Living As Partners To Creation--The Green Martyrs

We have all heard about the martyrs who shed their blood for their faith--the "red martyrs." Some may have heard about the "white martyrs," a bloodless dying to the world by those who renounce the world by emptying themselves for their faith. Now, in an article appearing in the Kyeong Hyang Magazine, a priest finds connections between the meanings of martyrdom and ecology by going back to an early Irish experience when monks would go into the wilderness of the countryside to study, pray and commune with nature. Those today who leave behind the comforts of life, like the monks of ancient Ireland, and retreat to the woods and mountains, the lonely green  spots of the world to commune with God and partner with nature can also be called, says the priest, martyrs--"green martyrs." He extends the term to include those who are concerned about the health of the environment and who work to protect it. 

The color green, which results from combining the blue and yellow colors or, symbolically, the 'blue' and 'yellow' parts of our human nature--blue: sometimes seen as the unfeeling intellect and yellow: sometimes seen as the feeling warmth of the sun--combine to give us a symbolic 'green'.  The green of spring, reproduction, joy, trust, nature, paradise, plenty, prosperity, and peace. In the liturgy at this time of the year, we use the liturgical color green to signify all the above, along with hope and life.

Attempting to make this world a green world is the green martyr's task-- not an easy one. A person who sees the destruction of God's creation as a spiritual problem tries to atone for the carelessness by carrying out the duty we all have to take care of creation.

The writer mentions the Catholic Farmers Association as an example of those who  have tried to live this green martyr's life. They are fighting the habitual way of farming that leads inevitably to the destruction of  the environment.

These farmers living the environmentally friendly lifestyle--not  using pesticides and artificial fertilizers have suffered a loss in income, been ridiculed, treated coldly, and  even called communists for their efforts.  Fortunately, those in the cities concerned for their health buy their products,  otherwise the zeal of the green farmers would not have lasted. The consumers who assist in this way can also be considered green martyrs for the sacrifice they are making in spending more to buy their food.

 It is not a sin to live comfortably, but it can be addictive; there is always the danger that it can become an idol to which we do service, increasing our blindness, says the writer, to the needs of others and also to the destruction of our environment.

The green martyrdom approach to life is to accept a certain amount of living uncomfortably. Obviously, not an easy thing to do; it requires a kind of death--a dying to the comfortable life we've grown accustomed to. Our reward, however, is to make all of creation our partners in living harmoniously together--stewards of God's creation.

Homosexuality Making Korean Prime Time TV

One of the professors at our seminary, a priest in charge of the marriage tribunal in the diocese, writes in our recent Diocesan Bulletin on the subject of homosexuality, which recently has received a great deal of media attention. A very popular TV drama, "Life Is Beautiful," has a subplot dealing with a sexual relationship between two men. Written by one of the masters of the soap opera world, the drama treats the homosexual theme seriously and with a great deal of sympathy. The drama has become so popular that it has been extended for a number of months. Because of this heightened interest, the priest has been asked by many to explain the Church's position on same-sex marriage.

This is not a topic that our Catholics would be familiar with from the mass media, which has only indirectly touched on the subject, although this is changing. While acknowledging that many nations in the West have recognized same-sex marriages, the priest explains in detail why the Church is against such marriages, quoting from the Catechism of the Church.

He makes clear the concern that we should have for those who are in such a personally demanding situation. We should, he says, rid ourselves of negative attitudes and all forms of discrimination toward those with a same-sex attraction. They are to be respected and given sympathy, and when possible, helped to change.

He goes on to say what we hear little about in the media: depending on their maturity, those with same-sex attraction who have married someone of the opposite sex and have tried to overcome the same-sex attraction often make good parents. However, those who have lived the homosexual life should not be counseled to marry. We have all been called to the life of chastity and those who are attracted to their own sex are not only called to live chastely but to work to change their sexual  orientation.

Those with  this orientation have also been called to carry out God's will--their troubles and pain are  a participation in the suffering of Jesus as are the afflictions of anyone of us. They can even have, because of their affliction, a closer relationship with the Lord.

The feelings expressed in the article may not be the ones we have  come to expect from those writing about the subject, but they are the traditional Christian approach. It will be interesting to see how the society will respond as more becomes known of this controversial minority within the Korean population--a minority that has been unremittingly discriminated against and their existence scarcely acknowledged by society. The recent publicity will do much to get us talking and moving us closer to a better understanding of a minority that has had difficulty receiving help for what we as Catholics would see as a cross. A cross that could be made lighter if more of us would be willing to lend a helping hand.

Why Is Self-Emptying So Important in Both East And West?

In the Gospel for today we hear our Lord tell us what is necessary to be his disciple: "Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." A priest reflecting on this passage, in the bulletin for clergy, refers back to the beginnings of Confucianism and Buddhism and shows that our Lord was speaking from a "blueprint"  that other wisdom teachers have discerned from life.

When taking up our cross, a willing acceptance of a personally painful matter in our journey through life, we should be clear, says the priest, about what that is. My cross may be anything in my daily life that is painful to deal with, but necessary if I am to live as a  Christian and as a full human being, we must not deny our crosses or run from them. Our Lord asks us to carry them willingly.

To do this, the prerequisite is to empty ourselves. The writer makes clear that all the higher religions make this a starting point--getting rid of the personal self. If the glass is filled with what is not wanted and not necessary we have to empty it to receive what is needed and life-giving.

He quotes from the "Analects of Confucius," Ninth Book, Section 4: "The Master recognized four prohibitions: Do not be swayed by personal opinion; recognize no inescapable necessity; do not be stubborn; do not be self centered--or, as the writer puts it,  no wilfulness, no necessity, no stubbornness and  no self. One of the interpreters of the Analects explained that a person does something because it is what the person wants to do; he usually does not bother to ask what more may be involved. He goes ahead and doesn't stop until he achieves what was intended. It  is this attachment to the  results that  brings on the mental pain that most of us experience in life.

The early Buddhists saw that freedom from the personal self, and the accompanying mental pain would earn them emancipation from the ties of this world.  By abiding in the awareness of no-self, an important concept in Buddhism, there would be no worldly desires.

Jesus makes the same point, although Christians come from a different understanding of life. In Galatians, St. Paul says, "I have been crucified with Christ, and the life I live now is not my own; Christ is living in me."  For the Christian, Jesus is the Lord, he is the Lord of everything I have and do. I try to conform my life to his. The writer concludes that we as Christians should be careful that we are not living our lives as if it all depended on us, on our own will and strength.

Reading the preceding, one can understand the fatalism, the resignation that is associated with much of the East. This fatalism is not only part of  eastern wisdom but also part of the mostly unknown patrimony of the West. In one of our antiphons to the psalms, we frequently repeat "Surrender to God, and he will do everything for you." This trust in God with the acknowledgement of our freedom of will makes all the difference.

The Movement For Life Continues to Grow in Korea

A movement to unite the pro-life forces in Korea is gathering momentum in an effort to strengthen their opposition to the laissez faire approach to abortion by most of society. This movement is not unopposed by those that see the right to choose as a human rights issue, and they are also beginning to unite to make their voices heard.  A report that the government is considering legalizing abortion has further motivated the pro-life forces to join together in the battle for public approval.

The first group was the doctors who came  together attempting  to put teeth into the law as it now stands. Abortion is illegal and they want the government to acknowledge this and   enforce it. The second group to associate was the young people, and now we have the lawyers who are uniting. The pro-life  teachers also have plans to unite.

The lawyer heading the group, as quoted by the Peace Weekly, said,  "The different  pro-life groups feel  a great loss in not having the lawyers with them.  We will join you in thinking about right-to-life problems and related topics, becoming more aware of what is involved, and join with you in the movement for life."

He has made it clear that all citizens should get behind the movement because "pro-life"  is not a religious question but a human question. He says, "...the so- called progressive stand of certain segments of our society, although they push for the dignity of women, the handicapped and foreigners, are disregarding the right to life issue. They are self-interested to the point  of making life a commodity, and the affection we should have for life is lost."

The lawyer group has about 50 members and striving to add many more. They are a religiously motivated group that is not only interested in the elimination of abortion and changing or removing the laws that allow abortions by skirting the restrictions but interested as well in promoting respect for all life. Also on their agenda for the future is a network that will focus on educational programs to get their message across on respect for life issues.

The "We Can" Approach to Life's Problems

A common problem for social welfare programs is finding ways to help the handicapped. Many who have succeeded in life, as we know, had handicaps: the four-fingered pianist, the Chinese young man who lost both arms in an accident and plays the piano with his toes, the blind who have graduated at the top of their class. However, those who are mentally disadvantaged are not so successful in life and are also the most difficult to help.

A Religious Sister in Seoul wanted to do something about the problem, so she started the We Can Center. Her intention was to form a company that hires only the mentally handicapped workers and also to make a quality product: a premium cookie using only the best home-grown organic ingredients available.

The Catholic Times reports on the success of the enterprise: Started in 2001, the company is committed to producing a quality product, and when on a number of occasions the only ingredients available did not meet their high standards, they preferred to close down rather than compromise their commitment to quality. In  2008  they increased sales by 44 percent and made a modest profit for the first time. This  past year they had  over a million dollars worth of sales. But, Sister says, success will not come simply because of the sympathy many have for the handicapped, but because of a good product that can compete with others in the marketplace. And with the interest in the product increasing,  she believes this will spur more people to show an interest in the  handicapped.

The Center is interested not only in producing a premium cookie but also in helping their workers become premium members of society. Therapy programs are available to all workers in order to build confidence, gain respect for themselves, and be more responsible and socially aware. The Sister is helping them fit more easily into God's plan for creation. "Our company is interested in people more than money," she says. "The company can run with 6 or 7 employees, we have 37. And there's always the possibility of using cheaper ingredients to increase income;  we have never given in to that temptation."

The article concludes with an invitation to drop by and taste the product at the We Can Center--they are waiting to serve you. For online shopping, they can be contacted at  www.wecan.or.kr.

Unmarried Young Women Who Want To Remain So

The marital situation in the Korea of today is not like it was just a few decades ago. It has changed quickly. A writer for the Korean Times, in a recent column ponders the reasons for the sadness often felt by mothers of daughters in their 30s and 40s who  are still unmarried. She is herself the mother of an unmarried daughter, and often thinks of the loneliness her  unmarried daughters must feel.

The columnist reminisces on how faithful her daughter has been in her faith life.  The daughter even wrote a letter to the Pope  welcoming him to Korea; the Apostolic Delegate responded and his letter is now framed and on her living room wall as a treasured souvenir. However, her sadness is always there; the daughter is 40  and remains unmarried. If she were married, the mother believes, her daughter would be happier and she would worry less about her.

The reasons girls are avoiding marriage are many and reflect the currently accepted norms of our society. Women are better educated and have easier access into the business world. Some of the men are not as capable or as successful as the women, making it difficult for women to find suitable partners. You hear that women have had to lower their expectations, which for many has not been easy. They also like the freedom they now have and dislike the paternalism they find in society, a norm which influenced the thinking of many men in their early years. The feminist reaction that occurred in some other countries seems not to have influenced most of the women here.

However, the refrain that is heard repeatedly is that money is needed if one wants to marry well.  Society does not make it easy to begin married life on a shoe string, which  was often the case in the past.   Willingness to sacrifice, to make do with less, is not what one sees in our society, and what is not readily seen, no matter how beneficial, will have little influence on our youth.

 The mother goes on to describe buying a finger rosary for her daughter. The daughter was never interested with body accessories--necklaces or ear rings-- so she broached the subject very delicately and the offer was accepted graciously. The mother took the size of the ring finger and bought a  gold finger rosary, and then they both went to a priest to have it blessed. The mother was pleased with the gift and the results, as was the daughter, who mentioned the times people, surprised to see she was a Catholic, had asked what her baptismal name was. The daughter said she felt closer to her mother and to Jesus and Mary thanks to the ring.

The finger rosary does serve many purposes. Those who do not have a car and take the ferry to the mission station, seeing a finger rosary on the fingers of the drivers makes it easy for those without cars  to ask for a ride.  It does save some embarrassing moments,  for  requests are cheerfully accepted. This indicates the importance that Catholicism would have for many of our Koreans and who are  willing and happy to make that commitment known to others.

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What Are the Important Things in Life?

The writer of the desk column in the Catholic Times this week mentions that although he likes to drink with friends, the singing was not of any interest --until recently. Now, as a member of the parish council, he goes with them to the 'song rooms' (karaoke) and feels disappointed when they do not pass him the microphone.

The song he enjoys singing is "Essay and Car." It refers back to the time in  life when we could become emotionally involved by seeing a good movie and could also desire to be like the good hero in the cartoon world. However, today we want to know what car he drives and where he lives; we have lost our dreams, losing not only the small things but as the years go by, also the important things in life. The song allows us, the writer believes, to ponder this crucial matter.

He goes on to reflect on the opportunities the older generation misses when confronting the difficulties of life, retreating as the years go by to a careful, less challenging way.  Although young people taking " big step on thin ice" do not see the dangers, they  learn a great deal in the process. And because of their innocence can sacrifice and risk loss repeatedly. This is, he believes, the real beauty of youth.

Those of us with faith also have to become young. We need the courage of youthful thinking and feeling to walk on thin ice. Isn't this what Jesus was asking of Peter in Matthew 14:29?

As we age, we should not lose what we considered important when we were young. Our inner lives can be tarnished with the difficulties we have met along the way, but if it is only the material things in life that interest us and we are overcome with these difficulties, the Holy Spirit will not be able to work in our hearts.

The writer concludes his column by referring to his own experience of the sentiments expressed in the song. Riding his bicycle to work for the past 5 months (a 25 mile round trip), he found that his health had improved but he also missed the reading he could do if he had taken the bus to work.  Food for the inner life, as the title of the song seems to suggest, and the writer wants us to ponder, is more important than the kind of car, or any material good, the other person has or I should have. They are not the kind of dream that gives life.