A New Vision For Parish Ministry

The Vatican's Congregation for Clergy on July 20, issued an instruction on pastoral care in the church's mission of evangelization and offers guidance in parish reforms and restructuring. A pastor in the Eyes of the Believer column of the Catholic times gives the readers his understanding of the document.

 The key point is rediscovering the missionary calling of all believers, and at the same time to renovate the parish structure, and seeing that the parish is not limited to the boundaries. He thinks this decree in the current situation with the corona pandemic is significant in that it provides a direction for the parish community to go forward.

Cardinal Stella, prefect of the Congregation for Clergy, emphasized: "The parish should not only think about self-preservation but must know how to look beyond the boundaries to proclaim the Gospel."

The writer wonders whether parishes are not focused more on self-preservation than on evangelization. Cardinal Stella continues: “Maybe, until now, the parish has felt like a castle or palace to secure and protect… You have to remove the key, open the door, ventilate the interior air, and go outside. That's what the Pope has said many times, "outward dynamism".

The world we live in is changing too fast. The renowned sociologist Zygmunt Bauman said: all fields have become globalized and digitized, a society once based on a solid foundation becomes a liquid modern society, and everything becomes fluid. As mobility increases due to the development of communication and transportation, the existing small community meetings are weakened due to frequent movements—work, travel, hobbies, etc., rather than forming community and staying in one place for a long time.  With the rapid increase of migrants around the world due to refugees, workers, and international marriages, we have new pastoring among these groups
 
While feeling dizzy in the fast-changing world, he thinks the church is being tested to change to a more expansive vision of the parish mission in this coronavirus era. In particular, the new order announced by the Vatican document is very timely in that it provides an active opportunity to transform the parish.
 
Pope Francis once said that the church is like a field hospital. Now we should not stay inside the parish, but go outside the boundaries and testify to God's love. In other words, the parish minister must be 'missionary'. The dichotomy between pastoring and mission activity has to be overcome; stereotypes of pastor and missionary need to disappear.

In the mission-oriented Missionary Society of St. Columban, they are conducting activities for national reconciliation and unity called 'pastoral peace activities'. Mission agencies are now carrying out very naturally activities once considered pastoral; pastors also need to become missioners. The concept of pastoring needs to be expanded, and become compatible with mission.

In anxiety and fear, during the Corona19 era, each parish has a variety of difficulties. Mass has been reopened in all parishes, but there are many places where group activities have not returned. What would happen to the parish community if only Mass was allowed and all suspension of parish activity lasted for months? Only a few pastors would remain, and the rest would be pastors only in name. 

Perhaps the Corona19 era is preparing us for a future church. You have to decide whether the pastoral ministry is just for those in the parish community, or at this opportunity to go beyond the parish boundary and become a 'missionary community' that heals, shares and cares for the poor and suffering.

Rethinking the Just War Theory

A Jesuit priest, head of a peace center gives us some thoughts on maintaining peace and the difficulties faced. This article appeared in Now/Here Catholic Web Site.

At the time of the opposition to the Jeju Naval Base, some people said to those opposed to the base: "There must be a naval base to defend the country." In other words, a naval base is needed for national security. If the Jeju Naval Base was really the base for national security, then at that time, many people at home and abroad would not have objected to the construction. People objected because they thought the Jeju Naval Base was not a defensive base.

After liberation, the government national policy decisions used national security as its excuse and it wasn't just once or twice.  Was not this the case with the construction of the Jeju Naval Base? When it comes to national security, the citizens take it for granted the government will be doing the right thing. "That's why I have to follow what the state wants." He wants to call these people 'national security idolaters'. Those who unconditionally follow the government that uses national security to push for national projects.

Behind the idea of ​​national security idolatry, the writer acknowledges there is the legitimate just war theory. The Catholic Church's Saints Ambrose and Augustine, up to St. Thomas Aquinas even Luther, the author of the Reformation, supported the theory. The legitimacy of war, which has been raging in the Catholic Church for 1700 years, still holds a place in the Catholic Church's teaching.

In the Catechism of the Church # 2309, it lists several conditions for a just war.

"1. The damage the attacker has done to the country or the international community must be continuous, serious, and certain. 2. It must be revealed that all other means of restraining it are infeasible or ineffective. 3. Conditions of success must be established. 4. No evil and harm greater than the evils to be eliminated should be caused by the use of force. Judging from this situation, the destructive power of modern weapons must be carefully considered."

However, the writer thinks there has never been a war in the last 1700 years that has met these conditions. The wars that started from the theory of legitimate war crossed over to 'excessive defense' and became a war of aggression. In other words, legitimate war theory was used to rationalize the war of aggression.

In the 21st century, He thinks that the most representative war is the Iraq war by the United States. It is said that the United States called it a war caused by legitimate war theory. However, over time, more and more people think that the war on Iraq by the United States was not legitimate, but a war of aggression because of the interests in the Middle East. It is worth noting the phrase "the destructive power of modern weapons must be carefully considered" in the fourth condition of the just war of the Catholic Church teaching above. In the just wars of the past, there were survivors on one side or on both but in the current era of nuclear war, war will only lead to annihilation.

So, for the above reasons, the writer thinks the just war theory should be reconsidered.

In April 2016, the Vatican Justice and Peace Committee and Pax Christi International co-sponsored an international conference in Rome on the subject of "non-violence and just peace". More than 80 laymen, theologians, peace activists, priests, and researchers from around the world participated in the conference. Congratulatory remarks were given by Pope Francis, and Cardinal Peter Turkson chairman of the Justice and Peace Committee gave the keynote. Father Patrick Cunningham of the Columban Missionary Society, who attended the meeting, said  the conference adopted the final statement: "I believe there is no just war."

So now it is necessary to switch perspectives. The energy we once used for the just war theory now needs to be used to create just relationships between nations. Of course, this means we need to find the place of mercy in all of this. If we had just relationships between nations would not war be absent?  Would we not have peace?

Christianity In The New Corona Age

A seminary professor writes in Bible And Life magazine his thoughts on the new world that is being ushered in by Coronavirus —the 'new normal'. This new way of thinking is planted in our consciousness, consequently, our overall human existence and future way of life are open to many questions and introspection. How will life change? What is essential, what can change?

When we speak of holistic development what is meant? We are talking about the integral development of the person. We can't separate them but can work to differentiate and distinguish the physical, logical-intellectual, psycho-emotional, socio-economic, and spiritual.

These five dimensions are joined together intimately. When the body is dealing with sickness there is usually a negative effect on the other aspects of our being. Because of the sickness, we are uneasy, depressed which influences the whole of our lives. However, often the resulting pain and hope, life, and death and their meaning bring us to a deeper reflection on life and opens one to the spiritual dimension and a deeper sensitivity. 

This principle of unity we find in ourselves is also found in the solidarity of the human family. In the COVID-19 world, we are experiencing this dynamic in the mutual relationship within the human family. 'Corona blue' is affecting all aspects of our life even when the medical aspects seem to be controlled, the economic problems loom large. The economic depression can continue to last a long time, and in certain areas, we will continue to have the non-face-to-face lectures, video meetings, and non-face-to-face medical care, changing the way we live.

Holistic spirituality follows these same principles. A need for harmony with the other aspects of our being. A person needs to be emotionally at peace and his mental faculties able to rightly judge if he is to have a deep mature healthy spirituality. Society has to be able to nurture this in the way it is structured. When this is not the case we will have pseudo-religion and a break down of the family, superstition, and fanaticism.

Religion seen academically can be seen as beliefs, rituals, and structures. In the corona era, the rituals and social meetings have been curtailed. This will be a problem for religion in the future. Even if we find a vaccine or a cure for the coronavirus we will have other epidemics that will restrain religious activities. This will require thought and some of the spirit of our religious ancestor in the faith.

He concludes the article with a quote from St. John Paul II in The Church in Asia: "I have written elsewhere, in my contact with representatives of the non-Christian spiritual traditions, particularly those of Asia, has confirmed me in the view that the future of mission depends to a great extent on contemplation. In Asia, home to great religions where individuals and entire peoples are thirsting for the divine, the Church is called to be a praying Church, deeply spiritual even as she engages in immediate human and social concerns. All Christians need a true missionary spirituality of prayer and contemplation."

 'Doing' is very important but the future may be leading us 'to be', born again as a spiritual person. 

"Do not model yourselves on the behavior of the world around you, but let your behavior change, modeled by your new mind. This is the only way to discover the will of and know what is good, what it is that God wants, what is the perfect thing to do" (Rm. 12:2).

First Things First

In the meditation for the liturgy in the Daily Mass Booklet, we have the mention of the Records of the Grand Historian also known by the name Shiji. It is the history of ancient China written around 100 BC. The first paragraph of the meditation mentions why the most famous and renowned doctors can't cure certain diseases.

First, you have the sick person who is proud and impudent and knows all there is to know about his sickness. Second, the person doesn't respect the body because of his desire for money and material goods. Third, the person is not able to rightly select the foods he should and should not eat. Fourth, the YIN and YANG  law, the harmony of opposites is broken and the body loses its rest. Fifth, the body becomes so weak that it can't do what is required for health. Sixth, they don't trust the doctor and go to the shamans and fortune-tellers.

In the accompanying meditation in Bible & Life for the same day, we are reminded that at one time the right hand was the proper hand to hold a pencil and when it was held with the left hand you would be told to change. The left-handed person was told the reason for being right-handed was the norm.

Tradition needs to be respected but it is another thing to make it a question of right and wrong. Not to give an adequate reason for not following tradition and not to explain why we should change is forcing one and is a form of violence.

The issue for the liturgy of the day was the Pharisees and Doctors of the law insistence on the ritual laws that were established. They were the laws of clean and unclean foods and ritual washing of the hands. They demanded it of all and condemned those who did not follow. They had no desire to make the laws understood and treating those with whom they disagreed with kindness.

Jesus was making a point very strongly when he said: "Listen and understand. What goes into the mouth does not make a man unclean; it is what comes out of the mouth that makes him unclean." This was a bombshell of tremendous proportion. They were only concerned with the externals and forgetting what was important.

We do have primacy of order and concern only for the externals in life is not contributing to a healthy life. Jesus was talking about the world that God has planned for us and it begins with the internal life—mental, spiritual, and emotional. When we consider only the external realities we often do harm to ourselves and others.

Even in matters of health forgetting the internal reality is not going to be of help in returning to health. As a Christian, we know that if the healthy character traits are in place the actions will follow very nicely. In a Description of a Gentlemen by St. John Henry Newman, he shows how very natural qualities and not necessarily Christian ones, make a  gentleman—a human being.

In secular words, we are all familiar with 'more than the doing is the being'. When we have the right being the doing will follow.

Cleaning the Mind Gives Vitality

Organizing our exterior environment leads to a change in life.

When you look at a neatly organized house after cleaning, you feel refreshed. It's hard, but it makes one proud and happy. "Cleaning up is a matter of moving the body, but it certainly has a great influence on the mental faculty." So begins an article in the Catholic Peace Weekly in which the reporter uses the words of three well-known councilors to increase our vitality.

Those who have experienced putting order into their life have experienced change. One couple after consultation, said, "The cleanliness of the house reduced the fighting and improved the relationship between them" One of the experts said, "The final goal of putting things in order is to bring about life changes."

One of the councilors said: "I think the opposite of happiness is not misfortune, but confusion and disorder. No matter how wealthy, those who don't appear happy maybe if you look at their surroundings, the internal situation is not in order in many cases. Cleaning up the space of life allows us to look back at the whole of our past life."

In the United States, life organizing experts are professionals who help you put life in order. They help to effectively prepare, plan, and organize all daily life, not just the living space, but also life and work.

How does one put aside negative emotions? Organizing and discarding things is also a matter of getting rid of possessions and obsessions. After cleaning up the surroundings, it is easier to relax and forget what was bothering you. The mind is the same. After clearing up the dizziness and confusion in your mind, you need to make room for new energy."You are not actually emptying your mind but filling it with positive thoughts and feelings."

The key to emptying your mind is to quickly get away from bad emotions like depression, anger, sadness, and irritation. Many experts recommend walking as a good way to do this. Walking helps you see your situation in a new environment, away from the space of bad emotions. It's also a good idea to stay alone or meet someone you like and have a conversation. "I have to know for myself what will make me feel better." At the same time, care must be taken not to fall into a state of loss. You are not the only one with similar feelings.
 
The article ends with the counseling experts giving their thoughts on how to empty the mind.

The priest recommends rather than emptying to fill it with the things that you like and you will forget what bothered you. Your mood is changed. One needs to awaken the senses: vision, hearing, touch, taste, smell. Listening to your favorite music, drinking fragrant coffee, watching fun movies. Then you will feel better soon. When he has time, he goes to the mountains. Step by step, reality and delusion began to differentiate. When you organize your thoughts energized by the trees and soil, your mind will improve. I'm not just letting go of a bad mood. "I'm trying to change my mood quickly. Do what I like. It's important for me to take care of me, not to hope that someone else will make me feel good. Reward yourself."

The religious sister when she is feeling dizzy: walks and writes but recommends strongly you put the smartphone down. Watching a smartphone has become a habit for all of us. She lives with her smartphone but believes that if you keep away from it, you can empty your mind. News addiction, an excess of information can lead you away. For her watching, the news is also stressful. She recommends using the smartphone only from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, but not at other times. Dieting should be done steadily to succeed.
 
The Layperson mentions the problem when driving because of backup traffic. He gets annoyed and angry but when he looks around everybody is in the same situation. He is not the only one. "No one planned this or deliberately intended the traffic jam. It's not just me. When something happens that is difficult he asks himself: What does the other person feel? It has become an ever-present topic of life. Asking questions like that creates a bond with the other person and the feeling that I am sharing my pain helps me to empty my mind."

Love For Mother Earth

We say we are Christians but it is not easy to empty ourselves, so we hold on to much that is contrary to our calling. We know to be Jesus' disciples we need to carry the cross but in most cases embarrassingly do not. A priest doing pastoral work with environmental issues in a diocese begins his article in the Kyeongyang magazine with these words.

However, some do not close their eyes to the poor, do not avoid the marginated, and give of their money, time, and energy to better their lot. 

Our emotions are moved and we feel the twinge of embarrassment but little comes of it and one of the reasons is selfishness. The embarrassment comes from the knowledge that selfishness and avarice are keeping us from being concerned and doing something.

 We know the relationship we should have with others and creation. When we have that love of others that we have for ourselves than joy comes into our lives and we begin to relate correctly with all of creation.

 Many are things to enjoy in life, many delicious foods, beautiful clothes to wear; clothes rather than wearing out are discarded because we are bored with them. This is the society in which we live. TV is filled with all kinds of shopping channels to entice us to consume.

 We need to reflect: Is this necessary for our well being? Rather it is already too late. Is it not true that we have been concerned with our selfish needs and need to examine if the structured society in which we live is not drawing us to indulge ourselves?

 We can buy anything, do anything, but not everything is for our good and what God desires. At this moment is what I desire to have and do appropriate? Am I not preventing others from enjoying the goods of creation?

 If we look up the word avarice and covetousness we find that it is an excessive desire to gain. It's a failure to know what I need. I was made to live with others. This kind of covetousness eats away at life and prevents us from spending time and effort on what is important. 

The priorities are not in order. God and others do not enter the thinking. This is one of the reasons we are having problems with environmental issues. Pope Francis in Laudato si wrote: "A misguided anthropocentrism leads to a misguided lifestyle. In the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, I noted that the practical relativism typical of our age is 'even more dangerous than doctrinal relativism' When human beings place themselves at the center, they give absolute priority to immediate convenience and all else becomes relative. Hence we should not be surprised to find, in conjunction with the omnipresent technocratic paradigm and the cult of unlimited human power, the rise of a relativism which sees everything as irrelevant unless it serves one’s own immediate interests. There is a logic in all this whereby different attitudes can feed on one another, leading to environmental degradation and social decay"(#122).

 When humanity comes first, forgets God, and the aim of creation, it is only a short term benefit to humans. That is the reason that when we have plenty to eat the number of those starving continues to increase, and we are not able to decrease greenhouse gases.

 We need to find the reason for the problems. If a river at its source is polluted we don't try to fix the problem downstream as it goes into the ocean but search for the reasons at its source. We need to get rid of our covetousness. We need to live according to 'right reason' and convince ourselves of the righteousness of our decision.

 This spiritual conversion should lead to sincere repentance from everyone for having been duped by "mindsets that divide, starve, isolate and condemn." Francis wrote. "It would be wonderful if we could become capable of asking the poor and the excluded for forgiveness, then we would be able to sincerely repent also for the harm done to the earth, the ocean, the air, and animals."

He ends the article with a prayer asking forgiveness for the covetousness and the strength to change.

Growth in Community

  "We are not troubled by things, but by the opinions, we have about things." These words of wisdom from the past give us one good reason to spend time talking with others about the things that matter in life instead of the small talk that takes most of our time in conversation. In the Catholic Times, a member of the Christian Life Community CLC reminds us of this in his article on the spirituality of the community.
 
Late at night, the two-hour Christian Life Community (CLC) online meeting ended. Coronavirus Infection-19 (Corona19) makes meetings difficult, but non-face-to-face meetings through video conferencing continue every week. At the gathering, they take time to look at how Jesus was with them and sharing with others what he was asking of them. Above all, he was grateful for the understanding of the community as they shared how the community would help with the difficulties of a member.

CLC members form a small community of about 10 people, each with their own special work and family in the world.  Through regular meetings, once a week, they share their spirituality, community, and apostolic efforts—specifically, contemplative prayer, prayers of reflection, and apostolic life.  When you share with each other like this, the other person's experience can be my experience, and you can discover aspects of the spiritual life that were unknown through other members. Each individual gains from the experience of wisdom and gratitude of the community.

Although they form a community together, members have different lengths of time in community, ages, occupations, backgrounds, etc., and their views on life are slightly different. They each have their own unique light and darkness.

Although each person's situation is different, in Jesus they are one and see new life through his love, and desire to share, empty themselves, be of service in love to the world. They realized God's love deeply through Jesus and they know it is through community rather than alone.

Of course, being together as a community is not always romantic or easy. Sometimes there are small conflicts, tensions, and discomforts in the community. And the spiritual advice exchanged within the community for mutual growth can be painful and uncomfortable. The writer mentions he was once upset that the advice received from the community made known his deficiency and judged him. He just wanted to hear good things, comfort, and encouragement.

However, as the community gathered in prayer he trusted in the Holy Spirit to lead, and as he experienced the community's love for him, he felt comfortable and listened to spiritual advice. With the spread of such enlightenment and trust in the community, advice, challenges, comfort, and encouragement given to each other have become more comfortable and liberating. Based on the love and sincerity experienced, the community grows and matures together.

Jesus also came to this world and formed a community. It wasn't just because they needed a hand. Rather, proclaiming the Gospel in the world must have started with love and growth in a small community. It seems that forming a community of love with disciples who were different, weak, and sometimes selfish, was the starting point of creating the kingdom of God in the world. The disciples went out to the world with the experience of love and growth learned through the community, and again formed a community and preached the gospel.

Today, an SNS message came encouraging him to faithfully live the spiritual life. This is because we remind each other not to become lax. He feels the growth he has made in his journey towards God was made because of the community. It is a very precious community.