The Gift of Hope and New LIfe

We are made to be happy, and as Christians we find this easy to say and believe, but there are many without our beliefs who exclaim in the same way. An older priest writing in the Joy and Hope Bulletin quotes Herman Hesse, "The reason for existence is nothing else but to be happy."

During the season of Advent, we contemplate the happiness of living in God in God's presence and look forward to its fulfillment in God's time. This is the attitude of a person of faith. Our whole life of prayer has this hope deep down in our hearts. Christmas forces us to make a choice. When we look at the crib, we have to ask ourselves: Will it be the joy and hope of God's kingdom or will it be the kingdom of sadness and despair? Whether we experience joy and hope or sadness and despair will depend on us. We cannot rely on or blame others for that choice. As we have been told, in Deut. 30:19: "I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life that you and your descendents may live." Advent, being a time for self-examination and for opening ourselves to change, is the time to make sure we have made the right choice.

A teacher who was near death was asked by one of his students how was it that he was always with a happy face. The student knew that the teacher must have had in life, as does everyone, many difficult problems to deal with, but he never saw him express anything but joy. And even now, as death drew near, he could laugh.
 
The teacher quietly responded that at the age of 17 he had already known the reality of  unhappiness and pain. But his own teacher at that time taught him an important truth by always being in a good mood. Finding that strange, he asked him how he managed to do that. He said that though he had experienced much sadness in life, he realized that whether we are sad or happy is the consequence of a choice we have made. From that time on, every morning on waking up he would ask himself: What will it be today joy or sadness?

We are not saddened when we meditate on the last things during this time of the year. We are not afraid. Emanuel, God, is always with us. We are always waiting for Jesus to come into our lives. God has overcome the injustice, intimidation and fear rampant in the world, for we believe that God continues to build his kingdom here in this world, and we have the choice of choosing joy or sadness.

This kind of talk may seem like the pie-in-the-sky understanding of religion, not foreign to many in our society. And yet without believing in the meaningfulness of life, without the sustaining hope and joy that can be experienced even in the face of death, our lives become meaningless. Pope Benedict, in his encyclical on hope (Spei Salvi #2) says, "Only when the future is certain as a positive reality does it become possible to live the present as well. So now we can say: Christianity was not only 'good news'—the communication of a hitherto unknown content. In our language, we would say: the Christian message was not only 'informative' but 'performative.' That means: the Gospel is not merely a communication of things that can be known, it is one that makes things happen and is life-changing. The dark door of time, of the future, has been thrown open. The one who has hope lives differently; the one who hopes has been granted the gift of a new life."

A Cardinal's Hobby

Books have for thousands of years been an important builder of culture. They have done much good but also much harm, but that is up to the reader to discern. They live in most cases beyond the life of their creators and have influenced many. They build on what has preceded and often give rise to what will follow. Recently, Catholic papers and even the secular press have reviewed the latest book by retired Cardinal Cheong Jin-suk of Seoul, his 52nd published book: Dialogues of Jesus that Open Wide Closed Hearts.
 
His motivation for writing this book, he said, is to share with others what he has learned from books that have enriched his life. Before his ordination, he promised, along with another deacon, to write a book a year. The other priest has since died but he was also a well-known writer. Cardinal Cheong has kept that promise with this latest book which contains his commentary on the words of Jesus in the dialogues of certain passages of the Gospels.

Jesus received many questions that were intended to entrap him, questions concerning the woman caught in adultery, working on the Sabbath day, the Samaritan woman, proof for his authority, and the like.  With these as a starting point, the Cardinal employs them to help us understand the background of each incident, and the truth being conveyed. What comes before and what follows each incident is also included in the commentary.

Despite a busy schedule, before retiring at the age of 80,  he was busy writing in various forms: books and essays, and on many subjects: canon law, doctrine, spirituality. The example of a busy cleric who continued to publish a book a year is a living example of how to make a hobby something very profitable for the Church and for oneself. No one within the Church has had such a record of having published a book a year, since ordination to the priesthood--in his case 52 years ago.

The cardinal goes to bed early and gets up at 3:00 in the morning, giving him three hours before Mass to do his writing. This seems to be  his only hobby or interest, outside of his work as pastor of the diocese. The retirement age for bishops is 75, but he continued until his 80th year when the pope finally accepted the resignation.  Bishops are required to submit their resignation to the pope upon turning 75. There were only two others who were older than Cardinal Cheong. As Cardinal emeritus he will have more time to write, and as long he enjoys health; we will certainly be seeing other books coming from his hand each year.

At the present time, the Church of Korea does not have any Cardinal as ordinary of a diocese, so they will be looking forward to one being appointed at the next consistory. Cardinal Cheong mentioned that he felt one of his duties was to help facilitate the unification of the country; the other was to foster a culture of life. The cardinal has mentioned in interviews: "I had asked for permission to go to the North but the authorities would grant it only on the condition that I bring a very substantial donation with me. It was a figure that my diocese could not afford, so I did not go. It must be known that one can enter the North only if one is bringing significant aid." 

It has been for all concerned a very bumpy road with the North, but nonetheless the Church of Korea continues to work for unification of the country, along with its tireless fight to make the culture of life for our Catholics a practical alternative to the present cultural practice, and with some  success. The new ordinary of Seoul, Archbishop Yeom Soo-jung, continues to stress the importance of these same objectives.

Inculturating the Gospel

One of the lectures, recently given by the Catholic University department of spirituality, and written up in the Peace Weekly, considered the culture at the time of Jesus and the way we should look upon any culture.  When the priest-lecturer talked about culture, it was not the intellectual or the literary culture of any one time, but the reality that most people were living, which is always in a period of flux; the culture we are living in today, for instance, is  decidedly not that of 10 or 20 years ago, he says.

When we speak of Jesus, we have to speak of the Gospels. And when we speak of the culture of the Gospel, we need to see it as a challenge to the prevalent culture, and as harboring a desire to change it.

Though Jesus lived 2000 years ago, the meaning he has always had for all of us is our response in faith, present now and real, and requires that we understand the culture in which Jesus lived. It was a time when the Roman polytheistic religions were entering the Semitic culture of Israel, which led to a clash of cultures. Polytheistic religions were also part of the Greek culture at that time. The Gods of the Romans and Greeks were thought, by the wisest men of those times, to be the most reasonable explanation for the existence of humans and the world. For the Jews, knowledge of the supernatural was revealed truth, something received as grace. This was the big difference between the alien religions and  the Jewish religion.

The Peace Weekly article explains that the Jews at the time of Jesus believed in the law but were divided into different factions: Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Zealots, and the like. The Temple was a place that united them and after its destruction, the Scriptures became their guide. St. Paul had to contend with the challenges presented by this Semitic culture and by the polytheistic cultures of the neighboring countries by relying on the culture of the Gospels.
 
The religious desire is to please God and the usual way was by means of ritual. Christians, according to the priest, have  the same desire. We have ceremonies, including the liturgy. But with the Christian, it doesn't begin with us but with God. God gave us everything; we give thanks for what we have received, and the liturgy is the way we do it.  The means are the same but the ways they are used are different. The Gospel that Jesus proclaimed is intended to change the established culture, when that is necessary for us to find a more abundant life. 

The Gospel is an absolute value. It can't be compromised and seeks to challenge the prevailing culture, showing where it is wrong, what and how to change it.  This is the work of a Christian. We have to know what can't be negotiated and what can. We try to foster this Christian culture in what we do and say, always asking, what is it that we believe? When we live the Gospel, we are not only fostering our religious culture but at the same time inculturating our Gospel values into our present culture providing it with a more humanly fulfilling alternative. 

In order to do this, we have to meet Christ in our own lives; without this encounter we will not  succeed in building up an attractive alternative to the surrounding culture. This goal has to be at the core of our efforts, as we continually seek to live it. When this becomes our personal culture, we will be living and   transmitting the  Gospel at the same time. Shouldn't this be the goal of all of us during this time of preparation for Christmas?

North South Dilemma in Korea

In Korea as in the West, there is hesitation on how much we should see the negative along with the positive. Seeing the positive is healthy, they say, and the negative not so much. Those who see "the fly in the ointment" are not always seen affectionately, and yet it is necessary at times to see what is there even if it may hurt.  In Korea, there are many who want to help the North because they are our brothers and sisters. But at times those with authority make this difficult. The truth should not be overlooked, however, regardless of troubling circumstances, even if it may not be good for our public and private 'health'.

Writing a series of articles in the Catholic Times on the state of human rights up North, the head of the Database Center of North Korean Human  Rights reports on the three churches in the North: Protestant, Russian Orthodox and Catholic. The Buddhists have a temple that speaks to their cultural history in Korea. The churches, he says, were built by and run by the  government, and they decide who may attend. There are no priests or sisters in the North. There have always been doubts about the sincerity of the Christians attending these Churches, he makes clear.

Refugees who have left the North almost all say there is no religious freedom there. Most say you are punished for practicing your faith when you are found out. He has in his database 1,152 incidents of religious persecution, involving 700 people. Many have been publicly executed, and large numbers are considered political prisoners and kept in concentration camps, punished with a life of hard labor. 
 
He asks what is the reason the government continues to say there is religious freedom in the North and yet severely punishes those want to practice their faith?  The center has for ten years documented the human rights violations of the North, and can document instances of government deception. 

The silence of the South concerning the cruel treatment of religious believers in the North is hard for the columnist to understand; this includes, he says, religious believers in the South. Though they pray for them and for an improved religious climate, and support humanitarian aid to the North, religious believers here, he regretfully notes, have made no concrete effort to support ending the persecution of religion and the cruel treatment of prisoners in the North, not to mention raising their voices in protest over those who have died as martyrs fighting for religious liberty in the North.

Those suffering because of religious persecution in the North, and those who are in the concentration camps as political prisoners, are waiting for someone to help them. Not only the religious people but all who are threatened with death are waiting for deliverance, he said. He wants the whole world to know the situation up North, so that something can be done about it.

Each year the Center publishes a White Paper. The first White Paper was sponsored by the Bishops Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People. He knows they are not able to free those who are suffering in the North, but they are able to make known to the world the plight of those who are suffering by publicizing the atrocities committed. This is the hope that he has, and he wants the rest of us to participate.

In the global village we live in, we often see this kind of  dilemma. In Korea, the same divisions exist. There are those who do not want to alienate the North by continuing to point out what they are doing, because it will have a negative effect on inter-Korean relations. Though an undeniable fact, what is to be done when others want to make the situation known, hoping it will help relieve the suffering up North? Because both approaches hold out the promise of finally achieving the stated goal, it's difficult to persuade adherents of either approach to support the others position and relinquish their own. 

 

              

Sharing: All Gratis

On the spiritual page of the Catholic Times, the columnist recounts and reflects on a difficult experience, both its frustrating moments and its ultimate blessings. As Christians, when helping another in need, there is joy and the  expectation that the day will  finish well, but we know that is not always the case. Puzzlement  and uneasiness may be present, and we blame ourselves for a stupid act that brought  pain into our lives. But often in this hopelessness we can find hope because of our belief in the God who gives freely and is always with us.

A fellow religious came to the columnist's room to ask him if he would accompany him to  the airport. He was going overseas to give retreats and needed some help with his luggage.The columnist was busy at the time and not happy with the prospect of going out to the airport when snow had been predicted, but he knew all the other brothers would be busy and seeing the amount of luggage, he knew that going by public transportation was out of the question, so he prepared the monastery car and got ready  for the trip to the airport.

The trip was filled with talk about the different topics for the retreat his companion would be conducting, so the entire trip was a mini retreat for the columnist.  At the airport, he helped the priest unload the luggage and began the return trip to the monastery.  The gas gauge indicated the gas was low but he thought  there would be no trouble in making it back, though knowing that on the beltway there would be no gas stations.

At that time of day the  beltway was  busy with drivers on their way home from work.  When the car began to slow down, he feared the worse. And soon the car just stopped, during the busiest time of the day. And making matters worse, he could see that the drivers were hurling his way all the abusive words they could muster as they went by his stalled car.

Here he was in the middle of a busy turnpike and not knowing what to do next. Fortunately, he had his cell phone and called the monastery. The brother answering told him that it was no big deal, gave him the number of the insurance company to call, and told him they would solve the problem very quickly. He called the company, gave them the location of his stalled car, and was told to relax; they would be there shortly.

But he was not able to relax. Seeing the angry faces of the passing drivers and passengers, he wanted to convey the message that he was himself upset with the situation. He turned on the emergency light, opened the back door, and stood outside the the car, shivering, wanting to show that his car had broken down and was waiting for the tow truck. Within 30 minutes the tow truck arrived and they left the turnpike at the nearest exit, found the first  gas station, and then went on his way to the monastery with a heartfelt thanksgiving.

On the way home he began to mull over in his mind the whole incident and the way he saw it. Because he did a good deed he felt tempted to believe he would be rewarded, but saw the selfishness of that attitude.  We do not  know the future and to think that God is always going to give us what we want is selfishness. And to blame only himself for what happened is foolishness. If one has been doing his best when we are faced with misery, sadness and despair, we don't give up. God will bring in the hope and joy if we are able to turn our eyes to those around us.

The tow truck came because their service was paid for, but God's help is completely free. When he called the monastery and was told by the brother not to worry, that it was no big deal, the words came as a healing balm.  God is always saying, "It's me, do not be afraid, I am with you." He will come to us in the guise of our neighbor's help.  The sharing and good deeds that we do are the ways God uses to bring  help to those in need--and all gratis. A good thought to keep in mind during this Advent Season.

Gaudium Sunday

"There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens." With these well-known words from Ecclesiastes, the Catholic Times' columnist, in the View from the Ark, begins his reflections on Mark 1:15 where the apostle speaks of a time of fulfillment. 

In nature, we see the cyclic fulfillment life and 'death' of plant life, as apparent loss is replaced each year with yet another return of vibrant life. In our churches, four candles are placed before the altar, to be lit one at a time until Christmas, then removed and  returned next year at the same time. A baby is in the mother's womb for 10 months (according to the Korean calendar), and the baby chick hatches after about 20 days. Everything has its time.

There is a time for quiet moments and a time for growth. Trees and grasses, animals and insects--all have a time for growth and maturation, and when the time comes, they pass from the scene; in the same way humans are born, grow and die. But it is only humans that want to shake off this allotted time and pace of life. 

When our ancestors wanted to enjoy a faster life, no matter how fast they wanted to go or to test their strength, there was a limit. We have overcome these problems with speed. We began with the bicycle, and have progressed to airplanes that travel at supersonic speeds. What we were not able to do in a lifetime, we can now do in one day. We have exceeded our greatest imaginings, the columnist points out, but have we become happier or more fulfilled?

Vegetables and fruits no longer know their seasons, and are seen in the markets all year long. With the application of fertilizers and growth hormones, they grow quicker and bigger. Since we prefer not to wait for them to mature naturally, we use heat and chemicals to speed their growth. Isn't this similar to the manufactured goods that come out of our industrial complexes? the columnist asks. And are we not misusing our natural resources simply to satisfy selfish desires, and in the process polluting our environment and short changing those who will come after us?

Moreover, aren't these products more expensive, with its tendency to foster consumer discrimination, separating us into different classes? When we ignore or interfere, he says, with the natural way of what exists, dissatisfaction with what exists is sure to follow.

City life is often cited as a breeding ground for this type of dissatisfaction; those who seem to enjoy city life the most are the sightseers. All the others seem to be in a big hurry. Since our life has become more comfortable, why are we in such a hurry? the columnist asks. It is not that we need to speed things up to get what is required. We seem to have forgotten what the natural rhythm of life feels like. To get back in tune with the natural way, it may be helpful, he suggests, to remember the saying: When one wants to go quickly, go alone. When one wants to go far, go with others.

Though a fast moving life is one of our modern attributes, how can we in this fast moving life see those who are hurrying along with us, or are behind us? We have no time to see who is hurting or falling behind, who is cold or in need of help.

In this kind of society, dissatisfaction and discrimination are bound to increase, fostering loneliness. And this lifestyle will lead to suffering not only for those afflicted with this tendency, but also for those they come in contact with.

During this season of Advent, let us remember to attend to the pace of our life, so that we can follow a more natural rhythm and not one imposed from without, and in this way find more satisfaction and joy in life.  When we see others who are struggling along the way, extend a helping hand and be prepared to meet Jesus and be filled with joy. The Church wants to remind us, this third week of Advent, Gaudium Sunday, that we are  meant to find joy in life despite the difficulties.

Almsgiving Giving Sunday

“I invite all the institutions of the world, and the Church--each of us together as one single human family--to give a voice to all of those who suffer silently from hunger so that this voice becomes a roar which can shake the world.” This appeal from Pope Francis was intended to support Caritas International's campaign against hunger, which will begin with prayer  on the South Pacific island of Samoa. and from there head west across the world.

Both Catholic papers, with editorials and articles, remind readers that one of eight persons in the world does not have sufficient food to eat, reminding us also that having enough to sustain oneself with food is a human right. The bishops of Korea, since 1984, have selected the third Sunday of Advent as Almsgiving Day to remember the hungry poor.

One editorial points out that in the Church's history, as a sign of penance, along with prayer and fasting, almsgiving was an important element, and a good and practical way of helping those in need. Like all of society, during this time of year the Church needs to show concern for the needy. There are many who need a helping hand in our Korean society, and we should be concerned enough to find them, said one of the bishops in his message for Sunday.

In one of the articles the columnist mentions that many have given goods to help others but mentions that Korea is still at the neophyte stage of giving. She mentions the Charities Aid Foundation which compiles a world-giving index, and Korea does not make the top twenty, while the Philippines, Indonesia and Sri Lanka did make the list of the top  20.  In Korea, 70 percent of the help given to the poor comes from large companies. The criterion for the ranking is donating money to an organization, volunteering  time or helping  a stranger at least once a month.

Not quite 30 percent of the population have given donations, with some of it in the form of gifts, as a gesture of condolence or in celebration, or as a religious offering. The columnist quotes from the 8th article of the Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity of the Second Vatican Council, which says we have the duty and privilege to help those in need. It is not a matter of how much but of participating.

She mentions that during vacation time in Seoul, according to the media, there are 50,000 children who are not receiving school lunches and  are not eating their regular meals. There are also those who have to live without heat. All of which should remind us, the columnist points out, that Korea is now one of the economic giants on the world stage, and yet there are those who are not benefiting from the wealth the country enjoys.

It is interesting to note that the determining factor motivating those who give, according to the Charities Aid Foundation, is the happiness they experience when giving rather than the wealth they possess.  Whether this is another example of the chicken and egg riddle, this fact is clear: the two are often found existing comfortably together.