With the disappearance of the last moth the chapter on small white caterpillars appearing on the kitchenette ceiling of the rectory came to an end. Some two months ago each morning the ceiling would be crawling with caterpillars. Each morning an effort was made to rid the ceiling of the unsightly creatures and figure out where they were coming from.
Faced with the daily appearance of the larvae, I took a few of them and showed them to the Christians. They surmised that it could be some animal that had died somewhere about the ceiling. It looked like the larvae you would find in a bag of rice, they said, and recommended looking for the dead animal, or fumigating the house.
After a few more days of ridding the ceiling of the larvae I called the community to the rectory after Mass. About 10 of the Catholics came to the rectory and starting examining the area. Some looked for places that would allow the caterpillars to come down from above and one woman, in particular, started opening all the cabinet doors and checking the contents. This had been done many times before without results. Suggestions were coming from the group when the woman took a box of oat meal that had never been opened: took off the top and showed us the origin of the larvae. They had eaten most of the contents.
Without doubt the discovery would have been made before efforts at fumigation or looking for dead animals. The woman who made the discovery was working from personal experience, knowledge and natural wisdom, sure that it was coming from below rather than above. The caterpillars disappeared gradually from the ceiling and in their place the moths.
In this situation everyone knew the woman had found the reason for the larvae. There was no argument only acquiescence at the discovery. Most of our problems however are not of this type but opinions without the possibilities in most cases of a clear and unequivocal answers.
And yet the wisdom of the past both in the East and West acknowledged that certain persons were better adept in judging and giving solutions. In most cultures they were the wise and holy people, standards that were not always the same. These person were for one reason or another persons you went to for help.
Money, numbers, sympathizers and the mass media, for good or bad, are what seems to move us and take the place of the 'enlightened' ones of years past. As bad as the system may be, many believe it still is the best available. However, the Cardinals will be getting together in a few weeks to select the new pope. Each of them will, in effect, want to select a person who for them is a wise and a holy person. They will pray that it is the choice God wants at this time and trust they can do it with simplicity and humility.
A farmer and his son are on their way to the market in a distant
city to sell their harvested crops. A Jesuit priest tells the story of that trip, 68 years ago, that changed the course of the son's life forever.
They left early in the morning and, according to the son's calculations, if they walked without resting would arrive at the market early the following morning. The father, however, wanted to give the ox time to rest and was not too concerned with the calculations of the son, who wanted to arrive at the market early to get a better price for their products. While the ox rested, the father got on the cart for a nap himself. After the rest, he took the reigns from the son and coming to a fork in the road took the road on the left; his son reminded him that the road on the right was the shorter way. The father agreed but said the other was more scenic.
"Do you have no
appreciation of the value of time?" the son asked. "That's not true," his father replied. "I
have a keen awareness of time, that's why I want to take time to see
the beauties of nature." That night the son was so upset he paid no
attention to the beauty of the sunset or the scent of the flowers by the side of the road, which were of so much interest to the father. Let
us rest here for the night, said the father, and have the ox share our
rest. The son told the father he was not going to join him at the market
because he thought more about the flowers and the sunset than in
making money. The father with a smile on his face went to sleep; the son
was so upset he couldn't sleep.
Next morning they came across a farmer whose oxcart was stuck in the mud. The father insisted they stop to help the farmer, even though the city was still quit a distance away. It was then that they saw a lightening-like flash in the sky and heard what sounded like thunder, followed by the whole sky beyond the hills being
engulfed in a rain of ashes. The son sullenly reminded the father that
if they had not rested they would by this time be on the way home with
the money from the farm products in their pocket. The father told his
son that his life as a farmer was not for only a few years but for a
lifetime. "You should be enjoying every moment of it," he said.
When they
came to the road leading down to what was once the city of Hiroshima, they stood in
uncomprehending silence as they viewed the scene before them. The son, turning to his father, said, "I now
understand what you were saying." It was the morning of August 6, 1945.
Life for many, said the priest, is a constant search to
do more and at a quicker pace. Is that what life should be? he asks. He would like us to take seriously the words of the father to his son: to
appreciate the beauty of each moment of life and when standing before the throne of God be able to say, "How beautiful all life is!"
The Seoul subway
system is probably the world's most extensive and because of recently
installed platform screen doors--the only subway to do so--one of the
safest. With this change, the number of those who have committed suicide
by jumping in front of an on-coming train has declined dramatically.
Suicides of those jumping into the Han River, however, have increased,
with most taking place at the Mapo Bridge. In an effort to change the
negative image of the bridge, colorful pictures and life-affirming words
can be seen posted around the bridge to dissuade future suicides.
The
Culture of Life column of the Peace Weekly once again reports on this
suicide problem in Korea, suggesting that several causal factors may be
responsible for the increase: the rapid change to an industrialized
society, the difficult experience during the IMF period, and the
advancing age of the population.
The column notes that in
2010 there were 15,566 suicides, an increase of 19 percent from the
previous year, and three times the average of the OECD countries. One
person's death by suicide affects, the
columnist says, at least 6 people. And for every suicide the conjecture
is that 10 times that number have attempted suicide, and
10 times the number of attempted suicides have considered suicide. She
comes up with an overall figure
of about 5 percent of the population that have been directly or
indirectly affected by the problem.
In
New York City there are 5.5 suicides per 100,000 people, in London 9,
Hong Kong
18.2, Tokyo 23, and in Seoul 26. What are we to make of these numbers? she asks. Why is New
York City so low? She believes that because of the 9/11 terror attack,
New Yorkers have become more sensitive to the needs of fellow citizens
and
this concern has spread throughout the city. And the city government has
also helped by setting up a city-wide aid system.
In Korea the
older the person the more likely the suicide. For those over seventy,
the rate of suicides per 100,000 is over 100. In all age categories, the
men have a higher suicide rate than the women, except for men in their
twenties, where it's the same as it is for the women. The reasons
generally given for the country's high suicide rates are many, but
usually include the increasing divorce rate, childless marriages, the
number of those living alone in the country, the lack of family time
together, and an insensitivity for those unable to thrive in our
competitive society, because of age or lack of skills.
The
columnist believes the main reasons for suicides are 'being alone',
being out of work, the loss of a loved one, a mental trauma, dependence
on alcohol, and despondency--perhaps the most important factor
contributing to the high rate of suicides. Many with serious diseases
are also vulnerable to suicidal thoughts when a feeling of helplessness
takes over.
What
may be needed to prevent suicides, the columnist suggests, may be no
more complicated than for each of us to become more compassionate, more
sensitive and empathetic to the suffering experienced by many in our
society. When these problems arise we need to provide opportunities for
those who are struggling by offering them ongoing assistance until they can help
themselves. And the mass media should do their part by publicizing the
available programs, such as the Gatekeeper program, which intends to
make us more sensitive to those who are struggling to make it in our society. But
even without these worthwhile programs, we must remember that all of us
have a mission to further the culture of life and to bring hope to
those who have lost it.
Science and its remarkable technological achievements in recent years
have influenced the lives of all of us and raised doubts about the
religious
understanding of life. Believing that religion and science are mutually
antagonistic thought
systems, with religion relying for its truth on subjective, unverifiable
experience, and science relying on objective, verifiable evidence,
science now gives us their standards
by which to judge truth, and even the existence of God, Two scientists
writing in the
Catholic Times refuse to accept this understanding; both science and
religion are necessary, they say, for a complete understanding of the
truth.
They cite the principle of complementarity of Niels
Bohr, one of the founders of the new science of quantum physics, who
said that our views of the nature of things are often inconsistent and
contradictory because whatever is viewed is viewed from any of many
possible and valid points of view, depending on the nature and
background of the observer. Ultimately, however, Bohr said these views
must complement each other, and are required for a complete
understanding of the truth.
According to the article, belief
without science can become religious fanaticism
and superstition. Science without belief can become a closed-ended
hypothesis, neglectful of the possibility of the transcendent dimension.
There is both the search for truth using the inductive methods of
science, and the search for truth using the intuitive wisdom that speaks
to us directly from our experience of life.
Religion can
transcend the intellect, but
it can't be opposed to the knowledge that comes from our intellectual
pursuits. When it refuses to accept them, fanaticism, superstition and
pseudo-religion are likely to follow. Since we are intelligent beings,
made in the
image of God, it is imperative that we
follow the dictates of our intellect.
One of the
scientists mentioned a well-known philosopher who said that those who
believe in Christ and think themselves physicists are quacks. If
that is true, the scientist said he considers himself a quack. Sadly, he
says that years ago there were many Christian scientists; today this is
no longer true. Even within the Church, one has the feeling
that if you get too involved with science, you will lose your faith, so
they stay away from it, he said. However, he added, when we are
threatened and yet overcome the threat, we become stronger.
He
gives us an example
from his high school years when a teacher said that Christians
believe in predestination. That was not his understanding so he asked
his parish priest and was told that Christians believe in freedom
of the will. It was at that time he read a book on Heisenberg's
uncertainty principle. In contrast to Newton's deterministic, static
principles of
physics, he read that if you shot a gun and later shot the gun under the
same conditions you may not hit the same object. This was his
introduction to the anti-deterministic physics of quantum theory, and
confirmation of the underlying freedom present within nature.
In
graduate school he noticed how many had left
behind their Catholicism. He believed the reason was a lack
of a mature spiritual life. Politics, the culture, and the desire for
money had something
to do with it, but for him he placed the blame on a spirituality that
was not able to provide guidelines to overcome these difficulties. The
article ends by telling us that humility needs to be part of the way we
look at science and religion and the search for truth. There are limits to any search
for truth, whether scientific or religious. As noted in scripture: "Now
we see indistinctly, as in a mirror...."
Both Catholic
papers carried the story of a Chinese priest invited by the Cardinal
Kim Research Center in Seoul to discuss the current condition of the
Church in China and its prospects for the future. Reliable accounts are difficult to
find because Catholicism there is split into two factions: the patriotic (approved by the government) and the so-called underground
Church. The government diligently guards against all interference from outside the country and everyone is told (including religious persons) that their country must come first before all other considerations.Those who have refused to accept this mandate are what has been called the underground Church.
In his speech the priest stressed the importance of having men like Cardinal Kim in the Chinese Church, which needs organizing around the metaphor of the circle rather than the more traditional structure of a pyramid. He also pointed out that the Catholics of China do not have a strong
evangelizing spirit, but leave this task to the priests and sisters. This
problem can be solved, he believes, if the Church is seen more as a tightly knit community, with members sharing their beliefs and putting them into action in the community setting (the circle metaphor), instead of relying on the pyramid metaphor: seeing the Church as a
loose collection of members waiting for instructions from the top of
the organization before taking action. Although the Church is ultimately
responsible, he said, for its weak position in Chinese society, with few capable leaders, a lack of good formation programs for seminarians, and
little ongoing education for priests, he explained that the materialism and hedonism of
the society stifles whatever message the Church succeeds in publicizing.
There are about 6 million Catholics in
China, recognized by the government, and about 6 million more, he says, in the underground Church. The government recognizes five religious groups: Buddhists, Protestants, Muslims, Taoists, and Catholics. In 1949, with the inception of the Republic of China, there
were 3 million
Catholics and about 700,000 Protestants in the country. The tendency of
Buddhism to stress blessings, and the strong missionary efforts of the
Protestants have made these two religions the largest in China. And today, many Chinese holding influential positions in society are converting
to Buddhism.
Catholic vocations are few, and the formation of seminarians is poorly done and, as expected, the underground church is struggling. The
one-child per family decree has added to the problem but the example of the priests on the young, he says, is not one the young want to
follow.
After the talk, a Korean priest of the Foreign Missionary Society of Korea said he had a problem with how the circle and pyramid styles of the Church had been explained. He agrees that the ideal
way to understand the metaphors is to give the Pope his rightful place
within the circle; he felt that China has opted for the Anglican model
of Church. It is this model, the Korean priest believes, that the Chinese government wants all religions in their country to follow. If successful, this approach, he says, could be used by the government to making Catholicism independent of world Catholicism. Which is exactly what has happened.
The Chinese priest, in his final remarks, said he was glad to receive the invitation
to speak.
And Since China had a great deal to do with bringing Christianity to
Korea, he sees his invitation as a call for mutual help between the two
countries. He hopes that his country will eventually have many men like
Cardinal Kim, a man who had great love for his country of Korea, and
was a great example to his people.
One of the most
often used words in church articles this past year was the
word 'healing'. Best-selling books often had the word in their
title. TV programs appeared with healing themes, healing foods;
concerts and talk shows that healed seemed to be everywhere. Can we
doubt that our society has a need
for healing?
A member of the Spirituality Research
Center at the Inchon Catholic University, writing in the Kyeongyang
magazine on his experience as a professional using music to heal, states that the art of music is ever-present in our lives, a
sound form we are familiar with, from our time in the womb
until the time we die.
Music enters through the ear, and from
there to
the brain and then to our whole being, where it influences us in many
ways, working on our emotions, knowingly and unknowingly. We know this,
he says,
from the background music we hear so often in
restaurants and theaters. This being the case, what music should we be
listening to? he asks. There is no correct answer, he says. What is
right for
one person or situation might not be right for another person or
situation. Of course, a person knowledgeable in the
field will be of help, but it is not necessary, he says. Choose the
music
you like, he advises, and learn to savor its message.
Another
way of getting the benefits of music is to sing. The music will affect
our emotions and even
strengthen our immune system, he says. He gives an example of a woman
who was depressed for 15 years. By using singing as treatment for her
depression, she was able to overcome the depression. She finally could
make contact
with her feelings, give them expression and control them. He
would like to tell all mothers when washing dishes, to sing out loud some of their
favorite songs. It would be an opportunity for healing.
For a Catholic, healing is the work of God.
We try try to respond to his great love without condition and judgment,
and to surrender to him for the great joy of being one with him. It is
when we have given up all that we hold precious and have worked to
achieve that we experience oneness with him and find self-healing. If we
live this way, no other
healing is necessary.
One of the best ways of
accomplishing this healing is to sing hymns. And at our next Mass, he
says we should make
this a priority, savoring the words
of the hymn, letting each word fill our heart with its appropriate message. And if we listen carefully, he believes we will hear
God's voice in the singing.
Those addicted to
'fun' would do well to uncover the meaning of this addiction, writes a
Salesian
sister, with a background in media studies, in the
Kyeongyang Magazine. Boredom, she says, may be causing the addiction.
Though in the past boredom was a catalyst for change, today many find it
difficult to accept, a thing to avoid at all costs.
We have
heard
the saying: "When you play you play, when you work you work." Today
we often want our work to be
pleasurable, and don't mind if our leisure time is taken up by intense
study or stressful activities. When we are tired we flick on
the TV or engage in conversation or do something, anything, as long as
it keeps us from feeling bored. But all this does, she says, is add to
our mental turmoil. There's no avoiding 'doing,' she admits, but we must
also understand, she emphasizes, that 'not-doing' is
something positive and creative.
She reflects on the
times in the subway when just sitting becomes awkward and we take out our
smart phones and begin toying with them. Conversation can start up with
someone sitting beside us, but when a call comes during the conversation,
we most likely will take the opportunity to go back to our smartphone.
She
asks if we have ever for even an hour taken
time to do nothing but be with ourselves in silence. A time when we can
give our
thinking a rest, letting our thoughts ripen and the stress and
frustrations of the day pass from mind--a time to get to know ourselves.
In
the digital society we live in, the more dependent we become on the
digital resources now available, and the more concerned with things
outside of ourselves, the more impoverished our internal life becomes.
Reading becomes unbearable, and deep reflection nearly impossible; we
forget the meaning of life and its
values. We end up, sister says, thinking with our feelings and judging
with our emotions.
We
are living in a society where fun is often the goal of every pursuit.
Our emotions are given priority, and the effort to delve deeply into our
experiences is missing. In Korea we are all
familiar with the Gangnam Style, a term describing both the phenomenally
successful music video and the lifestyle "where everything is cool."
Though many have been critical of this recent cultural craze that has
spread throughout the world, there's no denying that many have embraced
its lavish, carefree lifestyle, if only in spirit.
The video is
not the sole possession of those who made it, she reminds us, but now
belongs to anyone who has seen it and is moved by
what they see; they are the owners as well. The sister wants us to
realize that
besides those who found the text 'fun,' thrilled by what they saw and
heard, many others had even more fun by examining the meaning of
this 'fun' event.
More
than being overcome with the 'fun' of the moment is to examine what is
seen for meaning. It is this meaning that will add a great deal to the
'fun' that we have in life.According to Ecclesiastes 2:10: "All that I undertook I
enjoyed, and that was
my reward for my work." Sister hopes that we will
find the same joy in everything we do in life. It all starts, she says,
not with those who are content to have fun without looking for its
meaning, but with those who search for meaning, and see with the eyes of
Christ.
