'Happiness and healing' is a topic we hear a lot about in our
society. But at the same time society is filled with great suffering.
The death of a loved one fills us all with bodily pain and mental
suffering. A college philosophy professor writes in a column in the
Peace Weekly about losing his parents 3 years ago,within 6 months of each
other. The loss was deep and lasting and before he was able to accept
the loss, a very close friend died. The death was not expected which
made the loss more difficult.
According to
Viktor Frankl in Logotherapy, humans are motivated by
the search for meaning. The columnist shows, according to Frankl, we
find the meaning in three different ways: in what we do, and what we
experience or by the attitude we have toward the unavoidable suffering
in life. There is no way we can prevent our own death or the death of
another, but we can choose our attitude.
Before the
death of his friend, a fellow professor, he visited him with his wife
and even at that time he was considerate of us and told us that
because of his weakness he found it difficult to talk. That was a
indication of the thoughtfulness he had for others. Right to the very end
you would see this concern which increased the sadness of those visiting. After his death one easily saw the high regard he
was held by all those that knew him: the students that came to the
funeral rites with tears in their eyes.
There are
those that death could come as a penalty, but they live well and enjoy
life and then you have those like his friend that had so much talent
and doing so much good, and death comes so suddenly. If
they lived longer they could have done so much good and showed
more love to others. The columnist has read all kinds of philosophy books, and not
once has he come across a good answer to his query.
During
the Mass of the Resurrection in praying for the professor he
did find some consolation. On the 49th day after death one of the students
who received his doctorate with the mentoring of the professor visited
the grave of the professor and offered up his doctoral dissertation. At the sight, the columnist experienced a warm feeling.
With the death of the
ones we love we bury with the one deceased part of ourselves which is
part of the reason for the sadness that overcomes us. However, a part
of the one who has died also remains with us.
An eye doctor, who is also a teacher at a university asks the question: Does a teacher want to fill the head or capture the heart? In an article in the Kyunghyang magazine he tries to give an answer. He admits that when he explains what he plans to do to a patient, he wonders how much they understand. Patients,at times, do not answer truthfully,which leaves him bewildered when he finds out. In his lectures he finds even though the topics are
strange and done with little humor there is much conveyed.
He finds the presentations of Steve Jobs, the creator of Apple, extraordinary. Although he has died, we can still find on the internet his presentations. The doctor wanting to improve his own presentation, borrowed a book from the library on Steve Jobs' way of making presentations. What surprised him was that it took a whole book to explain what Jobs did in a one hour presentation.
He quotes a poet who wrote: "Life is difficult but to write poetry on life is easy which is embarrassing." The book he read on Jobs' presentation changed his way of thinking on the subject but then again we have people telling you how to become rich on the internet, and with the printing of their books become rich, but those who read the books remain poor.
In any event, says the doctor, to see something once is better than a thousand words. He introduces us to Steve Jobs' Stanford Commencement Speech 2005, and recommends those reading these words go to the internet: found by putting Steve Jobs' Stanford Commencement 2005 in the search engine.
A doctor is not a salesman but he feels there has to be a balance between filling the heads of his audience and moving their hearts. He has to give them knowledge that they didn't have and contribute to what they did know, and at the same time move their hearts to follow his instructions: a sign of a good presentation.
When he reflects on the time and effort required in preparing his presentations this leaves him with a big load on his shoulders.
We all have small or big 'presentations' to make everyday. Not only what we say, but how we say it will determine what is accepted. The truth we speak is often not accepted because of the way presented, but also the way a person looks upon the one speaking. Some of the elements are under our control others are not, but we need to keep all of them in mind.
The recent Catholic news and editorials have taken into account the
results of the Autumn General Assembly of the Catholic Bishops. Clearly
and unambiguously the bishops have opted for change, and shown a
strong will for renewal that will begin with the bishops. They will leave behind luxury, stress a
pastoral approach, 'go in search' and work to communicate and collaborate to make a Church for the poor.
One
of the changes, different from the past, was an approach to
problems that came from below, and not from above. The
bishops worked with the results of what the church members wanted to
see changed, and the bishops agreed to be the first to change. They will
approach problems with their actions more than words, in the
manner of Pope Francis. One of the editorials are waiting to see how the bishops will be an example to the
Church.
A survey by the bishops was distributed by
e-mail, and on the bishops' homepage. +During Pope Francis' visit the most memorable scene.
+Words that moved you the most in his talks. +The word that comes to
mind when you think of Pope Francis. +After the visit of the pope the greatest need for change. +What the members
have to change.
The scene that moved many viewers was
the pope's easy interactions with those he met, and the way
he related with parents of the Sewol tragedy.The words
'sympathy' and 'communication' stayed with many. In the
pope's talks his reference to 'remember and have hope' were meaningful. 'A
poor church', and 'before suffering there is no neutrality' were
mentioned. The 'comfortable' life of the religious hurts the Church was
mentioned by many.
The prominent issue,receiving the most interest was becoming a poor church where the poor would feel at home. The community of the faithful wanted to see
changes in the bishops' manner of dialoguing and communication. They pointed out a lack of vision and leadership, authoritarianism
and self righteousness, and wanted a commitment to the Social Gospel.
Clericalism and self
righteousness of the priest was mentioned by both groups as the biggest
issue with the clergy. Also mentioned was a lack of spirituality and a prayer life, a wealthy and
comfortable life style, hobbies that are luxurious, and working only with
the wealthy.
Religious have a need for prayer and spirituality. Narrow mindedness and a one way approach to problems were listed.
Laypeople were seen to lack a prayer life and spirituality. Lack of
participation in the Social Gospel of the Church, factionalism and
problems with getting along with neighbors were listed.
The whole
Church needs to be more conscious of the poor and become a Church of the poor. One of the editorials wrote we have become a middle class Church where the poor do not feel welcomed and all the members need to work in changing the image with the bishops out in front with renewal.
One of our well known poets,
Sister Claudia Lee Hae-in, writes in the Seoul Bulletin of her spiritual love of time. She begins each day with her new gift. 'Time' follows her through the day and urges her to love. Sister was diagnosed with cancer a number of years ago and continues the struggle.
Recently she had some guests who came to the convent that she knew from the time she was in middle school. She had to go to her album to see the faces that had changed so much over the years. When a sick sister comes back to the mother house for rest, she recalls the appearance of the sister many years before in good health, and is overcome with a heavy heart.
When her readers see a picture of her taken from a book during her youth and see her now, they are often taken aback, and express this disappointment; she becomes confused. Not rarely after some thought, either to save face, or driven by necessity, she hears words similar to: " I don't know why, but now I feel that I can be closer to you than ever before." These words enter deeply into her.
All of us are changed by time, and nothing can stop it; we can learn to accept and embrace the change and find peace. She doesn't look into a mirror often, but when she does she sees the wrinkles, the white hair and realizes with force that she is old. In the refectory or the chapel when she looks around and sees the younger members of the community she reflects on the passage of time. Changing her thoughts from discontent and lament, to the future thanksgiving and joy is the wisdom gained from life. Therefore when she is tempted to blurt out: where in the world has the time gone, she pauses, and remembers how thankful she is for the time that she has.
Unexpectedly she says, she is in the afternoon of life, but she is thankful looking forward to the precious time ahead in which she has been given the opportunity to love and is excited by the expected joy. She falls into a swamp because of laziness, and struggles but she is determined to make the effort to prudently use the time that she has been given with all the strength available.
She is walking along the road of life and giving thanks. She will laugh again, forgive, and prays that she can continue to walk the way of a trainee, and continue to love the time that will be given.
Getting older she will be living with the weight of fear, there is nothing that she can say. Sadness, joy, love and hate, she hopes that she can meet it all serenely...With the passage of time the book of wisdom comes to her daily.There is no need to go to the book case, for wisdom comes to her and gives her joy.The longer she lives the more thanks for the time she has been given. This has become her song.
Reading was always considered a must in the educational process and
still is.The column:'Electronic World and the Book World' in the
Catholic Times revisits the importance of books in our lives. Books are a
person's best friend was often heard in the past, but to day we see
another kind of 'book' in a person's hand. Whether we have less reading
today than in the past is not easily determined, but that the reading
is different seems to be undeniable.
In her column, a
religious sister quotes a prisoner who spent over 10 years in
prison as saying it was his habit of reading that enabled him
to prepare for an unknown future. Habits prepare our landscape and
character. Neurologically speaking what we think about daily is forming who we are.We not only gain knowledge by reading but
our patience and endurance develops. The deeper our reading the deeper our
thinking, and maturer the personality we project.
She
believes that there is less reading not only among the children, but
among college students and adults. All that is necessary is to hear a
discussion among the college students: lack of confidence, difficulty
in expressing themselves in writing, no gleam in their eye,
no enthusiasm, at times she sees them as lifeless zombies. More surprising, when prizes are given and they receive stationery or daily
commodities there is joy, but even an expensive book brings
disappointment. A book means stress, something oppressive, similar to
receiving a text book. This has to change she says.
One
who likes to read will see a deepening of their powers of thinking. A
person who has not developed the habit of thinking deeply will find
themselves overcome with thoughts that take away their peace of mind. Persons
who are accustomed to deep thinking and reading will have intellectual
joy and delight, much stronger than any pleasure of the body.
Those
who are addicted to SNS, she says, are on average distracted every 3 minutes which has an adverse effect on the mental faculties. She recommends that the young and the old stop as soon as possible playing with their smart phones, from clicking on
the TV or computer as soon as one enters the house.Those who find it difficult to enjoy 10 minutes of leisure, stay away from gossiping, day dreaming, and being
overcome with loneliness she wants to introduce them to reading.
Open any book and start reading. You have lived up
to now without any problems? The problem is now. Start developing a
new habit. Like exercise, you work to build up your strength and continue, it is the last fort to
protect the brain from the digital world in which we live. Begin reading, without delay, and continue until your eyes will not permit it any
more.
A religious
sister columnist in View from the Ark introduces us to Jung Mo Sung a lay theologian who
emigrated to Brazil from Korea in 1966 and is well known as a
liberation theologian. He is a disciple of Franz Hinkelammert and Hugo
Assmann who have influenced, she says, Pope Francis in the way he sees
society. She reflects on a lecture she heard delivered by Jung Mo Sung.
Liberation
theology shows the idolization of money.The fundamental problem with
capitalism is the greed with which it is associated. Professor Sung
says the neoliberalism has entered our way of thinking and she was in sympathy with the way the professor examined and listed the problems associated with
capitalism. She was familiar with neoliberalism but not with any depth.
From the
time we get up in the morning what we see and hear incites our greed. Many go to the shopping centers not for what they need, but to satisfy their desires: others have it and we want it. We
have not fully discovered the possibilities of our i phone 5 but we want
to possess the new i phone 6. The catalyst that advances our
capitalistic system is the desire to imitate. The financial system of
the neoliberalism has entered deep into our lives and transformed
itself into a religion. The shopping malls become elegant
church buildings and the market transforms into a religion.
Religion
is directed to the everlasting life. Churches say this is something we
will achieve after death. But neoliberalism tempts us to believe that
we will have it here and now. Everything we would ever want is
here, now. The almighty market will be able to do everything for us. The present economic system is fostering problems between the rich and
the poor. God of the market is being monopolized by a few and is making the life of the poor more difficult.
Neoliberalism is using sacrifice to put our minds at rest. "Without
sacrifice we will not have salvation," which justifies the sacrifices
that the poor have to make. The logic of competition accepts the
sacrifice of the poor as a necessary step. The poor become the sacrificial lamb for those who want to make an earthly paradise.
We have the freedom to determine what kind
of life we choose to live. Who are we going to use as a model to
follow? Many choose to be rich as the idol to follow, which can't help but challenge the Christian, who follows our Lord. Daily our cravings are provoked and
Jesus continues to affirm: "No one can serve two masters; he will hate
the one and love the other (Matt. 6:24).
Catholics do less studying than the members of other religions is a well known fact. Among Catholics this secret which is not a secret has been know for some time. The Desk Columnist of the Catholic Times wants us to reflect on this reality. Many of the pseudo religions and our neighbors with religious beliefs know this, and make use of it in dealing with Catholics.
When the columnist was in school he remembers those that didn't have a taste for studies as they advanced in school were more frustrated and would be seen with those who did like to study. Was this a hope of learning something? The chances of this are slight.
We know from the New Testament that Jesus did a lot of teaching to those who followed him. As a child the columnist remembers thinking how concerned God must have been to have sent his son to us. Jesus' big task was to teach us, it was not to make us scholars but to have us understand his kingdom. Not difficult to accept.
Just looking over briefly sections of the New Testament we see Jesus teaching and giving examples to his disciples. Teachings about the Kingdom of God, the overcoming of temptations, the need for prayer,forgiveness, teaching with parables and opening the eyes of his disciples with understanding for his message were acts of a meticulous father and teacher.
Looking back on the life of Christ, even as a child Jesus showed us the efforts he made to study. He was in the temple talking with the lawyers of the law and debating with the Pharisees and showing them where they were wrong.
The word we use in Korean for study has its origins in Buddhism. The columnist tells us it meant to clean, to improve to cultivate, especially efforts to do this in their meditation practices. The word analyzed: shows a workman, a person making efforts to be a full person, what one was meant to be.
There are many Catholics who put up a wall when it comes to study.To put it simply after baptism they do little to deepen what they have received. The God the Pharisees believed in was not the God that Christ was preaching. In the kingdom of God we have entered at baptism we are meant to live with joy. We don't know why a person does not want to study, but what is easy to assume, he says, the joy of being in the kingdom here on this earth will not be as great without study.
