Seeing Life In A New Way

The daily newspaper had a story about Youn Seuk-in, a religious sister who developed infantile rheumatism at the age of 13, when all cartilages atrophied, and she became paralyzed.

She is the first severely paralyzed person in the history of the Catholic Church to become a professed nun. She is now the director of a home for handicapped women.

In addition to her directorial duties, Sister Youn is an artist. She paints by holding the brush in hands severely crippled. She says: "It is the care of my family, those who have taught me and accepted me that I am alive today." The family, with 5 children, neither rich nor poor, lived together harmoniously.

Until she was diagnosed with chronic rheumatism at the age of 13, she dreamed of being a nurse and living a normal life. Gradually, all she could do was lie on the floor. Her father prepared a place for her with books, and they became her constant companions. She read the complete works of Shakespeare and much philosophy.

She asked her brothers and sisters in the beginning to explain difficult passages until the day came when this was no longer necessary . The interviewer was surprised by her skillful use of words and by the depth of her thinking: you would never think she was a grammar school dropout.

This life with books, however, did not satisfy her, and thoughts of suicide came frequently. It was at this time that she came across the book by Cardinal Gibbons, "Faith of Our Fathers." She had no religion but reading this book started her thinking about God.

She finally asked her mother if she could go to church. They found a Church in the area, she started taking a correspondence course and was soon baptized with the name Bona. But the correspondence course was not the answer to what she was looking for. In the desire to get rid of an unfulfilled feeling, she started going to Church regularly. She was taken to different places by members of the parish, like museums and picnics, and started to paint again. She was told she was an inspiration to many. People seeing her paint gained strength to face their own problems, which seemed trivial in comparison, Even a priest asked her to pray for him. Finally, seeing how so many others were helped by her example, Bona could step out of the darkness that had followed her most of her life.

It was then that she visited a home for the handicapped where the priest asked her if she was interested in becoming a nun. The priest wanted to start a religious order that would accept the healthy and the handicapped, and when he finally received permission from the Cardinal of Seoul, Bona was among the first to enter the community. When her family saw her in a nun's habit, they all started to cry. It had been a long journey, for all of them.

She sees her life now as a blessing: "I can move my arms, can grasp a spoon and eat, can remove my hair from the front of my brow.... I can turn to one side for 5 minutes and lie on my face for 5 minutes. I can bend my back at a 45 degree angle-- it's all a blessing."

Few Are The Blessings that Can't Be Abused

A writer commenting on the Feast of the Ascension, which is also World Communication Sunday, begins with a story from Africa. In the forests is a dazzlingly beautiful but poisonous snake. The small animals, mesmerized by its wonderful colors, come close and are grasped and eaten by the snake. In the forest of civilization what snakes are there to enchant us?

There are many, we are told, and he goes on to introduce us to a man whose marriage of just over two years is on the verge of falling apart. Conversation has diminished and arguments are more frequent. The reason? TV, the computer, and a host of other addictive electronic marvels of communication that are taking up more of his time and reducing the time available for his wife. She wants to talk when he comes home from work but has to compete with the ball game for his attention. And while watching the game, he only half listens until it becomes so habitual he hardly notices he's not paying attention to her.

This way of living was not new to him; it preceded his marriage by many years. He walked with ear phones, connected to the internet with ear phones while driving, and was always in front of the TV. He found no satisfaction in books, socialized less frequently, and attendance at Church was no longer a part of his life.

In earlier years children would read fairy tales and books about great people. These books gave the children ideals to imitate and many were greatly influenced by them. Now, electronic and video games provide the stimulation, often leading to addictive behaviors so that we are less prone to read or think creatively.

This lifestyle tends to foster alienation, individualism, and an unhealthy life.

The writer finishes his article by noting the many benefits of modern day communication. The good that can come from cyberspace and audio-visual media is too great to even attempt to list. In the providence of God, we were led to discover this medium to advance the common good. The Church on Communication Sunday makes a special appeal to us to use well our newspapers, magazines, the internet, TV, radio, etc., so as to live life more fully. Those who are working in these areas should also do their part in achieving this common goal. But in the end, it will depend on us, on how disciplined and conscientious we are, whether they are being used wisely or not.

A Good Samaritan in a Buddhist Way

Most of us during life's journey have periods when not all goes well. A columnist in the Catholic Times has entered one of these periods and is working with a remedy that she remembers from a Buddhist story.

A person who was adrift and with no possessions went to see Sakyamuni. He was told to follow the 7 ways of giving and when they became a part of his life, things would change.

The columnist had no problem with the first six but with the seventh she had no confidence. It was difficult for her to ask a person what he or she wanted and doing it. And to go a bit further and anticipate the needs of another was just too much for her to manage.

She mentions a humorous story from the world of Islam. A woman with an ugly face asked her husband on the first night of marriage whether she should remain veiled in front of the other members of the family. The husband hesitating, answered keep your face veiled for me; with the other members of the family do what you want.

She goes on to mention that the husband, if he had been sensitive to her feelings, should have said that she should decide when to keep herself veiled or unveiled. She should have the freedom to take account of the place and time and do what she felt comfortable doing. By behaving in this way, the husband and the wife would be anticipating each other's needs.

The column concludes by describing an incident that began when she received a phone call from a friend who had a problem she wanted to discuss. Having a great many things to do, she found the interruption annoying, but made plans anyway to meet her and provide some help she had arranged. The friend, in turn and completely unexpectedly, also gave her material that she later found useful in doing her work. Here was an experience in which both easily fulfilled the last and seemingly most difficult of the 7 ways of giving--they both anticipated each other's needs. Shangri-La is not always that far away or difficult to find.

Did Christianity Destroy Eros?

Our understanding of sexuality, both in the West and in Korea, has many of the same misunderstandings. Did Christianity really destroy Eros? This is the way the interviewer began the interview with the director of the Catholic Family Academy. The director recently translated "Called to Love," a book based on Pope John Paul's Theology of the Body. Benedict XVI has answered the question with a strong No.

In the interview, the director quotes from the teaching of Pope John Paul and says the body was made in the image of God. This is not precise, but understood when we hear: "The human person, created in the image of God, is a being at once corporeal and spiritual."(CCC # 362). "The human body shares in the dignity of "the image of God".... (CCC # 364 ) Theology of the Body enables us to see positively our bodies in their nature and dignity, which clearly lays the foundation for happiness in married life. With this understanding, we are thankfully beginning to see a change in the way we see the body.


In the "Theology of the Body," Spirit and the Flesh are brought together as integral parts of a cooperative whole; they are seen as ultimately one.

It is true that the Church, in its teaching on sexual morality, has overly emphasized the aspect of procreation, belittled the body, and tended to see the potential misuse of anything connected with sex, causing much confusion. However, the sexual relationship has been a blessing from the beginning, and was made a sacrament by the Church. The Pope's Theology of the Body has shed some needed light on how we in the Church should view the body and sexuality in leading a life of holiness, as well as providing insights for those outside the Church, who desire a better understanding of this important aspect of life.

Puritanism and Manicheanism have influenced much of the teaching on sexuality in the West, and the Church's teaching has not always been clear. However, the truths are very clear. The body is good and will receive its reward. The soul is not all that will be raised from the dead; the resurrection of the body is also part of Catholic teaching. And it is well to remember that marriage is a sacrament; the sexual act a holy act. This is the teaching and for these truths, we should be grateful.

Let's Respect All Forms of Life

A member of the Seoul Diocese Committee for Life in an essay about the need to respect life in all its forms begins by telling us that, although all realize that human life has to be respected, few are concerned with the other forms of life.

Life always depends on another life, he reminds us. If this mutuality is tangled or broken, all are negatively affected.

Humans have to be concerned with the foundation of life, which is nature, and we have to protect it. In the Book of Changes, we are told: "The disposition of all creation is to realize and advance life, the work of morality is the continuance of this life." Since humans live at the expense of other life, humans should take this into consideration by accepting some loss and sacrifice in protecting other life forms.

We should do all we can to foster and refrain from harming life. Since life in all its forms was created by God, the sanctity of life is present in all its forms. In Korea, we often see depicted the love of nature and experience the happiness it can give. And if we are quiet and attentive enough, we may hear the joyfulness that lies at the heart of nature. A simple walk in the woods will do or gazing at landscape paintings--oriental art, especially, is imbued with life.

Koreans seem naturally to have this attunement with nature. Ancestors, poor as they were in the cold of winter, fitted the ox with straw matting to keep the animal warm, and fed him with boiled fodder; prepared food for the magpies and even were concerned for the small insects.
This sensitivity and love for nature are reflected in their folklore and language. Before Western influences, Koreans saw themselves as part of nature, influenced by Shamanism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Christianity should reinforce this love, but being a relative newcomer to Korea, Christianity had to compete with another newcomer: the technology and progress of the west--its influence on Koean culture has been enormous. Few countries have come so far economically in so few years.

However, it will be a mixed blessing if, in the pursuit of economic progress, we forget a more important concern: the sanctity of life. The writer of the essay tells us that when we experience the beauty of life, and have a creative attitude towards life's meaning we will be able to inspire others to have the same respect towards all life.

Lack of Doctors and the Culture of Life

One of a series of articles on the culture of life in Korea linked the lack of doctors as a problem. The article in the Catholic Peace Weekly by a professor emeritus had some interesting facts to relate.

In recent years there have been frequent law suits for operating on the wrong organs, mixing up medical charts and prescriptions, and operating with contaminated instruments. Increasingly, families of the patients are going to the press with these complaints.

In Seoul the hospitals connected with universities have the best reputations, and it is not uncommon to have over 300 outpatients examined by a doctor in one day. Doctors are too busy, overworked and constantly tired. In comparison to other developed countries, the number of doctors in Korea is small: 1.7 doctors per 1,000 population. The average, according to the OECD ( Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is 3.1 per 1,000. The ratio in the U.S., which continues to import doctors, is 2.4 per 1,000. Korean doctors examine 4.6 times more patients than the average in the U.S. and in comparison to Sweden it is 8.8 times more.

The professor lists 4 problems that highlight the areas needing correction:

1) Doctors are overworked (as the above figures show), find it difficult to treat the sick in a kindly manner, and often fail to give them a satisfactory medical explanation for their condition. Doctors do not have time to keep up with the newest medical knowledge. All of which ultimately affects the doctor's health and the patient's dignity suffers.

2) The supply of doctors does not keep pace with the need; popular areas of medicine do better.

3) With the population generally living longer, there will be a demand for more doctors--Korea has one of the highest rates of ageing of all countries.

4) A report, published each year from 1983-2004, states that during any one year if those who were sick were given proper medical care, lives would have been extended --number of doctors is not unrelated to this assessment.

That the Korean Church has made the lack of doctors a part of the culture of life movement is an interesting fact. Abortion is still the number one issue, but the Church also sees it as relating to a much larger issue where life itself does not receive the respect it should. The professor would like to see the government take an interest in this matter.

Hand Phone and the New World We Make

At the Incheon Catholic University of Plastic Arts a student showed a portfolio to a teacher. Human bodies were pictured with chains; one body with drooping shoulders and head bowed had the tag Homo-telephonic.

Poking fun at our newest addiction, the cell phone and its many variations, has become comic material. Perhaps a good indication of how many are beginning to perceive this ever present new reality.

The teacher agrees that the cell phone has become the alter ego for the younger generation. The phone seems inseparable from the person. Leaving home without the phone is almost unthinkable--there would be no phone numbers, no certainty about appointments, no messages to receive, and no friends to contact.

However, that's not likely to happen. Cell phones are everywhere--in subways, in buses and on sidewalks. In our individualistic society, we are getting accustomed to making contact in virtual communities. We feel more comfortable moving about in these virtual communities than we do in real communities. The teacher feels that the desire of many to be in almost constant communication comes from a sense of loneliness, arising from a lack of peace and security from within themselves.

The cell phone hugged close to the ear and mouth is the new image of the young. To become more human, the teacher recommends leaving the phone home and replacing it with more face to face contact.

In Korea, as in most developed countries, people consider the cell phone a necessity. It is convenient, you can contact and be contacted at any time, and it provides a feeling of security in case of emergencies. Even with the sense of privacy that comes with owning your own personal phone, you feel you are never really alone--as long as you can dial someone's phone number.

For Luddites or neo-Luddites ( those opposed to industrialization and new technologies), life can become more difficult. Here in Korea, and in other countries as well, the convenience of public telephone booths to make a phone call is no longer an option for those without cell phones. Once an innovation is replaced by another considered better, those not willing to change with the changes in society will find it more difficult to function as well as they had before the changes. Though some might regret the changes, change is inevitable and no doubt will win out in the end.