubt. What was he to do? he wondered. The
Filipinos had come together to enjoy each others company, to laugh and to celebrate the holiday--and of course to play bingo.
Fr.
Joesph mentioned his experience overseas in pastoral work where he had
seen bingo parties before, but they were all very serene and calmly
directed events. This one was very different. The Filipinos were
singing, eating,
shouting with laughter, a veritable variety show. All this was going on
while
the numbers were taken out of a container and read off to the players.
Each player was busy trying to fill cards with the numbers:
horizontally, vertically, diagonally. He doesn't know those who were
successful, but he knew all were having a lot of fun.
Fr. Joseph ends his column by comparing a bingo card to a person's life: at times as complicated and varied as trying to win at bingo. There were times when the players had all that was necessary to shout bingo, he says, but not knowing it, they waited for another
number. At times they were dazzled when others were winning, and often
chose to turn in their card for another, thinking it would bring them the winning numbers. He has, he
says, in his own hand a bingo card. Will the winning numbers be horizontal, vertical or diagonal? "Lord," he asks," today what will be my reason to shout bingo?"
What does it mean
to be obedient to the will of God? We have a tendency to exaggerate what
we mean by the word 'obedience' and compare it to the obedience shown
by the Blessed Mother when approached by the Archangel Gabriel. The columnist writing on spirituality for the Catholic Times discusses what the word means to him.
Most of the time we obey, he says, when we believe nothing will be lost by doing so or when it is profitable to us. It can be obedience to impress another, or to see ourselves as a good person, or to surrender one's will to a greater
authority. However, it need not be seen as a tremendous and difficult
act. When God made us, he put the seeds of obedience in us, and we are
to let them grow and harvest them. There are times that we irresistibly
obey the natural events we encounter in our lives by responding to these natural stimuli appropriately. When it is cold, we either put on more clothes or go where it's warmer; when we
are sick, we go to the doctor. We are, in a sense, programed to obey
the laws of nature. This is living in agreement with the will of God.
When we
acknowledge our human frailty, we can choose to bow our heads and walk the way of the
virtues. This is the first step on the path of virtue. The columnist mentions his time in the
States where he met a man who became successful as a
farmer in Korea. He was in the States for a cancer operation that he hoped would be more successful than the one he had in Korea. It was not, and he died soon after, having spend all his money on the operation. Making money was no longer important, he was now called to surrender to the situation in which he found himself.
Our schooling and place of work, the columnist says, are not of primary importance.The person that I am, with all my frailties, and my attempts to understand the life I have are important. Jesus came to us living as a beggar. What is important is to
have a correct focus on life.
We have two pillars on which all
is based, he says: our frailty and the transcendence of life. We have to
bow before natural disasters, but at the same time there are many
rewarding possibilities we can explore to expand our life experiences. They allow me, he says, to look over my weaknesses at the same time that I see possibilities opening to me, and
to work to realize them. To understand both my weaknesses and my
transcendence is better than being first in what I do, he says. If the
first button (of a buttoned jacket) is not in the right place, our future actions will not go smoothly.
He gives us the example of a famous Japanese entrepreneur who when evaluated from a purely human perspective lacked what it takes to succeed in the business world: without even a grammar school education, having a frail body, and brought up poor, he succeeded because, as he said often, these weaknesses were his gifts. Because he was poor, he worked hard to overcome poverty. Because he lacked an education, he was always trying to learn from others. And because of his bodily weakness, he took care of his health. The key to his success was knowing his weaknesses and working hard to achieve the potential that lay hidden in those weaknesses.
Many have hit bottom but realizing their weakness have been opened to the will of God. This does not mean, the columnist is quick to say, to become small and give up. It does mean that because a person knows his
limits, he continues to pursue with even more energy a desire to study,
to understand and, without embarrassment, to keep asking for answers.
It is because of this that he will receive energy from God and others to
keep on his quest. That would be putting the first button in the right
place.
Understanding, a
desired result of communication, is for one reason or another not always
present. The frequent ad hominem attacks and the deliberate distortions
of the opponent's position that so often are publicized in our media
should embarrass all of us. But apparently there is an attraction in the
effort to take another person's words and make them say what we find
easier to deal with. The columnist in the open forum of the Catholic
Times gives us his ideas on what may happen when a person is not able to open his heart to another.
There
are many in our world who firmly close the door to their hearts; the
world to them seems dreary and lacks beauty. They do not believe the
good will of the other and they are filled with doubts. They are, the
columnist says, like the bird that, refusing to spread its wings, does not fly.
Humans that refuse to reveal their hearts will not be able to love.
When we do not open our hearts to the other, the other is likely to do
the same, and we have no communication.
When meeting another, the
biggest sadness
is not being able to speak to their heart. Although "heart speaking
unto heart" are precious moments of true communication that can bring
great happiness, the inability to open their hearts brings great
sadness. To receive a gift from a friend or from nature, I have to be
directed to that gift and open my heart. Whatever prevents the opening
of our hearts has to be removed before the gift of the other can be
received.
Life is a series of encounters: meeting parents,
brothers and sisters, relatives, friends, teachers, co-workers. The
nature of the encounters will bring change into our life and help to
decide its direction. Our religious life is also an encounter, and the
most important since it opens us up to God. This begins with a call. We
have to be open to this call with our spiritual ears. This will open us
to his grace and mission. Many of us have the same difficulty in
opening our hearts to God as we have opening our hearts to others.
Opening
ourselves to God means allowing ourselves to become approachable,
getting rid of our defenses and being vulnerable. This attitude brings
happiness and success and helps us to be an influence for good. With our
hearts open, we will receive what God wants to give. This is another
way of saying we are in an attitude of prayer with an affirming, humble
and loving heart. It is our task to prepare our hearts to be always
open. Isn't this a task that we should gladly take up daily?
