Jesus Loves Pinoy Movies

1st Sunday of Lent (A)
Matthew 4:1-11: “Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and
Ministered to him.”


A good number of Filipinos do not watch Pinoy movies. They find it baduy, cheap and very predictable. You can easily know a Pinoy movie even without the benefit of the sounds! There are movie elements that are distinctively present in many Pinoy movies. The villains are wearing black jackets even in hot season. Its Pinoy when a dying character (usually the father or mother of the “bida”) has its last minute “words of advice” while catching his/her last breathe. It’s really Pinoy when the bida (hero) and kontrabida (villain) exchange dialogues before they exchange gunfire. The bida (with his sidekick who provides the comedy relief) will dispose or annihilate all the villains single-handedly, and when they are all dead or helpless, the police will suddenly arrive to arrest and handcuff the kontrabidas. End of story.

Today is the 1st Sunday of Lent. We continue our 40 days of prayerful preparation for our Easter celebration by remembering our own struggles against evil. Like Jesus, we do have our own bouts with evil and its daily temptation. We have our own failures against temptation. The season of Lent is a time to ask for forgiveness for the times we fell into the devil’s trap, do some concrete actions to strengthen our capacity to say “no” to temptations, and beg God to give us the grace to do it.

Close your eyes and imagine our gospel for today. And you will say it is like watching a typical Pinoy movie. Jesus (the bida) and the devil (the kontrabida) were also engaged in an exchange of words. The devil knew Jesus was hungry, weak, and vulnerable after 40 days of fasting in the desert. He seized the opportunity and tempted Jesus with his “best, time-tested and self-tested baits” - riches, honor and pride; but Jesus overcame the three temptations because of his faithfulness to God the Father and deep knowledge of the scriptures.

Like any typical Pinoy movie, where the police usually arrive after the bida’s encounter with the villain is over, the angels came and ministered to Jesus after the devil left him. In the original Greek of Matthew, the phrase "devil left him" was in the historic present tense, indicating a lack of permanence, that is, the devil would later return to further tempt Jesus (Luke 4:13). In Pinoy movies, a sequel is coming if the defeated villain will say, “Babalik ako, hindi pa tapos ang laban.” True to his nature, the devil returned again to tempt Jesus but in a different but more lethal attack: First, persecution from the Pharisees and unbelievers that will lead to his arrest. Second, temptation to abandon God’s will during his court trials, carrying of the cross, and crucifixion. Even when he was dying on the cross where he was most vulnerable, he was tempted by the people, “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” (Matthew 27:40) – An echo of the devil’s words: “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” (Matthew 4:3) and “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, He will command his angels concerning you.” (Matthew 4:6) … but Jesus was determined. His determination led him to his death on the cross. But the Father who saw everything vindicated Jesus by resurrecting him. A happy Pinoy ending!

Our own experiences confirm our struggle against the lure of evil spirits. The temptation of riches, honor and pride will always be there and will never stop until we are buried six feet under. The devil will never raise his white flag on us and give up because he hates happy ending. We can win against evil and its temptations. Evil may leave us for a while but he will definitely come again to tempt us, especially during our most vulnerable and unguarded moments. The devil knows us very well. He knows how to get us!

St. Ignatius, in his rules for the discernment of spirits, explicitly stated the strategy of the evil spirit: The conduct of our enemy maybe compared to the tactics a commander of an army. They will encamp, explore the fortifications and defenses of the stronghold, and attack at the weakest point. In the same way, the enemy of our human nature investigates from every side all our virtues, theological, cardinal and moral. Where he finds the defenses of eternal salvation weakest and most deficient, there he attacks and tries to take us by storm.” (Spiritual Exercises, 326). The devil knows us well, he knows our spiritual waterloo. Therefore we need know, fortify and guard our weaknesses, limitations and vulnerabilities.

Jesus knew that he could not defeat evil by compromising with evil. The devil’s temptation is always attractive and hard to resist – the standards of the world. Jesus proposed the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) for our spiritual fortification to counteract the devil’s temptation. Jesus laid down the non-compromising values of the Christian faith and he fought for them even if it means dying on the cross.

When the devil saw Jesus’ determination against temptations was unshakeable, he left Jesus. The police came … I mean, the angels came and ministered Jesus. The word ministered is often interpreted as the angels feeding Jesus. This ending to the temptation narrative is a common literary device of using a “feast scene” to emphasize a happy ending.

Jesus was very determined against temptation for he found his real treasure - The love of God the Father. When one finds his/her treasure, everything becomes secondary. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21).

Fr. Pedro Arrupe,SJ somehow summarizes it: Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you will do with your evenings, how you will spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love and it will decide everything

The next time you watch a Pinoy movie, do invite Jesus. He will definitely come with you! Remember, Jesus loves Pinoy movies because he loves happy ending!


- Fr. Willy M. Samson,SJ
College Chaplain
Ateneo de Zamboanga

Baligtaran

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
Matthew 5:1-12a: “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven”


When I was young, my Lolo would tell me not to play in the forest. The forest dwarfs might play with me and I will lose my way home. But he told me the solution: Invert my shirt and I will find my way back home. I have never been lost in the forest but I know it is not true. But I have a hunch this is also true…not in the real forest but in the “forest of life.” We need to invert, not our shirt, but our values in life in order to find our way back to God.

We are lost in the forest of life. First, we are caught in this vicious race for power, fame, security, and wealth. For many of us, happiness and success means to gain more and to control more. Second, the society dictates the meaning of success and happiness and we unconsciously aspire for them. Who told us that a lady or gentleman should be married in order to be truly happy? Who told us we should have at least a million peso in the bank to be successful? Who told us the “in-thing” today is to be able to say, “When I was in New York or in Sydney….” Who told us that being a public teacher or public servant is a lost cause? Who told us that the Philippines is a hopeless case?

Jesus dramatically challenges the values of the world by proposing the opposite, and challenges us to re-align our own values according to God’s standard. In Greek, the word “beatitudes” means "blessed" or "happy." A more contemporary translation: “a person who possesses an inner contentment and happiness that is not dictated by the external conditions". The Beatitudes answer an ancient inquiry as to what, ultimately constitutes happiness. Jesus explicitly preached in the Beatitudes – happiness does not lie in temporal and worldly pleasure, wealth, power, or prestige. The Beatitudes simply tell us that people who are not normally considered “successful or happy” in our society’s standard are in fact “blessed by God” and will inherit the Kingdom of God. Baligtaran!

A friend of mine who can easily buy the top of the line electronic gadgets, spend a fortune in a cruise all over Europe, surrounded by well-known people in the society, and has the access to everything the world can offer suddenly attempted to kill himself. He told me, “Willy, now I realized money cannot make people happy.” "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

An Ateneo college student decided to go home after six months of stowing away from his family after finding out that his father has another family. He realized that running away was a coward’s way of dealing with their family problem. He returned home and reconciled with his family. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

At the latest Primetime Emmy Awards, the Winner for Creative Arts, Kathy Griffin said in her acceptance speech, “A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus. This is my God now!” She was referring to her Emmy’s trophy as her God. Congratulations Kathy Griffin; but I am not sure if your “new god” can save you when your borrowed life comes to an end. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Fr.Rey Roda was tortured and killed by his abductors last month. His fingernails were extracted, his head was hacked, and his body was riddled with more than 20 bullets. He could have save his life if he listened to those death threats he regularly received and abandoned Tawi-tawi. But he decided to stay in his genuine desire to serve the poor Muslims of Tawi-tawi. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

On May 1981, John Paul II was shot and critically wounded by Mehmet Ali Ağca, a Turkish gunman. Ali Agca was sentenced to life imprisonment. Two years after, Christmas 1983, John Paul II visited the prison where Ali Agca was being held. The two spoke privately for 20 minutes. John Paul II said, “I spoke to him as a brother whom I have pardoned and who has my complete trust." Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy

A young prison volunteer donated one of his two kidneys to his brother who needed a kidney transplant. He knew that his brother’s body might reject his kidney and go to waste. He took the risk. He gambled a part of himself for the sake of his brother’s health. A Grade school boy gave his “baon” to an old woman begging for food at the gate of Ateneo. He was scolded by his yaya. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.

A taxi driver found a new laptop computer inside his taxi and happily returned it to the owner. The grateful owner gave him P2,000; but many laughed at the taxi driver’s “foolishness” after humbly declined someone’s offer to buy the laptop at P30,000. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Mahatma Gandhi was the pioneer of Satyagraha —a simple, but profound philosophy that advocates “Active Non-Violence resistance” against all forms of evil —which led India to independence. We have our own People’s Power Movement in 1986. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.

God loves men and women who hunger and thirst for peace and justice… who must work hard to feed his family… who are but unknown heroes or workers in power struggles played by the rich, powerful, and influential people… who follows what’s in their heart and goes out of the box … who are willing to be called “Tanga o Baliw” rather than to give-in to social pressures and worldly standards … and who must often suffer for their belief. St. Paul in encouraging the early church said, “Not many of you where wise by human standards. God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong… to reduce to nothing those who are something.” (1 Cor 1:26-28).

In the end, when we finally reach the gate of heaven. The gatekeeper will never ask the following questions: Do you have one million in the bank? Do you have a Phd, Licentiate, or Masters? Are a graduate of Harvard or Ateneo? Have you been in New York or Paris? Or what was your job and position? Do you have an Emmy or Oscar Trophy or Ateneo Award? These things do not matter anymore in heaven. The gatekeeper’s question is simply, “Were you able to love other people and made them happy?” In heaven … Only Love matters!

I won’t be surprised anymore if I reach heaven and find out that all citizens in heaven wear their shirts inverted.


- Fr.Willy M. Samson,SJ
Sacred Heart Chapel
Ateneo de Zamboanga