For A Beautiful World

A Salesian religious sister gives us a meditation on the beautiful world we all desire in her column in the Catholic News Papers.

“The world that God first created was so beautiful. The moon, stars, and sun shone day and night in the sky, and the mountains and fields provided us with food in the form of trees, flowers, and fruits. However, these precious friends are now suffering. ... Let us befriend these friends so that the world can become beautiful again. Let us share our friendship with these friends.” (For a Beautiful World, lyrics by Lee Mi-young, music by Kim A-ram)

This song is a children's song that remembers the beautiful world created by God, overcomes the climate crisis, and dreams of restoring the order of creation. To realize this dream, we need people who recognize the situation and take action. At the wedding feast in Cana, the Virgin Mary noticed that the wine was running out and brought about a miracle through her son. When a crisis approaches, if there is one person who can see what others cannot, the situation becomes an opportunity.  

The “cry of the earth and the poor” is an urgent signal that the wine is running out in the world, so we need someone like the Virgin Mary who can recognize this and run to Jesus. Climate crisis and war are the crises and challenges facing humanity today. We are God's stewards who must hasten to “rebuild the ancient ruins, restore the foundations, and repair the broken walls and restore the streets” (Isaiah 58:12) rather than “live in houses of paneled wood while the Lord's house lies in ruins” (Haggai 1:4).

We introduce “ecological spirituality friendship education” to restore the order of creation through the eyes of the Virgin Mary in this age. The purpose of education is to nurture spiritual sensitivity to find God in all things, to cultivate and care for a sustainable “common home” where all creatures are united in familial love, and to accompany the cosmic family as they are filled with joy, gratitude, solidarity, and sharing. This is an “education of the heart” based on the Word of God, which speaks of the “story of creation,” the “first and second commandments of love,” and the “new heaven and new earth.” 

Specifically, it is a story of love that creates friendship in relationships with nature, objects, people, and God. The story of creation tells us that all beings are a family that began with God. The concept of “ecology,” which has the meaning of ‘home’ or “dwelling,” is also in line with the story of creation in that it is a story of family members who are all connected to each other.

Education involves encountering the things around us with kindness, forming friendships, and finding stories of love connected to God within them. Through communing with nature amid the changing seasons, we learn gratitude and encounter the invisible mystery of God, sharing love with nature and meeting God. 

Relationships with others begin with recognizing that I am a precious being, and then realizing that those closest to me are also precious beings. This leads to prophetic missions of justice and peace, which involve solidarity with social issues, the poor, refugees, those suffering from natural disasters, and the hungry. 

All these relationships are connected to friendship with God. The development of civilization has brought material abundance, but it cannot fill the emptiness within. The longing for the source of human love can only be fulfilled through friendship with God.

The Beauty of Chastity

An Education Center manager working with young people, in the Catholic Peace Weekly's Peace Column, expresses his opinion on a serious subject often passed over.

Whether you are a believer or not, left-wing or right-wing, there are many things on which our society today can agree. Words such as freedom, peace, environmental protection, and democracy are universally accepted. Even when something that goes against these values happens on the other side of the world, protests break out in our country, and the media raises its voice. This was not the case in the past, so in a way, it is a very positive and beautiful sign of our times. We must make good use of this trend and take it as an opportunity to build bridges and create dialogue. 

However, at the same time, there are some topics that are quietly buried as if they did not exist, even within the Church. These are essential topics. For me, the sixth and ninth commandments are prime examples. These days, many people seem to view these commandments as “optional,” and their deep meaning and beauty are often overlooked.  

How unpopular are these topics? When was the last time you heard the word “chastity” in a sermon? Were topics such as premarital chastity, contraception, in vitro fertilization, masturbation, and pornography mentioned during baptismal or marriage catechesis? This kind of talk is taboo. It is a difficult but necessary topic.

However, chastity is not something negative but a positive virtue and a path of love that can continue to grow. The body was created by God, and His only Son became human and took on a body like ours. Our bodies are also temples of the Holy Spirit. Sex is also a gift from God and one of the most profound and most powerful expressions of humanity. It is an act of love so powerful that it can bring new life into the world.  

The problem arises when we forget the purpose of this gift, which is to “give,” and use it only for ourselves. We were born to love, and if we do not use the power of love that God has given us properly, we end up abusing that energy.

Of course, it is not easy. Temptation is always with us, and today's society does little to help us practice this virtue. We, too, sometimes sin and fall. But what is essential is the willingness to fight without giving up. Many people think, “This is impossible from the start,” and give up easily without even trying. No. It is entirely possible.

Such a change in life does not happen overnight. Even if someone receives baptism at 20 and begins a life of faith, it takes time to fully understand this concept intellectually and put it into practice in daily life. To do so, one must strive to understand the “reason” why the Church teaches this way. And above all, one must sincerely love Jesus. If one loves Him, one will follow Him even if one does not fully understand. Love makes it so. And since the most significant sign of love is the Eucharist, if you try to receive the Eucharist often, you will be able to love more deeply.

In addition, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of “what is sin and what is not.” When you truly love God, if you do something that hurts His heart, you must also feel pain. That pain leads us to ask for forgiveness and to approach Him again through confession.

This virtue was once considered attractive, and society accepted it as a true form of love. That is no longer the case. Therefore, we who know Christ, who is love, have a responsibility to live out this virtue fully and show its beauty to the world. When we sincerely live out chastity, the world will once again be able to smell the fragrance of true love within it.

"The Wisdom of Letting Go"

Renunciation, traditionally associated with religious or spiritual practices, extends beyond these, taking on some very secular ideas.

Instead of withdrawing from the world, modern renunciation is giving up attachments to things, ideas, or anything that prevents us from growing mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Some would express this as minimalism: getting rid of anything that doesn't add value to life. Excessive consumerism, technology, and external gratification for a more internal focus on what is considered essential.

In the Wisdom of the Desert Fathers column of the Catholic Times, the Benedictine monk presents St John Cassian's three stages of renunciation. "The first stage is to give up the desire for this world's riches and possessions. The second is to reject past habits of mind and body, vices, and passions. The third is to turn our hearts away from all that is temporal and visible, to look only to the future, and to long for what cannot be seen." 

Renunciation leads monks to constant prayer. A monk who attains purity of heart through renunciation and ceaseless prayer advances to pure prayer, achieving union with God and living in his Kingdom. Without this renunciation, neither ceaseless prayer, purity of heart, union with God, nor the Kingdom of God is possible. This is the teaching of the Desert Fathers, passed down to us through Cassian.

One day, Macarius the Great, upon encountering some monks asked, "How can I become a monk?" They replied, "Unless I renounce everything in the world, I cannot become a monk".  Therefore, according to Cassian, monks were called "Renunciants". A monk who possesses God's things in his cell renounces the things of this world. In fact, as one elder put it, those who have tasted the sweetness of non-possession find even clothing and a water pitcher cumbersome. Because his mind is now elsewhere. 

The Desert Fathers also emphasize the renunciation of one's own will. One famous Father said, "There are three things that are precious in the sight of the Lord: to face pain and life's difficulties with gratitude; to perform all one's work purely in the presence of God; and finally, to completely renounce one's own will and remain under the spiritual master. When one renounces one's own will, God reconciles with him and accepts his prayers."The human will is a brass wall and a stumbling block between him and God.

"Renunciation" is a prerequisite for following Jesus. But we know from experience that letting go of something we own is never easy. Letting go of our own will is even more difficult. That may be why following Jesus, living as his disciple, is so difficult. Letting go is a discipline that requires practice.

We came into this world empty-handed. Yet, as time passes, we spend too much time and energy trying to possess and hold onto so many things. The things of this world we cling to will eventually vanish in an instant.  Our lives are such that we come empty-handed and must return empty-handed. When we free ourselves from attachment to everything in this world except God, we will become true disciples of Jesus. The Desert Fathers invite us to the wisdom of letting go.  

Don't Be Afraid

A seminary professor in the Catholic Peace Weekly Preciousness of Faith Column offers readers some thoughts on Matthew 14:31.

“Lord, save me.” As Peter walked on the water and saw the strong wind, he became afraid and began to sink into the water. He cried out, and the Lord reached out His hand and caught him, saying, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”  When they got into the boat, the rain stopped.

We, too, are sailing the ship of life, navigating rough seas and moving forward. There can be no life without wind and waves, and we cannot help but be afraid. However, the Lord comes toward us, reaches out His hand to hold us, boards the ship with us, calms the wind, and gives us the courage to start anew.

Our fundamental problem is that our faith is weak and we fall into doubt. When doubt follows doubt and consumes our thoughts and hearts, we find ourselves in a situation from which we cannot escape. What we need in such situations is to welcome the Lord who comes toward us and entrust all our worries and concerns to Him. “Cast all your anxieties on Him, for He cares for you. God always cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

We often fall into anxiety and worry by imagining too much about what is to come. However, the things we fear do not actually exist. They are merely figments of our imagination, and we are bound by the power we have created. The Lord says to entrust all our worries to Him. There is nothing we cannot handle. The Lord has already prepared the path for us and always gives us the help we need.

Another step toward overcoming fear is realizing how precious we are as beings cared for by God. “So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:31). These words express well God’s heart and plan for us. Even before we were born, we were part of the Lord's plan. In the words of St. Alphonsus, God loved us even before the world existed.

Therefore, we must not be afraid. God knows better than anyone else the anguish of our hearts in times of trial, and He gives us the courage and strength to rise again and continue to move forward with hope.

At the root of uncertainty about the future lies the suspicion that God is not there, that God has abandoned us. When we pray together with the church community and reencounter God's love in the Word and the sacraments, when we experience being entirely accepted by God, when we experience how precious and noble we are before God, our fears will disappear. When we believe that God allows us to exist and cares for us to the end, and entrust our existence and future entirely to Him, everything will be resolved.

I remember the words of advice a priest gave me during confession when I was a foreign student, quoting Galatians 2:19-20. “Father, Jesus loved you and gave his life for you. So take courage and be strong.”

Let us remember the love that has given us new life. We are beings reborn through love that conquers death. We are precious beings because we can recognize God’s mercy and love and respond to them in kind. Let us ask for “courage,” “boldness,” “patience,” and “perseverance.” Peace and joy will come.

Respect for the Elderly

  

In the Philosophical Counselling column of the Catholic Peace Weekly, the professor revisits the problem of ageing.

The world is now entering the “homo hundred” era, where the population over 100 years old is rapidly increasing. South Korea, in particular, is experiencing the fastest and most widespread aging of its population globally, due to declining birth rates and increasing average life expectancy.

The problem lies in the fact that society perceives the elderly as unnecessary beings without economic capacity in terms of normality and usefulness. The unfair social perception that isolation, loneliness, economic deprivation, and dependence on others are inevitable destinies of old age serves as a principle justifying stigma, discrimination, and exclusion against the elderly. Simone de Beauvoir's (1908–1986) statement that “perceptions of old age evoke feelings of disgust greater than those associated with death itself” aptly expresses how psychologically dreadful we consider old age to be.

American philosopher Martha Nussbaum (1947–) distinguishes between “primitive disgust” and “projective disgust.” Primitive disgust is a natural emotion that arises from self-protection and survival instincts, formed when one feels fear of the possibility of being contaminated by animalistic substances such as bodily secretions, decaying corpses, vomit, excrement, insects, and blood.

On the other hand, projective disgust is an emotion that reflects the psychology of society's members, causing them to reject certain groups or individuals by attributing repulsive characteristics to them. Disgust is an emotion that straddles the boundary between life and death, and behind it lies a deep sense of anxiety and fear of death. The elderly, who stand at the boundary between life and death, remind us of decaying animalistic qualities, which stimulates anxiety in those who see them. In the process of resolving this anxiety, people develop a desire to actively exclude them.

As a result, a society that hates the elderly implicitly separates the elderly and the young through artificial and imaginary boundaries, maintaining an idealized image of the young and productive body, thereby instilling fear within us. Thus, the phenomenon of aging, which was once accepted as a natural part of life, has been pushed out of the realm of life and reduced to an object that must be actively managed. However, hatred becomes widespread in all rigid and fixed areas where differences are turned into boundaries. To counter hatred, the elderly themselves must overcome exclusionary boundaries to avoid becoming victims of self-hatred.

To radically change society's view of old age, individuals must first defend themselves against ageism, which breeds hatred. The rigid and fixed worldview is dependent and vulnerable.

To bring about a radical change in society's view of old age, individuals must first defend themselves against ageism, which causes hatred. Elderly people, who are dependent and vulnerable, should be respected. A shift in perspective is needed to recognize them as unique beings with dignity and value.

Only then can the elderly break free from the stereotypes they have internalized, gain the inner strength to resist discrimination and exclusion by breaking the hierarchical order of society, and break the paradigm of projective hatred that society constantly reproduces, allowing them to age healthily.  Old age is the final stage of life on earth, a time to live with grace, a precious gift bestowed upon us.  

Vatican—100% Renewable Energy by 2050

The Catholic Peace Weekly columnist explains our need to harness the power of the sun in the workings of our world.

Our ‘common home’ Earth is boiling. With temperatures exceeding 40℃ and extreme rainfall, the intensity of climate change is reaching a catastrophic level. While the Earth suffers in this way, humans turn a blind eye, content with the immediate benefits. Selfish indifference is leading to the destruction of all creatures. 

The primary cause of the climate crisis is the increased emission of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, resulting from the extensive use of fossil fuels. The international community’s awareness of climate change began with the adoption of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at the Rio Conference in Brazil in 1992. Since then, 29 Conferences of the Parties (COPs) have been held every year to limit greenhouse gas emissions, but they have failed to stop the rise in the Earth’s average temperature. 

At the 21st COP held in 2015, the Paris Agreement was adopted, which limited the increase in the Earth’s average temperature to 1.5℃ and contained greenhouse gas reduction goals for each country. However, last year, the average global temperature rose by 1.55 °C compared to pre-industrial times, marking the highest level ever recorded. To prevent the climate crisis, it is essential to transition away from fossil fuels and toward sustainable, renewable energy sources. 

Renewable energy refers to all forms of energy that already exist in nature, such as solar energy, hydroelectric power, and wind power. Among them, solar energy plays a key role in renewable energy. 

In June 2024, Pope Francis announced the motu proprio Fratello Sole, an ‘urgent order’. He ordered the construction of an ‘agricultural solar power plant’ on the Vatican grounds outside Rome with the goal of ‘zero’ carbon emissions. Pope Leo XIV followed suit and announced ‘Vatican RE100’ to cover the entire Vatican with 100% renewable energy by 2050. 

The Lee Jae-myung government’s energy policy is an ‘energy mix’ that utilizes existing nuclear power plants to the maximum extent and expands renewable energy. As of 2023, the share of power generation in our country is only 31% coal and nuclear power, 27% LNG, and 10% renewable energy. During his candidacy, President Lee said, “Nuclear power is cheap right now, but it can be costly when you consider waste disposal and risk costs.” He also said, “We cannot export due to international greenhouse gas regulations,” and “The sun, light, and wind belong to us all.” 

The Catholic Church advocates for climate justice through ‘decarbonization’ such as coal phase-out, denuclearization, and de-transmission towers. However, its stance on nuclear power as an energy source is cautious. 

As discussions continue on the role of nuclear power in the process of transitioning to RE100, the threat of nuclear power and the stability of waste management must be addressed. Currently, investment and momentum in nuclear energy are increasing worldwide, and our country is a leading exporter of nuclear power. 

The Vatican is the smallest country in the world with no industrial facilities or trade. However, the Vatican’s efforts to promote RE100 could have a significant impact on the global energy industry. Because it can serve as a compass guiding the future of the energy industry and driving the expansion of ESG (environmental, social, and governance performance standards). Investment based on moral authority, vast diplomatic power, and the presence of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide. 

To prevent climate change and fully preserve the Earth, inexhaustible solar energy is essential. The power of all-natural energy is the sun. The climate crisis can be an opportunity. To do so, we need to empathize with the crisis, unite, and act together. To produce renewable energy, we need to establish a low-carbon economic structure and create new jobs and markets. The sun, the eldest brother of the planets, is now speaking to the Earth. “I will eliminate climate disease and take good care of the Earth! Make more use of me.” 

In Search of the Abundant Life

 

In the Preciousness of Faith column in the Catholic Peace Weekly, a seminary professor reflects on the many who have left the community of faith.

Among the friends he made during his first communion, very few attend church. This broadens his perspective and leads him to ask those who do not believe. Why do they not believe? However, from their point of view, we who attend church must seem even stranger. They might wonder: why do you believe? In fact, whether we believe it or not, we are all walking the same path. We may be lost or paused for a short or long time, but in search for the meaning of life—what is it all about?

For some, questions will arise quickly, and for others, slowly. How should we live our lives to be valuable and meaningful? What must we do to achieve the fullness of our lives? Jesus's following words are profoundly significant for us who ask these questions: "For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them." (Matthew 13:12)

In light of experience, spiritual growth will regress if it is not continually pursued. Some of us may have paused our faith for a short or long time. At first, the lack of church attendance and religious practice may feel comfortable and freeing. We become engrossed in things we haven't done before, things that immediately attract us. But when worldly temptations crash down on us and we flounder, there comes a moment when we realize we have become impoverished.

Like the younger son in the parable of the lost son (Luke 15:11-32), in tatters of body and soul, we begin to ask ourselves: how did I end up like this? Then, memories of the joy and happiness experienced during times of faith surface. We resolve to start living our faith again.

In returning to the Father's house, we come to realize what it means to live as a child of God in a community united in prayer and song. Although we do not often feel it, through our routine spiritual practices, we receive spiritual and physical nourishment, maintain our health, and seek God's blessing.