Often we make judgments that after a period of time we realize were made too quickly. A religious sister explains to the readers of the Catholic Peace Weekly that there are times we have to step back to see clearly.
She was impressed by a sister from the same community hearing her soft voice, calm, kind and friendly appearance and thought it would be nice to live with her in a community. The day did come and she says it may have been because of the expectations but it was uncomfortable living together. When she felt the unkindness and had her faults pointed out with a soft voice and a smile the respect she once had disappeared. One needs to live with another to know them.
It's not easy to respect the persons you live with. People who have heard her lectures say: "She is respectful, passionate, speaks clearly" but that is not her ordinary attitude, she says. A nun who lived with her said to sister: "Sister, I know you're smart but isn't it shallow? She thought of herself as a precise and sharp person but this remark shows a person who makes mistakes and says what everybody knows.
Is there not a saying that it's difficult to live in a house with a saint? Of course, with a certain age difference, and different roles, a distance is maintained. However, when we eat, work and sleep under the same roof, the distance disappears. When distances are gone, it is hard to maintain 'respect' even though affection remains.
A son enters the military and is distant from his parents and then his letters are filled with respect for his parents. When her parents were alive she was not quick to show respect but after their death, she remembered all that they did and respect was deeply felt. Respect often comes with distance.
Nowadays digital information mixes private and public matters with no sense of distance. Famous entertainers and politicians we have never met are known to us from gossip. We speak to one another bringing up things we have seen on TV or the internet, talk about people we have never met and strangers become friends for a moment.
One person becomes a demon another an angel. At times it is chit chat and other times we slander others. Digital information draws strangers into our private space at times honorably and other times an object of our dislike.
Jesus was not respected in his hometown. Likewise, we live in a global village in which we can communicate quickly and easily. The hometowns of Europe, America and Korea are all the same. President Trump and Moon Jae-in, often appear as just another"him".
How about distancing yourself from the digital world? Trees and flowers need a proper distance to grow well. On highways, the distance between cars must be maintained for safe driving. In order to love and respect each other, distance is needed. Proper distance prepares one to have a proper respect for others.
Yesterday was Chuseok Holiday, writing in the Catholic Times, a university professor remembers his deceased mother who would spend time preparing the meals for the family and guests with great joy on Chuseok and similar holidays. She was a hidden saint sharing willingly God's love, mercy and life with others.
In modern society, where industrialization and urbanization are firmly in place, the only way to succeed and develop is to make a lot of money and consequently housekeeping is not looked upon with favor. In a Confucian society the husbands were the money makers and the housewives naturally would cook, wash, clean and care for the children. Since work in the home did not bring in money it was not considered important or respected.
But today, the world is changing. With the abolition of the the Hoju (family register) system in Korea in 2007 which was consdered a violation of the right to gender equaility we have the domestic work of women recognized. With the large number of women entering the work force men are more actively involved in child care. It is easy to imagine the problems a family has without concern for the household tasks.
As a sociologist the writer learned a little about life and living when he was in charged of a study hall. It was not difficult raising money and management but it was never easy to prepare three meals a day and to care for each child and try to to energize the children. He was grateful to learn a little more about "real life", more important than "money and management" thanks to the lay teachers who shared God's love while playing with children and those who didn't want to study.
In Korean the word for housekeeping (living), does not orginate from the intransitive word 'living' but from the transitive verb to give life. In today's individualistic society where concern with oneself alone is prominent, serving others does not come quickly to mind.
Therefore, the spirit behind housekeeping is in touch with God's creation of the world and seeing that all was good. Beyond the narrow thinking only of oneself, all the family members are at the heart of 'houseliving', serving family, the neighbors and giving life to the community of all, not 'ownership and competition' but mercy and the marvelous abundance of God.
When parents invest huge amounts of money in their child's education, and forget the child's expectations this is not good 'housekeeping'. Because of the economy when employers refuse to give a minimum wage to the poor part-time students this is just anxiety, and not good 'housekeeping'. When a pastor without concern for the feelings of the parishioners asks unreasonably for funds for the church the pastor is not 'housekeeping' correctly. If you are looking for high profits with real estate and unreasonably ask for an increase in rent, this is not good 'housekeeping'. If we fall into the ideology that encourages division and disconnection and refuse the way of reconciliation of the North and the South to advance towards world peace, this is not good 'housekeeping'.
In order for us to live a real life, we need to have the courage to go beyond the standards of the world and begin to take examples from God's mercy and grace to humankind.
In recent history, we have had many investigated for alleged abuse of judicial authority and dereliction of duty. Invariable the reason comes that they were just following orders. This is something endemic in society and is not only a recent phenomenon.
The many statements that have followed the court procedures show this as the main reason for the abuse of duties. In a column of the Catholic Peace Weekly, a professor brings to the attention of the readers the struggle that many have with conscience and their duties.
But there are others who act in reverse. One of them is a police officer who was the director of police in 1980 in Jeollanam-do. He objected to orders from above during the May 18 Democratic Uprising. He was dismissed from his post, arrested, tortured for disobeying orders and directing his officers to turn in weapons and providing medical treatment and food for the protestors. He passed away in 1988 from the after effects from the torture he had to endure for what they called abandonment of duties.
Are those in subordinate positions in society to obey orders unconditionally of their superiors even if they are unjust and immoral? When a person just follows orders does that make everything right? She asks the readers if they were in that situation where the orders of the superior go against one's conscience what would they do? This is a question each one has to face.
These kinds of problems are not only faced by people working in government or industry but situations of this type are seen in our daily lives. Obviously, we are not talking about matters of little concern or of no moral value. Conscience is the sense that tells us what is right or wrong in our actions.
It's difficult to follow one's own conscience when it is not the will of the superior—nothing is guaranteed and security is jeopardized, Many things are guaranteed and sustained if I follow the instructions from above unconditionally.
The hope is that those in leadership positions in society will not be ordering injustices and immoral behavior. We need people who will develop their consciences and do what is right even at the risk of harm coming to them. This is the way to guarantee a society that will not feel shame in what we hand on to our children.
Areas of study are many and different. Science is one of the big fields where the physical and natural world is studied through observation and experiment. A priest, professor of physics at Sogang University, writes about the relationship of science and religion in the Catholic Peace Weekly.
He mentions the well known English atheist scientist Richard Dawkins who wrote in his book, The God Delusion, the more intelligent and the greater the level of education the less likely one is to have a religion. He doesn't have a very high opinion of scientists who are believers.
A question quickly comes to mind. Can science answer all the questions that we have? In the scientific age, called also the age of the fourth industrial revolution, does religion have a place? Some scientists have the conviction that religions are no longer viable—scientism.
Science has without a doubt given answers to many of our questions about nature and life, a great benefit to humankind but it can't answer the question of the 'why' of life and nature. Of course, the scientist with a belief in scientism believes that science has the answer to all our questions. This is an internally held belief and actually their religion and not a scientific response to reality.
Scientists have no way of giving answers to the meaning of life. It is here that religion enters our thoughts. Different religions have different answers to the questions about life, death, and search for the answers to morality, the existence of a being greater than the human and awe in the contemplation.
It brings to mind the many questions that we ask ourselves. How am I to live? How am I to understand this problem, this accident? How am I to deal with my own scars and find peace of mind and soul and find some solution? These are questions science can't answer.
In this new age of the 4th industrial revolution, what is the meaning of religion? Dawkins points out the evils of religion and calls for its abolition but he says this from his own convictions which are the product of his own lived life. He is actually unscientific, he is influenced by his own personal individuality which is his religion. He condemns it and at the same time is a believer in his own religion.
In conclusion, we can say that nobody is able to get rid of a belief system. One can refrain from taking upon oneself a religious belief but no one is able to free themselves from asking questions about life and its meaning. Consequently, as in the past, the present and in the future, the search for meaning will always be present.
Science and Religion have both their own areas of study and search. They need not be enemies and see everything only from their own vantage point. St. John Paul II said: "Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth, and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—"
A priest remembers the time doing pastoral work on an island where he had a small home for grandmothers. He writes about his experience in a Pastoral Bulletin. When the Chuseok holiday approached a few people would come to visit and bring gifts to the elders at the home.
The grandmothers cleaned the grounds around the house and put their best clothes on for the holiday. He recalls the visit of four or five community leaders who came around noon in a van carrying some gifts. The grandmothers received the boxes of fruits and gifts in front of the house. They took some pictures and the guests returned to the van waving, explaining they were busy and had to leave. The seniors bowed deeply thankful for the gifts and the van drove away. The guests waved with a feeling of satisfaction.
Somehow, in the place of love, there seemed to be a big gap between the giving and receiving. The writer did not see any signs of closeness, love, or oneness. The grandmothers were small people who waited and bowed. To the contrary, those bearing gifts were the givers, doing good things, and feeling good about their actions. There was no spiritual exchange or meeting through conversation, but only the externals of giving and receiving.
There is a saying in Asian teaching about charity. When you help a person, three things should not be seen: the person giving, the recipient, or what is given. People desire to make themselves and their help appreciated.
Jesus also said not to reveal our charitable giving. "When you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right hand is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you" (Matt. 6:3).
The writer mentions there are many people in difficult circumstances where he lives. He wants to help but is hesitant about what to do. Many experts advise us to be wise in giving unless a real need is present for we can make persons beggars.
There was an unfortunate family he wanted to help but to do it directly he saw problems. He sought the help of people with professional knowledge in helping those in need. They visited the home, counseled and determined the needs of the family which he helped to meet. There are many ways to help people with difficulties: financial help, education, and personal development.
In modern times, there are many who have shown us different ways to love. One is to go into the world of the poor and suffering and live with them. It is not giving or teaching anything, but accepting and acknowledging others as brothers and sisters and spending time with them. We have the example of many eminent persons who have done just that by living with the unfortunate people and sharing their lives with them.
One of these is Jean Vanier who began the L'Arche movement over 50 years ago. In L'Arche movement, each person participates, helps and receives help, it is founded on mutual relationships. Vanier has a doctorate in Philosophy for his thesis on Aristotle. The research was on happiness, which he defined as loving and being loved. This was also the path that Jesus showed us in showing love for the outcasts of society.
Is this water really clean? She wonders as she takes the cap off the bottle of spring water. She drinks but not without serious doubts about the health benefits. So begins an article in a Diocesan Bulletin. As a child, she remembers the older generation saying in the near future we will be paying for the water we drink. The time is here.
We live in a highly scientific civilization; concerned with clothes, food, and shelter but our thinking about food has changed the most. In the past, it was the expensive and good food we desired especially different kinds of meats but recently with the appearance of the 'well being' movement, interest in vegetables and fruits has grown greatly. Despite this, water is still one of the most important elements of good health. The secret of a long life is regular exercise, control of one's eating, and water. Drinking 3 liters of water a day to get rid of waste products and clean the blood.
At present we have water with different ingredients and this will continue with great variety. Water with vitamins, calcium water, rock water, alkaline ionized water, and the like, with labels and priced accordingly, even now there are types of water that are more expensive than kerosene. Water purifiers remind the buyer that good water protects one's health. In order to sell the purifiers, they use all kinds of words to tempt the customers to buy their product. Now you can have both hot and cold water and easy to use. There is even the kind that will make ice cubes, all pointing to the importance of water.
Many are the side effects in search for clean water. No matter how expensive and well made the water purifier, without the changes in the filters you have a useless machine and the abandoning of underground water sources and mineral springs. Few are the places in the country where we can find first-class natural water.
Back in the 60s and 70s in the country, we had village wells and even pumps in the homes. Most would go to the village well where they dropped their buckets and returned home with drinking and water for household use. With a splash and the drop of the bucket we had not only fresh drinking water but were able to converse and build community, now just memories.
The village priest would come to the well on rare occasions. He was one who would be drinking tap water and mineral water. He would buy mineral water but finally came to the conclusion that he had been drinking tap water all his life without problems and returned to drinking tap water. He bought an earthen pot in which he poured the tap water and after the impurities went to the bottom it became his drinking water. After deciding on the merits of purified water and the tap water the tap water won.
With the progress of civilization we have gained a great deal in comfort but the smell that came from our humanity began to disappear. Not able to drink water without concern is a sign of what we have done to the environment. Ice caps are melting, glaciers are disappearing and we are getting strange weather—extreme heat and floods and natural disasters because of our indiscriminate understanding of development. Even with the drinking of mineral water, the heart is not at rest. She concludes with yearning for the old days at the village well.
In the recent assignments in the Seoul Diocese, 129 received new posts of that number 30 priests entered various kinds of training programs and sabbaticals. New pastors came from priests ordained in 2002. Which means assistants have a long wait before they receive a parish. So begins the Peace column in the Catholic Times.
Strange as it may sound the growth of priests in the diocese is serious. This is true also in the special works in the diocese. Currently, there are 232 parishes in the diocese and 430 priests are involved in parish work. Except for the 232 pastors, the rest are assistants. Beyond the parish apostolate, 270 priests are involved with special works.
In the diocese considering the regional characteristics of Seoul, beginning new parishes is no easy task and adding to the special works will be difficult. However, we can't say the number of priests in the diocese is sufficient. As of 2017, the average number of priests for each believer in the country is 1093 while Seoul has 1,720 believers for each priest. The number of priests available for the believers is much less than the rest of the country.
Looking at the situation from another angle and even bringing this topic up he does with great caution, but the Catholic Church in Korea is strongly clergy oriented. Objectively, the dependence of believers on clergy is great. This can be confirmed by the fact that the priests who are devoted to their work have conspicuous results in their pastoral work. This would also be the case with the religious. Looking at the situation negatively, we have a clergy centered church culture, authoritarianism, but it shows clearly that Korean believers respect priests and religious people despite this reality.
With this situation in the diocese are there ways in which priests can find works of responsibility to devote themselves to the needs of the laity?
In the diocese alternative pastoral approaches: joint pastors and team ministry have been suggested and sometimes implemented, but in the Seoul Diocese, they have proven ineffective. But there can be other ways.
One of them is to get involved in the reality of life in the here in now. (Would he be suggesting something like the worker-priest movement in France? The movement lasted for many years with different results. At times reluctantly accepted by the Church and later efforts to stop the movement but much was learned and good results were seen.)
At presently dedicated priests are sent to large hospitals to work in the hospital ministry in the same fashion sending priests to work in other workplaces, presently with the police and in markets. He would like to see this extended to many other areas of life.
This pastoral work should not be only saying Masses and giving the Sacraments at fixed times. Just as a shepherd looks for lost sheep, it is necessary to find believers, understand their anxieties, pain, and attempt to foster healing and return people to a renewal of life— the role of the 'field hospital' emphasized in the Joy of the Gospel by Pope Francis is the aim.
In order to enter this way of pastoral work will require the overcoming of many problems and difficulties. The pastoral workers will have to become of one mind and wisely look forward to a common purpose. The passion for mission is necessary. He concludes the article with the example of the Protestant Ministers in the way they go about planting a new community where none existed. With this kind of motivation and passion, one will not fail.
