The Korean lay apostolate, fifty years after the Second
Vatican Council, was the topic of a symposium written up by the
Catholic Times: What are the changes and the directions for the future? A
number of authorities in different fields presented their views on these questions.
The first participant stressed that the
populus dei (people of God) concept, much discussed at the council, explains a great deal of what has since happened in the Church. He viewed the Old Testament as a history of the people of God, and believed that seeing the Old Testament community
as a closed society would show a lack of understanding.
Another
participant stressed the efforts needed to educate our pastoral workers
and lay people in Christian theology and philosophy to deepen the
search. After two hundred years of Catholicism in Korea, our roots are firmly planted in a portion of the culture. but we must continue to find ways of speaking to the culture and working for its evangelization, forming pastoral workers and cultivating the formation of lay theologians to accomplish this.
There
is also a need to increase our fellowship and unity as a community, and
to set up some sort of apparatus in which lay people may make their
ideas known and be encouraged to devote themselves to the work of the
Church. This will also require formation and respect for their efforts.
One participant mentioned the work that has to be done to change the predominant culture of the world. The primary objective of the council was precisely this, he said, and the leading role in this effort must be taken by the laity, which he then went on to discuss in some detail.
Another participant stressed that all of East Asia has the task of evangelizing North
Korea. Especially in this year of faith, he said, we must not wait for the North to change. We ourselves must change if we are to become the persons the North will need.
At the end of the symposium the words of encouragement that were expressed reflected
the unyielding faith life and strong wills of our ancestors in the
faith. They helped to put an end to the separation of the nobles and
commoners in our society. Their faith brought about many other beneficial changes in the culture. It is hoped that we will continue this tradition to bring about the changes we would like to see in society today.
Bibimbap, meaning mixed rice,
is a common Korean dish. A bowl of warm rice is topped with seasoned
vegetables, chili pepper paste and, usually, an egg and ground beef,
tossed together before eating. On the left, representatives of seven of the largest religious groups in Korea gather before a container of bibimbap ingredients ready for mixing."
There was enough bibimbap for over a thousand in attendance at a field meet of the different religious groups which were later divided into a white and a blue team.
The white team was called 'communication'; the blue, 'harmony'. The
usual games and sports helped to break down some of the walls between
the different groups.
This is
the first time in Korea that such an event was held and it is a good
sign of what the different religious groups want to see happen. The
bishop-president of the Committee for Promoting Christian Unity & Inter-religious Dialogue for the Catholic bishops was elected
president of the Korean Conference of Religion and Peace (KCRP). At that time he said society has difficulty in accepting people in religion who are in conflict with each other. The different representatives all have the desire
that with these meetings there will be more activity in breaking down
some of the misunderstandings among religious people and nurturing more respect for the different doctrines and faiths.
The executive director of the KCRP told
those present that the meeting together of the different religions will
help build a religious culture that will strive for understanding of
one another.
The
Christian efforts at ecumenical meetings have been ongoing but meetings
of non-Christian religious orders with Christians is not something often
seen.
In the diocese of Incheon this month, the Anglican, Methodist, and Catholic choirs got together
at the Catholic cathedral for a concert. The Methodist choir sang for
the first segment of the concert, the Anglicans followed, and then the
Catholics. The fourth segment included the three choirs singing together. This will be repeated in November at the Methodist Church and then at the Anglican Church.
Efforts at trying to break down the walls between religions seem necessary if religion is to be a
force for understanding and love, something not readily seen in the
world today. These efforts will not go unnoticed and hopefully will be
imitated in other parts of the world.
The fear of many, of course, is that what is considered truth by one group may be compromised. Pope John
Paul said, however, that all religions should be saying: Yes, we
believe with our whole heart, but we do not want to impose anything we
propose. What is proposed should always be
offered with love and respect.
Life can be seen as a succession of meetings, some favorable, preparing us for success in life, and some so unfavorable that life itself becomes unbearable.
Writing in the Catholic Digest a priest, principal of a high school, recalls a meeting with a student whose eyes, seemingly all white were the first things he noticed. Even though he knew the student had
received high praise from his teachers, there was no doubting that he was under a lot of stress. The priest asked very directly, What is the problem?
The student, Juni, answered without making much sense, going over the anxieties of the past, his present difficulties with his family and his mother, and his fears concerning the future. After listening intently, the priest was still not
able to get a coherent understanding of the problem. Juni began to
repeat himself, feeling a need to unload what was inside him, but not
able to find the right words to express what was bothering him. The
priest felt it was time to end the meeting and scheduled another. The
meetings continued for about two months before he fully understood what
the student was trying to explain.
Juni recalled his aunt praising him, during one of her visits to his house, for being a good son and student. His mother, who was present, said, "I can't say that. I don't trust him." From that moment on, he delved into his past, trying to find
out what his mother was talking about, and for a number of nights
couldn't sleep. The mother, seeing the change in her son, and paying no attention to what might have caused the change, brought him to the mental hospital, where he was given medicine that gave his eyes a strange look.
On the next meeting with the priest, Juni heard some unaccustomed words as the priest began the conversation by praising him, telling him he'd heard he was a good athlete, a good student, was getting a scholarship, and was good-looking besides. His response was similar to his mother's. "That's not true; I'm not that person."
"Why
do you think that?" the priest asked. "Are you being humble?" Juni did
not answer. The priest continued, "How is what you are now saying
different from what your mother said to your aunt?" It was then that the
priest saw for the first time the beginning of a smile on Juni's face.
For a child to live with enthusiasm and confidence is not difficult, the priest tells us. But our words can make it difficult, if they are not chosen wisely. The priest would like to see all parents and teachers--all of us--becoming more thoughtful and caring with our words, whether students are present or not, and wherever we are communicating with others.
As a high school principal familiar with students struggling with school work, he would like to hear more often words similar to what a mother might say to her son who is struggling with his studies, "Our
child doesn't do well in studies, but he has a good character and he
will do well in life." If children were to hear similar words of praise,
instead of the critical words that normally come unthinkingly to mind, how much better would our children think? asks the priest. And how much better would they live?
Asian Christians can develop their spirituality from two sources: the natural, found in Taoism,
Confucianism, and Buddhism; the other, the supernatural source, the teachings of Jesus
from revelation. This would give those writing about spiritual subjects in
the East, it would seem, an advantage over those in the West.
On
the spiritual page of the Catholic Times, the columnist dipping into his Korean heritage gives us some
helpful ideas on what a healthy spirituality should include. He tells us
if we want to rid ourselves of our worries, depression, feelings of
futility, and self-demeaning thoughts, he will give us the solution free of
charge, and easily accomplished by a
very simple one-time event that solves everything: openness, opening
ourselves to the mystery of formation, opening ourselves to God.
Life is full of different
happenings, some good and some not so good, the bad seemingly more present than the good. However, in all these cases,
if we are open to God, the problems will be solved. How? To see, speak, think correctly, with God at the center of our life, says the columnist, then our thoughts will change, bringing an enormous change in our lives. When this is not the case,
we are limited by the self-centered, prideful life we have created. To undo this, we have to be open to
do what God wants of us.
Those who have a self-centered
and egotistical disposition will find it difficult to change, for they
see everything as competition. Jesus gave us his personal example of what it
means to be open to God.
Many try to solve the problems they
face with the head, but it doesn't work. They try to reduce the 108
anxieties (The Buddhist understanding of the worries that afflict us) to
106 or 100, but the 108 continue to plague us, our desires continue to
grow, and the meaning of life continues to elude us.
Some
want to go with the flow, to enjoy life, earn money and enjoy the
company of those close to them, but all this is merely a search for a mirage, says the columnist, ultimately bringing us a feeling of emptiness; we remain hungry and thirsty. St.
Theresa saw attention as the keyword in growth in spirituality.
Attention to what God wants, not what I want. God
gives us the inspiration for the search and the joy that comes.
With
our bodies and the small space we occupy, filling this space is not difficult, but we need to be open to everything that happens in the larger space that surrounds us, which means being open to God, and open to all those small miracles of life that happen when we open ourselves enough to see them.
God
made us so reformation is always possible, in order to continue to grow. This is a great
mystery and we should open ourselves to that mystery. It will change our
bodies, our minds and our hearts. We will come to see the world differently, a world much better than the one we created with our limited perceptions.
There are many mysteries concerning married life and many suggestions on how to make marriage more successful.The obstacles couples are facing today are increasing, and society
does not make it any easier for couples and families to grow in love and to
strengthen the bonds of this most basic community in our society.
The columnist of Daily Life and Faith Life
in the Catholic Times speaks about his meeting with a couple, whose
relationship engenders both jealously and envy. Very impolitely, moved
by a gnawing curiosity, he asked, "You both are on your best
behavior before me, but when you get home, don't you fight?"
The
husband responded, "I would like to fight but my wife doesn't
cooperate, so there is no fight." The wife added, "He goes right
along with whatever I want, so fighting is not possible."
The
columnist said he failed to satisfy is curiosity with the first question and tried again, "Where does that love come from? Is it from your faith life?"
The
wife said, "Before we were married I wasn't much of a Christian. I
liked what I saw in him and decided to marry him. It was during our
honeymoon that I realized the kind of man he was. It was then that I gave him my complete trust."
"What is that all about?"
"Father,
on my wedding day I was all nerves, I just wanted to live a happy life.
At that time we decided to go to Chejudo, a favorite spot for honeymooners, it did take some sacrifice on our part but I dreamed of living with joy for two nights and three days.
When
we arrived at the hotel, the first thing my husband did was to go to
the telephone directory and started flipping through the pages. I asked what he
was doing. He said he was looking for the office numbers of the
churches near to the hotel. When I asked him why, he said he wanted to
know the time of Sunday Masses. Hearing that, all my
elation, my dreams of our time together, vanished. He threw cold water on
all that I had envisioned for the three days. The next day, while attending morning Mass, the thought came to me that if
he was that concerned about the God he couldn't see, he would be
concerned about me who he could see. On the plane back I made up my mind
to be committed to him."
The columnist reflects
on that rather insignificant act of the husband on his honeymoon that had such a profound impact on the wife, as if set in stone, never to be erased.
In the same way, the columnist believes that everything we do has an impact on our lives. That we are not aware of this fact is probably a blessing, but it doesn't mean the connection is
not there.
Bishop William McNaughton, 85, the
first bishop of the Incheon
diocese and the last foreign bishop in the Korean Church, was
interviewed in Rome after attending the outdoor Mass in St. Peter's
Square, which commemorated the start, 50 years earlier, of Vatican II.
The Peace Weekly, taken from CNS, reported his recollections of the council, noting that
he is one of 70 still alive of those who attended the council.
Speaking
about his first visit to Rome, the bishop said that because of
television he felt he was at the gate of heaven, seeing the basilica
with all the lights turned on. He attended every session except for two
because of illness. For him, the highlight of the council was the
approval of the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church, a magnificent
document that devotes a whole chapter to the "people of God." That term
is often interpreted as a reference to the laity, but a more careful
reading of the constitution makes it clear that it refers to everyone in
the Church: pope and bishops, as well as laity.
Bishop
McNaughton speaks with regret that there has been so much ignorance and
misunderstanding of the council documents. The Constitution of the
Sacred Liturgy, for instance, authorized moving the tabernacle to a
separate devotional chapel, he said, but many simply shunted the
Eucharist to the side of the main sanctuary. This is a reason, he
feels, there is not a full understanding of what the tabernacle means. The
document also called for fewer statues in churches, but some removed all
statues and put the Blessed Mother's statue out in a corridor or lobby.
Another example, he said, citing The Decree
on the Renewal of the Religious Life, was the directive that
urged religious women to
modify their habit according to circumstances of time and place and the
needs of the ministry. It did not say habits should be removed
because the habit is a "sign of consecration." All are obvious examples,
he said, that the documents were not being read, or not read closely
enough.
In the
interview, the bishop says the council must be understood in continuity
with the church's tradition and not as a radical break with the past.
"Look at the footnotes," he said. "There is a constant reference there
to the various ecumenical councils of the Church and to the fathers of
the Church. So it is a continuity."
The
bishop, accordingly, rejects arguments that the council was to blame for
the decline in Catholic observance and the rise of secularism over the
last century. "The council did not cause this, he said. It was the society we created that brought this change into our lives.
Our task now is winning
back the world, which is the aim of the new evangelization. However
unpromising the political landscape may appear for that project to succeed, Bishop McNaughton is ultimately hopeful that it will.
Baby boomers are now reaching retirement age, and what this means for
Korea is the topic of the View from the Ark column in the Catholic
Times. The columnist begins with a sijo (a short lyrical poem) a teacher gave him
on graduating from middle school: "In one hand a stick, in the other, thorns to beat and prevent the approach of old age, but no matter what is done,
the white hairs will come."
According to the census of 2010. our society is aging rapidly: 11 percent of the population is over 65; in 2018, it is predicted to be over 18
percent; in 2026, over 20 percent. One-fourth of those over 65, however, are still active in society; over half of them in some
religious capacity.
From a Catholic
perspective, the statistics show that more than 20 percent of Catholics are more than 60 years of age, and more than 19 percent are in their 50s. The Church is getting older quicker than
the larger society. The advance of the nuclear family and early
retirement means that the concern for the elderly will soon be a
societal problem. According to a survey made by the bureau of
statistics the concerns of those over 65 are money and
health.
The elderly also want more health examinations: 33
percent; nursing care: 29 percent; help with home chores, 16 percent; and help in finding a job, 8 percent. Consequently, the problems in the future, the columnist says, will be poverty, disease, loneliness, living alone, and difficulty in
finding work, which means the burden on society will increase.
The
setting sun gives us the beautiful twilight hours of the evening. And
at this time of year, autumn gives us the beautiful colors of falling
leaves. We come into the world with blessings, and after our formal education and
overcoming the vicissitudes of life, we too enter our twilight years. What will that mean for most of us?
The columnist
tells us the elders have much to teach the generations that will follow.
There is the wisdom of age: learning from poverty, lessons from life, and
asceticism. We all desire to live the happy life. Are
the elders in our society living the happy life?
Many have told us about the beauty of old age. St Augustine
tells us of his discovery of God, in his old age: "Late have I loved you, beauty so ancient and so new; late have I loved you! Lo, you were within, but I outside, seeking there for you; and upon the shapely things you have made I rushed headlong." St.
Francis de Sales tells us in the Introduction to the Devout Life that
we, like a pearl in a clam, should be a pearl of joy to the world.
The twilight years are the years during which we should have emptied ourselves of the
accidentals of life for its essentials and a trust in God. Living with
thanks, mellowness, humility, and love, we can rest finally in the enjoyment of the everlasting life we have received on our journey of pilgrimage to God.
