Almsgiving Giving Sunday

“I invite all the institutions of the world, and the Church--each of us together as one single human family--to give a voice to all of those who suffer silently from hunger so that this voice becomes a roar which can shake the world.” This appeal from Pope Francis was intended to support Caritas International's campaign against hunger, which will begin with prayer  on the South Pacific island of Samoa. and from there head west across the world.

Both Catholic papers, with editorials and articles, remind readers that one of eight persons in the world does not have sufficient food to eat, reminding us also that having enough to sustain oneself with food is a human right. The bishops of Korea, since 1984, have selected the third Sunday of Advent as Almsgiving Day to remember the hungry poor.

One editorial points out that in the Church's history, as a sign of penance, along with prayer and fasting, almsgiving was an important element, and a good and practical way of helping those in need. Like all of society, during this time of year the Church needs to show concern for the needy. There are many who need a helping hand in our Korean society, and we should be concerned enough to find them, said one of the bishops in his message for Sunday.

In one of the articles the columnist mentions that many have given goods to help others but mentions that Korea is still at the neophyte stage of giving. She mentions the Charities Aid Foundation which compiles a world-giving index, and Korea does not make the top twenty, while the Philippines, Indonesia and Sri Lanka did make the list of the top  20.  In Korea, 70 percent of the help given to the poor comes from large companies. The criterion for the ranking is donating money to an organization, volunteering  time or helping  a stranger at least once a month.

Not quite 30 percent of the population have given donations, with some of it in the form of gifts, as a gesture of condolence or in celebration, or as a religious offering. The columnist quotes from the 8th article of the Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity of the Second Vatican Council, which says we have the duty and privilege to help those in need. It is not a matter of how much but of participating.

She mentions that during vacation time in Seoul, according to the media, there are 50,000 children who are not receiving school lunches and  are not eating their regular meals. There are also those who have to live without heat. All of which should remind us, the columnist points out, that Korea is now one of the economic giants on the world stage, and yet there are those who are not benefiting from the wealth the country enjoys.

It is interesting to note that the determining factor motivating those who give, according to the Charities Aid Foundation, is the happiness they experience when giving rather than the wealth they possess.  Whether this is another example of the chicken and egg riddle, this fact is clear: the two are often found existing comfortably together.

Catholic Women and the Church

An article in the Peace Weekly, reporting on a seminar on women's issues in the Korean Church, mentioned that the first thing women wanted to see was a more harmonious way of speaking between clergy and their women parishioners.  Secondly, women wanted to actively participate with clergy in making decisions affecting the parish. Also mentioned was their desire to see a change in the authoritarian governance of the clergy and their patriarchal mindset. The comments were the results of a questionnaire taken among our Catholic women.

More than 85 percent of the women did not feel there was any prejudice in the Church against women, but felt that a more mature Church needed women who are both interested in their families and interested in being educated for leadership within the Church. They also indicated the importance of knowing the problems existing in society and how they were to go about helping to solve these problems; mention was also made about finding ways of encouraging more Mass attendance and more awareness of the evangelization process.  

They indicated that the biggest problems the Church faces today involve those who have left the community of faith, and doing more for the poor.  More than 46 percent of the women  were against women priests, 32 percent didn't know what to think, and nearly 22 percent were in favor.

250 women in 4 dioceses of the country were given the questionnaire. The general  manager of the Bishops Subcommittee on Women's Issues said that the questionnaire did not uncover anything that was not known from the past.

The subcommittee was set up  to empower women in the local Churches. They have not always run smoothly, and the women have expressed their desire to be more than a subcommittee of the bishops' governing structure, a feeling that has been expressed in the past.

During the seminar, the  dissertation  by a seminary professor on the well-known animated film and best-selling children's story Leafie: A Hen into the Wild was discussed.  His dissertation,  "Women's Identity and Beauty" dealt with  the despair of the "chicken coop," and the "wild" as the place where the male rules supreme in the present capitalistic and patriarchal world. The mother hen Leafie leaves the coop and in her life outside displays her motherly instincts which overcome all difficulties.  There was a lively discussion on the presentation.

The archbishop of Seoul was quoted, "We are always thankful for the place of  women in the Church. With their moral strength, they have become a great influence for good in the Church. Women themselves have to realize this position of strength and take the initiative, to respect themselves, and to work to get the support that is required for a healthy Church."

Knowing Why We Believe

  "Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you, but do it with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15-16). With these words, a seminary professor writing in the Kyeongyang magazine wonders, in answering such a question, how much theology do we have to know?

He recalls visiting a home of one of the Catholics when he was a pastor and was told by the mother that her elementary school 6-grade daughter was not going to Mass anymore.  The priest asked the daughter why she stopped going to Mass. She answered with seriousness and emotion, " I don't think there is a God." The priest then asked, "What makes you think there is no God?" "If there were a God, I would be able to see him, and I can't," was her simple and precise answer.

The priest found the girl attractive and worthy of praise, for she spoke from her heart, directly and simply. He tried another question: "Do you love your mother?"  "Yes, I love her," she answered. "Since I can't see the love you have for your mother, are you sure it exists?" he asked her. The child was silent.  The priest now asks himself whether these words addressed to the child helped prepare one of the stepping stones for her to "see" God.

During the years he was pastor, he remembers the many questions he received like the one he heard from the 6- grade child. Many of our Catholics, he said, feel uncomfortable answering these questions. They have many of their own doubts, though generally unspoken, considering them arrogant and irreverent, and possibly sinful.

Is it an ideal situation when our faith life has no questions or doubts? the priest asks. Often a person with a simple deep  faith has a better grasp on faith than those who have read the theological explanations for faith. But can we say that those who have unanswered questions and do not look for answers have a reasonable faith life?  When we can't convince ourselves to find answers to our questions, he goes on to say, don't we have a problem?

There is a foundation for our belief, the priest points out, and we should know the reasons for our belief. Why we believe in God, the actions that proceed from that belief, and the hope we have should all be explainable and done so in front of others (1 Peter 3: 15-16).  What we believe, when  not internalized, will show in our actions.  If  all we are able to do, for instance, is say that was a beautiful sermon the priest gave, or use the words of some famous personage instead of our own to express personal feelings, how does that enable us to walk those stepping stones we have in front of us?
 
How much theology do we need to speak about the basics of our faith? Asking this question he wonders how many will complain that they are plenty busy making enough to eat and live. But if religion is going to be more than a hobby or a leisure-time activity, he says we, like the child mentioned, have to find the questions we have within us, and then to the best of our ability try to answer them.
 
 Don't we need enough theology to ask the meaning for the existence of God, for my own existence and that of humanity, and to look for the reasons for the things we see all around us? And the reasons we work so hard to raise our families? And why we have to forgive? All are questions we have to ask ourselves, he maintains. When one of my brothers or sisters is hurting because of the society in which we live, don't we have to ask ourselves why? By nurturing such a faith, we become mature Christians, able to take our stand in the modern world.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Human Rights Week

During the liturgical year, the Catholic Church of Korea has set aside three weeks for intensive reflection: the week beginning with the second Sunday of Advent (Human Rights Week), the week beginning with Holy Family Sunday (Sanctification of the Family Week), and the last week of the liturgical year (Bible Week). During this time the Church wants us to mull over and understand in more detail the Church's teachings on human rights, the family, and the Bible, making them an integral part of our daily life. The Church has acknowledged a deficiency in responding clearly to these areas of life and intends to remedy the situation.
 
Human rights, the first of the three special weeks, is a problem for many because of the tendency to separate the truths of religion from the often harsh realities of secular life. Many Catholics would prefer that religion concern itself only with prayer, good deeds and the spiritual life. When the Church talks economics or gets involved in social issues, Catholics tend to feel uncomfortable. It's helpful to remember that the society into which Jesus was born, a theocracy, was very different from the modern society. Jewish society was seen as both religious and secular, there was no separating the two. That is not our reality today. We do not separate our bodies from our souls, and neither do we want to compartmentalize or privatize our religious life, closing off our secular life. So during this week devoted to the dignity of our humanity, let us reflect on the declaration of human rights.

The Peace Weekly columnist writing on current events recommends that we spend some time reading the Universal Declaration Of Human Rights, proclaimed  by the United Nations in 1948. He mentioned that although Korea at that time, after liberation, was trying to establish a new government amid the chaotic conditions prior to the Korean War, they were prepared and eager to support the declaration with ceremonies in the temporary capital of Pusan, despite being a divided country.

He mentions that there are few that remember the role of the Church in drawing up the articles of the declaration. Reading the U.N. document today, one can easily see the similarity in the wording of the articles and Catholic social teaching that found its way into the declaration, both directly and indirectly, Those that drew up the declaration, the columnist says, were familiar with Pope Leo 13's Rerum Novarum (1891) and Pius 11's  Quardragesimo Anno (1931).

The Church's influence on the declaration was more indirect than direct, according to the columnist. In 1947, the year prior to the passage of the declaration, the Catholic laity and  bishops of the United States issued a Declaration of Human Rights which was handed to the chairwoman of the human rights commission of the United Nations. Composed of 50 articles, in more detail than what was ultimately agreed upon by the U.N., the Church document, nonetheless, bore a striking resemblance to what was finally accepted. This should not be surprising, the columnist says, since one of the prominent drafters of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was the Thomistic philosopher Jacques Maritain.

The columnist goes on to say he doesn't want to give the impression that it was only Catholic social thinking that was considered, but that without Catholic teaching the U.N. document would not have been the same declaration. The balance between rights and duties, the individual and  society, corresponds well with Catholic social teaching. That the declaration was accepted by non-Christians  and non-Western countries shows that human aspirations are the same the world over. The Church in the work of protecting human dignity, says the columnist, using the words of Pope Francis, is to  serve as a field hospital. He wants us to reflect on these words during Human Rights Week.

Living the 'Year of Faith' Always

The value of faith in living the good life is not appreciated in today's world, says a seminary professor writing in a recent issue of the Kyeongyang magazine. The professor, also a pastor, shares his view of this important subject as he reflects on the end results of the recently completed Year of Faith.

Faith, he admits, is hard to come by in a world where distrust and skepticism is the norm, owing to the rapid accumulation of wealth in the hands of the few, without a significant improvement in the lives of the many, the political corruption, the lack of equal economic opportunities, dysfunctional family life, a market-driven educational system, even the religious world is not without criticism. The natural consequence is cynicism; the trust needed for a well-functioning society becomes infected with doubt and frustration.
 
The Catholic Church is not exempt from this same criticism, he makes clear.  Though we should be happy to have 5 million Catholics, it's sobering to know that less than one fourth are going to Sunday Mass. The Church works for further democratization of the society, for human rights, welfare reform, environmental concerns, the unification of the country, among other concerns, and encourages Christians to join in these efforts. But they are either too tired from the demands of living or too attracted to material comforts to become involved in works of the Church.

As a pastor, he has tried everything to nurture a mature Christian consciousness among his parishioners. As a professor he has the hands-on experience of what is required of a pastor and confesses that to transmit the vision of Catholicism  to his parishioners, encouraging them to be enthusiastic about their faith life, is not as easy as he once thought.

Having worked hard in educating his community during the Year of Faith, he has learned one thing for certain. With all the programs for spiritual renewal: lectures, retreats, community building, it has become obvious to him that in  the Church reform movements come not from below but from above.

He sees the traditional way of being a pastor as no longer appropriate: Having sheep pastured separately from the pastor who would direct the sheep according to his ways, receiving the protection of the pastor who would guard the gate so the sheep would not be injured, needing only to listen and follow his instructions. Though they would have, the pastor points out, the correct faith life, at the present time this is no longer the way pastoral work can be done. It is not the way Christians will see the beauty of what they  received from the Church. The Second Vatican Council wants both the pastor and "his flock" to leave the pasture and work together for a greater faith life.

They are invited to go out and face the dangers together, strengthening immunity by building community togetherness, experiencing the universal love of God and his universal call to salvation. There is a need for Catholics to be more responsive to creating a life of faith. To do this they will need to read the sign of the times, discerning and interpreting them with the light of the Gospel. And as they become involved in the suffering of the times, they will be able to see and participate in the love and mercy of God with those they encounter.

In short, what the Church needs today is to rest in Jesus. Without this time of rest--only possible with more trust and faith--we will not know why we live, where we are heading. If we want to know what will keep us going in the right direction, we need to devote more time to this crucial aspect of life. By doing so, by reflecting on what it's all about, guided by faith, we will be extending the Year of Faith into the future.

Education Of the Whole Person

Education as a spiritual goal was the topic of a lecture given at the Catholic University. The speaker, a priest responsible for the ongoing education of priests in the diocese of Seoul, began by saying that the majority of parents see the object of education merely as a means for getting into a good school, instead of fulfilling the promise of the English word 'education.'

The word comes, he explains, from the Latin word "to draw out." Originally, the intent of education was to nourish in each person the potential that is within, to give birth to their vocation and to develop their talents. Parents that counsel their children to go to law school, become a doctor, or to choose some other financially rewarding profession, in order to have a comfortable life, are not using education as it was meant to be used, and he wonders how many have that understanding.

Education should help us to realize our potential. When a person develops his or her talents, they will be on fire and better prepared to find satisfaction in whatever they decide to do in life. That is the reason, he points out, we talk about educating the whole person. It is to find oneself, to discover who we are, and what we want to devote ourselves to in life, and to see it flower.

Health is also a goal of education. If a person becomes depressed because of an educational program and needs therapy, something is surely wrong in that program. Education is meant to draw out the whole person, and in the process developing a mature personality.

The writer feels that the lack of proper education is one of the biggest problems society needs to address. While there are few societies with the  zeal for educating its young like Korea, the priest says it is excessive. Parents are concerned not only with entrance into college, but with their children's choice of subject matter. The main point of education for the whole person, he says, is autonomy, the freedom to  choose and to find his or her own way in life.

Instead, what students often hear are: "Don't get involved in sports, study. Don't give thought to anything besides study." This tends to center a person's attention on oneself, concerned only with their own position and unable to compromise. Parents also find it difficult to accept failure in their children; they are always there and involved, often remaining involved even after their children have a position in society.

A person has to have the freedom to make their own decisions, even if it leads to failure, the priest says. They should have the freedom to go their own way, keeping the portals of conversation with the parents always open. When parents decide everything for their children, there is no way of knowing what the child wants.  Education for the whole person focuses on the growth of an autonomous, self-regulating  individual. Practice is needed on how to accept failure, on falling and still getting up and moving on. Trials in life are good tools to help in the maturation process, to grow the personality and to discover the self.                                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Mental Viruses and Health

A religious sister, writing in the Kyeongyang magazine, recalls meeting an acquaintance who had returned to Korea from the States and asking if she found the country any different than it was before she left. "There are many things that have improved, she said, but some of the thinking is not to my liking." Asked to explain, she said the classmates she hadn't seen for quite a few years mostly spent their time together bad-mouthing others. There are so many interesting daily events that we could have talked about; it was upsetting, she lamented.

The sister wondered when we began getting involved in gossip, suggesting that the current fascination with the scandals of the rich and famous might have provoked this recurring menu for our conversations, with even our spouses becoming objects of gossip. But she had to admit that the habit has always been with us, with the social networking service (SNS) increasing the tendency to disparage others. What is the reason for this? What joy is gained from alienating another, pointing out faults, expressing ill feeling? Does it make one feel more united with one's group? Make one's strong points stand out? Does one feel better because of it? All questions she is still pondering.

In cyberspace, we can hide behind whatever personal and social mask that suits our purposes, she points out, and be more hurtful than a person standing in Seoul City Square with a microphone. Hurtful comments come to mind, she says, from the image we have of ourselves, and can be so poisonous they can affect our physical and mental health, just as viruses do, even in some cases bringing about death.

Richard Brodie, in his Virus of the Mind, makes the connection, the sister says, between the disease potential of physical viruses and mental viruses.  We pick up a cold not because it is cold, she says, but because of a virus and a weak immune system. Mental viruses act in very much the same way, entering our mental faculties and affecting the way we think and act, if we are not conscientious in watching and filtering what enters the mind. If not, we rarely realize that we have been infected with a mind virus, says Brodie. And, especially troublesome at time when much of our news comes from media sources, we can never be sure that what they are reporting is accurately presented, which means that we should cease from belittling others; we have all been infected by the mass media. The sister reminds us that it doesn't matter whether we use the internet or not, all of us are being influenced by the mental viruses that are always around us.

Because so much of how we see others depends on how we see ourselves, sister would like us to pay attention to the image we have of ourselves, changing that image if necessary. The as-long-as-I-don't-get-hooked-into-this-all-is-well thinking, she says, has to be put aside, replaced by seeing ourselves as having a common destiny and being responsible for all our words and actions. We have to fight against examples of evil, foster the common good, and work for the evangelization of the culture of cyberspace, which is currently filled with spam and hurtful comments. Should we not take upon ourselves the task of ridding cyberspace not only from the viruses that infect its smooth operation but from the mental viruses that keep us from functioning in a manner that will assure us a fulfilled and meaningful life?