Wise Old Age-

 

A former journalist gives the readers of the Catholic Times some help in living with wisdom in old age.

You have barely finished the first half of your life, and the second half remains. He recommends that you try to work with youthful energy befitting your age. 

 

"Christians seem to be happy in their old age if they keep the Ten Commandments." Pre-seniors  these days  are called 'young seniors', and also called 'active seniors' because they are as active as young people.

 

A few days ago, he posted a short "old age aphorism" in a Catholic media chat room, and various reactions poured in. The aphorism was '5 yeses and 5 noes'  (refers to 「What to do and what not to do」) by the late professor of folklore. It was an exhortation to 'be calm, generous, informed, think, and move' while staying away from 'nagging, anger, drowsiness, obsession, and dwelling on the past'.

 

Above all, the hearts of seniors who cared for juniors who were far away until the age of 65, which is the standard for seniors under the Elderly Welfare Act, were not recognized; nor did they seem to like the word old.  We are after all in the "100-year-old era", we are reluctant to readily admit aging. Even if we care not to refer to old age we can and should talk about generations.

 

It just so happens that today is the third "World Grandparents' Day". Established by Pope Francis when COVID-19 broke out in 2021, the church is always with the elderly. The pope reminded the elderly of their calling, namely, "protecting roots, transferring faith to young people, and taking care of small people." This year, the day coincides with the Lisbon World Youth Congress, which will be held from August 1 to 6. The pope stressed that the two generations of the elderly, grandparents, and young people share friendship of life and faith, mutual gifts and gratitude, and testimony of hope and sharing of love.
 

There are only three years left  before Korea becomes a the super-aged society (more than 20% of the total population aged 65 or older). However, the Korean Catholic Church has already entered the super-aged church (23% of believers aged 65 or older) two years ago. Therefore, the church's interest and support for senior affairs cannot be overemphasized.
 

How can the life of the elderly be slow when the elderly can ride free on the subway? One of Catholicism  leading spiritual teachers of this era, saw that aging requires several virtues: calmness, patience, warmth, freedom, gratitude, and love.  

 

First of all, he hopes you continue to do what you like or do well. Our writer walks barefoot these days. Walking for nearly an hour in the mountains of the neighborhood he feels improves his physical condition, he  feels at one with the dirt road. Nearly half of the people you meet in the mountain are barefoot. Also, why don't you find your specialty and make it your routine. Personally, he has three pleasures: reading, writing, and walking, are the irreplaceable pleasures.
 

A former MBC producer, recommends three attitudes. Not to argue, not to be upset about trivial things, and be with your friends when they gather. "○○○, please listen with your earphones on." This is what a young nurse said to a patient in his late 60s. He was watching YouTube while raising the volume on his cell phone in a five-bed room hospital ward. Such an ugly scene is often seen on the subway. We support the wise old age, which teaches rich experiences, protects public morality, and we don't hear: "kkondae" (an older persons who believes he is always right  and you are always wrong).

 

 

 

"Rejoice and be glad"

 

"Rejoice and be glad!" Is the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis given in 2018 where he explained the importance and nature of holiness in the Christian Life? He suggested joy and a sense of humor as one of the signs of holiness in the Christian life.

The Catholic Times has this topic as the cover story of its recent edition headlined: Is Cheerfulness Distant from the Life of Catholicism? It is also featured in two articles in this week's paper. In section 122 of this Apostolic Exhortation, the pope said that the saints, who were models of holiness, were always happy and had a rich sense of humor, escaping timidity, sullenness, bitterness, depression, and bored expressions, and requested that the Christian life be joy in the Holy Spirit.

 

A Catholic psycho-spiritual counselor, asks: “Why does the church where he attends Mass every week always have the atmosphere of a funeral home? It is Pharisaism that makes Jesus solemn.” The church has talked only about sin for a long time, and only recently has it started to talk a lot about happiness."

 

The question has long been asked why the church lacks stories of humor and laughter. In the July 12, 1970 issue of the 「Catholic Times」, a philosopher's claim that 'the church has no humor' was published. He argued that the laughter of Jesus is not found in the Bible, that the church history, which was consistent with persecution, was a series of tensions, and that there was no time to find the beauty of humor in the life of faith. 

 

A counterargument to this was published in the August 2 issue. He argued that the Bible is full of parables and metaphorical humor, such as the wedding at Cana, the woman caught in adultery, the rich young man, and the disciples who fell asleep in Gethsemani. In fact, in the midst of suffering and persecution, the positive contribution of satire and humor is greater.

 

Jesus was a man full of sorrow, the tragedy of man falling into sin, the disappointment of those who did not love enough to be worthy of God's mercy, and the devastating fear of the coming Passion and death. However, at the same time, he was also a man full of joy with his extreme love for saving mankind through his incarnation, his unshakable trust in his Father's omnipotence, his affection for his clumsy but loving neighbors, and his hopeful reward for the future salvation of mankind

 

From the very beginning, Pope Francis exhorted us to enjoy the Gospel with joy. The first part of the Apostolic Exhortation, "The Joy of the Gospel", begins with "The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who meet Jesus." Therefore, the evangelist must never look "like someone just returned from a funeral," but must live "a life that shines with zeal, first accepting the joy of Christ".

Political Love

 

In the Peace Column of the Catholic Peace Weekly, a Korean Professor at a Catholic University in the States gives the readers some important considerations often neglected in our thinking about love and its meaning in our daily lives. 

The expression “political aspects of love” appears in Pope Francis’ Encyclical 'All Brothers'. Here, 'love' is 'Agape' in Greek and 'Caritas' in Latin, and it means that our life and orientation change into love, staying in God and achieving unity with God rather than any specific action or emotion. It is the love mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13, and also the love when it is said that “God is love” (1 John 4:8), 

 

This love that Christ taught through life and death exists at the antipodes of the 'desire' encouraged by the neoliberal society. A neoliberal society is a society that is operated by the modal verb of “can” that drives desire. Anything is possible. However, in reality, they live a life of slavery that exhausts them endlessly by mirroring the desires of others.

 

In contrast, love is not an attainable possibility. Because love doesn't allow us to take the initiative. Love begins only when I let go of the conviction that I can “do something” myself. Therefore, love inevitably leads to the transcendence of a being other than myself, violating the order familiar to myself, the world that supported my ability and will, participating in a world unfamiliar to me

 

 "In the depths of every heart, love creates bonds and expands existence, for it draws people out of themselves and towards others. Since we were made for love, in each one of us “a law of ekstasis” seems to operate: “the lover ‘goes outside’ the self to find a fuller existence in another.” For this reason, "man always has to take up the challenge of moving beyond himself" (#88 All Brothers).

  

“Political love” goes a step further here. It is “a love that goes beyond self-centered friendship, which seems like a deep relationship on the surface” (# 89). It is a love that is revealed “not only in intimate and close relationships, but also in macro relationships at the social, economic, and political levels” (#181). The heart of political love is always the most “preferential love for the least” (#187). It means that loving others and the marginalized who live outside the boundaries of the ‘mainstream’ of our society should be the principle of political activity that Christians pursue. In other words, it is not simply looking at them with the eyes of mercy and helping them as much as I can, but looking at their specific faces, realizing their dignity, discovering God in them, and changing my life by loving them is what Christians should aim for. It is political love. The violence that oppresses the lives of the marginalized, “finding a solution to all violations of basic human rights, must be a top priority” (#187) because they block love.

We live in an extremely polarized society. To maintain and gain power, many political leaders highlight the weaknesses of their opponents and criticize and demonize those with whom they disagree. This kind of “mafia politics” that unites my side and strengthens it creates “a bond of dependence and subordination that is difficult to break free of due to a false community spirit” (#28). In the hearts of those who shout loudly that I can and must do it, not others, there is only the ambition to use the marginalized politically for their personal benefit and little concern to change the world to make it a place where everybody's dignity is respected.

 

The pope wore a yellow ribbon in remembrance of the Sewol ferry disaster when he visited Korea in 2014, saying: “We cannot remain neutral in the face of human suffering.” I don't think this should be understood as a question of which party to support or stand with.

 

The Christian's political choice is whether to ignore those who have been beaten and thrown out on the street and cross over to the other side or to reach out and raise their shoulders to become neighbors, not which politician they will side with. The partisanship of Christians is partisanship for the marginalized. Our society's "greatest danger is not to love" (#92) 

 

Growth in the Faith

In the Catholic Peace Weekly a Catholic University priest professor writes about his precious faith.

He hears a lot of people say that faith is difficult. There are times when faith feels like a burden or bondage. Especially in today's world where there are so many things to do and food to eat, having to set aside a certain amount of time for Mass on Sundays is a bit of a concern.

 

When he visits a parish  to help with the Sacraments or special lectures, he meets many people who have doubts about their faith. There is no change, no fun, like a squirrel running on a treadmill, so the thoughts  about whether they should give up their faith. Some people go to confession, but they confess the same sins every time, and they feel skeptical because there is no improvement. The priest jokingly says: "Wouldn't committing the same sin every time be better than committing a new sin every time?", but that is no answer to the problem experienced.

 

There are many people who have conflicts with their children, spouses, or parents because of their faith. Seeing children who do not go to church— I wonder if I am raising them correctly. The guilt of not raising a child well in faith becomes a burden for some people for the rest of their lives. In addition to the religious education of children, there are more and more cases of discord or friction in families due to faith. Even if it is a common phenomenon, it is difficult to shake off the anxiety that comes when thinking about children, spouses, or parents who do not go to church.

 

Another reason why faith is difficult is because of the faith itself. What faith demands is not unusually difficult. When he was studying in France, a professor priest said this: "Being a Christian is  difficult and a long-term task." To be a Christian, you have to endure many inconveniences. This is because one pursues values that are different from those of the world. The ethical life taught by faith is far from, and sometimes conflicts with, what is accepted in society. Same-sex marriage, capital punishment, abortion, euthanasia, etc., there are many social problems in our society that conflict with faith.

 

The difficulty of faith is not only the case with lay believers. One day, he went to the parish with a senior priest to help with the Sacraments, and he heard him say this: "I help with the sacrament of confession every time during this period of the year but people work hard to come and receive the sacraments, but I think there is a limit to everything." He knew that he had a conflict with the priesthood, but after a while he heard that he had left the priesthood. It was a big shock.

 

He also personally went through many difficulties. Once, after joining the seminary, he felt skeptical because the ideals he had and the reality faced at the seminary were too far apart, and the seminary priests seemed unwilling to change or renew themselves. He met Father Vincent, a member of the Paris Foreign Missions Society, who came to visit him he spent several days with him, and finally he brought up his concerns. The priest listened intently to his story and then said: “Paul,  I understand that feeling. I have times like that too. But wouldn’t it be a little better to see the students entrusted to you changing a little every day?” These words of Father Vincent opened my eyes wide. Yes. The students entrusted to me are living with me, changing and growing, but I had a sense of skepticism by only looking at the 'ideal' that was too far away.

 

"There is nothing wrong with worrying about your faith or having difficulties. Rather, it would be more dangerous  without having conflicts and questions about faith  All theologians and pastors have gone through that path. He hopes you will also have the courage to keep asking and seeking about your faith and moving forward." Difficulties experienced in faith may vary, but usually arise in the process of finding one's faith. And one day he realizes that the difficulty has become a great nourishment for the growth of faith.  

 

When faced with such difficulties, the stories of those who have walked the path first help a lot. The Bible also contains stories of people who walked such a path, not perfect heroes of faith. In fact, if you look around you, there are many ‘adults next door’ who have grown up overcoming the difficulties of faith. We too can be the adults next door. If only we could stay within the church community and take good care of the faith we have received.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Korean Word for Pope

 

A pastor has asked the question of whether the word we use to address the pope in Korean is one that we should be comfortable with today. He presents this to the readers in his essay in the Catholic Times.

Many people think the title that we give the pope is not that important but the present title for the pope in Korean is: ‘Hwang’ (皇) which in Korean means emperor (皇帝, emperor). We call the king of an imperialist country 'Emperor'. If you have the opportunity to meet personally with Pope Francis, ask him: "Do you know that in Korea, you are called the emperor—‘Religious Emperor’ (the Emperor of the Catholic Church)?” The writer would like to see the expression on his face.

“Imperialism” refers to aggression that seeks to build a great nation by colonizing other countries and peoples. European imperialism colonized Africa, Asia, and the Americas, plundered, massacred, and destroyed indigenous cultures and religions. That pain continues to this day. In fact, the Pope in the Middle Ages exercised the authority of the emperor not only religiously but also politically, inciting the Crusades, and transplanting imperialistic civilization in the name of God and the Church during the ‘age of voyages’ that began in the 15th century.
 
At the Amazon Synod in October 2019, Pope Francis deeply apologized for the mistakes of the church in the era of imperialism. “With shame, I humbly ask forgiveness for the terrible crimes throughout the history of the Amazon, the crimes committed against the indigenous tribes in the so-called conquest of America, and also for the wrongs committed by the church itself.” Apostolic Exhortation 「Beloved Amazon」 Paragraph 19) And in July 2022, he visited a boarding school for Canadian Indians and once again begged for forgiveness for the evils committed by Christians against indigenous peoples and their children in the past. And in March 2023, the Vatican officially rejected the ‘Doctrine of Discovery’, which justified the colonial occupation by Western imperialist countries by papal decrees, and declared that this is “not the teaching of the Catholic Church.
 
Didn't Korea also suffer as a colony of Japanese imperialism, and the nation has continued to suffer since it was divided into North and South Korea? Is it really right for us, who are suffering such pain, to use the title of emperor as the title for the highest pastor of the church? Where in the gospel does the imperialist emperor-ship come from? The priest's face gets hot whenever he uses the word 'our emperor' when he says Mass every day. He discussed it with the parishioners and promised to call him '교종' (pope) in the parish.
 
The present bishops of Korea also prefer the present term for pope but the priest writer does not agree with the position of the bishops' terminology committee that changing the word would only confuse believers.
 
There will continue to be discussions on this point for years to come for all realize that the word now used in Korea is not following the traditional understanding of who the pope is. The word we use to address him has too much that is contrary to what we Koreans understand the pope to be.
 
If you look at Paul's epistles, the early church called believers 'saints' (聖徒). However, the current Korean church calls believers "lay believers" (平信徒) and distinguishes them from "holy priests"(聖職者). This term, which distinguishes between the holy and the ordinary, also makes us see how the Catholic Church is trapped in a hierarchical and vertical paradigm. All baptized believers are priests participating in the universal priesthood. What if we also use the title of “saints” as in the early church? The terminology needs to be changed so that the thinking can change and the structure can also be changed. At this time when we are struggling to establish a synodalitas church—A church that walks together—would it not be nice to change the word we use for the pope as ‘pope’ and the laity as ‘saints’.
 

The Illusion of Fairness

 

In the Catholic Peace Weekly, the director of the Jesuit Human Rights and Solidarity Research Center gives the readers some thoughts on education and its meaning in our society.  

A few years ago, a large-scale college admission fraud case broke out in the United States. Well-known wealthy parents spent huge sums of money writing applications, fabricating test scores, and bribing admissions officers with all sorts of extracurricular activities to get their kids into elite universities. Over this incident, there was a lot of criticism that education itself betrayed the 'meritocracy' that embodies the talent, effort, and will of the student, not the background of the parents. But why did rich parents in the US try to pass on college admissions rather than stocks to their children?

Political philosopher Michael Sandel saw in “The Illusion of Fairness” (original title “The Tyrant of Ability”) that these parents are buying something that is not as tangible as money, but that they consider to be much more valuable. At first glance, it is the value of ‘ability’ that seems fair. In an unequal society, the privileged firmly believe that their success and achievements are their own through their talents and hard work. That is why we need the ‘myth’ of meritocracy that one’s achievements are one’s own, not others’

Whether in Korea or the United States, the results of standardized tests are proportional to parents' income and wealth. High grades make me mistakenly believe that the hidden privileges behind the competition only come from my abilities. It is not that the principle of meritocracy has not been implemented, but meritocracy itself has nothing to do with fair qualifications or equality of opportunity.

Not long ago, the government's order to exclude 'killer questions' from the CSAT caused great controversy. This was not said out of a sense of desperation to address the educational inequality that makes Korea the most unfortunate country on earth. If so, the enormous impact of institutional change would have been observed very closely. Policies, deliberations, and agreements are not orders or shouts.  

For the privileged parents of Korea, education and housing (land) are living “gods.” So the problem lies not in the utility or fairness of the testing system, but in a much deeper abyss. We need to rethink what our life achievements are and question our socially constructed capacities.  

As long as the vain ideology of success and ability is left intact, private education and the ranking of universities will never disappear even if the exam system is changed. Why are we educated? Education has an 'inherent value', which is good in itself and not because of anything else. It is to achieve human welfare and happiness by cultivating knowledge, skills, attitudes, and inclinations that are helpful not only for myself but also for others. The power of education enables us to grow and change, and to become people who contribute to the well-being of others. This process is dynamic in that not only schools but also families and communities as a whole are involved in education.The face of education is the face of society.  

When we see education as a tool to determine status rather than its original aspect, the face of society changes completely. In an environment where only a few are winners and the rest are losers, everyone ends up in an unhappy society. If we've experienced these failures, shouldn't we go about changing it now?

Pope Benedict XVI made this request. “The educational field is the place where God is with us and gives life to our work. Here our young people find the joy of entering into Christ who exists for others. It is moving from 'I' to 'we' and becoming a member of God's people.” ('Meeting with Catholic Educators', April 17, 2008) How far is the distance between the person who insists on claiming his talent as mine and tries to pass it on at any cost and the person who considers it a privilege that is owed to others? Between the two there is a world of difference.

St. Francis de Sales and Spirituality

In the Peace Column of Catholic Peace Weekly, the director of an Apostolate for the Laity gives the reader his thoughts on the laity's spirituality.

There is a story that has been around for a long time about the spiritual or religious life. Contemplation, prayer, or activity—What comes first? Those who argue that contemplation comes first base their arguments on Jesus' words to Martha and Mary. "Martha, Martha! You worry about many things. But only one thing is needed. Mary chose the better portion" (Luke 10:42). On the other hand, those who insist that action comes first, are based on: "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:17).

Traditionally, it seems that the argument is that contemplation, that is, prayer comes first, has a relative advantage over activity. And this led to the idea that contemplative monasticism is better than active religious life. In addition, the life of religious and clergy is a higher calling than that of lay people. However, the Second Vatican Council made it clear: "Every Christian, in whatever state of life or position they are called, is called by the Lord in 'everyone's own way' to reach 'full holiness', just as God the Father is perfect" (LG 11).
 
Despite these Council teachings, many lay people still place the priestly or religious life above the lay life. Certainly, a layperson with all kinds of worries about their daily life would at times yearn for the life of a religious. This is even when they want to spend time alone in prayer. In this reality, they wonder how they can lead a spiritual life in which prayer, work, contemplation, and activity are harmonized?

Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622), Bishop of Annecy, who died 400 years ago, offers an excellent prescription for this. The saint explains: "Contemplation itself is better than action or life in action. But better still if you find a deeper union (with God) in a life of action." Do not separate contemplation and activity, but seek unity with God while offering the activity itself to God

These words of a saint are in line with those of American human rights activist Reverend Martin Luther King (1929-1968). It means putting your soul into your work. If you are a street sweeper… Clean the streets like Michelangelo painted… Clean the streets like Shakespeare wrote his poems. Sweep the streets to such an extent that the myriads of heaven and earth are forced to stop and say, 'Here lived an excellent street sweeper who did his job well'.
 

Saint Francis de Sales further explained false piety in this way: "Some who are devoted to fasting… think themselves faithful because they do not eat. While some would not let even a drop of alcohol or water wet their tongues, and yet have no difficulty with gossip and slander. Others will consider themselves sincere because they recite prayers all day long, not paying attention to their evil, proud, hurtful words. Another is willing to open their wallet to give alms to the poor, but cannot find the meekness to forgive their enemies. All these good people are generally considered faithful, but they are not.

On Dec. 28, Pope Francis issued his Apostolic Letter, "Everything Belongs to Love," to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Saint Francis de Sales' death. The full text of this letter was translated into Korean and posted on the Bishops' Conference homepage on June 14th. It is about 10 pages long, but it is a document full of nourishment for this age's spiritual life. He recommends all believers read it thoroughly.