A Good Teacher of Youth

We have been called to be merciful, to be filled with authenticity-- breathing deeply and slowly, and walking leisurely. It is only in this way that essentials are understood, blessings are gratefully accepted, and the painful is seen, heard and felt as painful. The lifestyle of our adults--superficiality and speed--is now influencing the student community and the teachers. Living life honestly and with respect is not easy. Without this commitment, our preciousness is disregarded, pain is overlooked, and we are not conscious of how we are being bombarded with violent words and actions.

A religious teaching sister, writing in a bulletin from an  institute in Seoul, Korea, explains that  as a teacher this is the reality she lives in. She sees the disappearance of the respect and concern we should have for each other. She would like to know why we are treating each other so badly.

At work, teaching daily, she sees big and small incidents among the young that exemplifies what she is trying to convey. One example she cites: "Sister, Sister! There is big trouble on the third floor, in front of the toilets. They are fighting and damning each other, hurry to the spot. Their faces are bloated and red; they will have to go to the hospital."

She went in haste to the spot, and found that the first round of fighting was finished. The fighting had been motivated, she said, by an all-encompassing  anger that could be seen in their eyes and in their body movements; they were ready to kill each other. Another example: "Our daughter was abused, blamed and threatened," she was told by her troubled parents, leaving their daughter depressed and fearful, and she soon had to withdraw from school. "The school has to take responsibility for such incidents," she said. "All the school authorities have been notified and it is now up to them to punish the students responsible."She mentioned a third example: There was a fire on the fourth floor of the school, smoke coming out of the window. A student, who had been breaking the school rules against smoking, threw a cigarette butt into a wooden basket that caught fire.

Sister went on to reflect on her position as a Christian and as a teacher who wishes to live her mission in life responsibly. But with the continual violence, depression, anger, weakness, helplessness, frustration and despair that often surrounds her, she has to acknowledge her limitations and frustrations. However, to use this helplessness as an excuse for attempting to deal only with an immediate and superficial  response to any crisis, she admits, is not going to be of great long term help to the students. It has to be a daily effort, a waiting hope, accompanied by a warm demeanor. Educators, she strongly believes,have to be one with the students who are hurting and have lost hope. To be with them in their grief and despair, to cry and laugh with them, and to be able to give them life and love.

She ends by saying that there are many young people, whether known or unknown to us, who are in need of our care and  love. As Jesus walked with us to give us life, we, also, as teachers, she hopes, in imitating him as an educator, will benefit from his example.

The Special Act Relating to Adoption

The new adoption law (The Special Act Relating to Adoption) went into effect this month. The editorial in the Peace Weekly, raising serious reservations about some aspects of the law, noted that there were more than the usual number of adoptions recently, because these adoptions could be kept secret under under the old law; this will no longer be possible with the new law, which requires that the baby be registered soon after birth with the mother's family name. Only after the child is adopted will this information be deleted from the record. Forcing the unwed mother to divulge in a public document that she has given birth to a child can have terrifying consequences, the editorial claims, for both mother and child, as the mother contemplates her options in dealing with this difficult situation. That is the reason Catholic facilities for unwed mothers are sending petitions to the President asking for a change in the law.

The editorial cites an important provision of the new law: To receive the approval of the court for any adoption, there must now be a waiting period during which the suitability of the adopting parents is thoroughly reviewed, and all references checked. These measures, among others, are necessary, the editorial pointed out, to protect  the rights of the child, and should be highly praised.

However, the editorial goes on to say, the law is not fully considering the reality of our present situation. Because of the new provisions to the law, there is likely to be an increase in aborted or abandoned babies, since unwed mothers often want the birth kept secret, not wanting their parents and friend to know, and will oppose any registering of the child. The editorial feels that you will not find many of the unmarried mothers who are forced  to register the child, deciding to have the child. Either there will be an increase in abortions or there will be more abandoned. Obviously, not a small matter for everyone concerned, including those in government entrusted with monitoring the health of our society.

Because of these concerns, the editorial strongly urges that changes be made to the new law to avoid its possible negative consequences.  And no matter how good the law appears to be, the editorial warned, when the reality of the situation is not fully seen, problems are likely to occur. Instead of opting for more adoptions, lowering the number of abortions, according to the editorial, should be the motivation for any adoption law.

The preservation of family, promoting in-country adoptions, and meeting world standards by doing away with the dangers of child trafficking are meritorious aspects of the new law, but the negative aspects also must be acknowledged. It is believed by many that solving the adoption controversy can best be accomplished by changing the cultural beliefs and expectations of society. If we can begin to see our unwed-mothers in a new, more compassionate way, it will be a great help in persuading the mothers to keep their babies, rather than deciding for the terrible choice of either aborting or abandoning their child.

Importance of Prenatal Care

Currently, the Korean society is faced with an increasing number of sterile couples and of children having ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).  Bullying, autism, suicide, and such problems are a concern for a teaching doctor in a Seoul hospital, who feels that proper prenatal care would help solve these problems.

In the past, everyone considered  prenatal care an ideal goal, but if you didn't bother with it, no one paid too much attention. However, today the baby is understood to be influenced by both the physical and the psychic environment into which the baby is born.

In addition to the influence of genes given to the baby from the parents, the personality of the baby is also likely to be influenced by the thinking and activities of the mother.

This is all medically verifiable. Children who are bullies and violent show abnormal brain activities. Consequently it is now standard practice for the medical profession to recommend that the baby in the womb get as much care as possible, with the intention of providing the best environment in which to form the baby's personality. A baby born healthy, both in body and mind, and raised well, is a fundamental and virtuous responsibility of the parents. It is an act of love, and should be a concern not only for  parents, says the the professor, but should be a concern to all of us.

He mentions that his dissertation on the effect of classical music on the fetus was the starting point that changed his thinking on how he now sees the issue of prenatal care.  From that time on, he devoted himself to the study of prenatal and natural remedies, beginning a prenatal school in his hospital and giving lectures to the interns on the importance of prenatal care, using natural measures as much as possible.

When we have the correct understanding of life, he says, then the importance of caring for the baby during the prenatal period, as well as the importance of attending to the proper raising of children, will become self-evident. This understanding will be especially true for mothers; by understanding what is happening, how their thinking and activities are affecting the baby in the womb, the mothers will no longer be able to see the prenatal period as before.The sex act  also will be seen differently for there  is the possibility it will continue for 100 years.

The professor will publish a book on prenatal care next month. And he hopes that there will soon be natural birth centers in all the general hospitals of the country, and that the leaders of our society will take an active interest in pursuing this issue by encouraging more acceptance of prenatal care by all expectant mothers.

Humor and the Good Life

A Catholic Times journalist confesses in his column that he is  solemn in disposition and taciturn, and although not pious, he gives that image to those who know him. He tried to give the impression, he says, of gravity, but it was a pretense. He sees now how profound and warm a light hearted demeanor can be, and how a little unpredictability can enrich life and expand one's mental faculties. He came to this understanding by reading the book Keys of the Kingdom.

Fr. Chisholm, hero of the novel, was a stubborn, pious person not noticeably distinguished in any way. He understood that his stubbornness was a fault, and though he admitted to having no talent or charm, he was in the eyes of God, a humble person. But he was also, without knowing it, says the journalist, a humorous person to a very high degree.

The journalist saw in Fr. Chisholm's seriousness, the possibility of humor, and in his piety the leisurely attitude that gave his comments the unpredictability that could bring belly laughs. The secret of this improbable mix was his humility and love.

 "Jesus, in his his humanity, was not a quiet and proper person. Even as a child he did the unexpected, going to the temple to teach the elders without telling Mary and Joseph. Grown up, he continued to cause his parents headaches. Especially difficult to understand was his behavior during the incident with the woman caught in adultery. He writes on the ground, lifts up his head and tells those without sin to start throwing the stones, and goes back to writing on the ground.

What was he writing? Was it to get more time to think? Evading the issue? Was it to show them he didn't think what they were doing was worth the trouble to be concerned? Trying to figure out the reason is no longer his concern; he now finds it humorous.

A few days ago, Korea entered the semifinals of the Olympic soccer competition, beating England. Seeing an unfair call by the referee, the journalist said that it was interesting to observe the behavior of the coach.  With a serious demeanor, the coach used a vulgar expletive directed at the English team that completely relaxed the team, and they went on to win.

Not being alert, we can be very formal and serious in our thinking when we consider what we do as always right. Fr. Chisholm, Jesus and the coach of the Korean soccer team were not afraid to act spontaneously. Because there was humor in what they did, it was not seen as a serious deviation from acceptable behavior.

To Fr.Chisholm, the greatness of God meant everything to him, so believing himself to be insignificant seemed the only natural attitude to have in life. And with this mind set, it was easy to be unpredictable and humorous. It gave him the confidence and the ability to love. Before God, he was humble and wanted to do only what God wanted. He knew that when that is not the case, we tend to do things formally and by rote, succumbing to pretentiousness and distancing ourselves from the simple joys of life.

Evangelization in Korea

Evangelization  a topic much discussed in Korea, should be preceded, says a priest in his Peace Weekly column on "Happiness," by an important preliminary activity if evangelization is to be successful. We now have 5 million Catholics and only about one-fourth of them are going to Sunday Liturgy. What is the reason they are not going  to church as they once did?  With annual  income now over 20,000 dollars a year many believe the churchgoers now want service. But the Catholic Church is not servicing them, and ignoring the crucial step in the evangelization process-service. To support this assertion, he cites the book: Jesus, CEO: Using Ancient Wisdom for Visionary Leadership, an old book that stresses that customer management, serving the customer, is basic in satisfying customers' needs.

The word 'service' is used in many different ways. In the Church, it is not easy to find satisfaction in service rendered which in most cases means attending to the needs of the laity. Catholicism calls a follower of Jesus, "a person who believes."  Protestants say,  "holy people" and the Buddhists' a "son of Buddha." The Catholics have a vertical relational  structure and the others a horizontal structure.

Jesus' method of operations was service: "Anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant" (Matt.20:26). Jesus came to serve  others. The present culture within the  Church does not easily permit this kind of service. The Christians, the columnist says,  serve the priests and sisters, and the priests serve the bishops. A vertical system of communication.  Those outside  the Church will find the vertical system, knowing of Jesus' command to be of service to others, difficult to understand.

Jesus washed the feet of the apostles. He served his disciples as a lowly servant. Service is what the Church is all about.   The Church has to serve the Christians. If  we want to be successful in evangelizing  we have to move the hearts of our Catholics. More than getting out in the streets to evangelize it is necessary to embody service in our lives. When the Catholics are happy, it is easy to build a church,  When we are inspirited, we inspire others. We have a virtuous cycle that stimulates the Catholics to give of their money and services to the community.

A spirituality of joy is what is needed, God wants us to be happy. "Always be joyful; pray constantly; and for all things give thanks; this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus" (Thess. 5:16-18).

The Protestants tend to express this command  by using such words as thanksgiving, praise, glory, amen; Catholics more often hear the words repentance, liturgy, confession, stations of the cross. Which verbal expressions are more important is not the issue, says the columnist. What is important is the image Catholics and all believers, have of their faith. Is it a gloomy or a joyful spirituality?

We should never forget to be thankful for the graces that we have received and, as the columnists notes, to remember that joy is the essence of our faith life.  The issue he wants us to consider may not have been expressed, within the space limitations of a column, with the subtlety and comprehensiveness that such a topic warrants, but we can't miss the intent and truth of what was said.

Confucianism

The Peace Weekly, in its feature article on Confucianism, mentions that the various religions of Korea, in an attempt to promote better understanding of each others beliefs, are having what are called "Stays" for two or three days at their places of worship. Many in Korea, including many Catholics, do not think of Confucianism as a religion; for them it's part of the traditional culture. To get a first hand account of the Confucian experience, a bishop, president of the Religious Peace Conference of Korea, along with members of the Conference, visited the Confucian Scholars Cultural Center this past month.

They heard a lecture on Confucius (BC 531-479), which explained the basic teachings of Confucianism, emphasizing the importance of being fully human and loving toward one another. The Chinese character ( 仁 ) expresses this well: a person relating with two others. How Confucians and Christians view this relationship, however, is different.  For Christians, love includes loving one's enemies. Confucians would reserve love for those who have treated them well, and would  treat their enemies according to the rules of justice.The lecturer also noted that familial obligations are serious matters in Confucianism, and that life belongs not only to the individual but to ones parents and ancestors as well.

Catholics no longer have a problem with observing in the home the Confucian rituals for ancestors. But at the introduction of Catholicism in Korea, there had been a great deal of conflict, with Catholics being persecuted for not following the rites. The controversy was settled in 1939, when Pius Xll announced that the Confucian rites  are not superstition or idol worship but a cultural tradition.

A particularly interesting and important element of Confucian etiquette, a form of politeness the Koreans have been brought up with, is the ritual bowing. In the rites and in meeting people and for different occasions, there are different ways of bowing, and also a difference in the way women and men bow. The Peace Weekly noted that before Confucianism became the traditional culture and discipline of the country, it was a religion, though today not as well known as a religion,

Deeply interested in how to live properly in the present moment, Confucianism says nothing of the next life or of God,

How many Koreans are Confucians? There is no way of knowing. There are no rites of acceptance, they don't register their followers, and they have no clergy or religious; anyone who follows the teachings of Confucius can be considered a  Confucian. Their rites are held in Hyanggyos, the Confucian temples--there are 234 in the country--on the days of the new and full moon.

The scholar representing the Confucians wanted those who were "staying" at the Confucian Scholars Cultural Center, to see and appreciate Confucianism less as a culture and more as a religion.

Happiness of the Elderly

The 21st century, only 12 years old, is being called the century of the "new old." Increasingly, the global elderly population is outnumbering all other age categories. In France, it took 120 years to arrive at this point; in Korea only 26. The economic implications of this new social reality are troubling, says a priest in his Peace Weekly column on "Happiness."

Growing old gracefully in Korea is going to be more difficult than it has been in the past, he says. Many Korean parents are not setting aside enough money to provide for their retirement and old age, spending most of their earnings on an expensive college education for their children, and giving them whatever is left over. The accepted belief is that if children are raised well, the parents will have an easy time of it after retirement.

The harsh reality is that graduating from college requires a great deal of money and those that graduate are not guaranteed a job. Over 1 million young people in their 20s are unemployed and skilled labor jobs go begging, In Germany, the columnist notes, skilled labor jobs are prepared for by students while they are in middle school, the children deciding, according to aptitude and preference, to prepare either for college or for a trade.

Another troublesome reality: When we get old the body begins to break down, and though many parents will turn to their children for help, the  children often show little concern for their sick parents. Children tend to be close to their parents until age 10, the priest says, and then gradually begin distancing themselves from them.

Another problem is the lack of friends. Korea leads in the number of suicides among the developed countries. In Japan, the reason for suicides is loneliness  but in Korea it is mostly money concerns. Being old and without money decreases confidence, which makes it more difficult to socialize with friends.

However, the priest feels the biggest problem is adjusting to living with the personal idiosyncrasies of your partner, especially after many years of marriage--unless you have built up a reservoir of love. In their 20s, if couples don't feel well matched, the priest says that in their 30s they will work at being more compatible. And in their 40s, they will work on the weak points so that in their 50s they will truly become lovers.

Working toward this type of compatibility takes a great deal of effort. In France, around the Champs-Elysee, you find the older people drinking wine and going to restaurants.  In Korea, the older people will be found at Pagoda Park, while the young, using their parents' money, are dining out at good restaurants.

It is said that when the root is strong, the tree will be strong and the fruit will be plentiful; the elderly are the roots of our society. However, in these troublesome times, the happiness of the aged has become an important topic of conversation. According to a ranking of countries based on the level of happiness within the country, out of the 179 countries surveyed, Korea ranked 102,

This "unhappy" situation should be a concern to all of us, beginning with a rethinking of the financial support usually given by parents to their children. Without sufficient thought being given to the future needs of the parents when they are old, not only will the happiness index of the country not improve, but the happiness index of our elderly will suffer even more.