Gifts are very much part of the Korean culture. Distinguishing between a bribe and a gift is not always easy. A gift is given without any thought of return. This is usually the case. This may not be true in the world of business but in ordinary daily life, giving and receiving gifts is a sign of the regard one person has for another.
In a diocesan bulletin, a teacher writes about gifts and what they have meant to him over the years. He begins by stating that a gift is a medium expressing the feelings of the heart. Strengthens our positive emotions and solidarity between people. Nine out of ten Koreans are happy in giving gifts but not always. They can be a burden.
Traveling overseas the thought of bringing back a present was a concern. Husbands who take trips overseas, a gift for the wife looms large, especially in sorrow that she is not making the trip. Until they find the right present they will be stressed out. Once found, peace returns to the face.
On trips overseas, he has returned with gifts for his wife he thought appropriate. However, the results were not what he had envisioned. It is not easy to pick a gift that the recipient finds gratifying. Both have to lower their expectations.
Often at the school where he teaches he buys others a cup of coffee or a drink, they often after a trip come back with a ballpoint pen or a keychain or similar gift and he has a drawer full of these mementos. In the beginning, he was thankful but over time the giver and the receiver found it a burden. It took some time for this custom to disappear.
Over the years he has given and received many gifts. Many have been given with a pure heart but also even a small gift often is a burden when given to people with whom we are concerned. However, a gift from the heart moves one greatly.
He remembers during teachers' training many years ago he was the homeroom teacher for a first-year girls' high school. It was Teachers' Day which he had forgotten and as he was entering the teachers' room he was presented with a bouquet of flowers and a red carnation was pinned to his lapel. He still remembers this with emotion.
Giving a present requires a little bit of 'savoir-faire' a basic technique of some kind is required and the writer admits that his wife has more than he has. When he has been absent on a couple of occasions, she has changed the interior of many of the rooms and papered the walls and brought some articles which he had desired. All done without any inconvenience to the writer giving him great pleasure.
Learning an important lesson, during his wife's pilgrimage to Europe he took it upon himself to clean the bathroom. It took three days. He got rid of all the mold and dirty spots, coated the tile floor. It was a difficult task but he did it with joy. On the return of his wife, she was very happy with what she found and he decided to find other ways of giving gifts in the future.
His gifts in the past were not the kind that gave emotional joy; gifts were given mostly out of habit. More than concern for the other person was a concern for himself. In the future, gifts with interest in the other, filled with love and the money value of the gift of little importance. The amount of sincerity involved and the joy of making another person happy will be his interest.
One minute after he started his lecture one of the women shouted: "Good heavens, It's annoying." A college professor was giving a retreat to the women of Magdalena House and writes about his experience in the Catholic Times.
Since 1985, Magdalena House, near Yongsan Station in Seoul, was a resting place for those who were involved in prostitution. A laywoman, a Maryknoll Sister, and priest were there to help those living in situations of violence, oppression and helping those who wanted to escape, gain independence and begin a new life.
The women who shouted continued: "Hurry up and finish." He knew in preparing his talks about the difficulties he would have and spent a lot of time preparing what to say and prayed. He didn't realize all that he was to experience and in retrospect considers the experience a great grace—he was able to share some of the hurts, scars, and tears with the women. He will never forget the experience.
They received a lot of support from benefactors, especially the late Cardinal Stephen Kim who visited frequently and never questioned them on their life but was a friend. He was always there to help and often said the funeral Mass for the Catholics who died.
Mary Magdalena was the first to inform the apostles who were stupefied and fearful of the news of Jesus' resurrection. In the 'patriarchal' society where men have all the power, the important role and authority in society was the male. Knowledge and virtue are appropriated by the males and women are easily perceived only as auxiliary workers. But a patriarchal society, which recognizes women's place and role only as accessories, is incompatible with Jesus' declared "Kingdom of God".
What is needed for the healthy growth of a young child is a mother's breasts and warm love, and those suffering in the world need 'divine maternal love' which reveals 'God's mercy'! The church inspired by the Holy Spirit has testified to the world the "joy of the gospel" by the actions of the spiritually healthy laypeople, religious, and clergy.
This is the 'field hospital' that Pope Francis often mentions. Magdalena House is very important in the modern history of the Korean Catholic Church. In the midst of some of the most vulnerable, marginalized and abandoned women, the church was present supporting their human rights and helping the women to become self-reliant and proclaiming everybody is precious in the eyes of God.
Unfortunately, last year, Magdalena House was closed but has been working on a variety of ways to care for and support women in these desperate situations. Today, the Korean church looks bigger, but the church doors smaller and the walls are getting higher. When the church exists only for itself, its salt will lose its taste.
The professor concludes the article praying that the place of 'light and salt' in the work of the church increases as in 'Magdalena type communities', witnessing to the joy of the gospel among the poor and needy. "I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine you did it to me" (Matthew 25:40).
A religious sister in the Catholic Peace Weekly, recalls a time when studying in the States, she volunteered in a summer camp program where there were a number of Korean teenages. A swimming test during the camp showed the Korean students as good swimers with the right posture, similar to the best champion swimmers.
The swimming instructor was very pleased and praised the skills of the teenagers. He took the children to the deepest part of the pool and let them jump in turn. What happened surprised the sister and the instructor for they all began to struggle in the water. The instructor quickly jumbed into the water to help the teenagers.
The instructor ask incredulously—what in the world is going on? The teenagers answered simply: "My feet did not reach the ground." What does this mean? They never had the chance to swim in an area where the water was over their heads, even though they had excellent swimming skills.
The instructor, who learned the reason went to the place were the 6 and 7 year old American children were playing in the water. He was determined to teach the teenagers a lesson. He connected a pole to the sides of the pool and told the children to jump in, which only after a little hesitation, they all did. Coming up they grasped the pole.
The sister seeing what was happening never forgot even after the passage of many years. What did the Korean teenagers thing after seeing what happened? She was embarassed to see what the results of the naked Korean educational experience was demonstrating. 'Intelligence' is learned knowledge; 'wisdom' is knowledge given life by experience.
At the campsite, little children did not know how to swim, but had the wisdom to overcome the fear of the deep water. She was so envious. How could such youngsters, age six or seven, bravely enter the deep water? She was greatly inpressed with the instructor who enabled these youngsters to do precisely that.
Swimming is not simply a movement of hands and feet enabling the body to stay afloat. It's finding the wisdom of overcoming the fear of the depth of the water with the experience that comes with the ability to swim. However, our children had only knowledge to swim and lacked the wisdom to survive in an unfamiliar environment. Experience is a wonderful teacher, which transforms stored knowledge into wisdom. Fear of what is strange and the uncomfortableness of an unforseen future is made acceptable.
We learn about life by living. It does not mean we need to learn to swim, but to go deeper in what we do and overcome fear. The difference between knowing and living is greater than we may think.
If I could only live what I knew, I would have already become an adult. However, when we hear a negative word, hear something nasty about ourselves, something we didn't want to hear, everything crumbles. My self esteem is hurt. Emotions are often products of our experiences without the learning from wisdom.
We need to go into the deep. If I swim only in the shallow places, the world will change and I will remain in the same place. I will be confined by the same thoughts and attitudes and fail to know my true self and grow. I will be stuck at home plate.
Addiction, a state in which one is enslaved to a habit or activity that is psychologically or physically habit-forming to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma. A thesaurus lists the following: habit, dependency, the monkey on one's back, craving, enslavement, and obsession.
Often we hear the word positive addiction but ordinarily, the word is used when the results are harmful to the person with the addiction. Postive 'addictions' can be devotion to an idea or practice that is helpful to a person's growth. A virtuous act that has become habitual.
In a column of the Catholic Peace Weekly, a poet and essayist reflects on the word addiction. Whether sitting or standing, eyes closed, the object of the craving is present, if only dimly, to give pleasure and not rarely the limitless taste of the bottomless pit.
Ecstasy, fulfillment, and great delight depending on the source may be the results. It directs a person's way to the future with tears or laughter and may teach one the proper way to live the earthly life we have received.
Her older brother had an extraordinary intellect, noticed in the way he spoke. As a student, he learned the board game 'Go' and enjoying the challenges, gave himself to the pursuit of its mysteries spending his time in 'Go' clubhouses. Gradually began betting, his spirit sometimes high and sometimes low; like a child playing by the water's edge who gradually goes out deeper into the water.
He became interested in mahjong, horseracing— gambling took over. His family's worries were no more than oil on water. He was entranced in making a fortune all at once but the ups and downs finally were destructive.
The writer mentions the time she volunteered to work in a hospital for alcoholics. She received all the necessary lectures and the written materials to help her in her work. Many women with the problem were patients at the hospital. Their aim was to return to a normal life again with their families.
Many who left, shortly returned, once, twice three times, after relapsing. She saw many who were lost. For the writer, it was a time in which she began to wonder about what life was all about.
Literature came into her life and gradually it became her entire interest. Literature filled the empty place in her heart, her cries and difficulties were relieved by the consolation and peace she received from literature. Walls she was not able to scale, literature made doors in the wall, literature became her life—literature became her happy addiction.
Addiction has many aspects and the results are different. It can take away everything possessed or can give you joy and great satisfaction. Each of us determines what is going to be our goal in life. Each has the gift of free will and has to determine where and what it will choose. The final results will be determined by the choices one makes.
Many are overcome by addiction. The color, taste, aroma have different faces, the degree of absorption is the test? Each day that passes we get closer to the black hole which is the dividing path between life and death. Addiction beckons us on and we need the wisdom from life to determine our response.
Over 500 Yemeni refugees entered Jejudo Island visa-free on flights from South Asia which have produced an outcry and debate throughout Korea. An attempt to increase the number of tourists to the island has brought an influx of refugees from the battlegrounds of Yemen. People have heard about what happened in Europe and are concerned about their safety. An article in the Catholic Peace Weekly gives the readers an understanding of the situation faced by the refugees and the citizens of Jejudo.
Yemen in the southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula was in ancient times a land of prosperity. It is presumed to be the capital of the kingdom of Sheba in Old Testament Times. The queen of Sheba visited Jerusalem bringing precious gifts to wise king Solomen.
The scenery of Yemen is beautiful. It has primeval forests, desert, oasis, and sea. Today, however, it is a land of hunger and war. Neighboring countries involved in a civil war between different political and religious sects. Many have died and thousands have left. They found no welcoming in the Middle East, Africa or in Southeast Asia and came to Jejudo Island.
The world is suffering from refugees and the illegal immigration problem. The view towards refugees is getting tougher. The United States continues talking about building walls on the border with Mexico. In Europe, the extreme right-wing parties rejecting refugees have come to power with great support. Over a half a million in Korea have signed a petition against their government's friendly migration policies and seeking to revoke the Yemen refugee applications.
Korea was the first Asian country to implement the refugee law, however, the actual recognition rate is low. Only about 4% of the applicants were recognized as refugees and those including humanitarian permits are about 10%.
Pope Francis calls for concern and consideration for refugees. His first visit as pope was to a refugee camp in Lampedusa, Italy. He wants us to reflect on our indifference to those hurting. The Pope called for a "reawakening of consciences" to counter the "indifference" shown to migrants. "We have lost a sense of brotherly responsibility," he said, and "have forgotten how to cry" for migrants lost at sea.
The pope met with Rohingya refugees from Myanmar living in Bangladesh and asked God to forgive those who have been persecuting them. The writer mentions the futurist Jacques Attali who calls the 21st century the 'New Nomadic Age'. The numbers that are traveling around the world are staggering. Korea alone has over 2 million they are the weak of society.
The necessary ethic in this nomadic age is understanding, tolerance, mercy and love. We need to accept the refugees as neighbors. In Korean society, we have migrant workers, refugees from North Korea, foreigners who have married Koreans, and multicultural families. We need to have a warmer gaze on these members of our society. We have to share our concern for them.
Christians have the example of Jesus who right after birth was a refugee. In his parable before the Last Supper, he said to the church: "I was a stranger and you received me in your homes" (Matt. 25:35).
One of the dioceses recently had a symposium on pastoral work. Written up in the Catholic Peace Weekly with the headline: "Peace of mind is desired but church work—well, let me think about it!"
The hearts of believers are ready to receive service in the manner of customers. Service of others is difficult and they want to be at peace. Participants wondered whether the church is doing its part in inviting the laypeople to get involved.
Up until the eighties, the church's mission was to enter the world and change it but gradually the world was seen as secularizing the church. This year is the Jubilee year of the laity; a desire to speak about the age of change and awakening of the laity. Are the laity living with the joy of the gospel?
One participant mentioned 5 issues which are obstacles for the laity:(1) low priority of the religious life in daily living (2) relationships with others not one of the values (3) individualistic spirituality (4) anti-intellectualism (5) weakening of the family bonds.
Another participant mentioned motivation behind faith life is weakening. Our 'bellies and mouth' and lack of concern for peace of the world was listed. Believers are looking for peace and joy of the gospel but not finding it. In his opinion, the greatest obstacle to growth in spirituality is being confined by one's own personal understanding and interest of what is required—isolated from others.
In the panel discussion, one person mentioned the tendency of the parish priests to curb the activities of parish groups according to the whims of the priests. A desire for more autonomy of the parish groups was expressed. In the education of the believers, it was hoped that a special parish could be designated where this could be carried out.
The results of a survey made among the leaders of the diocese on consciousness: 82% said the president of the parish council was chosen by the priest, as to the qualities necessary—getting along with the pastor.
The biggest problem seen by the leaders of the diocese was the members who have left the community of faith and how to get them to return 66%. Re-education of the Catholics was 52%. Education of the young 47% and renewal of the clergy 32%. Overall, the Korean Church's greatest problem was the passivity of the laity 49%; 32 % felt it was the falling away of the Catholics.
Both Catholic papers had writes ups on the Suwon diocesan change for the governing of the diocese. Since 2006 the diocese was divided into 6 vicariates with deaneries. They have now taken the diocese pastored by the ordinary and divided the diocese into two vicariates with deaneries. The two bishop auxiliaries will have the pastoral responsibility under the ordinary in the two vicariates.
In the past the deans where elected by the members of the deanery but the bishop of the diocese will now appoint the dean and the parish in which he resides will be the seat for the deanery.
This is a change in an effort to become closer to the people, priests and religious. The diocese has over 900 thousand believers and over 500 priests and 214 parishes. Editorials and articles are hoping that the efforts do produce fruit.
One editorial saw the diocese stripping an old frame and making a new one. To summarize the characteristics of the new frame—small diocese, strong vicariate, and lively parishes.
The two auxilary bishops will take the place of the 6 vicariate priests who were the vicars. One vicariate has 110 parishes and 11 deaneries and the other one has 10 deaneries and 104 parishes.
The intention is to make the communication between the pastors, religious and people and the bishop smoother and easier. Efforts to decentralize are for better use of the personnel—more effectual on the pastoral level. The vicariates will have autonomy to set up their own offices for vocations and public relations and other offices they feel necessary.
The ordinary of the diocese has explained that with any change there is always some difficulty and they should be prepared to deal with the problems. With cooperation and working together, the goal is to give vitality to the parishes. Each vicariate has the freedom to be creative. The diocese is working at reform and renewal and the bishop of the diocese hopes difficulties encountered will not discourage but challenge and encourage them.
The ordinary in the message for the 50th anniversary of the diocese stressed that communication and participation as two important categories on which to work." Before us, both within and outside, we have challenges and critical situations to face but we need to face them head on for our work of evangelization.
With Pope Francis we are seeing steps taken for a decentralization of the work of the church away from the Vatican. There are dangers in everything we do but the attempts of being a more listening and closer to the sheep type community is all for the good and hopefully, success will inspire other dioceses to attempt renewal in their governing.
