Is sex a sport, a game, a leisure-time activity? According to a recent news article, this is the message now being received by our children--in music videos, at pop concerts, in pervasive media coverage of the personal, primarily sexual, lives of celebrities.

Children most at risk have working parents who are not able to give their children the attention they need. When midterm exams are over and  parents are at work, surfing the web for porn and throwing sex parties in the homes become popular pastimes. The current view of sex of many young people can perhaps be best appreciated, the article points out, by the answer of a young girl when asked what sex means to her. "It's good for the complexion," she said. With this frivolous understanding of sex--not too surprising considering the widespread debasing of sex in our society--it is only natural that our children are eager for their first sexual experience.

While many observers interested in cultural matters have noted this growing irresponsible sexual activity among the young, teachers in many of the youth centers in Korea  have often expressed astonishment at the behavior of young people, primarily because of the coarseness of their language and their shallow, reckless understanding of sex. These same observers single out the music video industry as deserving a big part of the blame.

In one popular music video, a young girl meets a man at a night club and then goes to a motel with him. On the way there, the camera focuses on the girl, who looks directly into the camera with a quizzical look in her eyes, as the video ends. Why is the girl looking directly at the viewers? When adults are asked this question, the writer of the article reports that it take them about 30 minutes to come up with the right answer, high-school students 10 minutes, and grammar school children 1 minute. The correct answer?  "Do what I am doing."

The grammar school children, the writer goes on to say, are so accustomed to seeing porn on the internet the answer was obvious to them. In many cases the actresses will gaze into the  camera repeatedly, in effect inviting the viewer, with its subliminal message: "Do what I am doing. you have no idea how great this is."

Some music videos are so sexually explicit a grammar school student of years past would probably not have been capable of imagining its content, nor would many even have been interested; that is clearly no longer the case.Today's grammar school children have knowledge of areas of life that should not be a part of their education. Sadly, this is the way society is programing our young. Unless society takes steps to address this ominous trend, we are likely to see greater harm inflicted on our children. And what price will society have to pay in the future, we need to ask ourselves, for allowing this rampant permissiveness to continue?
 

Forming Small Christian Communities

Every pastoral worker involved with "'small Christian communities" has a different understanding of this new concept in evangelization, says a priest just days after completing a workshop on the subject. Reflecting on that experience in a recent bulletin for priests, he explains the confusion over the precise nature of these communities as stemming from the words themselves; they tell us little of what these communities do. To fill the gaps in our knowledge, he suggests that we see these communities in the same way as we see normal families. In the beginning, children are completely dependent on the parents. Gradually the children begin to enjoy some freedom, which soon takes them into a position of equality, until, finally, the parents are receiving help from the children.

The priest feels this way of seeing the close relationship of clergy and laity, as it is most clearly experienced in these small communities, is more Gospel-oriented than the pastor and sheep analogy, with clergy prominently in the center. Even calling the priest 'Father,' he says, gives an inkling of what the beginning state of these communities should be.

For our writer, the more he thinks about these communities the more convinced he is of their importance, particularly in the evangelizing process; their contribution in furthering this work, he says, can be enormously valuable. Focusing  his attention on the laity--they make up the greater part of God's people--he points out that lay people are constrained to live the Gospel-life where they are, in whatever role in life they find themselves.  If the pastoral worker sees the laity as a partner, then he will have, the priest says, the right approach to the small communities.

The pastoral work of these communities has to begin from below, with the laity, and be self-starting; if not, the right understanding of the work will not be possible, he says, and the work will suffer. In many parts of South America and Africa, the small Christian community has shown it can be effective, no matter the difficulties faced, when a group of lay people, without the help of clergy, band together to accomplish their pastoral goals.

The priest, mindful that these communities often accomplish their goals without much public attention and respect, recalls that the doctor who generally gets the most attention and respect is the one who saves seriously ill persons from death. But a more wonderful doctor, he goes on to say, is the doctor who prevents the disease in the first place. Although his efforts are not as readily seen as they would be when attempting to cure disease, no one would have to think twice in deciding which doctor's approach is preferable. In the same way, we should become more aware of the troublesome issues now confronting the Church, before they turn into deep seated problems. This task can be ably handled by the small Christian communities, beginning by exposing some of the present problems faced by the Church and by taking steps to keep problems from recurring.

 

Pope Benedict XVl recently talking to the lay people said  the laity should be seen as truly "co-responsible" for the Church, and not just "collaborators" with the clergy. "Co-responsibility requires a change in mentality, particularly with regard to the role of the laity in the Church," the Holy Father said. This is pertinent  to what was said in forming Small Christian Communities.

Wrestling With the Problems in the World

Religion, and spirituality in general, continues to receive the respect of many Koreans, even though most have no religion and despite an increasingly secular lifestyle approaching that of the West.

Surveys over the years have consistently shown that Catholic clergy are very much respected and trusted for what has been described as their "authenticity" and "sincerity." They placed first in this category in surveys taken in 1970 through 2000; after 2000, respect for the  priesthood slid to 11th place overall, perhaps due to the increase in the number of priests. (Firemen came in first, nurses second, environmental workers third. ) However, within the field of religion priests still came in first.

Regarding the respect factor generated by organizations, the Catholic Church placed first, ahead of the Buddhists, and  Protestants.  A monthly bulletin for priests attributes the high rating to the involvement of the Church in past human rights issues.

In one survey that sought to determine the happiness index of workers from a variety of occupations, 100 in all, the priesthood placed 4th. Although the  priesthood is not considered an occupation by the Church, most people see it as a job just like any secular activity that receives remuneration. (Grammar school principals were first)

In 2006, a survey of 143 priests in a Korean diocese revealed that personal relationships among some priests were not ideal. Among fellow priests 37.1 percent were uncomfortable with the relationship, and 27.3 percent of them considered their relationship with the ordinary and bishop uncomfortable. It's the quality of the relationship with the bishop, according to the monthly bulletin, that will determine  to a great extent the spirit of the priest.

Although the Holy Spirit is active in the work of the Church, this does not guarantee that all priests will be in a trusting relationship with their bishop.

It's important to remember that the Church is not a place where clergy and laity are looking for ease and comfort or even looking for respect; nor is it an association of friends. It should be a place, the writer says, where we wrestle with the problems in the world, and work for peace. This is the work given to us as our core ministry by Jesus.

Forming a Healthy Society with the Proper Education

We have often heard that "Success breeds success; failure breeds failure."  Though generally accepted as true, one of the most admired teachers in my seminary years was the first rector who worked with a different standard. Instead of working with a student's strong points, he worked on eliminating his weaknesses.

Four years of Latin was once required before entering the seminary college. Those who lacked this requirement had to take a remedial program in Latin for a year before being accepted for full seminary study. The rector in charge of that preparatory year had devised his own remedial program, assigning tasks that would stimulate us to work on eliminating some of our weaknesses. 

Those who had difficulty getting up in the morning or being on time for class, he would put in charge of seeing that everyone got up in time and were ready for class; they would ring bells to mark the time for rising in the morning, putting lights out at night, and going to class.  Those who had difficulty reading became lectors in the refectory and chapel. Students who lacked confidence would be given work in the dispensary. During recreation you would be assigned to a different sport each day to learn the rudiments of the different sports, and to get a feel for teamwork, whether you were athletically inclined or not. The rector, with his hands-on approach, showed the depth of his interest in each one of us, which motivated us even more to do the best we were capable of.

Another rector of an alternative school in the Andong diocese, recounting in the Peace Weekly the return to school  of his students after summer vacation, explained there was sadness among the teachers because one of the students, Chong Su, did not return.  He had been absent from school before the vacation but made it known that he would return and be a better student. It is believed that his friends, who were either expelled from other schools or hated the regimen of studies and left, convinced him to join their vagabond lifestyle, and he couldn't resist.

In Korea, in 2010, over 30,000 students had been expelled from high school; 10 percent went on to study at an alternative school; the others probably ending up on the street. Most of these middle and high school dropouts are responsible for much of the crime in our society, according to news reports, and the Department of Education shows little interest in these disturbing statistics.

The Andong alternative school, which is connected with the Catholic University, has as its primary objective the preparation of students who can't for one reason or another function in other schools. Programs for hairdressing and cooking, among other practical pursuits, are offered in an ongoing attempt to find the aptitudes of their students so that natural abilities can be nurtured.

The article ends with the rector expressing hope that Chong Su will return to school. The problem, he says--and has been saying for the last six years--is a lack of love. Until this lack is supplied there will not be a change in the dropout rate.  There are no problem children, he says, only children who are not loved. And if we are concerned enough to pay attention to the problem, the dropouts themselves, he assures us, will be sending us the same message. Like the seminary rector, the rector of the alternative school is more interested in the needs of individual students than in a strict adherence to the curriculum or the needs of society. When the demands of society become the central concern of the educational program, the needs of many students are not satisfied.

In the long run, who suffers by this current state of affairs? Society or the individual? If we believe the news reports that school dropouts are responsible for most of the crime in our society, then the answer is clear: both suffer. To pit the needs of one against the needs of the other not only fails to grasp this simple fact, but puts the long-term health of society in jeopardy.

A Christian's Goal in Life

What is the goal of life? God, for the religious; for the nonreligious, living well. Although pursuing the material comforts of life is a tempting goal for many, the believer knows this will not bring true happiness. For a Christian, the direction of our life can be summed up by  the familiar words of Jesus in the Beatitudes. The columnist writing on spirituality for the Catholic Times says the secret to attaining happiness is to have the proper goal in life: living in harmony with God's will.

The proper goal for a Christian married couple should be, first and foremost, to live for the glory of God, and secondarily to save one's soul. In the same way, he says our students who often study hard primarily for personal success, should have as their primary goal the glory of God. This approach to life requires obedience to the will of God.

Faith needs obedience. Without obedience, says the columnist, we will have the temperament of migratory birds, and problems that are fundamentally spiritual will come to the surface. We can do well for a time with a fickle temperament, but then we flutter off to something else, when dissatisfied or in trouble.

Obedience  requires that we cease being migratory, that we be steadfast in our pursuit of our goal, while being open in our responsiveness in meeting the challenges of life. If we are restricted by our thinking, the columnist believes that the option of choosing among multiple possibilities will not be available to us.  God is always there  to fill us with his word; with his grace, he  is moving our minds and hearts in the right direction. Throughout  our life God continues to move us, whether through those we meet in life, or through the Scriptures, the lives of the saints, or our reading--both of books and of nature. We have no way of knowing the  many ways he speaks to us, so we have to be ready and open.

This is not an easy path for most of us; there are many things that militate against this openness to God and others. Those fixated on  yesterday will not be open to the dawning of a new day, or be open to the possibility of an ever-renewing self that is responsive to our neighbor and to whatever situation in life comes our way. We contemplate  yesterday only to learn about living today, striving each day to be more in harmony with the will of God. To insure that we stray as little as possible from our good intentions, it's helpful at the end of each day to reflect where discord made its appearance in our life, and take note of what can be improved to bring us more in harmony with the will of God.

A Natural Byproduct and Ultimate Gift

Why do you go to church? A straightforward, simple question that usually calls forth a similarly uncomplicated answer: to find peace of mind. Life is full of trials and difficulties, and for many of us trusting in Almighty God is the hoped-for  way to peace. However, it doesn't take long before we realize the Catholic way is different from what we expected. When nothing seems to change after baptism, and peace of mind doesn't come, we fall away. 

Seeking peace of mind is not the correct motivation for a religious life, says the Peace Weekly columnist in his column on happiness. Peace, he says, is the result of a faith-life lived well. It is not handed to us before starting on our life's journey. 


Jesus tells us clearly in Luke 12:51: "Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division." Jesus, judging exteriorly by the trials he endured, was without peace, a dying every day, to be reborn every day, until the last dying before the resurrection. Baptism  is  also a dying, which a person well-catechized understands, the columnist tells us, that begins our journey following Christ, a journey that demands endurance and patience. Peace is not the goal of this Christian journey; it is, instead, living a life of worship of God, a life of gratitude and praise. Put starkly and simply, the Christian's first responsibility is the worship of God, and secondly saving his or her soul.

"So then, let your light shine in the sight of men, so that they may see your good works, and may glorify your Father, who is in heaven" (Matt.5:16). Our life should be guided not by decisions that will bring us what the world prizes most, but by decisions that will bring more glory to God. Many Koreans believe, as do many Jews--following traditional beliefs--that a sign of God's favor is to receive five blessings: long life, wealth, children, a good name, and a peaceful death. Of what was considered important in life, the five blessings, Jesus didn't possess even one of them.


What is important is that God be the center of our lives. When we make ourselves the center, everything is turned upside down. Instead of making God the center, the temptation is to make our happiness and peace of mind of central importance, using God to enjoy creation when we should be using creation to enjoy God. The effort is unnecessary and destructive; God is always there to make us happy and bring  us peace.

Yes, peace is important but peace is not what we should be searching for. When we live a fully Christian life, peace is the natural byproduct. And the ultimate gift.

Importance of Reading

Though illiteracy has been mostly eliminated in Korea (ranking 23rd in the world with a literacy rate of 99.0) it has not led to increased "thinking power," says Anastasia, the young woman recently interviewed by the Catholic Times. Describing herself as a "reading coach," she claims that learning to read well is the easiest and most economical  way to strengthen our thinking powers, enabling us to solve many issues that may now seem too vexing and difficult to face.

Even though we are now living in an information-filled digital world, where reading is more important than ever before, many people do not read or don't read well; her life's mission, she says, is to change this reality by working with anyone who shows an interest--the young and the old, individually or in groups--instructing them on how to become better readers. And in the process, she teaches them how to create personal myths which can be useful in guiding their way through life.

She developed the program, she says, believing that our thinking powers have to develop so that we can help ourselves and others become more thoughtful, discriminating people. One such benefit would be an enhanced ability to discern the hidden messages, often masquerading  as objective news coverage, disseminated by an increasingly agenda-driven media.

We shouldn't be fooled into thinking, she says, that, because we are more agile in thinking rapidly, our thinking  has become less shallow.  Knowing how to use search engines, she says, is one thing, to have a contemplative appreciation of life is another,

When she was in college, teaching part-time, she soon became aware that many students were having difficulty expressing themselves in writing, which spurred her interest in teaching reading skills. She went on to graduate school to take courses not only in education but in psychological counseling in order to develop  her abilities as a reading coach. After graduating, she opened her own educational center and would like to be instrumental in developing a culture more open to reading. Recently she was given a prize from the government, acknowledging the contributions she has made in this field.

As a Catholic, she expresses her disappointment that her fellow believers are not as interested in reading as are members of the Protestant Churches, but is hopeful that Catholics will soon begin to share their interest in reading.  She feels that more informed reading, especially in the field of spirituality, would do much to make our Catholics grow in the faith.