Monday, December 31, 2012

Overcoming Misery in Life


The novel Les Miserables, written by Victor Hugo in 1862, has been very popular here in Korea over the years in movie, musical and TV drama versions. A young woman in the French department of Seoul University has written an article in the Catholic Times on her impressions of the novel.  She believes the reason for the story's power resides in Hugo's sympathetic treatment of  persons who are faced with wretched circumstances and yet are able to overcome their problems with determination, skill and and unbending belief.

The expression Les Miserables means the pitiful people. The novel recounts the lives of people who lack virtue, the lives of the poor, and the unfortunate. The portrayal, she says, is realistic and severe. But the misery and  wretchedness is not only described negatively but allows us to see how such circumstances can be  surmounted.

This is especially seen in the fate of the  main character, Jean Valjean, a convicted criminal who was released from prison. He was welcomed into the house of a bishop when all the others refused him shelter, and while in the house he stole the silverware. When he was arrested by the police, the bishop told them that it was his gift to Jean Valjean, which got him released. This was not enough to get him to change his life, however, but he did so after an incident that  happened  shortly after.

He stole a  coin from a child.This was the first time that his conscience gave him trouble and brought a  change in his life. He was able, said the writer, to achieve goodness through the evil that he experienced. Misery, pain, poverty, sin--all present in and maintained by society are what we have to continually strive to overcome. This is the driving force behind progress and in the process of overcoming these difficulties we become strong.

Although Victor Hugo was not  Catholic, says the writer, he rejected Catholic teachings and rituals but he served a God of love and mercy.To Hugo, God was justice and truth, mercy and law, and the God of love. The God of Les Miserables is not the all-knowing and almighty God who, in the minds of some, determines our fate and instils fear but he who  makes one surpass their will and actions by working toward an ideal. It is for this reason that Jean Vajean is seen as a Jesus  figure. Like Jesus--God  becoming  man--Jean Valjean in overcoming hardships, was man becoming God. He surpassed the bishop in his passive mercy for he went into the marketplace expressing mercy to those he met.

In 1789, with the beginning of the French Revolution, the curtain came down on an era in which  people entrusted everything to God. Now humanity accepts responsibility for making history and for deciding the future direction of society. In the second part of the book, after the June Revolt of 1832, this is made very clear as the the search for freedom and justice becomes the central focus of the story.

However, misery does not easily disappear. There is the cunning and evil innkeeper, the women who in order to live have to sell their bodies, the police office using force and unfair  laws to get his way, and the continual existence of poverty, misery and pain. And yet by facing these difficult circumstances with  positive values, humanity will end up the victor and  be directed to God.

Jean Valjean is Victor Hugo's ideal human. He lived justly, but to the very last moment of life he suffered and died lonely, embracing  and forgiving all. In Valjean, we can see the image of Jesus, of Prometheus who stole fire for humankind, and of Sisyphus who continues to roll the stone uphill, only to have it fall back to the bottom again,requiring still more effort to push it once more uphill, in a seemingly hopeless task. 




A question does arise for many after reading the book or seeing one of its many adaptations and wondering why was it on the list of forbidden books of the Catholic Church. To answer correctly such a question we have to locate ourselves in the times and the Europe in which the book was published. See what was happening in society and how the book would be received by the Catholics. Victor Hugo was brought up Catholic, kept his faith in God  but gradually lost all  sympathy for the Catholic Church. His view of life  in any event would have been in some way formed by what he grew up with even though in later years he was  turned off by what he saw and experienced in the Catholicism of his times.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Feast of the Holy Family


Today is the Feast of the Holy Family, and the editorial in the Peace Weekly stresses the  importance of family life, especially because of its influence on the health of our society. Starting on the 30th of December, a week will be set aside for reflections on the family and its sanctification.

The end of one year and the beginning of a new one means that everybody will be busy with many things. However, during this busy time we need to reflect on what a family is and how to make it a small domestic church. In his message for the Feast Day, the bishop responsible for overseeing the health of family life in the diocese says families are finding it difficult to withstand the distorted values of society, and the bonds of family are weakening. The role of parents in correcting the situation cannot be stressed enough, he said, and  noted that we should not pass over lightly the causes and solutions that are implied.

In these times, we have many young people who are hurting, because of the distorted values that have infiltrated family life. Pope John Paul saw the family  as the "intimate community of love." And yet there remains in many families selfish decisions, parents desiring satisfaction through their children, spouses demanding a one-way sacrifice of the other, lack of understanding, and the like, which makes for instability of the family. Today it is even difficult to find unconditional love in the family. Problems with the young are often caused by societal and educational difficulties, which are usually preceded to a great extent by the breakdown of family values.

The Church sees the family in a much deeper and spiritual way than does society. Parents are to love each other as Christ loved the Church. It is this example of love that all parents should have. Before  the desire for their children to enter a first-rate college and succeed in life, they should be concerned with having the Gospel values introduced to their children.

Mother's role in the family is central. All of us received our first feeding at our mother's bosom, and learned something about love and courage from our mothers. The mother's hands extending to the child should be like the extended hands of God. In this way, the child will grow in love.

Fathers should have the same trust and faith that Joesph had in God when Joseph took care of Jesus and his mother. The place of the father in the family is obviously of great importance. No matter how difficult the situation may turn out to be, he is responsible for the welfare of the family.

We are coming to the end of the year and the editorial hopes that every family will get together to talk about how they will become a holier family in the new year. 

 

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Something to Think About

Because the relationship between husband and wife is so close, it's not surprising that they can be easily hurt by the words they say to each other. The words that tend to cause hurt feelings depend, according to the priest-columnist of the Peace Weekly, on the biological differences between male and female. In his weekly column on happiness, he explores the effect of our gender differences on a couple's happiness.  Whether this is mostly myth is the reader's choice to make; it does make for interesting reading.

In the male, speech is controlled by the left hemisphere of the brain; in the female both the left and right hemisphere control speech. When the left hemisphere  of the brain in both the male and female is damaged, as sometimes happens in a violent accident, the male loses his ability to speak, the female does not.

From the time of creation God made man to speak 10,000 words a day while the woman was made to speak 25,000 words, says the columnist.  Let us suppose, says the columnist, that during the day both the husband and wife, at work or in the home, have spoken 10,000 words. Then that evening when they are together, let us also suppose that the husband doesn't want to talk anymore while the wife still has 15,000 words she wants to share with him. It's easy to understand why the woman becomes frustrated, believing that he simply does not want to talk.

Continuing with the gender differences as they manifest in our everyday behaviors, the columnist says the male can do only one thing at a time while the female can do many things. The woman while active doing something, let's say cooking, can also do a number of other things, like listening to what is being said, talking on the telephone, among other things; the man, supposedly, can do only one thing at a time. He says the woman's sight is also more developed than the man's, distinguishing more colors.  When a couple goes shopping for clothes, determining what goes with what is often a contentious issue. The woman also has better visual memory than a man's. At any large gathering of people, the man will remember only a few of those he meets, the woman will remember many. The man also loses more of his hearing ability than the woman.

The woman, however, finds it more difficult to follow directions. And with age the woman loses spacial cognitive abilities.This is something husbands would do well to remember, he advises.

Man's skin is four times the thickness of the woman's. She, however, has more fat which allows her to endure the cold better than the man. However, with age she shows her age quicker than the male because of her thinner skin.

The woman's senses are also more acute and she is more emotional. When the husband is sick she often begins her caring efforts with words of comfort and then prepares the medicines and food. When the wife is sick many husbands do not know what to do. He is often less perceptive of what his wife is feeling, sometimes only noticing his wife's anger after the instigating situation has passed. With a husband whose senses are dull, and a wife who is very sensitive, there is bound to be conflict.

The obvious consequence of these gender differences for a man and a woman living together is likely to be unhappiness, unless, says the columnist, the couple learn to accept the differences between the sexes, and refuse to make them into an obstacle in achieving happiness together.  Once this is accomplished, a beautiful harmony becomes possible, with the man and the woman taking turns deferring to the other in areas where the other is more competent.

Friday, December 28, 2012

Christians' Love for Society


Liturgically, we have greeted again the baby Jesus with joy and praise as we come to the end of an eventful 2012. The Catholic Times' editorial reminds us that at this time of year we tend to look back on the passing year with regret, and forward to the new year with some trepidation.

Our present society is facing unprecedented changes and difficulties. The economic problems now being faced by Korea rank second only to the conditions that required the IMF bailout; the country is suffering the pains of  a stagnant economy. There is generational and class discord, which makes us lose our societal balance; the efforts of our citizens working for a good and human society end up dispersed and diffused.

How is it with our Christians? How much of our trusting in the Gospels accompanies us as we go about our daily tasks? Not much, it's safe to say. For this reason the Pope, with concern for Christians who in these troubled times are disturbed in their faith life, has given us this Year of Faith.

The Year of Faith may be directed mainly for the struggling Christianity of the West, despite its rich and deep-rooted heritage, but we also see the signs of this weakness in faith life in Korea. If we do not attempt to fight against this drift in society, these same problems will come to us shortly.


We can't deny that within  Catholicism in Korea, there is  the attachment to an individualized and personal religious life: a desire  to hold firmly  to one's spirituality, live morally, and  seek salvation.

However, the Church teaches that the true Christian is to go beyond the self, relate to the community and society, and desire the salvation of the world. We should have a desire to see the world changed to the values we have received from Christ and be involved in the attainment of this goal by our participation. The editorial ends by asking us to reflect on what does it mean for us to say we are true disciples of Christ.


For a Christian, this desire to see the teachings of Christ accepted is not a desire to be on the winning side or push a  certain opinion, but it is a  matter of love for the world and our brothers and sisters. Christians believe that this is the way to  find happiness in life.We see the many problems that we have in society. Big and small conflicts, suicides, horrible crimes, mental  and  physical difficulties, frustrations, loss of hope and not knowing why we are here in the first place. Christians should feel we have some of the answers to these problems. And as Pope John Paul II said it is not a desire to  impose these values but  proposing them. This requires, first of all, that we as Christians truly believe we have the remedies for the many ills afflicting society.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Need for Basic Christian Communities

Catholic media in Korea has for some time  emphasized in stories and articles the importance of community in our spiritual life. With the ascendency of individualism in society this has been a very difficult sell. The Catholic Times' journalist headlines his article with: "Need to Bring Joy into the Life of Community."  Community life, it is true, often interferes with  individual plans and for many becomes an obstacle to participation in community activities.

One Catholic asked, "Do I have to go to confession? I have not sinned. I pray the rosary morning and evening, and never miss Mass. Why do I have to go to confession?"  The priest asked what have you done for the poor? Have you prayed for the poor? The parishioner replied, "Do I also have to do that?"

This is the way a priest explains individualism as it appears in parish life. More than something wrong, he hears this with sadness. In the Our Father we pray 'Our' but many still ask only for what satisfies personal needs.

In response to this situation, the Korean church, realizing that many Catholics were satisfied with a personal faith life  has in recent years endeavored  to bring small community life more directly into the life of our Christians, increasing fellowship, connecting faith life with daily life, and strengthening the Christians' initiative and spontaneity.  The efforts have not all been successful, sometimes colliding with problems already existing within some parishes.  However, even with the problems it is a good alternative, the columnist believes, to a distorted individualism.

One pastor quoted by the journalist wrote that the small community initiative was encouraged by the Second Vatican Council and is a sign of the future direction of the Church. It's a way of incorporating the poor into the life of the church and bringing joy and intimacy into the community.

At the beginning of the Church, these small communities gave life to the Church. In our own Korean beginnings, the early Christians were not interested only in their own salvation. Even in difficult circumstances, they were living according to the teachings of the church, and going out to their neighbors in love. Recently, the building of large parish churches has closed many mission stations where community life was strong. When the mission stations joined the large parish communities, there was a loss of intimacy and a feeling of alienation.

Bringing back the joy of a shared faith life will be an important part of the future Church. Dioceses are working to make the small Christian communities an attractive option for their members and consider this an important pastoral initiative. One pastor expresses the hope that ultimately those working to build community, when they experience the joy, satisfaction and benefits of community, will be the movement's best teachers.                                                             

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Misfortune Turns into Good Fortune

He spent two and half years in prison for fraud and embezzlement and now is a volunteer in prison pastoral work. Released from prison in 2007, Andrew, now 58, was interviewed recently by the Catholic Times. For ten years, he explained, he worked as a division head for a large corporation. He lived comfortably, not envying anybody. However, he decided to leave and  get into the construction business, which ran into difficulties, and those who had invested in the business were not informed. He admits the business failed because of mistakes stemming from his prideful nature and disregard for the legitimate interests of his investors. His only interest was in doing things his way; that alone, he said, made him happy.

When the prison sentence was given, all his acquaintances left him and problems arose within the family; leading very  close to a divorce from his wife. His life unraveled, and he fell into complete despair.

Prison life for Andrew was hell. He was afraid, found it difficult to eat or sleep and was full of resentment, living in a daze. He wondered if he would be able to keep his sanity in the prison situation. He felt it was a place he didn't deserve to be in.

He soon found, however, that his great misfortune was turning into a blessing. Relating with those who came to the prison to help the inmates, he began to see life through the life of faith he once possessed. Seeing the volunteers coming to help the prisoners with no financial incentive made him reflect on his own life of greed. He had been baptized and married in the Catholic Church but that was the extent of his faith life. 

His thoughts began to change, and he began to see that his life was a mess. Each day he would think of the many things he did wrong and began to repent. A great change took place, and he became involved with the Catholic prisoners who had formed themselves into a community. He was a lector at Mass and became a leader in the community; joy returned to his life.

Andrew, after release from prison Nov. 30, 2007 (coincidentally his name day) went to the nearest church to pray, gave thanks and promised to spend the rest of his life in service to those in prison. He has finished a training program for mission, and is now taking a university course in theology. He has nothing to be proud of from his past, but his own experience in prison has made him a missioner to those who still find prison life only a negative experience. He wants to help them find new reasons to make their lives worth living.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Being Born Again Daily: Christmas Every Day

"We are waiting for the liturgical feast of Christmas. Coming to the end of the year, wearied and somewhat depleted, we find consolation in the coming feast." With these words a priest, also a philosophy professor, begins his article, in the With Bible magazine, on the world's greatest story.   Those who are not Christian, he says, often have the same feelings we Christians have. Hannah Arendt a Jew and a philosopher  also had these feelings.

A student of Martin Heidegger and Carl Jaspers, she fled to the States during the Nazi period in Germany. Her book, The Human Condition, influenced many during the second half of the 20th century, particularly the chapter on action. She begins the chapter with the words of Isak Dinesen, the author of Babette's Feast, "All sorrows can be borne if you put them in a story or tell a story about them."

Arendt says that the power of the story comes when we finally disclose in narrative form who we are by noting our actions and words. When we become conscious of our life in this way, as recounted in our actions and words, we can begin to see our life as part of the fabric of the society we live in. Realizing that our lives are individual stories enacted between a birth and a death, we understand and pass on our stories, says Arendt, by acknowledging our weaknesses and our inability to foresee the future. However, within this imperfect reality, we nevertheless must act and speak.

This perception comes from her understanding of the word 'natality.' The professor notes that her idea is the mirror image of what her teacher Heidegger taught: "Being unto death." For Arendt, birth was a new beginning, giving the person trust and hope that even the wisdom of the Greeks was not able to discover, and that Arendt, though not a Christian, was able to comprehend. She ended her reflections on this point with the words: "Humanity in this world has been given trust and hope expressed in the joy that comes with the Christmas story: the birth of a child."

To understand the word 'natality' that Arendt uses, the professor says we must understand her use of the words 'forgiveness' and 'promise.' The past cannot be undone, and we do not know what the future holds for us. Because of our innate weakness--the weakness of a newborn--we become dependent on our willingness to extend forgiveness, both to others and to ourselves. And since we do not know what the future will be, we become dependent on the promise of a better future, which gives us hope to go into that future to "build islands in the big ocean of life." Arendt says it was Jesus who gave us this hope for forgiveness and promise.

We are not born to die but to be reborn into a new beginning. We can know happiness, says Arendt, by using the twin tools of forgiveness and promise. The same good news of the Gospels we try to live daily. Merry Christmas.