Spirituality of Communion

• Plastic use in Japan:

  • Everyday use of plastic/waste can lead to climate change and global warming
  • Using plastic is not bad as long as it is properly disposed
• Hedonism:

  • The end justifies the means
  • Desiring what is pleasurable and believing that what is pleasurable is good
  • Life seen as a quest for pleasure and satisfaction of human passions
  • Philosophy that focuses only on pleasure, whether good or bad, as long as it is pleasurable for the individual
  • Doctrine that states sensual pleasure is the ultimate goal of life
  • Becomes problematic when focus shifts from the purpose of sex in marriage
• Planned Obsolescence:

  • Objects have an expiry date where they become unusable and need replacement
• Perceived Obsolescence:

  • Feeling the need to buy something new even if the object is still useful because the market suggests it
• Hedonism & the Human Person:

  • Hedonism devalues a person and human life
  • In medical field, people are seen as patients without considering their feelings and need for compassion
• Hedonism & the Environment:

  • Hedonism indirectly destroys the correct view of a human being
  • Money providing pleasure can lead to destruction of the environment
  • Not caring about the environment indirectly harms human beings
• Hedonism & Consumerism:

  • Consumerism rooted in hedonism
  • Hedonism paired with throwaway culture is problematic
  • Consumerism leads to wastefulness and inequality in society
• Throwaway Culture:

  • Following what is popular at the time and discarding items when they are no longer useful
  • Leads to consumerism and destroys the view of a person
  • Creates a culture of disposability and exploitation of human life and natural resources
• Hakot/Tambak System:

  • Collect and dump system that is not ecological or sustainable
  • Current system of discards management is disposal, not management
  • Leads to the creation of dumpsites and landfills like Payatas and Smokey Mountain
• Indicators of Throwaway Culture:

  • Wasting resources due to consumerism and market economy
  • Senseless contraception and abortion
  • Abandonment of elderly and handicapped
  • Exclusion of the poor and exploitation of the weak
  • Discarding genuine relationships and vows of marriage love
• Spirituality of Mercy:

  • Understanding Christian mercy
  • Mercy as the path towards real happiness as opposed to the throwaway culture
• Christian understanding of Mercy:

  • Mercy is the path towards real happiness as opposed to the throw-away culture
  • Mercy softens hearts and teaches the spirituality of mercy as an antidote for the throwaway culture created by hedonism and consumerism
• Throwaway culture:

  • Putting to waste things that could be reused for another purpose
  • The poor are the first to receive the effects of global warming and environmental destruction
  • People are deemed useless and poor, leading to exclusion or being thrown away
• Responsible-consumption:

  • Protecting God's gifts for future generations to enjoy
• Culture of solidarity:

  • Everyone is considered a brother/sister
  • No one, criminal or not, is disposable
  • In contradiction to individualism and indifference
• Culture of encounter:

  • Active concern for the poor, weak, and vulnerable
  • Understanding the feelings of others and feeling mercy
  • Addressing problems and listening to their cries
• Definition of Mercy:

  • "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy" - Matthew 5:7
  • Jesus Christ is the face of the Father's mercy
• Mercy according to the Bible:

  • Old Testament:
  • Chesed (Hebrew): Loving-kindness, steadfast loyalty, unfailing love
  • Rachamim (Hebrew): Pity, compassion, forgiveness despite anger
  • New Testament:
  • Eleeos (Greek): Combines Chesed and Rachamim
  • Splanka (Greek): Denotes warm feelings from the core of a person
• Final Judgment:

  • Lack of mercy leads to sin
  • Unmerciful behavior can lead to hell, emphasizing the importance of mercy
• Obstacles to being merciful:

  • Self-centeredness, self-pity, pride, selfishness hinder being merciful
  • Even when aware of mercy, these obstacles can prevent showing mercy
• Human mercy according to St. Thomas Aquinas:

  • Grounded in human vulnerability and suffering
  • Misericordia (Latin): Having a miserable heart for another's misery
  • Two aspects: Affective mercy (emotion) and Effective mercy (positive action)
• Characteristics of Mercy:

  • Charity towards God is greater than mercy, but mercy towards neighbors in need is the supreme virtue in man
  • Mercy is proven through relationships with others and effective actions to relieve suffering
• Towards contemplation:

  • God's love for the world through His Son
  • The intrinsic dignity and value of all creatures
  • The interconnectedness of all beings and the call to lead each other towards God
• Laudato Si:

  • Emphasizes the word "care" and "stewardship"
  • Shift from duty-based ethics to virtue-based ethics of care
  • Culture of care as an antidote to the degradation of throwaway culture