"Thanksgiving and promise is the theme for the 100th anniversary celebration of the Maryknoll Sisters. Looking back on a history of suffering endured by the Korean people, we
can be thankful that so many Maryknoll Sisters have walked with those
in pain, and have experienced the love of God. We look forward to
embracing the future with hope."
These are the words introducing an
interview in the Peace Weekly with Sister Janice McLaughlin, superior of the Maryknoll Sisters, who is here to celebrate their 100 years as a
congregation and 88 years in Korea. Sister Janice worked in Africa for
40 years and has written, Ostriches, Dung Beetles, and Other Spiritual Masters,
now translated into Korean.The book is a compilation of the wisdom she has
gained from the animal and plant life she found in Africa, and from her meditations on life.
Sister
thanks all those who have been part of the work of the sisters during
the past 88 years in Korea. From Pyongyang in North Korea to many areas of the country here in the South, there have been many who have participated in the work. To all she expresses her thanks, and hopes that many will discover the love of God in this journey of the sisters.
The
Korean Church, which has grown in maturity so that they no longer need
the help of foreign missionary sisters, is now sending the sisters to
Africa and South America. A group of lay people with the charism of the Sisters, the Maryknoll Affiliates, will continue their work in Korea. Sister Janice gives thanks for the love shown the sisters over the many years they have been in Korea.
The
Maryknoll Sisters were instrumental in starting the first Korean
congregation of sisters: Our Lady of Perpetual Help Sisters, now grown
into a community larger than the Maryknoll Sisters, for which the Maryknollers are very proud. She also visited the older sisters of the community who worked in the North, and thanked them.
Sister
Janice met with the Maryknoll Sisters recently planning for their
next chapter in 2014, at which time they will be meeting to plan for the future. This will include, she says, working with environment issues, further efforts for peace, helping immigrants adapt to the new culture, and relieving the suffering of women
in the sex trade.
The sisters have left behind many who have been touched by their work. Maryknoll Affiliates have been influenced by the sisters and will continue the work with the alienated in society. The Korean Maryknoll sisters who are now working in other parts of the world are bringing the love of Christ to people not as fortunate in having the maturity in the faith that Korea has achieved. This attraction to the Maryknoll charism and the Maryknoll Sisters will continue in the years ahead.
The media these days do not carry many uplifting stories that give us a feel for the good life. Instead, we are usually left with a distaste for what is
going on in the world around us, particularly when we learn that our country leads the other developed countries in the number of suicides and divorces.
The desk columnist of the Catholic Times believes the cause can be found within a society that has lost its moral foundation, and a loss of meaning for many who are living only out of necessity. Does this mean we have
lost the dream of what life could be? the columnist asks.
He
gives us an example of what the shape of this dream might be like by
showing how a potentially disruptive situation was handled by putting into practice what we have been told is the greatest commandment: to love one another. A daughter-in-law in a farming family burnt the rice she was
preparing for her mother-in-law and father-in-law. Being very upset for having spoiled the dinner, she told her mother-in-law about the burned rice. She replied that the daughter-in-law should not blame herself; the pot she had given her was too small to hold all the water necessary to make rice for all four of them--the blame was hers. The father-in-law then spoke up and said it was his fault; he had put too much wood in the fuel hole which raised the heat too much. Here was a situation, the columnist said, that could easily have resulted in everyone becoming upset and angry, but
because of their concern for each other, the ruined meal became the occasion for a good laugh.
Though we are surrounded by a challenging and sometimes stressful world,
we want to live in a life-giving environment, in a life-giving family,
in a life-giving workplace, in a life-giving Christian community. To
live in such a community and society, we have to change from our present selfish concern with the self to sharing with others not only material possessions. We have to share also our concern about their total well being, as was done, the columnist makes clear, in the story about the burned rice. The Korean proverb says it well: one word can repay a debt of
1000 nyang ( an old Korean coin).
Jesus wants us to be the salt and light of the world; without salt, food is
insipid and without light, we live in darkness. There are a number of
ways we can respond to a salt-less and light-less world: go with the flow, giving-in to a feeling
of helplessness, or fight against this feeling and do all we can to
bring life and joy to the world we are in.
When we fail to live up to our call as people of faith, we are living
as worldly people and forgetting the words of Jesus. We sin like
everybody else, tied to material goods, fighting and refusing to
forgive. We are no longer salt or light. We have to go in a different
direction from that of society, most often relying on words to begin the process, words such as thank you, sorry, I wish you well, good job, and the like.
Protecting only my situation, without concern
for the other and not willing to see where the other person is coming
from, is not going to be helpful in bringing about a new and better world. We
are to share the dreams and hopes we have. We are to be concerned for the
other and to gather all the strength and motivation we can muster to
be the light and salt we have been asked to be in order to bring about a better world. And we need to begin this life-giving activity now.
At the start of the Year of Faith, and continuing throughout the year, various events have been planned centered around implementing the new evangelization idea. The ultimate goal? Bringing back into our lives the joy of the Gospel.
The
desk columnist of the Catholic Times comments on the influence that
relativism and secularization have had on our thinking and actions.
God's providence is no longer part of our concern, and no longer do we
live guided by God's commandments and biblical truths. Despite this, the Church continues to confess God and to preach the gospel, asking the world to also bear witness to these truths, with our bodies and our mental and emotional lives. During this Year of Faith, the Church is emphasizing that this is also our duty as Christians.
What does this mean in our lives now that our media continually report on a stagnant economy and the violence and crime in our society? A possible solution may be as close as the elections for president in December, the columnist believes. Three candidates will be running for president, and all of us--Christian and non-Christian--will be following the results with great interest.
The
United States is similarly preparing for their general election. The
columnist mentions that a number of Catholic bishops in the States have urged that Catholics be guided by Catholic principles when casting their vote. The bishops have spoken out in opposition to the Obama administration's position on moral issues that go contrary to the policies
of Catholicism. The columnist believes that by voicing their concerns about the present administration, the U.S. bishops will have an influence on the election in November. He also adds that many think it inappropriate that leaders in the Church are getting involved in the selection of the president, and are criticizing the Church
for this involvement.
The columnist quotes an American
bishop who blamed problems of society on a lack of principles. What does a Christian mean by principles? For a
Christian, it's the teachings of the Church, handed down
over centuries, which Catholics are asked to follow. One's own personal values, of course, should be considered when choosing a political party, and who would be good candidates, and other political concerns. But for a Catholic who would like to make the best possible choice help should come from the teachings of the Church.
The
Justice and
Peace Committee of the Korean bishops have prepared a questionnaire for
the candidates, asking them about right-to-life issues, freedom of the
press, peace, ecological issues, energy, the economy, labor issues, among others. The
Church has expressed its teaching and is now asking the candidates for
their views on these same issues. Their responses to the questionnaire will be a help to Catholics when voting for the new
president.
The president of the bishops'
conference asked all to vote. He mentioned that the position of the
bishops on nuclear power plants was postponed to after the election.
This was a wise decision the columnist says for it meant to give the Catholics freedom on this issue. For a
Christian, however, it is essential to his Christianity to have moral
principles that are not negotiable, become an important aspect of the voting process.
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.
