When living was difficult our ancestors considered a full meal a great grace, and before such a table would take pride in its bountifulness. When they welcomed guests the table would be laden with so much food, enough, to break one of the legs. This was the custom in welcoming guests. However, with the prosperity that Korea enjoys today the tables full of food have turned to 'poison'.
One of the articles in the Catholic Times on efforts by Korea Caritas to eliminate hunger was written up for the benefit of the readers. In a year's time about 500 tons of food are thrown away. This accounts for about 28 percent of the trash. Money necessary for disposal is enormous. The environment is destroyed and we have economic loss. Distribution of food is unequal: hunger, and in some areas the serious waste of food.
The government and local municipalities along with homes, schools and eating places are working to manage the waste, but more importantly is the need to change our eating habits. The campaign sponsored by Caritas to help eradicate hunger: 'Food, is not Garbage' is the slogan meant to motivate us to work to change our habits.
They are recommending a simpler menu. To select seasonal foods, prepare them simply: besides the rice and soup to have just 3 or 4 side dishes. Seasonal foods are cheaper and healthier is a message we hear often.
Eating out also has some recommendations: not to order more than you can eat, and what is left over to bring home to use on another day.The efforts made will not only help our environment but will be healthier for us. Below are the four steps recommended.
(1) Prepare a menu for a week and when shopping to keep it in mind and prepare accordingly.
(2) Prepare food from the season and simply. They are more nutritious and prepared simply will be healthier and better for the environment.
(3) When eating out: order only what you can consume. Order plain meals. If the portions are large ask for a smaller portion.
(4) Prepare a container to bring home what was left on the table.
One person family, celibate, single, living by themselves are all ways of expressing the life style of those who do not marry. Living a life without a mate is not something strange in the world in which we live. Single people are living in all kinds of occupations within Korean society, and even a TV program 'I live alone' is popular among the viewers.
An article in Bible & Life on the single life by a priest gives us his ideas on this not uncommon life style. However, there is still much more to be done for a greater understanding, not only in society but within the Church. Those in their thirties have concerns on whether they should join the youth groups in the parishes and those in their forties and older have no place to go. There is a need, he says, to have serious discussions on the place of the single person within the Church community. Discrimination and misunderstanding of the single celibate life is still present.
The single state in the in the Old Testament because of the patriarchal culture, was not seen positively. In the New Testament we have the passage in Matthew 19: 10-12 where praise is given for those who have given up marriage for the sake of God's reign. St. Paul would like all to imitate him, but he does not belittle the married life. Celibacy is the individual decision in freedom, directed towards God, that make us free.
Within the Church we have the clerical and religious states. Living celibate outside the clerical and religious states, the writer feels there is no need to make much of the difference. Celibacy within the Church is for the reign of God, fellowship and the expression of love. We should not put a limit to our acceptance of those who are living the celibate single life within the community of faith.
The writer mentions three areas of concern for those who are living the single life within the community of faith. We need to understand and accept them as equals. Those who are single need to accept the Church as the family of Jesus.
Secondly, the freedom of the single person: the Church needs to help them to use this freedom for the good. They are to be helped in their work within the community of faith.
Thirdly, they should have educational programs and guidance in spirituality, and in their leisure and work lives. Help them to be imitators of Jesus and to understand marriage as the seat of life and a proper appreciation of sexuality.
Those who are unmarried should be given a more intense desire for the good than the married. Those that are not married should not be lonely but in search of a greater spirituality. They should see all in the community as their brothers and sisters and be an example of service in the society in which they live. They are not mavericks but are to help others to answer more completely the love that God has shown us.
In the Kyeong Hyang Magazine an author and essayist writes about her experience in making a Lenten Retreat. The retreat master gave all the retreatants a book: Until the Day We Separate: letters between a Japanese priest in Rome, Masayuki Shirieda, and a well known Catholic author in Japan, Ayako Sono. The woman author was in danger of losing her sight and the letters have to do with life and despair, accepting of pain and the trust and love of God.
The essayist spent the night reading the book and was moved deeply. Each chapter has a title: 'After losing everything, I see God.' 'Suffering saves us.' 'What are my expectations?' 'God finds humans.' 'Death is the finishing of the unfinished.' These and similar chapter titles are divided into smaller topics which go into greater detail, making clearer their ideas.
Ayako Sono is a famous author who explains her faith and sufferings. She has done much to help others, met many people, and in her writings made God known to many of her readers.
The priest in the third chapter talks about his vocation to the priesthood." I don't remember my father. I was five years old when he died on the battle field. War took everything away from me.The house in which I was born and grew up, was destroyed by an air raid. The dream that I had to follow my father as a soldier disappeared. First of all, I wanted to rebuild the house that was destroyed.
One day I went into a new church that was being built and stole a nail. I quickly put it in my bag when a foreigner grabbed me by the collar. He didn't bawl me out, but put more nails in my bag and told me to come back if I needed more.
The night I didn't get any sleep. I couldn't forget the foreigner. That morning I found my goal in life. I ran four kilometers to the church to meet the foreigner. I no longer wanted to be an army general but to be like him. 'Teach me'. I asked. I didn't want to be a Catholic, no thought about religion, all I wanted to be was like the priest.
I was baptized. I didn't know the teaching all I knew was that Catholicism taught love, and I wanted to give myself to the Jesus who was on the Cross. That was clear to me." This was the motivation for him to become Catholic and become a priest.
The writer mentioned she came across the book in her middle fifties. She was a cradle Catholic and proud of this, but lukewarm in her practice and lifeless.
One day on a visit to a church she had a spiritual awaking and became conscious of God's love for her. She began to study the Scriptures, go to retreats and follow others in volunteer work. She still felt lonely and it was at this time that she read the book: Until the Day We Separate. A quiet road to God.
When the priest left to go to Rome the mother: "When will I see you again?" "In about four years." he answered. "That's a long time." She wanted to die in the arms of her son. The four years turned into ten years and her wish of dying in the arms of her son, happened.
The book is not a catechism, but a book talking about the problems that we face in life. The priest ends the book with the words on a tomb stone of an unknown soldier in Turin. "I wanted from God everything that would make me happy, and received nothing that I desired, but everything that God wanted for me."
Farm life at this time of year is busy. Red peppers, spread out on the front yard to dry, and farmers busy with the harvest. A long time city dweller, who returned to the farm over ten years ago, speaks his mind on farm life.
He looks out from his
house on a newly paved road, and sees a grandfather walking in his white
starched ramie fabric pants and trousers, green colored vest, a felt
hat, erect in stature and walking deliberately. Once or twice a month he
sees the grandfather walking on the road, at a distance from his house,
going to the seat of the township to pay his bills. Every time he sees
the old man he is struck by his dignity and discipline. He has great respect for the man who he doesn't even know.
Every time he sees him he
wonders about his personal history and life. One day he was standing
beside him in the Farmer's Bank and over heard him talking to the woman
bank teller. She asked him how much were his monthly expenses, after he
handed her a few dollars in payment for taxes. He answered, "100
dollars is more than enough." (In the farming area these kind of questions are not uncommon among those that know each other)
We are trying now to save
our economic life. The industries have to function, citizens need a
place to work, and workers need money to become consumers. Because we
have consumers, society continues as we know it. Everything is done to
keep the flow of money going. It is like riding a bicycle you have to
keep the pedals going or the bicycle stops. Whether you like it or not
the bicycle has to keep on moving. This is why we had the Sewol tragedy.
After the tragedy the lives of the farmer has become more difficult:
farm prices have decreased, import of rice with the custom tax, and it seems we will have the Free Trade Agreement with China.
The
country, to sell more smartphones is willing to jeopardize the way of
life of the farmers and our food base: upsetting the farmers way
of life. Changes in economics affects the farmers quickly. The price in
the auction market will determine the price of material and the
farmer's income. Subtracting expenses from the income, and
determining what is left over as the farmers' wage is for the text books; in reality, like the old farmer
mentioned, farmers are not as dependent on the money economy, but on
self-help. To save the exports from the city we are mortgaging the
future of the farmers.
Society
is moving us to over consume; we are the victims of a competitive society. A
larger income will not guarantee our dignity, our self-worth or raise our happiness level. We know the countries with a high rate of happiness are the poorer countries of the world. We need more leisure time, and better relations with others. We need to stop riding the bicycle, start wearing starched clothes, and start walking. When using my legs I am open to appreciating leisure, the joy of life and my self- worth.
Over the years with the increase of the industrial sector in Korean society the number of certificates of qualification have multiplied. Young people preparing to join the work force are concerned in getting the necessary certificates for their work of choice, and spend much time and money in the process. A president of a diocesan parish council expresses his opinion in View from the Ark, in the Catholic Times, on what he wants to teach his children.
There is no place in society, he says, to find qualifications to be a mother or father.The Church has preparations courses for marriage but they do not get into much detail. After marriage, parents do what others do, or go in search for better ways to raise children.
More than efficiency many parents look for expensive foreign baby carriages and toys even though studies have shown that foreign baby carriages are not as good as those made in Korea.
Many are influenced by society to begin the children's education for college at an early age. Worldly wisdom circulating says there are three conditions: grandfather's wealth, the mother's ability to get information and the father's lack of interest ( more likely,the writer says, struck dumb by shock). The situation in raising children and the money required, declares that two is all parents can afford-- making for one of the world's lowest birth rates.
The money that was spent for private education came to about 225 dollars for every Korean-- an enormous sum of money. This is the government's estimate, the money parent's actually spent would be much greater.
With all the money spent there is the fear they will not have the results expected. The writer feels that it will bring about conflict in society. Bullying and alienation in schools will continue, and he wonders whether it is wise to continue to stimulate competition in our educational system. It is like being killed on the battle field not by the enemy but by one on your own side.
We have to make clear what is fundamentally important in our education. Trust in the love and understanding of parents, and self knowledge. He wants relationship to be an important part of their study: not to see everybody as an enemy and to enter the door to the culture of life. To understand others, to sympathize with others is the way to maturity and happiness--learning to live according to the Golden Rule.
The month of October in Korea is the month of the Rosary and Mission. A time to live our faith more completely. We can't hide the violence that accompanies totalitarian nations in efforts to proselytize. In the world in which we live and the pluralism all around us does not diminish our call to be missioners. With these words the Desk Columnist of the Catholic Times reflects on the work of mission in today's world.
The world of Islam in many parts of the world has shown a flagrant animosity towards Christianity. They go about their mission without any restraints in spreading their message.They kidnap, threaten death, all seen as barbarous by the rest of the world.
What does it mean to preach the Gospel? What are we to do? In the early days of the Church it meant that you were likely to be martyred; you were going against the mores of the society in which you lived. Or just the opposite, when the Church became the National Church, it became the tool of the State; used to oppress and persecute the other religions. During those years all were made to submit by force to spread the politics of the country and to extort monies. Many of the efforts in these totalitarian states used Christianity as their ideology.
Today the spreading of the Gospel is in a pluralistic environment. A world with different religions, many with the ideals of Christianity. We have the continual stress and conflict with Islam. Many cultures and societies have their own traditions and religions with which we are in easy contact. Korea is an exhibition hall for the religions of the world, all vying with each other, but for the most part peacefully.
In this kind of world what does it mean to spread the faith? We use the word evangelize, spread the Gospel message, what should be our attitude as missioners for Jesus?
Catholicism did not open its heart to the other religions until after the Second Vatican Council. There are those who feel the Church has tarnished its image by opening itself to the world and other religions.
He divides the focus on evangelization into three areas. Know who your are and your religious identity, respect the beliefs of others, and be able to persuasively express your own beliefs to others. Easy to say, but how do we go about doing this? To respect the religion of the other and be strong in your own faith is not easy.
However, he says, it is not walking a high wire. We need to be honest like little children, and express the happiness we have received from Jesus. Evangelization has to do with the way we live. We have the example from the early Church, Christians lived already in God's kingdom in contrast to the outside society.
The early Christians were using the strong words of the message, but also living differently than those in the society in which they lived. Heidegger said: 'Language is the house of Being." Language is more than a tool it is the way we express ourselves.The message of a Christian comes from the life that is lived. When we live Christlike we are being missioners and evangelizing.
A priest writing in the Korean Catholic Digest recalls a confession he heard. A grandmother enters the confessional and immediately says: "Living is it not all sin? Quickly give me my penance."
"Grandmother, God has given us this beautiful world in which to be happy, you should not be so pessimistic. It is not good to think that way." The priest spoke these words, but at the same time knew life was not always easy.
He lived as a religious in a monastery for over ten years and was given an assignment as a pastor of a country parish. The Sunday Mass attendance was about 500 so it was not a small community. Some of the older priests hearing about the assignment told him that he will have many sleepless nights. You are a pastor, however, and not a hireling.
His life in the monastery was very regular. He would get up in the morning, pray, say Mass, after breakfast go to his work place, evening prayer, the meal, a period of rest, night prayers and sleep-- a very simple life.
He has been in a parish now for over ten months. There have been peaceful days but also days of battle. "When we have some parish events the different groups are at odds with each other on how to proceed, and we have conflict."
The parishioners do listen to the wish of the pastor and go along but he always finds it difficult when he has to choose one group over the other. He is bothered greatly with the results of his decision.
He follows the practice of the previous pastor in going to the different villages once a week for a Mass. There are are 10 to 20 that attend. Each division of the parish has a distinguishing feature.
In the farming area we have the aroma of grass and bean-paste pot stew. Those who attend, seem to be care-free and at peace. Apartment areas of the parish and market environments have a different feel, they are lively, vigorous, dynamic, but some seem to be living in the shade.
At Sunday Mass, everyone is well dressed smiling and greeting each other. He surmises they are not having financial difficulties. At the village Masses he sees this is not the case.
Before he entered the religious life he worked and lived a frugal life in a small apartment. He no longer has those problems. After work he would meet with his fellow workers, and sharing glasses of liquor would forget their cares. At a village Mass these thoughts come back to him. Jesus never stayed in one place and associated with all kinds of people in society. He finds this very healthy.
The grandmother's: "All is sin is it not?" Often rings in his ears. How difficult life must have been for the grandmother? He feels sad, and wants to be a conduit to bring consolation to those he meets.
