All religions and Christians of all types, for the most part, use the word spirituality as a positive quest for a fully human life. Many also use the word spirituality in opposition to religion: "I am spiritual but not religious" not affiliated with any church. This is a common understanding of many as if religion was an obstacle to spiritual growth.
In the Jewish Christian understanding of the person, we have the body, soul, mind, and heart."Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind."
With efforts at integration and harmony of these four, we walk the path of spirituality. Sadly, the Church is not seen as a path to a deep spirituality. Writing in a bulletin for priests the writer mentions that scholars of the religious life see humankind interested in the spiritual— a deep concern and desire for the spiritual.
Materialism and liberalism is doing well but in the gaps we find many looking for the spiritual often in faulty manners but the desire is strong and healthy. Many are leaving the establish churches for they do not find a response to their thirst for the spiritual. A sign churches have lost the spiritual vitality they once had.
One priest expressed the problem as one in which the church with the great changes taking place in society is in crisis, fearful of the future like "scared dogs who put their tails between their legs, bark, and walk backwards."
He wonders whether the reason is the loss of prestige the pastoral workers had in the past when the country was attempting to bring itself out of the difficulties of the war and the poverty of the times. The church was active in feeding the poor and bringing to the aid of the citizens what we received from the west. We benefitted from the influence of Christianity and the culture of the west as a church with class.
In the process, we forgot the role of our ancestors in the faith who gave their lives for what they believed. We benefited from their lives and sacrifices but have done little to prepare for the future church with the examples they gave us.
We are coming close to a century of being a divided country. Hope abounds for a time of peace and we as a church need to participate in the attainment of this peace. We have to get over a feeling of fear and trepidation and remember the strength that comes from the fortress of spirituality we possess. We have to bring this traditional spirituality to the fore and deepen it among the faithful and those who approach the church. This is what the world is waiting for.
In an
age of speaking one's mind, SNS presents an easy means to
legitimize the truth seen by the underdog or the strong, male and
female, liberal and conservative. In most cases the situation is never
clearly presented and not enough information is given to understand the
context. A religious sister who is the director of a spirituality center
examins the way we are to respond.
At
times it is difficult to grasp the nature of the incidents that are
presented to the viewers in cyberspace. Information is revealed only on
one side and usually not enough information is presented to understand
the situation. Our brains tend to simplify the reality, overlook the
truth and listen and respond to what I want to see and hear.
A
famous writer after revealing something about a certain incident in
which an acquaintance was involved did not receive a call from the
acquaintance. The reason he believes was that he would be shaken. A firm
conviction can often be shaken by a voice in a telephone call.
We
are more courageous in cyberspace with no expressions or voices, very
different from face to face contact. Since it is invisible it can easily
be more intense and overcome with feelings. It is the only method for
those who have been treated unjustly to feel the freedom to resist:
women against men the weak against the strong.
The
writer mentions how one of her acquaintances had an SNS fight with one
of her subordinates. Her acquaintance had to deal with falsehood and
exaggeration and suffered great embarrassment. The other party was
joined in the attack by followers, the acquaintance was condemned and made to appear
ridiculous. Her acquaintance used reasonable arguments but the
subordinate was using emotional arguments and her acquaintance made an
effort to respect the other person with reason and tempered expression
but wasn't able to overcome the feeling of unfairness experienced by the
subordinate. For such a person the rational expressions of the other
person are just cold, and empty. No matter who is right if there is no
sympathy for your situation the rational proposal is intimidating and
insulting.
The
process of exposing and ridiculing the mistakes of the strong in
society gives pleasure to the viewers. The group attacks that often
follow become addictive and give to many a feeling of catharsis.
Unfortunately,
nowadays, priests and religious people are seen as the strong and the
vested ones in society. Of course, concern for the poor continues but it
is also true that we have power as leaders in a community.
Therefore,
in the course of leading a group, if someone enters and expresses: "I
am a victim, it is unfair," the standard of right and wrong often seems no longer valid. It is only necessary to communicate with the
'feelings' that are unfair.
When
the grievance and unfairness get bigger, counterattacks, insanity, and
anything goes. There is only a fierce court battle that remains but the
wounds are large for both sides and last a long time.
When
we have a dislike for someone we don't care to live uncomfortably in
that situation. However, sympathy is one of the best helps in
communicating, consequently, the best way is to find a way to compromise on the way to
the court (Matt. 5:25).
This year we are celebrating the Jubilee of the Laity which began on Laity Sunday last year and will continue until November 18 of this year. This year is the 50th anniversary of the Lay Apostolate Council of Korea; a year spent studying the place of the laity, their role, and evaluation within the church. An article in a bulletin for priests expresses the views of one priest.
The laity in Korea has a unique history, however, looking over the statistics of the church, Catholics are very similar to the other countries of the world. Laypeople were without their own priests for 60 years. They brought the faith to the country and nourished it without the help of the clergy and with thoughts of a martyrs' death the community of faith continued to grow.
Influence of society is present but in the eyes of many, the laity are not able to express their vitality, take their rightful place in the church, but remain passive. St. John Paul II called them the sleeping giant. They need to be awakened. Why is that the situation that we find so often?
We use the word community so often that the word loses its meaning. Team and partnership are words we hear in society and business but rarely within the church. If we imported these words we would look at the work we faced differently. We use the words unity, cooperation, interchange, fellowship and the like expressions but they don't move us—distant ideals. Partnership when used, connotes equality, mutual responsibility and solidarity in the work. A more intense feeling of working together. St. Paul in Corinthians used this meaning when talking about the analogy of the body.
Searching for a true community is not easy. It is easy to see the working together as more convenient, profitable, efficient means to an end. However, a real community when achieved is the medium projecting love and unity. Desire and vitality are nurtured and the community evangelizes as a community. The Holy Spirit with obstacles removed is free to move the community. The community becomes an end in itself—presence of Jesus.
In society, without partnership, we have little development. In the church, we don't lack partnership but it is not easily seen. It is not a central feature of our mentality. In May of this year, the International Theological Commission said any process of discernment should begin with a consultation of the laity and they need to be given more space in the church where they can express themselves.
There is a need they said to overcome a clerical mentality that risks keeping them at the margins of church life. It is true that the laity in our tradition don't have the right to vote but when the clergy as lone rangers go about their work without consultation with the laity this is often the results. The laity are not only in the church but are the church said St. John Paul II in Christi Fidelis. In the Church's law and tradition, the laity only have the right to propose but there is no law that prevents the clergy from sharing their authority.
The clergy needs to show they can't do the work they have been entrusted, alone. The laity are the partners in the work given to the church. St. Teresa of Calcutta is quoted as saying: "I can do something you can't and you can do something I can't, together we can do great things." Would it not be a big step to have this as a motto for our faith communities?
On the
opinion page of the Catholic Peace Weekly, a senior journalist writes
about the decrease of the birth rate and the impact on society. He
recently attended a lecture at a high school and spoke with the
principal, teachers, and parents. At first, the conversation was about
the career path of the high school students but passed to the issue of
elementary and junior high schools in the countryside.
The
problem is the lack of students because of the low birth rate in the
country. One of the middle schools with the smallest number of students
was 13 and there are 16 staff members. At some other middle schools there
were only 18-35 students, in the past these schools had 300 to 500
students.
It
would seem that if the number of teachers and students were such that
you have one on one you would have more interest in the needs of each
student and more learning. One student's mother responded that people
who speak this way don't know what they are talking about.
When
you have so few students socializing is a problem and you are in a
situation where you are competing with friends from elementary school.
Parents have a problem with sending their children to such a school.
This is a problem not only in the country. This year's school
population was 8,240,000 which is a decrease of 5,444,000 from 1988.
In
June the Ministry of Education completed the evaluation of 323
universities nationwide including 40 colleges and vocational schools.
Universities that received bad grades in the second evaluation which
ends in August will be sanctioned and reduced in their capacity and
financial support ended.
The
reason is to reduce the admission quota of college students in line
with the decline in the school-age population. In 2015, the number
attending universities was 530,000 this will decrease to 240,000 in
2023. No signs of improvement in the future.
The
number of children born last year was only 358,000 and this year at
most 320,000. The number of babies born in April of this year was only
27,700 so this year the birth rate even lower than last year which was
the lowest recorded.
This
will also affect the universities run by the church. The question is
what will happen when the ripple effect reaches these schools. The
average number of new students in the seven Catholic seminaries
nationwide including the Catholic University is significantly below the
quotas. The average was 53% percent lower than the quota and in a few,
it was 30%. The recruitment rate occupies a large percentage of the
total score of 76 points in the evaluation.
Although
the Catholic and other religious groups claim that it is necessary to
consider the circumstances of each university since theology schools
only have one department; it is unlikely this will be accepted by the
Ministry of Education.
The
situation in the universities will continue to deteriorate with the
passage of time. The low birth rate will have serious repercussions and
one of the signs is when you have more staff than students. This will
require preemptive measures for Catholic seminaries with low recruitment
rates.
Persons who easily laugh are blessed. Bright smiles bring light and peace to his spirit, says the writer of an article for a diocesan bulletin. As he gets older he feels the need for this boost to the spirit. Those working in the public sector of society, a smiling face is stressed and our writer tried hard to do so.
He was faced with a difficult situation. He was asked for a photo and went to a studio and asked for a smiling face. The photographer said he would take 10 pictures and he was to select the one he liked. He spoke the words 'kimchi and whiskey' but the photographer shook his head and said: "Sir, your smile just doesn't work." Looking at the photos, the lack of practice just left the face stiff and hard, it was hard to look and felt embarrassed.
From that day on he stood before the mirror practicing how to smile. He also started to read books on laughing. Many were the clear statements on smiling and laughter and lists the ones meaningful to him.
"Laughter is a massage for the inner life." For that person laughter makes his loneliness bearable and even reaches down to his soul.
"Laughter is a journey to eternity." Heaven is not far distant. A smile gives one a taste of heaven.
"Smile is an international passport." Without knowledge of languages with a knapsack, a person feels free to travel to many countries. A smile more than words is able to move a person's heartstrings.
"The difference between heaven and hell is the difference between laughter and no laughter." No place is easier to go to than heaven.
"A day without laughter is a day lost." The times we wish to forget are those without laughter. My stern face how tired it has made you.
"I was joyous and so I laughed is not the order, but rather I laughed and became joyous." Laughter is a decision—training. Loving the person you love, who is not able to do that?
"Laughter is the power of my competitive edge." When I am lonely and feel alienated all I have to do is look into the mirror to know the reason. I can live with a fox-like woman but never a bear.
"A pig head with a smile gets a better price."Only humans can laugh.
The opposite of laughter is not crying but lack of interest and rejection and in time may lead to a break in a relationship. A person with a continual smile on his face is a good person. A person with a warm smile and kind words on their lips, have discovered one of the secrets of life.
Our writer finishes his article with the confession that he is still not able to smile easily and naturally. He meets others habitually with a blank look on his face. He remembers a story about a salesman, always busy and arriving home late at night. Although tired when he arrived at the front door he would take a deep breath, prepare his attitude, and tells himself he will be meeting the last customer of the day.
For some time now the young people have been moving away from the church. Preparation for employment, many external reasons have brought about alienation from the community of faith but also a weak faith life is also a consideration. Even though this is a reality the spiritual longing remains within, consequently the need for the church to provide spiritual care in experiencing the joy of the faith. Articles in both Catholic papers bring this situation to the attention of the readers often.
When students they concentrated on their studies. In the past they had a vague hope that they would join a good company if they graduate from college and the future would take off from there. But after the economic recession, young people dream of a stable income instead of a specific goal or dream. Besides economic factors, other social realities are helping to change the lives of the young people.
Young people in the church also can't escape the social influence. According to the National Statistical Office, the unemployment rate in South Korea which was 7.6 percent in 2012 rose to 9.8 % in 2017. This is in contrast to the gradual decline in the OECD average youth unemployment rate and contrasted with Japan which declined from 6.2% to 4.7% in 2017. The population of the young people is decreasing but the number competing for jobs has increased but we see a decline in the creation of jobs and a decrease in the number of the elderly who are retiring.
The difficulties of the young are not only economic but psychological. College students are dealing with academic work, part-time job, and preparation for the job market. Campus life for the young is far from a romantic time. In a survey made in 2016, the number going to Sunday Mass was 55% and not attending was 22%. Preparation for employment takes all their time.
In s previous Catholic Student Council survey, 37.42% of the respondents answered that the big problems are those that come from within and not the external ones. These are the ones that make them unhappy, followed by 'problems from human relations' and 'insecurity'.
It's a fact that during the difficult times of the IMF the numbers coming to the church increased and the young people are no exception they desired a place in which to rest. The worries about employment are only one of the problems they face.
One priest working with the young feels the problem is that many of the young have no foundation in their faith because of the emphasis on school and their studies from an early age. When knowledge of faith grows from being near to nothing; they still have to live with stress the placing of their internal spiritual life on the back burner remains there as they grow in age. They never experienced the joy of being a Catholic. Those who had a family with a strong faith life were able to make the transition in difficult times with the support of the family.
Authorities both in and outside the Church acknowledge that the situation of the young people in society is formidable. But there is definitely hope. Those who have experienced the joy of the spiritual life continue no matter how difficult.
Young people also want to solve their difficulties with their faith. They need to solve these problems through spiritual care. In addition, empathy towards the young and dialogue with the young people at eye level, is necessary for those working with the young.
In the secular press, an article by the religious journalist of the paper headlines the article: the essence of religion is not buildings but teaching. Apparently, in his eyes, this was not what he saw and expresses his opinion.
The contrary opinion may be seen by the amount of money that is spent on buildings and compare it to the money spent on teaching. Nonbelievers would no doubt think it better to spend the money on people directly rather than on buildings, architecture and art. A simple answer would be interest in both but a community needs a place to meet and to hear the teachings.
He begins his article with a visit to a temple site that goes back over a thousand years to the Silla Dynasty. On a beautiful location remain two three story stone pagodas, the Buddhist service comes to mind but the area is now a place to play.No longer the place that it once was hundreds of years ago.
These are the sights we see today in Europe. Churches that were built with great religious devotion are no longer used for such purposes but are sold and have other uses. This happens with a frequency that no longer makes it a news item.
Korea in the 20th century had a religious growth that was rare in comparison with other countries. However few are those who would not see the period of growth to have peaked. The drop in birth and the aging of the population has also affected the religious world. In Buddhism, the numbers who are entering the monastic life have dropped and you see posters inviting the young to the Buddhist way of life.
Protestantism has stopped their Sunday school programs in many places. Catholics have seen a drop to 20 percent of the Catholics going to Mass on Sunday and no signs for a future increase. The United States early on showed a disinterest in religion, still maintains a 40 percent Sunday attendance; this shows a quick decline of religious interest in Korea.
The banking system had no difficulty in lending money without security knowing the money was there from the collections and offering of the believers. From 1970-1980 was a period of much building. Many of the building were difficult to maintain. Some were built with great difficulty beyond the means of the community and brought about bankruptcy. The money to maintain the buidlings will be a problem in the future.The Buddhist have already set up a committee to make sure that the buildings will be maintained before approval is giving to build.
He mention a Protestant church that with growth had difficulty with parking and decided to extend the parking area but changed plans, no new members and spent the money in helping other small churches and the elderly living alone, libraries for the young, the homeless.They chose to spend the money on the poor and disadvantaged in society.
For the most part according to our writer, the ordinary person is looking for better sermons, homilies, liturgies an inviting community and not magestic appearing buildings—the essence of religion, is not the building but the teaching.
