"Brother, there were two magpies in my front yard this morning." These words begin an article in With Bible,
by a priest reminiscing about a friend who died this past Easter. The
words were part of a telephone conversation he had with him, on his
arrival on assignment to his country parish some years ago. In Korea,
the magpie is seen as a symbol of good fortune.
The priest was
wondering what his friend would do in such a small parish with so few
interested in religion. The area itself was not large but his friend
told him he happened to talk to one of the Christians who was raising
chrysanthemums, and he got the idea of making his parish a mecca for
chrysanthemum enthusiasts. And in a few years, the parish did become a
thriving center for the flower, each year hosting a chrysanthemum
festival that was hugely popular and well-attended.
However,
the writer received word that the liver aliment from which his friend
suffered had developed into cancer, and he was suddenly taken to the
emergency room of a hospital. He was told there was little to be done,
and facing death he began his fight living with the disease. All his
friends and Christians received the news with great sadness.
Because
his friend required complete rest and visitors were not allowed, the
writer wasn't able to visit for sometime. When he did go to see him,
they talked for some time about their life together. His friend had only
one small wish: If he had two months more to live and had enough energy
left, he would like to travel watching people at work, to finish off
his wild flower garden and prepare his chrysanthemums for the fall
flowering. There was no regret for the life he was given to live. He
only wanted to see people at work and to finish the work he had started.
The
writer asked him what was it he feared the most. The priest answered
it was not fear of death but whether he would be able to accept the
pain of his disease without resentment and the betrayal of God. He was
fearful that in his pain he would betray the Lord that he had tried to
serve faithfully.
His friend's words reminded the writer of a
memorable passage by a novelist describing how tragedy is seen
differently by a farmer and by a poet: How, he writes, are we to face
the emptiness of death that awaits? The poet sings about the
foundational tragedy that awaits; the farmer looks at the earth filled
with weeds and spreads the seeds to overcome the weeds. To the farmer the
seeding is the pledge for the future and strong proof of his
existence. His friend not wanting to forget God and the emptiness and
pain that was awaiting, by his battle and resoluteness was giving proof
to his existence.
A plant has within itself a
beautiful secret which it makes present in a flower, says the writer.
Practically all flowers have a language, and the chrysanthemum, the
flower his friend loved the most, spoke the language of loyalty, purity,
nobility, sincerity.
"Why
do we live a life of faith? Without concern for an answer to this question the possibility of becoming tepid [falling away
from the faith] is always present. A priest, with these words, begins his
article in the Catholic Times on those who have left the Church.
Many
Catholics consider health and family their primary interests, but
without having the faith as the primary interest, leaving the faith will
always be there, he says. When following Jesus is not the primary
objective, but rather peace of mind and looking for material blessings,
leaving the believing community is a strong possibility. Without efforts
to solve this basic problem, we will, the priest says, not lessen the
number of those who are tepid; the numbers will continue to increase.
At
present the opportunities of experiencing Jesus and the meaning of what
it means to be a follower of Jesus are few. A very fuzzy idea of what
it means to have a faith life is common. He reminds us of the need to
examine thoroughly the depth of our faith-life. Without doing so, he
says, may be like taking a stone from the top of a pile and fitting it
below, and taking the stone from the bottom and putting it on top--a
very temporary expedient.
Fortunately,
Korean Catholics are zealous. They not only participate in the work of
the Church but are interested in the evangelizing endeavors throughout
the world. Even if limited by time, it is necessary to teach the
catechism at a slower pace, taking pains to be careful in how the
teaching is presented, if we want to see a change.
From
the 1990s, there has been a decrease in the number of catechumens and
an increase in the number of those who have left the church. We are
conscious of the problem but have done little to remedy the situation. Getting those who have left the Church to return, he admits, is a
difficult task.
Those
who have given the subject much thought have come to the conclusion
that we are going around in circles, if we concentrate only on those who
have left the church and not give our attention to those in the pews
who have a very weak faith life. Attention has to be addressed to those
with a lukewarm attachment to Jesus. We are interested in those who are
registered as tepids, who have not gone to the sacraments for three
years, but are forgetting those in the pews who might still be going to
the sacraments but are not far from absenting themselves from the
community.
Themes
have a tendency to repeat themselves in history, music, literature and
in life. Scripture is no different, with its many recurrent themes,
expressed in many different ways. One of the most frequent and important
is dying to live. A great paradox and yet easily understood when
explained in the simplest of ways; religious beliefs aside: without
suffering we do not have progress.
A
successful professional writing in the Diocesan Catholic Bulletin
confesses that when he looks back on his life he often finds it
difficult to raise his head, because of the many embarrassing thoughts
he's had and the embarrassing things he's done. Growing up, his
environment was not all that bad, he says, but poverty, sickness and a
weak body made life difficult for him. He did work hard and was able to
overcome much to be where he is. But there was a price that came with
it, he said, for he was unyielding and coarse, blew up often and acted
rudely. When he looks back and remembers these situations, he would
like to erase them all. But he knows they are a part of him.
His prayer life, he admits, was not very good, with no attempts to seek an attachment to God. Lament was his only response. He should have been looking for God dwelling in
himself, but only looked away at a distant God. His conscience gave him
trouble, he points out, so he did not have the confidence necessary to
look within.
One
of our previous presidents wrote, "If what is inside me is put on a
movie screen, I would be so embarrassed I would not be able to hold my
head up." A college professor who has made a study of forgiveness said:
"We have faults which make us human."
"A
contrite, humble heart you will not spurn" (Psalm 51:19) is one of the
writer's favorite lines, as well as the remembered lines from a sermon
he once heard: God desires us to acknowledge our failings so that he can
show mercy. And those who believe in the mercy of God are people of
faith.
A
powerful example of God's mercy appears in the parable of the prodigal
son who was returned to a position higher than the one he left. What the
writer says in the article doesn't mean to imply, he says, that the
prodigal son has returned totally transformed from what he had been in
the past, for he is still beset with many faults and makes many
mistakes. The difference now, however, is that although embarrassed at
his condition, he trusts in God's mercy. And with his broken and beaten
spirit continues with courage and trust in the love and mercy of God.
A
Catholic Times article reports on the first Korean international
academic meetings on the the "Theology of the Body," the name given to
Pope John Paul's reflections and vision of the human person, with
particular attention focused on the proper relationship of body and
soul. They were delivered in 129
Wednesday audiences, between the years 1979 and 1984, and are of great interest for scholarly discussions of marriage, celibacy
and sex--topics which have not always been treated correctly. One of the
journalists of the paper expresses her ideas on what she picked up from
the academic meeting.
There
have always been biased views on the subject of the human body. The
Church, a strong advocate for a right understanding of the human body,
has over the years also enabled a distorted thinking of the body, which
has been evident, she reminds us, in the teachings of the past.
The
body, for example, was denigrated by the way the Church expressed the
three enemies of the soul: the world, the flesh and the devil. Of
course, this can be understood correctly and has been so understood over
the years, but there is also the possibility of pushing the idea to a
point where the body is seen in opposition to the spirit, a dualism
which can distort the teaching. She also mentions that there were
priests who would say that women were the way the devil would tempt us,
and there were times in the past when women were told not to receive
communion during their monthly periods. This is not the teaching in
modern history, but shows how this would engender fear in women.
Another
side of this negative understanding of the body is the worship of the
body, its outer appearance considered our greatest asset, extolling
youth and the beauty of the body, which today is ever present because
of the electronic media. The likely consequences are the disorders of
sex, the increase of divorce, and the destruction of families--all
deriving from a misunderstanding of sex and its gift to humankind.
Pope
John Paul II wanted us to get back to the teachings from Genesis on
what marriage is. This requires a change in how we see sex. A change
from seeing the soul in opposition to the body and recovering the
sacramental reality of the body.
The
academic meeting on the "Theology of the Body" will renew the pastoral
thinking about the subject of marriage and sexuality within the Korean
Church, and will make possible, she says, a new look at marriage and its
meaning. Many of the old ways of viewing marriage will be revisited,
discussed and improved upon, and will no doubt enter the teaching in the
seminary programs of the future.
A religious brother reflects on his life which was filled with horrific scars. At
the age of 10 he had witnessed his mother committing suicide, and he
could not rid himself of his anger and hate toward his father who was
addicted to gambling and dissipation. The scars remained dormant but
were ever present, he knew, in the way he related with his religious
family. It became so serious that he felt he had to leave, going to
Spain with a Spanish friend. In the Catholic Digest he writes about his
healing.
Sleep
did not come easily, even in Spain, and his friend told him that
walking was a good way to regain health, and recommended that he go on a
pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, a walk of 800
kilometers he had always wanted to make, and finally did.
During
the walk he met many people from many countries, with many different
ways of acting and talking; they are memories, he says, that will remain
fresh and will be treasured. One Spanish family accepted him like a
son, and even got in touch by telephone with his family back in Korea.
In the evening they did the town together, as they enjoyed wine and
cocktails over dinner. But the most memorable event of the whole trip
was the Mass he attended in one of the churches along the way.
One
very hot day, when he was covered with dust from walking, he showered
and prepared for Mass at the church, which had been built during the
Middle Ages. Slowly the pilgrims began to enter and completely filled
the church before the Mass was celebrated. The atmosphere, he noticed,
was remarkable, quiet and peaceful.
The
Spanish priest spoke both in Spanish and in English. At the time of the
Our Father, each person was invited to pray in their own language. He
was the only person from Asia, and when asked what country, all eyes, he
said, seemed to turn toward him.
His
face flushed and his heart beating fast, he answered, which prompted
the priest to ask him to recite the Our Father in Korean. He closed his
eyes and recited the prayer with the greatest composure and devotion he
could muster. While saying the prayer, he said he felt an emotional
response that sent shivers all over his body.
Suddenly,
all the hurt that came from the death of his mother, the feelings
against his father and his religious family all melted away. He prayed
that the remaining visit to the Cathedral of Santiago would be without
mishap, and with the sprinkling of holy water the Mass ended. For him it
was a beautiful Mass of healing.
Eight
years later, whenever he has difficulties he closes his eyes and
remembers that small church and his whole being relaxes and becomes
peaceful. He is now in a home managed by his religious community where he is counseling those with alcohol problems. He laughs and cries with them, many of them with more scars and pain than he had. God helps him to be a conduit for healing. We are all wounded healers helped by Jesus the Wounded Healer.
We
talk about unity within the Church as one of the signs of Catholicism:
One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. Oneness, however, has to be
explained, often with many words, to give the word credibility. It was
probably less so in the past when words like heretic and schismatic
would come easily to mind, but the present cultural sympathy for
irenicism in dialogue has raised a potential problem among Catholics:
how does one avoid conflict when the differences of opinion deal with serious problems. Conflict, however, is not always bad,
provided we continue to search for the truth together with humility and
respect.
Writing
in a bulletin for priests, the columnist mentions a walk he took along a
river bank and reminisced on the words: "Live fish swim against the
current," as he watched the fish doing just that.
The
popular thinking of every historical period influences, he believes our
fashions, and the perceptions and conceptions that form our values, the
"flowing river of an age." Living wisely requires at times,he says,
that we swim against this current in search of the source, the true
dimensions of our humanity.
Our
present situation demands, he says, that we go against the current.
Here we are faced with a dilemma: as a Christian we have to read the
signs of the times; if we don't, we will be like driftwood buffeted by
the winds. To do nothing is not a possibility for a Christian, when so
often it is necessary to go against the flow. Many have lost the
meaning of life, and go like dead fish along with the flow, he says,
with empty cravings, chasing after illusions.
Jesus
is the example of the fish who swam against the flow to go to the
source. Ichthys (Greek for fish) was used as a symbol for Jesus during
the early years of persecution. When everybody was saying "Yes," he was
saying "No." And when they where saying "No," he was saying "Yes." He
was one who gathered strength from what should be. He fought against all
that would separate us from God.
Everything
we consider important was put in its proper place: long life,
popularity, material goods. He did not accept the way things were being
done, and expressed this by words and actions that brought him death.
In
Korea, the problems with unity in the Church are not as serious as in
other areas of the world but they do appear. "In all things charity" is
understood by all, but for some, speaking the truth is charity even when
it hurts, while others feel the truth can be expressed in ways that do
not hurt. Opposition to the direction of government is one example that
brings conflict within the Christian community. The prophetic calling we
have as Christians may be easier for some than for others, and when the
calling is felt and acted upon by some, this rubs many the wrong way.
Can one answer a prophetic calling, and not hurt others? The new
academic study of conflict resolution may help in acquainting us with
more of the dynamics involved with this pressing problem, and suggest
ways of resolving the problem.
The
Seoul Bulletin recently profiled the World Catholic Association for
Communication-Signis, a Catholic lay ecclesial movement for those in
communications and media. The Signis World Congress 2013 was scheduled
for Oct. 20-23, in Beirut, Lebanon, but because of the turmoil in that
part of the world it was cancelled. About 700 professionals are
currently involved in the movement. And the writer says that even among
them, communication is not easy; communication and mutual understanding
are problems for everybody.
All
agree that successful communication is absolutely necessary if anything
worthwhile is to be accomplished. When there is a breakdown of
communication in politics and society, we know all too well what usually
happens. The difficulties arise from both those who speak and those who
listen. An Indian proverb says "Those who only speak are deaf." A
German proverb says "Those who preach do not listen to the preaching of
others." Both proverbs point to the difficulties of understanding one
another: each is speaking or hearing, he says, from their own
circumstances.
The
writer mentions that he has been producing radio programs for over 30
years. The need to listen to the needs of the listeners is imperative,
he says, and cites the Golden rule: What we desire from the other we
should first give; he cites another expression well-known in the West:
To walk in another's shoes for awhile before we criticize. In the East
there is a similar concept: "Yeokjisaji"
which is composed of four Chinese characters meaning to exchange the
place where we are standing for the place of the other.
He
reminds us that those who have become famous in radio broadcasting came
across as if speaking on a-one-to-one basis. Those of us in the Church
who are concerned with evangelization should be very conscious of this
same trait when evangelizing, he says. We are not imposing but
proposing. It all can be reduced to the love of the another.
Interestingly,
when we think of communication we think of the great communicators and
their secrets. How do they succeed so well in persuading others? There
are many tricks that are helpful, he says, in persuading others but that
is not the only aspect of a good communicator. Difficult as it might
be, he suggests that our individual search for truth should be replaced
by a mutual search for the truth, for mutual understanding and humble
listening, along with the speaking. A good communicator with charisma,can also be dangerous when he doesn't listen.
In
Korea the North and the South have been trying to communicate for over
60 years, with very little success. Each is adamant in trying to
convince the other of their position, with little concern for efforts to
better the relationship for all concerned. We have bright people on
both sides and yet neither one has succeeded in overcoming the present
stalemate. Perhaps it's time, to change over to
"Yeokjisaji" communication if we are put some bridges in place so that
both sides can feel comfortable in listening to the other.
