Changing the Church and the World

 

In the Catholic Weekly Theological Lecture Hall column, the priest reminds us that it takes efforts on the part of all of us to change the world and the church.

As we get older, we get weaker. We know our characters don't automatically mature with the years. Faith also does not deepen by itself.  As hard as it is to grow old well, it takes a lot of hard work and effort to deepen our faith.
 
The writer has lived a considerable amount of time as a priest. He has Mass almost every day. The grace of the Eucharist is received every day. However, he cannot confidently say that his faith and character have improved and deepened since becoming a priest. It feels like the pure passion and faith of those days are now only a memory.
 
Does the sacramental grace lead us to salvation, but not our personal transformation? From a theological point of view, salvation is not achieved through our own efforts. Moral achievement and personal maturity are separate matters from salvation. Salvation is given as a gift in grace and faith. We believe in the efficacy of the sacraments in terms of salvation and grace. Formal and customary celebrations of the sacraments without devotion and concentration of the heart will not change our character.
 

The level and dignity of a nation go hand in hand with the level and dignity of its citizens. An outstanding political leader, any important political event may affect the appearance and level of maturity of a country, but it has its limits. We realize that true change and improvement of a country will not occur unless the overall capacity of citizens is strengthened.
 
The same is true of the problem of change and renewal of the church. The image of believers is the image of the church. True change and renewal of the church are impossible if believers do not strive for maturity of their faith and spirituality.
 
The change and renewal of a community must go hand in hand with the change and renewal of its members. But how can individual change and renewal be achieved? We know that people don't change easily. The passing of time produces only inertia. What can change us? What is needed at the individual level to change people?
 
However, if you look around, you will find that only those who learn and study with an  open and humble attitude can change and mature a little. Only through this study can we gradually change and mature. Studying is not everything, but the sign of change starts with studying. 

The boundaries between study and reflection are blurred. Studying and reflection are similar in terms of thinking and asking fundamental questions. Self-reflection is very important. The true meaning of reflection does not consist in reflection on others, that is, judging others. Of course, sometimes it is important to discern the right and wrong of others and the structural evils of society. However, it is more appropriate to say that it is critical consciousness and critical thinking rather than a reflection. Realizing your own shortcomings, confessing that you are a sinner, and asking God for help. Recognizing one's own shortcomings enables empathy and solidarity with others. Only introspection can lead you on the path of change and renewal.
 
Daily practice Every place in our daily life is a place of meditation. The place where you stand and where you live is the place of training and meditation. First of all, daily performance is revealed in the way we respond to things that come to us. Some things that come we have no choice. But I can choose how to respond. It is a practice to respond in a way of faith to all that comes to pass. Responding to all things that come to you, whether sad or happy, with the eyes and attitude of faith.
 
Second, daily practice is to put your heart into what you are doing and set your intentions. Even if it's just a repetitive task, if you do it while remembering the purpose of the task, giving it a healthy religious orientation and giving meaning to it, focusing your mind and putting your heart into it, then that is training.
 
Third, daily practice is acting on the stage of life believing that God is the  director and producer and to perform the role assigned to us with all our might.

We will be changed and renewed through the way we respond to what comes to us, the purpose, intention, and sincerity of what we do in our life time.

Only study, reflection, and daily practice will make us mature. Would it be too much of a reduction  to say that the change and renewal of the world and the church depended on the study, reflection, and daily practice? I hope there are effective and ingenious methods for change and renewal. But the truth of life may always be simple. When we change, the church and the world changes.

Holy Week Journey

 Holy Week's journey 2022, began with the Passion and Palm Sunday Liturgy. We heard the passion story as seen through the eyes of St. Luke. We held in our hands the branches that were blessed asking for the grace to respond with fruitful acts of love as we remember Jesus entering Jerusalem for the last time seated on a donkey (Zech. 9:9).

On Holy Monday Mary the sister of Lazarus, and Judas appear on the liturgical stage. Mary's brother Lazarus was raised from the dead; she knew it was the Messiah at whose feet she sat listening to his words and knew him to be God. She anointed the feet of Jesus with very expensive perfume. The love she felt could never be repaid by anything she had to give, but Judas didn't have these feelings and saw only the waste of money and without these feelings, it was truly a great waste. We often see the same event but our thoughts and memories are quite different consequently the responses.

Holy Tuesday we find the twelve with Jesus at the Last Supper. Our Lord tells them he will be betrayed by one of them. He is deeply moved and we have the reaction of those at the table. Judas is feigning ignorance and Peter makes clear he would die for Christ but is told that before the morn he would deny Jesus three times. We are weak individuals, trusting in ourselves without humility is not always wise, we  easily make fools of ourselves. 

Wednesday is often called Spy Wednesday because of the place of Judas in today's Gospel from Matthew. After hearing that one would betray him each asks is it I? As if they did not know their own minds on such a serious issue. As we know Peter the next morning denied knowing Jesus with an oath and Judas betrayed him for 30 pieces of silver. We know from Matt. 27:3-5 that Jesus when condemned to death Judas returned to the high priests and confessed that he did wrong in handing an innocent man over to death. He threw the money into the temple and hanged himself. Remorse is not everything; hope of forgiveness is required. We need to be delivered from Despair.

On Holy Thursday, we have the end of Lent and  the beginning of the Easter Triduum. All the disciples are at the Last Supper where Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. John's Gospel is the last one written and since the church was familiar with the other synoptic Gospels he mentions what was not mentioned in the other three Gospels and shows the importance of the 'mandatum' the command to wash each other's feet as Jesus did that evening—to love. The Eucharist is the sign of God's love and our willingness to wash the feet of others is our response. Christians spend some time during the night before the Blessed Sacrament meditating on this meaning.

 

On Good Friday we don't have the Mass but come together to meditate on the passion. The Gospel is always the passion Gospel of St. John. Several incidents make us reflect deeper on what happened. We hear about Simon from Cyrene a place in North Africa. He may have been an ethnic Israelite or a foreigner who accepted the Jewish religion; we just don't know but for some reason, he was forced to help Jesus carry the cross and we even know the names of his two sons which we can surmise is another untold story. He is mentioned in all three Synoptic Gospels but not in today's Gospel. What is even more surprising is the first evangelizer on that day was Pilate who put the nameplate on the cross against the wishes of the Sanhedrin: the acronym INRI Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. And we have two of the more powerful Pharisees with whom Jesus was always in conflict receiving the body and anointing it for burial in the tomb they had prepared for Jesus. Things are often not what they seem. All the twelve except for John had disappeared.

Holy Saturday is the Easter Vigil Mass the high point of the Liturgical Year. Traditionally the time for baptism and renewal of our baptismal promises. We enter a dark church. The celebrant is outside the church prepares the fire from which the Easter Candle will be lit. As he enters the church walking up to the altar three times he sings: "Christ Our Light". From the Paschal Candle the candles held by the Christians are lit and the entire church is blazing with the light from the Easter Candle.

When the Easter candle arrives in the sanctuary, the celebrant or deacon sings the Exsultet, from its first word in Latin, 'Rejoice'. Readings are read, from both the Old and the New Testament, and God’s marvelous plan is unfolded.

If members of the community are prepared for baptism we have the blessing of the water and the baptisms if not the congregation will renew their baptismal vows.

The liturgy concludes with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, in which the newly baptized will partake for the first time. And the congregation thanks God for the gift of grace able to celebrate the liturgy together with the community of faith. We are alleluia people and the liturgy is how the Church leads us to remember that God in Jesus  has given us meaning and joy in life. Happy Easter!

Power of Words

A priest counselor in his column in the Catholic Times reminds us of the power of words.

The words that come out of the mouth cannot be seen or touched. That is why many people talk recklessly without being aware of their words. But words can be really dangerous. Counselors define words as invisible swords. A single word can pay off a large debt, but a tongue can also arouse great anger.
 
The best words of all are words of praise. Just as it is said that praise makes even whales dance, a word of praise can change a person's life. Successful people in life are those who have grown up with enough praise from their parents and adults. On the other hand, one thing that problem children, including runaway teenagers, have in common is a praise deficiency problem.  Many never heard compliments of any type, so they're often searching even for negative attention.
 
He feels the power of words often in his work of counseling. In the many cases where the cold words thrown by parents or adults at children have pierced their hearts like a dagger and many live with this heartache for the rest of their lives. Words are a very powerful means of saving and killing people.
 
There is a proverb that goes: "When the words that we speak are pleasant, the words returned are beautiful." It's an old saying, but it's true. Sharp words hurt the other's heart, but there are no such results with kind words. In the end, conflicts that arise in all relationships stem from the misuse of the tongue.
 
But there are some things we don't really revert to very often. These are so-called words of advice. Counselors say it's best not to give advice when not asked. Because even the best advice hurts the other person's feelings. Also, people who give advice have at times an unconscious desire to show off their intelligence rather than real concern for the other, so it is better to keep your mouth shut no matter how much you want to give advice.
 
Is this not one of the reasons we begin each Mass with the 'confiteor' acknowledging the harm that we can do with our words? Today in the liturgy we meditate on the harm done to Jesus with words and the way it led to the Cross.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me." Often used by elementary school children but we all know this is not true. We all can remember words we have heard directed to us that have given great pain and continue even to old age.

"So the tongue is a little member and boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is an unrighteous world among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the cycle of nature, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by humankind, but no human being can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison" (James 3:5-8).

Idolizing Improper Values

A Catholic Priest professor at a Catholic Medical school gives the readers of the Catholic Peace Weekly his ideas on values that destroy community life.

In a previous article, he has mentioned how the values ​​of communication, win-win, friendship, and cooperation are weakening in society. Instead, neoliberal rules such as infinite competition, everyone for himself, survival of the fittest, and winner-takes-all prevail; the social community that should be a 'house of coexistence' experiences a crisis.

Pope Francis diagnosed the root cause of today's crisis in our society as follows: "One cause of this situation is found in our relationship with money since we calmly accept its dominion over ourselves and our societies. The current financial crisis can make us overlook the fact that it originated in a profound human crisis: the denial of the primacy of the human person! We have created new idols. The worship of the ancient golden calf has returned in a new and ruthless guise in the idolatry of money and the dictatorship of an impersonal economy lacking a truly human purpose. The worldwide crisis affecting finance and the economy lays bare their imbalances and, above all, their lack of real concern for human beings; man is reduced to one of his needs alone: consumption (#55 Joy of the Gospel).

The Pope mentions that material comfort and false values ​​related to "money" took the place of God. This is the fundamental factor fueling the crisis of today’s social community. Amid the loss of man's true purpose and direction, the pursuit of material comfort has taken God's place. Also, more profound dimensions of existence, such as the interpersonal, spiritual, and religious dimensions, are increasingly neglected.

Idolatry is contained in the sins of the ancestors of Genesis. They listened to the serpent's temptation rather than the Word of God, and they committed idolatry by placing their desire to be like God and their own pleasures above God's law. They did not give God the "first place".
 

The Israelites gathered gold and made a calf to worship while Moses went to Mount Sinai to receive God's law. The idolatry of worshiping the golden calf instead of God appears in various forms in our day as well. Representative among these is the 'techno-bureaucratic paradigm' and 'false anthropocentrism' mentioned by Pope Francis in Laudato Si.
 

The 'techno-bureaucratic paradigm' is a way of thinking that despises the 'limits of ethics'. As a result, they think that anything that increases human control is beneficial, and if they think it is beneficial, they pursue it. Although it is true that modern scientific and technological development has brought positive development to mankind, but also left numerous negative effects behind.

Multinational corporations using science and technology and networks were born; an economic monopoly system was established, which is accelerating the concentration of wealth. As technology and scientific civilization are used as tools to satisfy human desires, the adverse effects of their abuse are destroying mankind. As we are witnessing now, the whole earth is suffering from climate change and air pollution. In addition, as the production system is increasingly mechanized and automated due to the development of science and technology, jobs are gradually disappearing, and large-scale unemployment is foretold.

'False anthropocentrism' is a way of thinking in which humans try to relate to others and the outside world by centering on themselves instead of God. The Pope saw that when we immerse ourselves in this thinking, "relativism" easily follows. We prioritize only those things that bring immediate benefits and everything other than oneself as relative or meaningless. This is also the internal logic of those who deny objective truth or firm principles and claim that fragile lives not judged useful can be abandoned.

When money and wrong values ​​take the first place in our lives, our lives are twisted, fragile lives are sacrificed, and the meaning of life for members of society is lost. As a result, joy disappears and a feeling of melancholy surrounds us. These days, fetuses conceived in their mother's womb are often not born, downplaying life. Children are under pressure from early education, unable to play freely with their friends. Adolescents need time for self-reflection and exploration to grow up properly, but all are suppressed because of college entrance. College students are driven into a war for employment, and if they do not succeed in finding a job after graduation are prone to falling behind in life.

Even if you are lucky enough to get a job, you are under the pressure of surviving the competition and faced with the difficult reality of marriage.  Married couples who divorce are unable to protect their families and many couples are forced to retire early in times of recession. Old age, which has been extended due to the extension of life expectancy, is no longer a time of blessing, but a time of loneliness under economic pressure. In this era, despite achieving economic prosperity the entire life cycle is changing day by day. Is it not because the evils of the idolatry of money and wrong values ​​are at work?

Human Rights and Maturity

 

The Catholic Peace Weekly's column Diagnosis of the Times considers the change that comes with age in the lives of those working in human rights.

Before working as a so-called 'human rights lawyer', the writer worked as a 'human rights activist'. He wanted to do his best because it was an opportunity for him to be active in a different space than usual, a big decision in his life. 

There was an evaluation that 'the organization was not supporting the passion of the individual'. Disagreements arose about the contents of the activities and the debate continued. He came across a document of the 'organization' written by his superiors that mentioned that he was 'rotten stagnant water' to be replaced.  

Organizations ask how they should consider the individuals, how they should listen to their voices, and what a mature organization should look like. They want to know the difference between a community of free and equal individuals that human rights pursue and a formal gathering of fragmented individuals.

 

One of the things the writer felt working as a lawyer was that if he didn't live up to his potential as a human rights lawyer, he would be "seniorized" and easily mistaken for achievement.

In the early days of activity, various human rights-related networks emphasized the importance of equal division of work by saying: "No talk without practice." However, you find yourself gradually getting used to considering what those around you are thinking. It asks whether the existence or significance of the elder is there, and what the conditions of the respected elder are. 

 

He also felt as time went on that it would not be easy for him to 'age gracefully' while doing these activities. He visited a group of decades-old activists, well known in society for their devoted activities but was disappointed to hear about self-organization-oriented activities and the need for religious edification of the socially disadvantaged— Looking down on other human rights groups, thinking they have something to offer them.

 

The older you get, the stronger your egocentric tendencies, greed, and wanting to be rewarded mentality, and the more you are encouraged by those around you. Regardless of religion or ideology, a belief system may be exclusively hardened, or conversely, the belief system itself may be completely denied due to a certain orientation, greed, or disappointment in life. And he asks again what it means to age with grace. 

 

No matter how much he wanted to remain as one of the working-level officials, one simple vote, there is a difference in experience and knowledge that one has accumulated. He is embarrassed to see someone criticizing another lawyer for the way he approached a situation. In adapting to the changes of the times, generational differences inevitably exist, and human rights sensitivity and understanding of new human rights issues may need new responses. 

 

Recognizing the lack of importance given to matters and changes that come with time, he asks whether it is mature to reflect on structures that aim for equality but cannot be completely equal. 

He wants to be a person who grows old gracefully knowing what is important and what is less important while looking at people and their rights along with everyone around them. Not with words, but with body and mind. 

 

 

Water is More than Water

 

On the opinion page of the Catholic Times, a journalist emeritus gives the readers a meditation on water.  

When he wakes up in the morning, the first thing he looks for is water: lukewarm or hot drinking water. When drinking coffee, he prefers hot coffee over iced coffee. Unlike  the past, as we age, our tastes and constitutions change. But what if there is not enough or no water to drink right now? Water constitutes 70% of the human body and is it not essential for maintaining life? Just to imagine this is disconcerting and terrifying.
 
He remembers World Water Day on the 22nd of last month. It was established by the United Nations in 1992 to prevent the increasingly serious shortage of water and water pollution and to remind us of the importance of water. One of the biggest crises facing humanity is water, and more than two-thirds of diseases are caused or transmitted through water.
 
Before and after 'World Water Day', the 9th 'World Water Forum' was held for one week in Dakar, the capital of Senegal. This forum, with the theme of "Water Security for Peace and Development," is also part of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Pope Francis' message from the forum came as a big echo. "The world is thirsty for peace. Water security today is threatened by a variety of factors, including pollution, conflict, climate change, and overuse of natural resources. Nevertheless, water is a valuable asset for peace. Therefore, water must not be subject to mere commercial gain or the laws of the market." He also emphasized that the right to drinking water and sanitation is directly related to the right to life.
 
98% of all water on Earth is seawater and the remaining 2% is fresh water. Of freshwater, 99% of freshwater is groundwater. However, there are frequent water fights between countries over groundwater that crosses national borders into the ground. He was surprised by some of the claims made on this forum. More than 2 billion people around the world are excluded from safe water.

The world's population is 7.5 billion, which is one in four. It's not an exaggeration to see TV commercials and videos in Africa and Southeast Asia where muddy water is used as drinking water. His daughter and son-in-law who visited the Maldives, the dream destination of Koreans, talked about the water situation there. "If you walk a bit from the accommodation, you can see the sea, but there is not enough water. Even the water from the showers and faucets in the new four-star hotel has a salty taste."

We also lost valuable forests turned to ashes due to a series of large-scale wildfires last month. Although it is due to the severe spring drought and strong winds, water is essential for preventing forest fires.

He often enjoys cycling along the Han River. When you see the vast Han River running through the middle of Seoul, you feel grateful. Imagine if Seoul, the capital city, existed without the Han River. This is because the Han River serves as a water source for more than 9.5 million Seoul citizens.

Are we conscious of the value of water when we use it both in the home or office? He hopes that the faucet or shower is used at the right amount when necessary. 'Leaked or spilled water' is lost.

Although Korea is not a "water-scarce country" as defined by the United Nations, it should be kept in mind that the water situation is not sufficient.

(上善若水), an acronym meaning the highest form of goodness is like water:  humble, relaxed, flexible, and benefits all things. He hopes we can resemble the properties of water and flow smoothly and communicate with each other. Let's not just look at water as water, but as an oasis in the desert. Let's save, preserve, and share the water, which is life-giving. We believe that our mindset and actions will protect the "common house" of our Earth and contribute to the common good of mankind.

Digital Addiction and the Future

In the Kyeongyang magazine a professor of Media Studies give us his thoughts on digital dependence and the future.

We have had the first and second vaccines, the booster but no end in sight to the pandemic. Masks have become part of our bodies, meetings are called on screens, and Zoom classes are common. We go to the internet for connections to the world.

Coronavirus has forced a change in our way of living. At the same time, we are concerned about global warming, increase in plastic trash, manipulation of genes, and privacy issues but they are now for the most part on the back burner. One of the greater problems is the decrease in personal contact and the growing dependence on digital (algorithmic) media. 

The old media, or legacy media, that predominated before the Information Age: print, films, radio, and television is in decline. Newspapers, radio, TV are moved along with information supplied by the deliverers (journalists) and the audience who use the information. People spoke out being for or against the content and called for improvement, countered that  confirmation bias of the users was the problem. Conflicts between the two were everywhere.

On the other hand, digital media such as Facebook is strong on advertising, political propaganda, and personal life experiences. When we go to YouTube, we lose the sense of time, and watch scintillating videos, news about celebrities, sports, gossip and search for information, shopping... 

Google, YouTube, and similar digital media make the old media and ourselves feel helpless. Journalists dream up content that algorithms prefer; we consume content that algorithms give us that knows more about ourselves than we do.

 

Algorithms can hire journalists to sway consumers' tastes. Algorithms inevitably fuel our desires and help to expand them. People get used to living in their own echo chambers rather than communicating with others.

 

Using KakaoTalk (a Korean program similar to Skype) we often see persons sitting facing each other sending messages to others. Some of the big problems with the smartphone are the lack of conversation with family members and friends, less sleep, exercise, etc., and a decrease in our attention span.

Smartphones and social media are made to have you spend time with the platforms that they have designed and they continue to evolve. Many are trying to limit the use of these programs. Not an easy thing to do. However, there are many on the other side of the screen that are trying to help those watching the screen but the producers continue to rage a battle with them.

He mentions several professors who see the problems starkly, one considers Google a present-day "God" and another sees humans replaced by robots. 

The protagonist of the Japanese-British writer Kazuo Ishiguro's novel Klara and the Sun is a robot. He won the 2017 Nobel Prize in Literature. Klara is a robot that is bought as a friend for a child and she is the heroine of the novel all seen through her eyes.

Shortly, robots called AF (Artificial Friends) will be sold as friends for children in the United States. If one-day "consciousness" occurs in robots like Klara and continues to evolve what then? The author talks about the possibility of a "conscious AI" replacing a specific human being. Are humans really special beings?

Even if the development of big data and algorithms are able to predict people's behavior and robots are difficult to distinguish from humans, should humans be considered special beings? He concludes the article that once freed from addiction to the digital world, necessary teachings will come from religion.