Surprised by Uncommon Values

In his office early one morning a lawyer, listening to music and writing, heard the phone ring. It was a friend who had passed by the office and seeing the light felt compelled to give him some friendly advice, telling him he should stop working so much, "Are you working early mornings to make more money?" he asked.

"That's not what I'm doing," the lawyer tried to  explain, but the friend went on to say, "What are you going to do with all that extra money? You need to go home to your family." The only reason his friend could think of for a person being in his office outside of regular hours, the lawyer said, was to make more money. He had no idea that he may have been reading a book, listening to music, writing a personal letter or an article intended for publication, which he did write for the Catholic Digest, discussing just this issue of misunderstood values. 

This difficulty was evident when Pope Benedict announced his retirement. The mass media the world over had an abundance of speculation to work with, and promptly did: Could it be a plot? Was the pope overcome with difficulties he couldn't manage? A German who could not deal with the Italian entrenchment in the Vatican? among other speculations--all reasonable explanations but far from the truth.

The truth was that he was old and, after prayerful reflection on what would be demanded of him, he clearly stated that at his age he felt he would not be able to deal with the difficulties the Church was currently facing.  He was sure he had made the right decision but few accepted his explanation as the sole or real reason for the resignation. If the mass media had considered humility and love as the reasons for his resignation, instead of more 'newsworthy speculation', would it have been the same coverage?

The lawyer doesn't think so. More interesting were the seemingly endless discussions of whether the next pope would be an Italian, a non-European, a conservative, a progressive conservative, a black. The media had a great time trying to  pick the next pope, the one whose personal charisma and leadership qualities stood out above the other so-called contenders, but when it became known that the newly elected pope had paid for his own hotel expenses, and was in the habit of taking public transportation to work, the media finally realized that the cardinals were using another value system when they chose Bergoglio to be their pope. He was not in any top-ten contender list and he was not tied to any value that the world thought important.

In Pope Francis' first sermon, he  made clear that his priorities would not be those of the world: "When one does not build on solid ground, what happens? What happens is what happens to children on the beach when they make sand castles. Everything collapses. It is without stability. When we do not profess Jesus Christ, we walk without the Cross (following the  values of the world). When we build without the Cross and profess Christ without the Cross, we are not disciples of the Lord, we are being worldly. We are merely priests, bishops, cardinals, popes, but not disciples of the Lord."

When the friend of the lawyer saw the light in the office and made his comment, he was using the world's value system. If the lawyer had exhibited more convincingly in his own life the values of poverty, humility and love, would his friend have spoken as he did? Probably not.

The lawyer is thankful, however, that the cardinals did select Pope Francis. It was an opportunity to show all of us that the values of humility and love are still important values in life.

Magdalena House

Magdalena House, the first center in Korea for prostitutes, started humbly, in 1985, in one room that lacked even a bathroom, on the second floor of a restaurant. Profiled by the Peace Weekly in their series on Catholic Women Groups, Magdalena House was founded by a Maryknoll Sister and a laywoman, with the help of the Seoul Catholic Women's Social Welfare Association. Though the center had an inconspicuous start, for the women who had no place to go, it was a welcome oasis among a generally hostile environment. It was a place where they found respect and could begin to build a new life, a place that gave them the courage to dream and was more welcoming than the home of their parents, where some would have to go to have their first child.

Magdalena House gave hope to these unfortunate women, who, it must be remembered, were no less made in the image of God. They were encouraged at the center to work on their strong  points and against the stigma they were branded with by society.

The center was named after Magdalena of the gospels, a person who was freed of seven devils by Jesus. She loved and was loved by Jesus and given the privilege of being the first to see him after the resurrection. The center was intended to give the women selling sex a dream that their life could change if that was their desire.

Women could come to the center for counseling and for legal and medical help. A literacy program was also set up for those living in the Yongsan area who were in the sex trade, as well as for other poor women. The center was also available as a shelter for the old and handicapped women who had lived as sex workers.

Since many societal voices were heard wanting to put an end to the sex trade, a number of groups and individuals got together in the One Voice Movement to try to stop the trade in 1985. In 1999, a documentary on the sex trade was made with the help of a woman's club, under the auspices of the President; Magdalena House contributed to the film.

In addition to the in-house programs, the center began programs in field work for those women who were still active on the streets, and for those who were not. Increasingly, efforts were made to prevent young women from entering the trade and to counsel those who had run away from home. 

Magdalene House also gives lectures and publishes material on spirituality that focuses on helping to change the thinking of those in the sex trade. Their hope for the center is to ultimately have a place for those who have left the trade and are looking for a place to stay, a home, as they prepare to go out to a new way of life. 

Deceiving Ourselves is always Possible

The desk columnist of the Catholic Times says he has always thought of himself as a calm person, not easily agitated by frustrating circumstances, and that he usually doesn't budge from a decision once made. He also considers himself more reflective than emotional, more interested in the thoughts and beliefs of others rather than in their appearance, and not at all interested in frivolous talk, liking to get right to the point in a discussion. And then at the end of this self-assessment, he tells us he has been deceiving himself all these years.

The reason he appears calm, he says, is that he dislikes moving the body about, and is also lazy. The reason he's not easily agitated is because he has slow reflexes and is not practiced in how to show  his emotions.  Because he's not perceptive, he doesn't notice details. He's able to control his anger because he's not strong enough to fight, with fists or with words, so the best thing to do, he discovered, is to remain silent. And the reason he stays with a decision he's made is that he doesn't have the creativity to see another possibility. If being tactless and simple are considered strong points, then at least he can say he has plenty of both.

Because of his torso, he says he has the patience to stay in the same place for some time. When his wife changes her hair style, he says he never notices it. And at a 'gag concert', he says he has difficulty in seeing the humor, the play on words and the wit, admitting to a very dry disposition. He confesses that only discussions with topics that interest him will keep his attention, otherwise he does not participate, and realizes this is a form of selfishness.

With life full of contradictions and conflict, he wonders about the possibility of achieving harmony and unity. He looks within himself and sees a great many contradictions, which he believes causes many to see him differently than he sees himself.

In the pre-modern society, stick-to-itiveness was considered a virtue; in the pluralist society of today, this has changed and the 'live and let live' is in vogue. Since we have difficultly understanding ourselves, he believes it's simply pride to think we can understand the other, which at times can become prejudicial thinking and discrimination.

The Catholic Church has great difficulty with the relativism of post-modernism but there is something positive in this viewpoint, he says. It encourages us to leave our narrow way of looking at life and accept or at least see the possible relevance of other points of view. We should not be too quick to judge another's intentions with our own measuring standards. Even if it's something we do not understand or agree with, it's a way of not closing the  possibility of dialogue, enabling us to relate more easily with others. Some skepticism is understandable but when it becomes cynicism the results can be lethal.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Developing a Taste for Spiritual Reading

The Catholic Church of Korea asked Catholics to read 33 spiritual  books a year during the three years from 2005 to 2007. The second phase of the program will start this coming June, during the Year of Faith, with the same goal: reading 33 books a year for three years--the 33 referring to the years of our Lord's life. For the third year another book was added to make it 100 books for the three years. The reading will not only benefit the person but also promote our religious tradition and culture, as the the Catholic Times' latest issue points out in its cover story.

The results of the earlier program were very satisfying; it helped develop the habit of reading, formed book seminars and clubs and, less formally, parish discussion groups. Books were seen as a means of continuing pastoral care of Christians, and of correcting the misunderstanding that Catholics do not read very much. The Catholic Times, with the help of the Seoul Diocese, took a poll of the readers to determine the effectiveness of the program.

One of the main reasons for the program can be summed up in the phrase: To read a book is ultimately the process of reading life. In other words, what we read is going to determine what we put into our heads and hearts, which will largely determine what actions will follow. Consequently, the first step is to prudently decide what to read. However, in our digital society many have difficulty setting aside enough time to read because of easy access to hypertext information, which militates against deep thought and examination. Rather than reading to search for meaning and values, we often prefer to read whatever provides the immediately useful. To eliminate this difficulty, a book selection committee will select two or three books each month for those interested, and set up programs to encourage meeting with others to discuss what was read.

The poll of 241 Catholics showed that 30 percent read from 3 to 5 spiritual books during the year; 25 percent read 1 or 2 books; 19 percent read more than 10 books; 16 percent read 6 to 10 books, and 10 percent read nothing. Several reasons were given for not reading: not knowing what to read (30 percent), difficult to understand (28 percent), difficulty finding suitable spiritual books (27 percent),  books were not interesting (15 percent).

Korea has a community of Christians that is sufficiently united, making possible this type of program, with expectations of achieving positive results. Even though the Christians are being asked to do something many will find difficult, there will be many who will participate, making for a deeper and more mature level of faith life, along with developing the leaders of the future. 

Growth in Knowledge Achieved by Experience

We are in the habit of crediting only the mind for our knowledge, forgetting the essential role of the bodily senses, especially the ears, which seem to get the biggest workout. Some call this workout the cramming method of education, a method not always seen as the most helpful. A better teaching method, often used as an adjunct to the lecture, relies on visual aids to retain what is being taught. But the best.way, according to many educators, is to directly experience what is to be learned, a hands-on learning by doing.
 
Over the years, the programs using this third method have been enthusiastically received and the results have been long lasting. On one occasion a professor divided his class into two parts, showing one picture to those on the left side of the class and another picture to those on the right, After a few moments he told them to forget what they had seen; and made them shake their heads to confirm they had indeed put the pictures out of mind. All were then shown another picture, a composite of the other two pictures, and asked what they were now seeing.  Those on the left saw a man, those on the left saw a woman. This third picture, though having elements of the two other pictures, was a picture in its own right, but not seen as such by either part of the class. Even though the class had been told to forget the previous pictures, the memory of those pictures was still too present in mind, resulting in an inaccurate perception of the third picture. This was a lesson, the professor explained, to show how susceptible we are to the conditioned response, which in many cases programs us to see what we see, to experience what we experience.
 
This type of hands-on teaching is very effective in changing our behavior and our values. A catch-all phrase we often use for this teaching style is game simulation. Industry uses this as a hands-on way of getting persons to experience something that would be expensive and dangerous.

A Korean diocese using this hands-on approach was recently written-up in the Peace Weekly. The diocese took as their guideline 2:42-47 of the Acts of the Apostles, which explained how the first Christians lived the message they received. This Christian community was faithful to the teaching received, had  fellowship, and shared what they possessed. The following summary will give a rough idea of what is being done by the diocese, as it attempts to model itself after that early Christian community.

Two parishes of the same diocese were involved in the program. In the first meeting, they shared their thoughts on the scripture passage and what it meant to each of them to live in the manner of these early Christians. In the second meeting, they  decided on what they were going to share, each one expressing his or her opinion on the best way to do this. The discussion continued until they reached unanimity.
 
The third meeting, three days later, was preceded by a lot of prayer, and it seems they decided to bring money. Each  person expressed their need,  after  discussion, each  one is  assigned to  deliver what was considered needed to the  person who expressed the need.

In the last meeting, a week later, each one shared what they felt about what they had received, and discussed what they thought of the program, the difficulties encountered, and their personal experience of God during the time of the meetings. The diocese has plans to have this program, deemed successful by the participants, in all the parishes next year during Lent.

Investing in what is Important

When speaking about investments we generally think about the world of finance, investing in stocks, real estate, precious metals, petroleum, even education as a way to insure a good paying job. Though investments of this kind are often motivated by a desire for prosperity and happiness, it's not unusual, as we know, that these goals are not achieved and our money lost.

On the open forum page of the Catholic Times, the journalist distinguishes between two similar sounding Korean words, one meaning investing money, the other investing the self. And it's the self that we invest in whenever we determine to do our best--at our workplace, in our family, in our relationships, and in our future. Religious people devote themselves to God, the Church and our neighbor. Isn't this investing? the columnist asks. He sees all these self-investments as investing in God, without any fear of loss.

Do we, instead, see our most precious treasure in our stocks, our property, our jewelery? When we are neglectful of our family, for instance, no matter how much money is made, a sense of regret, the columnist believes, is always present. God will be happy, he says, when we give ourselves, which is our most precious possession, to whatever we are involved in. This kind of investment has the best returns, he says, and it requires no analysis.

Living in a capitalistic system, we know that investments are a big part of this world view. As Christians, we also know of the existence of eternal life, and yet the time we spend investing in the life of our soul is minimal. We tend to say: "A little later, a little later," and keep putting off what is of the greatest importance. The world is not prodding us, of course, to find the time to devote ourselves to what is important. But we can easily check for ourselves our spiritual condition. All we have to do is see how much time we spend listening and talking with God. If we want to remain in this relationship we have to deepen our prayer life. Scriptures are words of promise that help us do this. Everything depends on God and the time we invest in relating with him will free us from all the fears that are likely to appear in our lives.

In our Lord's final words at the Last Supper, in John's Gospel, John tells us that Jesus leaves us with his love, the Holy Spirit, and peace. These three gifts should bring great happiness, and Jesus does exhort us not to be troubled or be afraid. Knowledge of what has been given should do much to prepare us to fully experience the gifts. 

Best Doctors and Medicine

A beloved village doctor, knowing death was closing in, decided it was time to pass along what he had learned about health during his many years of treating the sick. He was known for his intuitive ability and quick assessment of what was bothering a patient. The face and walk would often tell him what was wrong and what cure was necessary. When the villagers came to be with him in his last moments of life, he told them about the best doctors they could have. They would be much better, he said, than he had been in keeping them healthy. They were Dr. Food, Dr. Sleep and Dr. Exercise.

Food is needed to fill the stomach, about 75 percent full; don't overeat, he said. Go to sleep before midnight and get up at dawn. And exercise daily, walking is one of the best. These three will take care of most of your physical  problems, he said. He stopped briefly to catch his breath.

Along with  the food, sleep and exercise, he continued, there are three medicines that need to be taken daily to assure good results. Everybody at the doctor's bedside came closer to hear. These medicines are food for the soul; they're free and have no side-effects. Because the body is only a part of what we are, he explained, we must care for the soul as well. It's the reason we need Reflection, Prayer, and Love to be truly healthy.

Reflection  should be done regularly, every day at a certain time throughout ones life. Prayer is a cure-all for whatever is bothering us. And Love never fails. Use it often, he urged; it's our most potent medicine.

Having given his last prescription to the villagers, it was time to leave them, and he closed his eyes for the last time.

A diocesan bulletin, which recently carried the story, asks its readers how much of the doctor's advice do we consider important and follow in our daily lives.

Asians like to hear folk tales, legends, and parables--the ones with ferverinos  are especially welcomed. With the sophistication that comes with having access to the news of the past as well as the present, we may have outgrown the simplicity of these tales. But many of them contain enough truth, such as the doctor's story, to make their retelling worthwhile.