A Lifetime Of Service to Others

Emma Freisinger,  an Austrian nurse who came to Korea in 1961 to work with Hansen patients, was the subject of an article in the Catholic Peace Weekly.

Her intention was to work after graduating from nursing school for a period of two years, as a volunteer in Africa, return home, marry and raise a family but after hearing a talk by a foreign missioner from Korea, and hearing about the plight of those suffering from Hansen's disease, she decided to go to Korea. The two years turned into a lifetime, living with those who have been diagnosed with leprosy, a disease that we now know can be cured and is not infectious.

After working here for five years, she returned to Austria for a vacation, received the blessing of her parents, and returned to  Korea. This past month she celebrated her 80th birthday; more than 500 patients she had treated came from all over to celebrate with her. She mentioned to the interviewer that she felt like a mother to her patients. (The word Emma, in fact, sounds similar to the word mother in Korean.)

The work was very difficult in the early years for lack of medicines and food, but they managed--God, she said, was always there. During her many years in Korea, she has served over 7000 patients, and, after resigning as director of the hospital she opened for skin diseases, she went to China to start a volunteer program. And whenever the need arises, she  travels to 28 areas to help those who suffered from Hansen's disease.

She was asked how she talks to God. "Even if I lose all,  I ask that I do not lose my faith. Even if I am sick and  have nothing to eat, I do not want to lose my faith. Because faith gives me  what I need to live. When I see people without belief, I feel sorry for them for that is all that is necessary for happiness."  She went on to say: "If I live for myself  I can find temporary joy but I will not have eternal joy. Work that is done in God's name remains forever.

Her name in Korean means one who has received many blessings. She has selected her grave site and is happy. She has lived for God's glory and hopes that this will continue, she said, ending the interview with a chuckle.

Personal Experience Best Teacher

A professor at the Inchon Seminary recalls an injury to his ankle during a tennis tourney and writes about the experience in a  Catholic monthly. The day of the injury he felt no pain and gave the ankle little thought, but after 4 hours of teaching, the ankle was greatly swollen. He went to the nearest oriental medicine clinic for acupuncture treatment and was told he had stretched the ligament and it was now inflamed.

He was a big man, which aggravated the pain, and the use of crutches made his life very uncomfortable. Climbing the stairs to his third floor room caused him to sweat heavily. And because he was not able to go to the chapel for prayer and Mass nor to the refectory for meals, the kitchen staff had to bring the meals to his room. He blamed himself for the situation and for inconveniencing the whole community. This turned his attention to those who are handicapped and the problems they have in their daily lives.

The priest goes back to the time he applied to the seminary and was asked by the priest-interviewer why he wanted to be a priest. He was not ready for the question, and could only remember that, as a child, when the priest came to  the altar to say Mass he looked elegant, and that seemed to him all there was to it. But then he remembered reading a book about Damien, who took care of the Hansen diseased patients on Molokai Island and so he told the priest that he wanted to spend his life, like Damien, working for those who lived in difficult situations.

On his way home on the subway after the interview he couldn't forget the question and his answer. Did he answer truthfully or did he lie to improve his chances of getting into the seminary? What  really was the reason he wanted to be priest?

Whatever the answer to that question might be, he decided to live up to what he had told the priest during the interview. And all through the years in the seminary in Seoul he would use his free time to volunteer twice a week to work with the handicapped. He was a member of a seminary group that studied how to best help the handicapped. He learned the sign language for the deaf, and studied the development of children with mental problems. While many of his classmates would go to the movies or have a beer with friends on their free afternoons, he would be part of the volunteer group that spent their free time helping the handicapped.

Statistics show that by the end of 2009 Korea had  2,429,547 handicapped, an increase from the year 2000 of more than 153 percent. The physically disabled number 1,293,331; the mentally handicapped, 251,818; the  deaf, 245,801; and the  blind, 241,237. The total number of handicapped represent about 5 percent of the population; considering that we have an average family of 4 that means about 20 percent of the population are involved with the handicapped.

The professor, who now teaches the Social Gospel, ends his article by noting what the Church has to say about our relationship with the handicapped in society. All of us are in some way handicapped,  which should enable us to be empathetic to others. To love and be loved is the essence of the Social Gospel. There is no room for discriminating against anyone; those handicapped are to be treated like any other human being.  The professor admits he has more sympathy now for the handicapped, and can appreciate their  difficulties because of what he experienced.

"I Want to Live Like a Tree"

The oldest tree in Korea is a Chinese Jupiter that some scholars think could be 6,000 years old. The oldest tree in the world is a spruce in Sweden.  This is the way a priest writing for priests begins his reflections on a book recommended by Cardinal Kim: "I Want to Live Like a Tree."

The priest tells us that the author of the book, a problem child, failed in whatever he set out to do, blaming himself for his lack of talent. At the age of thirty he considered himself a failure and even considered taking his own life. It was at that time, while he was in the mountains and standing at the edge of a cliff, his life having lost all meaning, that a tree entered his world. It seemed to be saying to him, "I am living; why are you thinking of giving up your life?"

Once a tree puts down its roots its fate is to remain in that place, the author explained. It  has no complaints and  does not surrender to something else, but gives its all, and just in the place where it is. During the harsh winter cold, with its gaunt naked body, it stands stately in  detachment. The author of the "I Want to Live Like a Tree" became a tree doctor and  confesses that trees showed him the  value of life.

Reading the book the priest  learned to apply the same wisdom to his own life and to see that all of  creation follows the same destiny as a tree.  Even in poor soil, the roots of a tree move downward into the earth to find the strength to grow. We are not much different, says the priest. Existence may sometimes not seem attractive but that is where we sometimes find ourselves. When that happens, he says we have to accept our cross and carry it, like all of nature. We may not like it but that is our destiny.
However, what is important is that I take my cross but not  go my way. I take my difficulties and hardships and 'follow Jesus'. When we take our crosses as our destiny and gaze on Jesus, we find that makes all the difference:  in Jesus we find meaning and the beginning of a new life.

The trees in the Fall lose their leaves, preparing for the winter and a new beginning in the coming Spring. Some trees take a rest for a full year to regain energy for the following year, in order to gain nutriments for the future. And sometimes, though the tree trunk may suffer damage, the leaves, seeming not to care, continue to thrive.

Like a tree we began life without anything  and will leave without anything; and yet, when we have something in hand and  not wanting to let it go, we can miss the chance to be born again, as a tree does every Spring.

Did the tree doctor ever read,  the poem by Joyce Kilmer? He  would  have had  similar feelings wouldn't he?

               I  think  that I shall never see
               A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

 

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

 

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

 

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

 

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

                                                   

Working for a Daily Wage

In the bulletin for priests, we're told about a parish that gives over 10 percent of its income for welfare projects, and sets aside money in its budget to aid the poorer countries of the world. However, the treatment of the workers in its own parish is poor. Their hours are long, there are no benefits for overtime, and some of the workers are getting the lowest wages on the pay scale. And there are no procedures in place for recourse. We see this in a number of parishes.

Of the 33 countries of the Organization for Economic  Co-operation and Development, the writer mentions that Korea is the country with the  longest workweek.  To improve the quality of life of the workers and increase productivity, the Labor Ministry recently decided to decrease the number of hours. From July  of this year, those who are employing more than five workers will have to decrease the hours of the workweek from 44 hours to 40 hours, for an eight hour day and a five day workweek. At present, those who are making the minimum wage would be making under $1,000 a month.

The cleaning people in a number of our colleges have been striking for an increase in pay. They are receiving the minimum wage and asking for half of what the average ordinary laborer would be getting, but it was refused. 70 percent of the students signed a petition in favor of the laborers. Some of the colleges, along with the service providers, have asked that the workers  leave the labor union. If  they don't agree to the current minimum wage they will all be fired, despite the millions, the writer says, that colleges have in endowments. He mentions that this happened in the States a few years ago and the students all sided with the laborers, and the wages were increased.

The laborers in the court offices did go on strike for an increase in pay from the minimum wage they were receiving. It was ironic, the writer laments, that from the  stronghold  for human rights, there was a cry for help to live more humanly. 

It is shameful that this is happening  in our colleges and other institutions of learning and in our courthouses.  However, our Church should also be embarrassed about a similar situation in our parishes. The law will not affect the parishes, for those employed there are less than 5, but the workers' rights to a living wage should be respected, nonetheless. The one who started us on our journey of faith, we should not forget, was a laborer. And mindful of this, we should be even more sensitive to the needs of workers who are alienated from society. The Church has spoken clearly and forcefully with its many encyclicals and documents on what our relationships with workers should be. In reality, he concludes that we are in many cases not living up to this standard, and in some cases oppressing the workers.

Hope and Joy are also Contagious

In recent articles on the escalating numbers of suicides in Korean colleges, much is made of the stress experienced by students in striving to succeed. To lessen some of this stress, programs were started to change the atmosphere on college campuses.

A  professor in the psychiatric department of the Catholic University Medical School gave a talk on "Management of Stress and Happiness", as a beginning effort to change the thinking among  students. The journalist who interviewed the  professor introduces us to some of his ideas, which were written up in the Catholic Weekly.

The problem, the professor explains, exists not only among students who kill themselves but throughout society. What happens on a college campus is a microcosm of what is happening in society, and should be an alarm bell for all of us.

Lack of mental and emotional balance in society is the reason for the problem, according to the professor. For true happiness, he says, we need to experience  the harmonious blending of joy, enthusiasm and meaning in life. While students are enthusiastic about their studies, finding joy or meaning as they pursue their studies is difficult, which brings on the stress. Since we as a society place a great deal of emphasis on money, honors and success, we learn to work diligently to acquire these goals, often failing to find joy or meaning in their pursuit, with the result that cynicism follows. Not surprisingly  our students are emulating the same behaviors found in society. For a happy life, the professor advises that we start off with our strong points,  enjoy what we are doing, and find meaning.

 Suicide can also be brought on by our inability to bounce back from the difficulties of life, often from a lack of a positive and optimistic attitude. Optimists use the present to their advantage but when it doesn't go the way they want, they are open to trying something else. Before blaming the social structures  and those in leadership positions, the professor recommends that students find meaning for their life,  enjoy what they are doing, and be positive in their attitude.

The professor says that if there is just one person who listens to those who are troubled and provides understanding support, they are not likely to take the radical step of suicide. To make this approach more generally available,  he wants society to set up support networks on college campuses to change the atmosphere there and then spread this same network throughout society.

He concludes that it is difficult to  change the country but to change 10,000 structures is easy.  If we are able to change the thinking of our future leaders who are now studying in our colleges then society will change. Pessimism, unfortunately, can be contagious. But so is hope, and so is joy.

Taking the Option for the Poor Seriously

Kangwha Island is the 5th largest island in Korea with a long history in defending its freedom. The island borders North Korea, and over the years has suffered much at the hands of outside forces. Today the island is connected to the mainland by two bridges.

The article in the Kyeongyang Magazine tells us of the service to the poor provided by the Kangwha parish, with its mobile laundry truck, a program started in 2005. The parish has from the beginning been very active with its concern for the poor. They had a hospital in the parish in the early years before the country could supply the medical care it does today. They started a credit union and distributed animals to farmers at half price, they are one  of the first Catholic communities to work for the betterment of the life of the workers and the  protection of their rights. During the difficult days of help from the International  Monetary Fund, they helped unemployed families, they have a center for foreign born brides married to Koreans, and a program where those living alone are helped. On  their 50th anniversary, they started a program to help North Korean children.  

The parish drew up the  plans for a 1.4 ton truck to clean clothes and large bed coverlets. The cleaning apparatus can take 30 kilograms of clothes at one time. It takes about 40 minutes for one cleaning. The plans for the cleaning  and drier were drawn up and put together by the parish. The money was raised with the help of many and is operated on a budget of about 16 thousand dollars a year, half raised by the parish and half by the Gun Office.

The laundry truck routine begins by opening the doors of the truck to expose the washing and drying machines. They then find an electrical outlet and get the water and lay the mat down. Each one of the volunteers does their assigned task. And at the end of the cleaning procedure, soft and fluffy coverlets are returned to the grandmothers. The washing and drying  of these winter coverlets is a difficult job, and the grandmothers are very thankful for the service.

The team works at times from early in the morning to evening, depending on how much there is to wash. During the summer months the machines get overheated and break down often. Because of the water pressure and electrical problems, the machines have given them trouble. At times they would like to keep the truck at the parish and have the people come to them, but they continue fixing the machines and going out to  the different areas of Kangwha.

This type of service is welcomed by those living alone, the handicapped, grandparents living with grandchildren, and by parents who both have to work. The Church has made clear its option for the poor, and this team has decided to be part of that outreach. And have done so wonderfully.

Spirituality that Brings Joy, Enthusiasm and Meaning to Life

The Catholic Times  has an article about three priests of the Seoul Diocese who decided to begin an academy for spirituality in 2009, called Wellspring. The number of Catholics in the country now exceed 5 million and yet there's much talk of a lack of spiritual and inner maturity. There is a desire on the part of many to go deeper in their faith life but the Church has not been able to satisfy this thirst. The Academy intends to address this need by exploring the spiritual treasures of our tradition and  helping  the Catholics  incorporate them in their daily life. For those who desire to fill this lack in their spiritual life, the program will be an oasis to invigorate  the beginning of a new life.

The academy is not an effort to give a theory of spirituality but to connect spirituality to daily life, to see life and the world through the eyes of the Church, and to live in the manner Christ has taught us, enlightened by his word, examining and discerning what to do day by day.

The programs have  been favorably received; over 450 have taken the courses. The program is in two sections: basic and advanced. The basic course is divided into three sections: Meeting the real me, Meeting the real us, and Meeting God. This will lead into the advanced program. They will also have internet programs and home programs in the future.

The leaders of this spiritual academy know that there are many retreats and programs in Korea addressing these same goals. They are popular programs but the priests feel  they are not connecting our Catholics more closely with faith-inspired daily living, which is the ultimate goal of the academy programs, penetrating and shaping the lives of the Christians.

Effort will be made to imitate Christ in the world of consumerism and competition we live in, building confidence to face the challenges of daily life. Those in their 40s and 50s have been so busy with work and their families that they have not had time to be concerned with their inner life. They will be asked to find themselves, putting happiness and courage into their lives. This second journey in life will demand a  breakthrough that opens them to a new way of living in their spiritual and mental lives.

We do not need more talks on how to live the virtues but to be one with Jesus. The Catholics are proud of bringing the faith into the country without the help of the foreign missioners. We need a little more of this passion of our ancestors in seeking to deepen the faith that we have received.