Smile, Tonj 웃어요 톤즈

                                           

The movie "Don't Cry, Tonj II" has been released in memory of the 10th anniversary of death of Salesian Fr. Lee Tae-seok, who passed away due to colorectal cancer at the age of 47 on Jan. 14, 2010.

He was born the ninth of 10 children in 1962 in Busan. Because his father died in 1970, his mother had to earn money by sewing at Jagalchi Market to raise her children.

Watching a film about the life of Fr. Damien De Veuster (1840-1889, now a saint), a Belgium missionary of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, who lived with patients with leprosy (Hansen's disease) on the island of Molokai in Hawaii, Lee made up his mind to live like Fr. Damien. Naturally, he was active as a catechist, server, choir member, etc. in the church.

Thanks to his inherited musical talent, Lee studied by himself not only the organ but the cello, saxophone and clarinet. He even enjoyed composing music.

He graduated from Inje University in 1987 with a medical degree and served as a doctor in the military. After military service, he entered the Salesians of Don Bosco in 1991 with his concerns about youth education. In 1992, he studied theology at Gwangju Catholic University and then went to the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome in 1997.

During vacation in 1999, he went to Kenya and met an Indian Salesian missionary living in Tonj. This visit was so impressive that he decided to dedicate himself to helping the poor and the children in Tonj, a small county located in South Sudan.

Then, he professed his perpetual profession in 2000 and he was ordained in 2001 by Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan. He left for Africa and observed the tragic situations of the village immersed in extreme poverty, hunger, disease, anger, and hatred due to civil wars.

Promoting volunteering and relief work, he first built the Don Bosco Hospital with 12 rooms and a clinic to take care of about 300 patients a day. Furthermore, he went around 80 neighboring villages offering treatment and vaccinations.

He also built an elementary-middle-high school with 12 courses and a dormitory. He taught mathematics and music through the nation's first brass band with 35 members.

Living as a priest, missionary, doctor, architect, teacher, conductor, father and mentor, he has become a symbolic legend of missionaries in Africa. He did his best to share hope, love, and happiness with the Dinka tribe who called him "Zzoly" meaning "John Lee."

Dedicating his whole life to the poor and children in Tonj, he is now referred to as "Schweitzer of South Sudan" and the "Saint of Tonj."

When he died, the locals cried even though they were not supposed to cry, for they are a symbol of toughness and valor. For them, shedding tears is the greatest shame.

Like Fr. Damien who made a reservoir and coffins and helped the community to build houses, schools, roads, hospitals, and churches, Fr. John Lee followed his dreams and died early. Their lofty and noble spirits will live long against the flow of the times. "Everything is good!" was his last testimony. Happy and blessed are those who do good for others!

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2020/01/162_282242.html

The Korea Times/ Thoughts of the Times/ Jan 21(online), 22(offline), 2020

To be salt 소금이 되기 위하여

"You are the salt of the world!" (Mt 5:14). Am I supposed to be salt?

In fact, there is some salt in our body. Salt as a mineral exists in our body fluids to maintain osmotic pressure and to help the fluids to be alkaline. Being one of the most essential commodities, salt is used as a seasoning, a preservative, a disinfectant for the wounds, a purifier, and a component of ceremonial offerings. Above all, salt adds taste and enables food to be conserved.

Catholics use salt against spiritual decay by sprinkling salty water to drive out the evil. My mother used to sprinkle salty (holy) water at home when she was disturbed. There is a superstitious saying on spreading the salt to ward off the devil. When someone comes back from a funeral, some people still spread salt on that person to feel secure.

Of course, "sun salt" dried under sunshine is more effective because it has positive energy called "yang." In western society, they believe that the angel stays on the right shoulder while the devil stays on the left. So, they throw salt over the left shoulder to blind the eyes of devil.

In general, "spreading the salt" refers to complaining about something. So, we still spread salt to protest against injustice. We also spread rock salt to melt snow or ice. We add salt on top of bean paste to prevent it from rotting. However, spilling salt means to bring disaster.

In general, salt is used metaphorically to signify many useful and helpful values such as endurance (durability, enduring covenant), fidelity (devotion, friendship), purification (releasing unwanted influences, spiritual protection), wisdom (intuition, insights), spiritual rebirth (abundance, vitality) and balancing the emotions (hospitality, physical well-being).

The Egyptians put corpses in salty water to make them mummies and exchanged salt for their weight in gold. The word "salary" came from "salarium" as the Roman soldiers were paid in salt. The Israelites used salt as a fertilizer to make the earth rich and productive and offered it to God.

The word "salt" appears 48 times in the Bible. Among them, "a covenant of salt" (Lev 2:13; 2 Ch 13:5) signifies an everlasting covenant and a strong agreement of enduring qualities. In Ez 16:4, the newborn babies were rubbed or powdered moderately with salt to purify them. In 2 Kings 2:21, Elisha cast salt into the spring to heal water that was causing death and unproductivity.

Jesus advises us to have "salt in ourselves and to be at peace with one another" (Mk 9:50). Here, the salt refers to the goodwill that seasons positive relationships, friendship and compassion among people. In Col 4:6, "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you know how you should respond to each one", salt is meant to season our speech with intelligence and consideration.

We shall have to remember the destructive power of salt as in killing weeds, corroding, and making water undrinkable. How symbolic it is to see Lot's wife who was changed into a pillar of salt as soon as she looked back at the destruction of Sodom (Gn 19:24-26)!

Nevertheless, to be the salt of the world means to be spread as salt is and to be a shining light in darkness and confusion.

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2020/02/162_282860.html

The Korea Times/ Thoughts of the Times/ Feb 4(online), 5(offline), 2020

Sculptor Choi Jong-tae 조각가 최종태

Thanks to my second brother's fondness for collecting mysterious natural stones and ceramics, I was able to meet the potter Lee Jong-soo (1935-2008), who later designed the cover illustrations for my first collection of poems, together with the Buddhist poet Park Hui-sun (1923-1998) who wrote the book's introduction published in 1990.

I met the sculptor Choi Jong-tae at the time I edited his book titled "Living & Drawing," a black and white collection of 35 essays with 60 works of art, published by Pauline in 2011. In his essays, he aspired to be free and find his place of enlightenment.

While talking with him, I found out that he was a friend of the late Lee Jong-soo who left his teaching position at Ewha Woman's University to build his own kiln to create marvelous ceramics.

From time to time I would visit him with my sister ― herself an artist ― to chat. It was through our meetings, I happened to encounter various sculptors such as Kim Chong-yung (1915-1982), Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966), Chang Uk-jin (1918-1990); artists like Lee Dong-hun (1903-1984), Henri Matisse (1869-1954), Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), Marc Chagall (1887-1985), Vincent Willem van Gogh (1853-1890), Paul Gauguin (1848-1903), Giorgio Morandi (1890-1964), Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920), Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675); poets like Park Yong-rae (1925-1980) and Im Gang-bin (1931-2016). It was very inspiring to be familiar with those creative artists.

When I met the sculptor Choi, I noticed that he was constantly looking for a pure presence like the monk Beop Jeong (1932-2010) and Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan (1992-2009). He truly missed their presence while struggling to be free from the history of the arts and from all kinds of forms that he had pursued throughout his life. Then, he deeply pondered on the meaning of pureness, cleanness, and emptiness of the heart where God resides.

"What is beauty? What is form?" Constantly pondering and asking himself, he experienced the inner light shining deep in his heart, and he finally confessed that he became much freer at last at the age of 88.

His spiritual journey, "Choi Jong-tae lived for drawing: an artist's journey of encountering freedom" was released in January 2020 by Gimmyoungsa. It is a retrospective collection of 34 essays written for the past 10 years.

He was born in 1932 in Daejeon and graduated from the sculpture at the College of Fine Arts at Seoul National University in 1958. Since then, he has constantly concentrated on drawing and sculpturing the simple image of girl through the faithful and thoughtful accompaniment of his wife. His work is becoming more spiritual and enigmatic nowadays.

In one of his essays, he shared his mysterious experiences as follows: "There was a dark tunnel. The end of the tunnel was not seen. There was only darkness all around. Without knowing, there was a signal on that darkness. It was like 'the seed of joy.' The realistic light was pondering on the inner wall of the bosom. I could feel it with touch. The background of the art is the light, which is the origin of life and the hometown of human beings. The heart of artist yearns for the light. There is the way to eternity. The artist looks around in an alley of that way. He is waiting for the hands of salvation."

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2020/02/162_283096.html

The Korea Times/ Thoughts of the Times/ Feb. 10(online), 11(offline), 2020

Other side of life 삶의 이면

Every existence in the world has some "duality" like two sides of a coin. Positive and negative, constructive and destructive exist together. Our lives are intertwined by life and death, hope and despair, dreams and failures. We try to save the world, but some people necessarily choose destructive power.

There are 31 bridges that cross the Han River in Seoul. Seoul is planning to raise the height of the guardrails of 20 bridges from 1.1 meters to 2 meters so as to prevent people from committing suicide.

According to the report on Jan. 12 of the Catholic peace newspaper, 10 families committed suicide from September to December last year. Due to the decisions made by parents, 15 children died through strangling or gas poisoning.

Their major causes of suicide are economic hardship and severe depression.

Singer-actress Sulli (Choi Jin-ri) was found dead at age 25 on Nov. 14 last year. It is said that the major reason for her sudden death was the malicious online comments and rumors leveled at her.

In 2008, actress Choi Jin-sil also committed suicide at age 40 due to the same reason. After her death, both her former husband and younger sister committed suicide as well.

Extreme stress and depression, malicious comments, an unstable income, excessive exposure of privacy, difficult life and broken heart might be some fundamental causes of death. Nowadays, because of anonymity of writing feedbacks on internet, some people talk most nakedly and critically without considering unique situations of others.

Unfortunately, Korea has one of the highest rates of suicide in the developed world. It is said that about 40 persons commit suicide a day. Various other causes such as sexual orientation, gender identity, grades, bullying, unemployment, divorce, extreme loneliness and isolation are driving people go beyond their limits.

Various NGOs, counselors, volunteer groups, and those completing charity work try to help those who suffer from all sorts of difficulties, severe depression, anxiety disorders or other mental illnesses, but there are always some blind spots.

In fact, it takes a lot of time to cope with emotional pain, loss of hope, fear of losing a relationship, traumatic stress due to childhood sexual abuse, physical abuse, war trauma or emotional instability.

Volunteering activities such as the Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Love Line Counseling Center, Taking Care of the Heart, Reading the Heart, etc. are present here and there.

When we have the goal and the strong will to live, we are inspired to overcome all challenges, no matter how demanding they might be.

One day in the midst of a loose life, St. Augustine (354-430) heard children singing "Tolle et lege!" (Take up and read!) in a Milan garden. So he read Romans 13:13-14 ― "Let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and licentiousness, not in rivalry and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh." At that time, he was 32 years old, and then, he was baptized at age 33. Another window was opened wide in front of him.

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2020/02/162_283871.html

The Korea Times/ Thoughts of the Times/ Febraury 24 online, 25 offline, 2020

Positive thinking 긍정적 사고

                                  
              (written in 2020)

Climate change constantly warns us to be careful about our way of life. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) frightens people all over the world these days.

On top of everything else, many politicians are still finding fault with one another even though we have lots of good points in this country.

Will everything just carry on? Will everything be alright? We don't know what lies ahead. We just live and do our best every moment.

In spite of cold weather and the frightening Coronavirus, nature witnesses vitality. The perseverance of nature empowers all living beings on earth.

In our garden, these days, golden yellow flowers called "Adonis amurensis" (Amur Adonis or Pheasant's eye, "bok-su-cho" in Korean) are in full bloom under the sunshine.

Without fail, "boksucho" came out of the frozen earth in early February as if to give us blessings, longevity, and eternal happiness. Yellow petals are spread to the fullest towards the sun, but they withdraw themselves immediately under the shadow. Under the freezing snow, it looks like it's dead but it comes to life under the sun again. What a marvelous image of resurrection it is!

As the flowers open their petals to the fullest under the bright sun, so we open our hearts wide when we are encouraged, loved, and inspired. Surely, positive energy attracts goodness.

"That's OK. That's alright." This positive affirmation is still lingering in my heart. "That's OK. That's alright. Everything will be well."

On my mother's final day in this life, we accompanied her for her last breaths through the whole morning in the intensive care unit. Her fragile breaths dimmed out little by little while relying on various tubes and beeping sounds. My mother couldn't say anything anymore, but it seemed that she still held something inside. Maybe she was worried about me, the youngest daughter, and some of her grandchildren. Perhaps she was concerned about the not fully resolved relationship with her second son and her first daughter… Who would know her heart? I don't know exactly what lingered in her heart just before her entrance to heaven.

Almost agonizing together, my second sister kept saying, "That's OK. That's alright." Probably because my second sister was born with solar energy; she has brighter and more optimistic perspectives of life.

I couldn't say anything at that moment. Looking at the pale face of my mother, I stood nearby and prayed. I didn't shed tears anymore. In between, we prayed aloud and sang hymns together to console her enduring departure.

Thus, life goes on. Some people go to heaven first; other people still appreciate being alive. Some people constantly point out the negative points and weaknesses, but many people still encourage and inspire one another.

Good memories help us to have an inspiring vision; they make our lives more meaningful, passionate, faithful, and creative. Several days ago, I had a stomach ache. So I took some medicine, but the pain didn't stop. Before sleeping, I placed the rosary that my mother used on top of my belly. In the morning, I was so refreshed as another new day began.

No matter how much of a struggle our reality is, life goes on. New sprouts are come out, and flowers bloom again. "That's OK. That's alright."

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2020/03/162_285532.html

The Korea Times/ Thoughts of the Times/ Mar. 4(online)/ 5(offline), 2020

God’s people and Shincheonji 하느님 백성과 신천지

Do you think the literal number of those who are righteous and pious is clearly settled at “a hundred forty and four thousand” as written in the Book of Revelation 7:3-8 and 14:1-5? The exact number of 144,000 appears three times.

Article number 1138 of “The Catechism of the Catholic Church” says that 144,000 signifies “new people of God.”

In general, this number has a symbolic meaning representing all Christians, but some, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Unification Church, New Age movements, and the Shincheonji Church of Jesus interpret the symbol of 144,000 most literally.

If the kingdom of God belongs to 144,000 persons only, what would happen to so many others who claim to be God's children around the world?

Father Lee Keum-jae of the Jeonju diocese wrote “Shincheonji Fact Check” published by the Daughters of St. Paul in 2019. Shincheonji Fact Check seeks to explain the beliefs of the Shincheonji Church.

For the past 10 years, Fr. Lee, as a chairperson of the “Action Committee for Similar Religions” in the Catholic Church, has dedicated himself to helping many followers of Shincheonji leave that organization.

In the midst of the widespread coronavirus infections, Lee Man-hee, the Shincheonji leader apologized for the spread of the virus among the sect’s members. Various YouTubes are also sharing the testimonies of those who once fell into the sect but managed to get out.

I do firmly believe that the kingdom of God is not a matter of literal numbers, material figures or outward appearance but a matter of spiritual virtues such as love, mercy, compassion, communion, forgiveness, sharing, etc.

According to my faith inherited from my parents, the life in the spirit is not based on earthly power, material possession or wealth at all. If we have something, it is to be used for common goodness. In fact, nothing is ours. Even “time” is not ours. Everything is given as gifts to be shared with one another. My parents were not all that well educated, but they were willing to help others and share what they had with others.

 To me, their lives are a good example of living the Gospels on earth. A true life witnesses the truth, and we learn how to live and love through the concrete testimony of others. I can dare to say that the truth is not a matter of doctrine, theology, ideology or denomination. The truth is life itself, especially the life in the Holy Spirit.

That’s why we unite beyond religious denominations, different philosophy or various ideologies. We can still cooperate with one another for common goodness in spite of all our differences.

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2020/03/162_286057.html

The Korea Times/ Thoughts of the Times/ March 13(online), 14(offline), 2020

Haemi Martyrdom Holy Ground 해미순교성지

In memory of the martyrs who were willing to choose death, Catholics are used to making a pilgrimage in autumn.

Recently in the lofty season when chestnuts fall like stars, I had a gracious renewal meeting for 17 days at the Queen of the Apostles’ Retreat House in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province. In celebration of the silver anniversary, our group, which consists of nine fellow sisters, visited several martyrdom holy places in the Naepo area in South Chungcheong Province.

One of them is the Haemi Martyrdom Holy Ground in Seosan. This holy place is the site where about 1,000 Catholics were buried alive at the time of the Byeongin persecution from 1866 to 1873.

During the Byeongin persecution, Catholics were executed outside the West Gate of Haemieupseong Fortress. The martyrs were buried alive in a huge pit all at once.

Proclaimed as an official international pilgrimage site by the Vatican on March 1, 2021, the Haemi Martyrdom Holy Ground has become the second official international pilgrimage site in Korea after the Seoul Catholic Pilgrimage Routes. Other official international pilgrimage sites include Jerusalem of Israel, Rome of Italy, Santiago of Spain, and 20 sites of Marian apparitions.

A 16-meter-high memorial tower was set up near Haemi Stream to pay tribute to the nameless martyrs who were buried alive.

Built in the 15th century to defend against Japanese invasion, Haemieupseong Fortress became a representative fortress in the Joseon period.

During the persecution, many Catholics from South Chungcheong Province were forced to come to Haemieupseong Fortress, where the administration office was located. They were chained up, tortured to death while hanging from the pagoda tree (Hoehwanamu), tortured with cold water or thrashed on a large flat stone.

Saint Paul the Apostle once described the suffering that he had to endure: “I am still more, with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, far worse beatings, and numerous brushes with death. Five times at the hands of the Jews I received 40 lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I passed a night and a day on the deep; on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers…; in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst, through frequent fasting, through cold and exposure.” (2 Corinthians 11:23-27)

In the footsteps of Saint Paul, faithful people put faith into practice and endured all the painful tortures only to be united with Jesus dying on the cross.

While walking around the fortress, the recent pitiful situation came into my mind. Several months ago, one priest whom I know has become brain dead due to overwork and exhaustion. He was once a beloved young priest with a promising future. How can we explain the cause of such a miserable accident? Nobody would expect such a painful accident to happen to a person who is so handsome, pure, generous, and faithful. We really don’t know anything about the future; we just live this moment here and now.

Around the world, such inexplicable suffering often happens without notice, and it joins the painful procession of numerous martyrs.

Nevertheless, time flies like an arrow. Time just passes away. And our lives go on without end. “The sun rises and the sun sets; then it presses on to the place where it rises.” (Ecclesiastes 1:5).

  

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2022/10/162_337186.html

The Korea Times/ Thoughts of the Times/ Oct. 5 (0nline), 6 (offline), 2022

  

해미순교성지

  

기꺼이 죽음을 택한 순교자들을 기리는 가톨릭 신자들은 가을이면 성지순례를 떠나곤 한다.

최근 나는 밤이 별처럼 떨어지는 드높은 계절에 경기도 여주에 있는 사도의 모후 피정의 집에서 17일 동안 은혜로운 쇄신 모임을 가졌다. 은경축을 맞은 아홉 명의 동기 수녀들로 구성된 우리 일행은 충남 내포 지역에 있는 몇몇 순교 성지를 방문했다.

그 가운데 한 곳은 서산 해미순교성지다. 이 성지는 1866년부터 1873년까지 지속된 병인박해 당시 1,000여 명의 가톨릭 신자들이 산 채로 묻힌 곳이다.

병인박해 동안 가톨릭 신자들은 해미읍성 서문 밖에서 처형되었다. 순교자들은 한꺼번에 커다란 구덩이에 생매장되었다.

2021년 3월 1일 바티칸이 국제성지로 선포한 해미순교성지는 서울대교구 순례길에 이어 한국의 두 번째 국제성지가 되었다. 또 다른 국제성지는 이스라엘의 예루살렘, 이탈리아 로마, 스페인 산티아고, 그리고 20곳의 성모님 발현지다.

해미천 가까이에서 생매장된 이름 모를 순교자들을 추모하기 위해 높이 16미터의 추모탑이 세워져 있다.

해미읍성은 일본의 침략을 막으려고 15세기에 축조된 조선시대의 대표적인 성이다.

박해 기간 동안 충남 지역의 많은 가톨릭 신자들이 관청이 자리한 해미읍성에 끌려와 철사줄에 묶였고, 회화나무에 매달린 채 고문을 당했으며, 얼음물로 고문을 받거나 커다란 자리개 돌에 때려 맞아 죽었다.

성 바오로 사도는 자신이 견뎌야 했던 고통을 이렇게 묘사했다. “나는 더욱 그렇습니다. 나는 수고도 더 많이 하였고 옥살이도 더 많이 하였으며, 매질도 더 지독하게 당하였고 죽을 고비도 자주 넘겼습니다. 마흔에서 하나를 뺀 매를 유다인들에게 다섯 차례나 맞았습니다. 그리고 채찍으로 맞은 것이 세 번, 돌질을 당한 것이 한 번, 파선을 당한 것이 세 번입니다. 밤낮 하루를 꼬박 깊은 바다에서 떠다니기도 하였습니다. 자주 여행하는 동안에 늘 강물의… 위험이 뒤따랐습니다. 수고와 고생, 잦은 밤샘, 굶주림과 목마름, 잦은 결식, 추위와 헐벗음에 시달렸습니다.”(2코린 11,23-27)

충실한 사람들은 성 바오로의 발자취를 따라 오로지 십자가에 달려 돌아가신 예수님과 하나 되기 위해 믿음을 실천하며 온갖 고통스러운 고문을 견디어 냈다.

읍성을 따라 거니는 동안 최근에 일어난 안타까운 상황이 떠올랐다. 몇 달 전, 내가 아는 한 신부님이 과로와 피로로 뇌사 상태가 되었다. 참으로 그는 장래가 유망한 사랑스러운 젊은 사제였다. 이처럼 참혹한 사고의 원인을 어떻게 설명할 수 있을까? 그 누구도 그토록 멋지고 순수하고 관대하며 충실한 사람에게 무척 고통스러운 사고가 일어나리라고 예상하지 못했다. 참으로 우리는 앞날에 대해 아무것도 모른다. 우리는 다만 지금 이 순간을 살아갈 뿐이다.

이처럼 형언할 수 없는 고통이 세상 곳곳에서 예기치 않게 자주 일어난다. 그 아픔은 수많은 순교자들의 고통스러운 행렬에 동참한다.

그럼에도 시간은 화살처럼 스쳐 지나간다. 시간은 그저 흘러갈 뿐이며 우리 삶은 한없이 이어진다. “떴다 지는 해는 다시 떴던 곳으로 숨가삐 간다.”(전도서 1,5)