"When you lose the capacity to dream, then you lose the capacity to love." These words are a quote from Pope Francis during a talk he gave on the family. In an article in the Peace Weekly, the columnist laments the loss of dreaming among the young.
When you want something and the possibility is there to achieve what one desires but no dream, we have an unhealthy society. Meeting a young person with dreams is not easy. The columnist has asked many young people about their dreams and the response is: "I don't know." "I don't have one."
Our education system is set up as a preparation for the next step in education: middle school preparation for high school and high school for college. He mentions asking a class what their dream was for the future and the same answer came back but one student answered with a low voice: "teacher". The student sitting behind him patted him on the back and said: "Hey you bloke, have you forgotten that you are not good in studies?"
From the last years of the 1990s, teachers, and civil servants are considered good occupations. Only a little raise in the salaries but a guaranteed lifestyle has made them popular.
We are persons who exist to dream. When we feel a lack of something and have a strong desire to attain it, we have a dream. It makes us want to live and enjoy life. Living in a society with grownups we are helped to have dreams. In our society, unless a student has outstanding marks the possibility of being a teacher is impossible and the competition is great.
Without dreams life becomes hell. Is this not the reason for suicides and the desire not to have children? What is the Church to do in this kind of society? What needs to be done if we are to be a light and the salt of the earth? Even though the solution may be beyond our control, we need to work to change the environment in which we live. What can be done?
In one of the diocese, they have decided to build a lighthouse and center for migrants living in Korea. It will be set aside for the migrants in Korea as a gift. They have come to Korea for economic reasons and the church wants to give them a sense of worth by this splendid building for their use.
The Seoul Diocese also wanting workers to dream, has a goal to examine the working conditions of workers and their needs, and work to realize this in their advocacy for concrete programs in the diocese to bring this about.
It is important to work to overcome the ways of the world but more important is to live our lives correctly. We need to work for a society in which all the members can dream.
These days many find themselves busy. One of the first words uttered in a telephone conversation: "You must be very busy" as they begin talking. A university professor dares to show us the difference between busyness and chaotic living in his Catholic Times' column.
What does it mean to be busy? The numbers of those who think they are busy aren't as large as one would think, but rather many are living a chaotic lifestyle. They say they are busy but examining the life one comes away with a different understanding.
With a chaotic way of living making a promise to meet someone is not difficult but when the time arrives the conversation is disordered, and difficult to stay concentrated. During the conversation when the smartphone rings, quickly receiving consent with a facial expression, one begins talking. After finishing talking they return to the partner in conversation and ask: "Where were we in our discussion?" In conclusion, they met to talk about an issue but now put it off to another time in the future when they will be less busy.
On the other hand, those who are really busy, selecting a date is not easy, but once a date is agreed upon, the allotted time is used to accomplish all that was envisioned peacefully, with no rushing as if the person involved had nothing else to do, and not disturbed by the ringing of the smartphone (very likely on silent). Busy people respect the preciousness of time of those with whom they are talking as important as their own time.
Where is the difference in the busy person's time and the other? It will depend on what a person considers the center of his life. Whether it is his own needs which determine the priority or whether it is the needs of the situation in which persons find themselves. This will determine whether the person is busy or living a disordered life.
What are the results of a chaotic life? There are many signs but our columnist sees the lack of focus on what is present as the most important sign. An example would be when the need to be attentive to what is being done the person is playing around with the smartphone, or during Mass receiving or sending text messages or not listening to the person with whom one is speaking and the like.
We are under the compulsive obsession that we need to be busy. It's a good impression society wants us to convey for it makes us feel we are accomplishing something. But if the life we lead is not busy but chaotic, we are not only tiring ourselves but fatiguing those with whom we are relating.
He concludes his article by asking himself is he truly busy or living a chaotic life? And ends with a prayer: "May this be not a chaotic day, but may the time that is given to me today be used wisely so that it will be truly a busy day."
Both
Catholic Weeklies had first-page articles and editorials on the anti-missile
system decided for South Korea in cooperation with the United States. Not
only are many of the citizens opposed but the neighboring countries also.
Presidents of the Commissions for Reconciliation and for Justice and Peace of
the Catholic Church reject the military escalation and stress that peace comes
through dialogue and economic development in North and South Korea. They fear
it will make the Korean peninsula, “the center of a new cold war” and increase
the situation that Pope Francis has described as “ a Third World war being
fought in pieces.”
According to the government, this is for the security of the citizens but why
from the very beginning do we have such an uproar from the people? When we have
an issue dealing with the citizens' security and issues that concern them
directly, there is a need to gather with the citizens wisdom and to come to
a consensus. What the editorial sees as a possibility is a return to the cold
war days and the escalation of armaments.
The Church is opposed to all acts that break the possibility of peace.
Self-protection is understood but when this is surpassed and we have the
amassing of munitions this militates against security and peace. "There is
a common belief that under modern conditions peace cannot be assured
except on the basis of an equal balance of armaments and that this factor is
the probable cause of this stockpiling of armaments" (Peace on earth
#110).
“Peace is not merely the absence of war; nor can it be reduced solely to the
maintenance of a balance of power between enemies” (Gaudium et Spes #78). The
Church is opposed because peace is not achieved with the might of arms but
established on a foundation of justice and works of love.
One editorial mentions that it is not the increase of armaments on the
peninsula that will overcome the nuclear threat and we need to rid
ourselves of this illusion. Buildup of armaments will only bring more
stress and be of no help in bringing peace to North East Asia. What we need now
is not a missile defense system but communication and cooperation between the
North and South. We Christians need to pray for this reality to come quickly.
The bishops also cite Pope Francis’s speech at the Blue House (South Korea’s
presidential palace), during his visit to South Korea in 2014. On that
occasion, the pope said that “diplomacy, as the art of the possible, is
based on the firm and persevering conviction that peace can be won through
quiet listening and dialogue, rather than by mutual recriminations, fruitless
criticisms and displays of force. ”For this reason, the Catholic Church wants
South Korean authorities to stop THAAD and Pyongyang to halt its nuclear
enrichment projects. In fact, competition and military escalation carry
"dangers for humanity” and cause “economic suffering among the poor."
What the bishops want is a way to make Korea a nation of reconciliation and
life in cooperation instead of a place of clashing states.
Catholic Times of Korea recently, with a Catholic publishing company in China, had a symposium in which they discussed the role of Korea in the evangelization of Asia. Pope Francis in his trip to Korea in 2014 asked the Korea Church to take a lead in this project and again in the gathering of the young people he made the same request.
Catholicism in Korea has grown rapidly and it is now time to share this gift with the rest of Asia.The two publishing companies in the symposium discussed the methods, problems, and the reality of the situation. The recent edition of the Times wrote up the results of the symposium for the readers.
63 percent of the world's population lives in Asia. China and India have over one billion population each, and seven other countries with over 100 million are in Asia. The Catholic population of Asia is 140 million which is 3% of the total and if we subtract the Philippines we have only 1% of the population Catholic. If we look at East Asia we have 20% of the gross domestic product of the world and 25% of the population.
However, looking at the area from another angle we have over 900 million who live in dire poverty. For these people, the Gospel is to eat. In Asia, we have many areas where the freedom of religion is not respected and in certain areas the inability even to ascertain the human rights' condition of the citizens. The task for the Church involves many difficulties and the carrying of the cross and yet it is a vineyard that can't be ignored. Pope Francis has expressed his wish to visit China, in his trip to Korea, flying over Chinese air space.
The presentation by the Chinese representative showed the many difficult implications of the task. Use is made of the Internet with conscience and in a public way to transfer information. Using the press, books, magazines the usual mass media is nearly impossible, but the internet does allow the opportunity to meet Christians and unbelievers.
Since the social revolution of 1949, religion is controlled by the 'three self-policies': self-governing, self-propagating and recruiting, in a word, no outside control of the church. With this proviso, they understand freedom of religion. This includes the appointment of bishops with no outside interference, even though there has been approval of some of the appointments by Rome.
The conclusion of the article makes clear that one of the ways of evangelization and spreading of religious knowledge in China is by means of the Internet. This is the way the light of the Gospel can be circulated in China. The Korean Church has to endure this cross in spreading the teaching of Christ in the present reality.
A
desert is a desert because of lack of water. In a bulletin for
pastoral workers the writer speaks about a traveler in the desert who
was suffering from thirst and comes upon an oasis.
On
the spot was a pump with a bucket full of priming water and a sign:
"If you drink this priming water you will forever fail to drink the
water of the well. [Priming water was the water that was needed in the
old pumps to create a vacuum and draw the water up for use] Take the
water and pour it into the pump, you will have drinking water, water to
wash yourself and your clothes, and before you leave fill the priming
bucket with water for the next person."
The
traveler was faced with the dilemma since he was dying of thirst. If he
drank the water he would save himself. However, if he used the water as
primer and it did not draw up water from the well he would die of
thirst. If the priming did bring up the water he would be able to use
water to his heart content.
Filled
with worry he poured the water into the pump. At first no water and he
kept on pumping furiously, and after a feeling of despair the water
began to flow and he was at peace, He filled the bucket with water and
went on his way.
We
are told in the Gospels that we can do wonderful things with the gift
of faith even if it is no bigger than a small mustard seed. Too often
the culture influences us more than the gift of faith and tarnishes all
that we do.
The
gift of faith for the writer, is like the priming water of the old
fashion pumps of days gone by. We need to trust that when we pour the water into the pump and begin to pump furiously we will be
rewarded. [Living the faith life]
Each
day we wake up to a new reality. Different from the day before. We sing a new song, born again to a new day. Having these
thoughts is what our faith life gives us. The new day will
brings new possibilities, new deterrents, old problems remain, but we
believe and hope that doing what we are missioned to do, all things will
work together for the good.
Life of a Christian is to trust in what we have been given, the gift of faith. Like priming water it will bring
us an over abundance of what God wants to give, but are required
to want and do what will enable us to receive what God always gives. "I am the servant of the Lord" is our daily confession. Daily we
become the priming water and trust in God's abundance.
In both Catholic papers we have book reviews of Monsignor Sim Sang-tae's Theology of Inculturation of the Korean Church. [Inculturation is the term used in Catholicism to denote an encounter between the Christian Gospel and a particular culture] Monsignor is the Director of the Research Institute for Korean Christian Thought, and a seminary professor.
While
preparing for the diaconate in Munster Germany in 1970, and on a
retreat at a monastery in the outskirts of the city where the abbot of
the monastery happened to be Asian: he asked about issues facing the church in Asia, and was quickly answered: What is 禪? This is the
Chinese Character for Seon the Korean variant for Zen.
He, the priest, was a Korean who knew little of his own history and spirituality.
Knew little of his ancestors, and had little interest in their way of
life but knew the thinking in the Middle Ages of Europe. No
knowledge of the Buddhist ascetic practices, and decided from that moment
on to make inculturation his life study.
Christians
need not only believe, pray together but to live what we believe.
And to remember we are influenced by Confucianism, Buddhism Taoism
and other cultures. Book contains: Church's teaching, and the concept
of inculturation; direction of inculturation; road taken and the present
reality of inculturation; study of different areas of inculturation.
He
mentions when persons are interested in becoming Catholic it is
important to show from where they are coming, and the relationship to Catholicism. Similarities and differences will make a person's faith life more
comprehensive and active.
Monsignor
sees the Korean Church as narrow minded and exclusive as the pre-Vatican II Church of the West. He thinks the Church is more Roman
than the Roman Church which he hears as a criticism of the present
church, and warns of the results. We still depend on books
of theology translated from the West and are not open to discussing the
Korean way of thinking, the structures and concepts and influence of
the main religions of Korea on the thinking of Koreans. With
this understanding we can come to a greater knowledge and depth of Jesus' teachings and behavior.
If
we don't leave this thinking of the West in its world view,
manner of life, and ways of evangelization we will never get far in our
task of evangelizing Asia. We need a new ardor, new methods, new
expressions from the ways of the West.
If
we are not to follow in the footsteps of the West we have to find ways
to experience what we believe,and to change to a spirituality proper to
out mental make up, and this is what inculturation wants to do.
Let's live the simple lifestyle. "If you have anything to throw away bring it to the country, and we will find a use." An article in the Catholic Times is captioned: "Revolt against the fanning of consumption--'Throwaway Culture' needs to go."
The sale of books on how to live the simple life, continues to increase and this year in the first three month, we have 13 times more books sold than the previous year. A Japanese book on ten minimalists: "I want to live in room without anything" translated into Korean, is a good example of the trend.
We can see this expanding on SNS with information passed on and received by those who want to simplify their lives. The article goes on to mention this is not a recent phenomenon but goes back to the sixties in Japan and the United States. After the Second World War, many saw the barbarity of our civilization, and began to shun the unnatural and artificial. People have always followed the natural and a life of non possession, and it appears again.
In
2011 with the earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, many precious
items suddenly disappeared. Water was transformed into a
murderous weapon, changing the thinking of many on the value of goods and
their possession.
This attachment to material goods is also seen in Korea. With its quick economic growth, Korea was engulfed within the whirlpool of extreme competition, materialism and consumerism, accompanied with ostentation, bringing fatigue in its wake. A person's personal improvement, healing and mentoring, etc. did not permit the pursuit of a splendid lifestyle, and price required. Problems with continual progress, and the stagnant economy had something to do with the change of thinking. Problems with environment and new ecological understanding also played a part.
Opposition to spending was in the current context of resistance to the consumerism of capitalism. In the West, it was not only their ideology but a result of practice. France has the 'Vide Grenier', (cleaning out the attic) which in English would be a flea market sale. For the last ten years, the number of sales and people attending continue to increase. The press calls this a fight against waste. Economic crisis is involved but more so the lack of virtue and the superficiality of capitalism; minimalists are determined to not thoughtlessly be taken in by words. In France the key words, according to the writer, are organic, just trade, togetherness, and second hand.
'Planned obsolescence' is a phrase, an open secret, where products are made to wear out. This is the phrase used to criticize the way many businesses operate.
He
finishes the article with quotes from Laudatio Si. "This task [social and ecological awareness] will
make such tremendous demands that (we) could never achieve it by
individual initiative or even by the united effort of men bred in an
individualistic way... The ecological conversion needed to bring about
lasting change is also a community conversion."
