Retirement in a Mission Station

"I eat, play and  live well. I like the quiet life, and  this mission station  is perfect for me"--words of Bishop Chang Ik, retired from the Chunchon diocese in 2010 and now living in a small village mission station taking care of the spiritual needs of the community.

His life as bishop was very satisfying, he explained during a recent interview by the Peace Weekly, but said he was always pressed for time; now he has the time to reflect and see the world through refreshed eyes, and regrets that so many do not have the same leisure time he has to fully appreciate their  lives. In the old days getting information was difficult, he said; today it is at your finger tips. But we still have seen, he said, a drop in the number of readers which comes as a  surprise to him.

Our young people, especially today, are living on the fast track because of the demands of the digital world they live in. But fruits do not ripen quickly, he reminds us, and we can't make rice grow any quicker by pulling at the rice stock. Desiring a faster lifestyle, he warns, is just going to bring us more problems.

The bishop laments  the loss  of our value for truth and the acceptance of relativism. With each person having a different take on what is happening, there is less opportunity to sympathize with another person's opinion, and our understanding of universal truth is quickly disappearing. Because the majority thinks one way, he added, does not necessarily  mean that is the correct way.

When asked what can the Church do when relativism is so wide spread, he recommends that all of us in the Church follow the example of  Pope Francis, who took upon himself the role of a servant and is preaching by example. The bishop believes that is what we all should do.

He told the interviewer he was reading Smell the Mother Three Hours Each Day, which surprised the interviewer who felt that the book, judging by its title, did not match his serious demeanor; the bishop admitted he learned about the book from a radio broadcast.

He recommends that parents read the book, especially parents. There are too many children today who live separated from their mothers, he said. Up to the age of three, children should spend at least 3 hours with their mother to ensure emotional health. The book also lays out the basic reasons young people are having problems adjusting to our society. That bit of information alone should make the book a valuable contribution to our efforts toward solving our many societal problems. 

Knowledge in Search of Wisdom

We have been hearing lately the same sad refrain about the need to change society but few positive suggestions on how to bring about meaningful change. Our society, according to most observers, seems fatigued and in danger mode. Writing in the Peace Weekly, a professor in the Sogang University philosophy research department turns to a Korean scholar who  teaches in Germany and is the author of The Society of Fatigue, in which he writes that "Everyone living in the self-displaying modern society has been worn out and frustrated."

Our society is sick and drifting, the writer says, and we don't know where it is headed. She  goes on to cite several reasons for this dire assessment, calling it a crisis of life: intense competition for college entrance, graduates  are finding it difficult to find work, high unemployment, escalating small business bankruptcies, more 'tin house' transactions (Buying a house and finding that the present price is 80 percent lower than the price you paid years earlier),  increase of the homeless, the skyrocketing suicide rate--all  indications we are living in a severely dysfunctional society and the reason so many are looking for healing.

The writer tells us about a young woman who, while in college, was filled with energy even though her situation at the time was difficult. Today, with no steady employment, she looks tired and without a sense of belonging. She is attending an academy at government expense and working part-time in a Shabu Shabu  shop, making about 400 dollars a month. Never did she imagine  this as a possibility for a graduate of a distinguished teachers college. Although we can say there are no  noble or  base occupations, when college graduates are forced to look for jobs as domestic helpers, they are taking the work that normally goes to older women. Where are the older women going to go?

The numbers going to college have increased but not enough jobs are available when they graduate. What is the reason for this situation? the writer asks. She feels that we have not been educated in a way that will help in solving these societal problems. The emphasis on memory-style education, she says, leaves no room for creativity, and when faced with problems, we find it easy to give up. Living means that we are going to have problems, but they are solvable problems, she says, when we are properly educated.

To illustrate what she means, she quotes a line from the Analects of Confucius. "When we learn only by gathering information and don't think, we will perish; and learning only by thinking without sufficient information is dangerous." She adds that knowledge that does not bring luster to our lives is dry knowledge. Our college students these day learn to meet specifications that society has given them to succeed, but this is not going in search of wisdom, she says, and ends by expressing her desire that our educational methods will ultimately educate the whole person and enable our students to think creatively and search for  wisdom. Creative thinking and wisdom will help in the urgent tasks of solving our societal problems.

Influenced by St. Francis and St. Ignatius

A Jesuit priest writing in the Catholic Times tells us of two saints he admires, St. Francis of Assisi and St. Ignatius Loyola. Francis lived a life of sagacious poverty and Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits, enlarged the horizons of the Church.

The writer said he fell in love with Francis when seeing the movie about his life, during his second year of college. He then read every book published in Korean about the saint, and some of them twice. During the lifetime of Francis (1181-1226), the power of the papacy was at its zenith, with many movements working for reformation and renewal. Francis was not interested in such activities. Being attracted to Jesus and the example of his life, and consequently loyal to the Church, he decided his spiritual path would be a simple imitation of Jesus. Though apparently an inconsequential decision at the time, it would lead to a radical change in the lives of many Christians, which brought about a new way of being Church.

A few years after seeing the Francis movie, the writer encountered Ignatius for the first time and was deeply moved, seeing him as a romantic and fabricator of grand dreams. Reading the autobiography of St. Ignatius, you would not easily understand who he was, he said. Only after the writer entered the Society of Jesus and took the one month Ignatian spiritual exercises did he fully appreciate the genius of Ignatius and his trust in providence.

Although there are many differences between the two saints, the writer points out significant similarities. Both were mystics; both had the crucified Christ as their motivation and goal; and both considered themselves as nothing. They knew the light and love that came from Jesus, and consequently also knew their avarice and weakness, which made them humble. Instead of blaming others they were merciful toward others. And both had a great love for poverty; Francis called poverty his esteemed wife; Ignatius loved poverty as he loved his mother. They both had no need to talk about poverty, they lived it. They were loyal to the Church, but living at a time which called for change they also desired to see it reformed. They did not however agitate for reform or make plans for renewal, but were content to experience the mystery of Jesus; imitating Jesus was their only goal, and yet their  influence, paradoxically, was felt far and wide.

At the time of St. Francis the movement of the Waldensians was calling for the reformation of the Church. They started out as reformers but ended by leaving the Church. At the time of St. Ignatius the Protestant Reformation had plunged all of Europe in turmoil.  Luther, seeing the corruption in the Church, in protest chose to leave the Church. And within the Church itself, there was a growing skepticism and opposition to Francis and Ignatius, and yet they remained loyal to the Church to the very end. Many young people were moved by what they saw and joined their movements, which helped to renew the Church.

Our new pope, a member of the religious order founded by Ignatius, was selected from a country considered outside the center.  A cardinal from Brazil, when congratulating the newly elected pope, asked him not to forget the poor during his pontificate, which immediately brought to mind Francis of Assisi and convinced him that would be the name he would choose as pope. The legacies of Francis and Ignatius having come together in this new pontificate will undoubted give direction to the pope's pastoral and teaching role in the years to come, a direction the priest hopes will inspire the followers of Francis and Ignatius, and all of us, to be more understanding and friendly to the poor.



 

What is True Healing?

Books on the bestseller lists often deal with healing and the young, an increasingly  popular topic of discussion for nearly everyone nowadays. And now even religion has joined in by offering  remedies for what ails us.How does religion help? asks a priest writing for priests.

He offers several ways that have been suggested by the German sociologist Ulrich Beck. He argues that our modern society is fostering sickness by encouraging a change from loyalty to the institutions of society to an extreme concern for ones personal welfare; the individual self is becoming, he says,the primary agent of meaning. The traditional structures of society--religion, family, nation--for the most part have been pushed into the background, and their legitimacy seriously questioned. As a result, religion, family and community have been weakened, making society less harmonious, the person all important. In the process we are losing our original self, which is social by nature, becoming more isolated, and damaging the long-term health of our community.

The writer wonders whether the  strong movement toward healing is a sign that societal problems have begun to affect our daily lives, creating more personal problems for us to deal with. Healing takes for granted that we have areas that are hurting. Why have these hurts begun to appear? Examining carefully, the reasons for the pain is the first step to finding a remedy for the pain.
 
He refers to the plot of a famous novel and movie: A young boy, the only son of his mother, was kidnapped and killed. The murderer was caught and put in prison. The mother became a Christian and was convinced by others that she should forgive the killer, who was waiting for the day of his execution. When she went to the prison to forgive him, she was surprised to see the peaceful look on his face and was told that he was forgiven by God. Being told he had been  forgiven by God, she was so upset that God had seemingly taken away the right she had to forgive that she renounced her Christianity and fell into deep despondency.

Her religious belief were no help to her in healing her pain. Rather, it enabled her to deceive herself; it was a drug to sooth her, a refuge. She had been using her belief to heal herself from the pain she did not want to feel, and never went beyond that.

Healing is not something distant from us, nor something that others bring to us. When  we are in crisis and come up against opposition, losing our equilibrium, illusive feel-good feelings alone will not help. We should be looking for healing that will last and support us in all difficulties. He quotes a famous phrase: True light is not one that glitters. We have to 'stay the course' and in silence go the way we know. Faith is not a superficial exercise in our search for the truth, but the central motive behind the search for the truth that will set us free, allowing us to live in  a way that will promote healing for all. 

Education for a New Level of Faith Life

With the passage of time, our faith life is becoming more individualistic and self-contained, according to an editorial in the Peace Weekly. Jesus came on earth to proclaim his kingdom and bring us salvation. When we put this call on hold, concerned only for personal peace, the central message of Christianity is being distorted.

Peace of mind is the natural first desire of many people; without it we will not be interested in the poor nor in working for the common good. These days life is difficult and the future unclear;  peace of mind can't help but be important. However, when one believes that by focusing on a personal spirituality we are becoming more spiritual, even though it often means moving away from the Church and its teachings, there is a misunderstanding of the meaning of spirituality, which always includes in some fashion communal life. Christians meeting at the table of the Lord and becoming one with the other members is no longer seen as important.

If we seek and rely on personal spirituality, it's easy to understand how looking for blessings is the upper most thing in one's thoughts. Looking for happiness and spiritual peace, we use God as a means to gain what we want. God becomes a means to achieve our earthly ends. This is superstition and not true religion.

Christians are not just to see the partial, individualistic goals, but to have a view of the whole. The desire for healing all manner of ills is a very important element in our society but it is not the central message of Christianity. Sermons to always address this  point  and desire to give comfort is not what the sermon is  meant to do. Why did Christ come to us, die on the cross and leave us with a mission has to be explained.

The limited, individualistic way of Christian thinking is not only a trait of Korean Catholics but a common trait among all believers. A seminary professor is quoted in an accompanying article as saying that Koreans have a desire to rid themselves of Han (unresolved resentment to some injustice received) more than having a desire to accept and understand the teachings of Christianity and truth. They have a great interest in the spiritual life but less interest on what exactly needs to be done to live this life. Because of a general uneasiness evident in our society, religion for many is seen as a way to resolve the uneasiness.

Those who have studied the problem make it clear that the Church is not interested in setting the blame for this limited understanding of Christianity, but is trying to lead its members to a more mature understanding. That many of our Christians are still looking for blessings is not surprising, but the work of the pastoral workers is to help purify the motivation of Christians, so they can move up to a new level of belief.

                                                                                                                 

Passion for LIfe

The word for insanity in Korean can be used both positively and negatively. Ordinarily, it is used in its negative sense, to be out of one's mind, but the writer on the open forum page of the Catholic Times prefers its positive meaning: having passion or enthusiasm. In our present society, he believes that without this "madness," as he calls it, you are not going to get very far.

To illustrate what he means, he refers to the time he interviewed a well-known vocalist whose life had been difficult, with many crisis and struggles from childhood on, she was the mixed race child born 56 years ago in Korea,  and yet when talking with her he was impressed by her enthusiastic demeanor. It was her passion for what she was doing, he said, that motivated her to be where she is today .

He asks: have any of us ever been madly enthused about something, feeling our heart bursting with joy, ecstatic with happiness? If you haven't, when it comes time to die, won't there be regret? he asks. To guard against this possibility, he suggests we use our time correctly.
 

How do we give ourselves over to this enthusiasm?  We first must scrupulously reflect and examine ourselves, he says, otherwise we will be seen as a person without sense. Our values and philosophy of life have to enter the picture. The object of our passion must not interfere with our home life, injure our health, or suddenly change our value system. To give ourselves passionately does not mean to leave our wits behind but to muster everything to achieve our goal, and then to go for it. He cites athletes as good examples of those who are passionately involved in what they are doing. There is a difference in doing something zealously and doing it with passion; it is, he says, a question of degree.

In the Gospels, we find Jesus with this kind of passion. He loved God and people with passion. Building up God's kingdom was his mission, giving everyone membership in this kingdom with his love and  words.  We have not chosen Jesus, but he has chosen us. His love and passion has taken hold of us, changed us, and is leading us into a faith life. Passion can change us. The original disciples became the dynamic workers that spread the gospel message throughout the world when they were moved by the love and passion they found in Jesus.

Some people say we are living at a time without passion, passion of the positive kind.  Let us be on fire with the passion that Jesus showed us. Passion is the symphony of life, the columnist lyrically muses. This symphony impresses heaven and moves the earth, oceans dance and the earth becomes jubilant. This earth is meant, he says, for those that are on fire with passion; the columnist would like to be one of them.

To Evangelize or Proselytize

In a democratic society, we respect the religious freedom of others and their right  to spread their teachings. Proselytizing has a bad connotation in English, so there is a need to avoid the word for the softer understanding of the word evangelizing. Catholics are asked to be sensitive when doing missionary work but also to understand the right and freedom to publicly profess, practice, propagate and to change one's religion.

Deception and coercive methods to win converts is to be repudiated for there must be respect for the conscience, the dignity and convictions of  others. Evangelizing is witnessing to our faith and respecting the freedom of the other.  As Pope Paul II said, we do not want to impose but to propose. A Peace Weekly editorial has brought to our attention the Shinchonji movement  of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony. One person said that once they start teaching and using  the book of Revelation, there are few that do not accept what is proffered. The members of the movement are well-prepared, employing a one-on-one effort and interesting examples and parables. However, it should be a warning that not all that is done well and has sincerity as a motive is good for the health of those that accept what is being taught. 

The movement is using a hard-sell method that offends many but is justified, they say, because of the importance of what they are about. They were mostly interested in getting converts from other Protestant Churches  but this has changed, and Catholics are now being selected; Protestants, it is said, have hardened against them. Catholics, on the other hand, are not as prepared for efforts of this type and so the Catholic media has begun to publicize their teachings and the structure of the movement.The Peace Weekly in four installments will deal with the make up of the movement and the strategy they use to make converts. The Peace Weekly will also present ways of dealing effectively with them, giving reasons why people accept what is taught and offering a pastoral proposal, also noting that Korea has lately been a home for many of these apocalyptic religions.

The editorial mentioned a few problems that came from the Shinchonji movement. In one diocese, something happened among the clergy that the editorial found embarrassing to speak about.  In a  parish  two of the parishioners went over to Sinchonji, which caused much trouble before it returned to normal. All have a right to express their opinion and gain converts to their movement, but the means used should not be  overlooked.

An article that accompanied the editorial mentions what is necessary to receive an identity card for eternal life, and the requirements for entrance into the movement: introducing two others to Shinchonji, scoring at least 80 percent on the 500 questions that are asked at the completion of the introductory course, and getting those interested to go on for the advanced status by means that do not respect freedom.  Even after a person is accepted into the movement, more education is required, which the article mentions is frank and intense in divinizing the chairman  of the movement. A blog on the Sinchonji was presented on July 27, 1212.