Hide and Seek

3rd Sunday of Lent (A)
John 4: 24: “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and
truth.”


When I was young, I used to play the game “hide and seek” with my friends. It was a game of running and hiding. The rule of the game: Not to be found or seen! It was a simple but exciting street game. Now I don’t see children playing hide and seek. But the grown-ups are still playing this game. It is God who seeks and we are the ones hiding.

Our gospel for today is another “hide and seek” game. The seeker was Jesus and the Samaritan woman was the one hiding. She did not want to be seen. She was hiding from everybody because of her immoral life, having five husbands! Going to the well at noon (John 4:6) was the best time to avoid the crowd because people seldom go to the well at noon. But Jesus was a smart seeker. He knew how to find the sinners. He went to the well at noon.

But to catch the woman near the well was just the beginning of the game. He needed to catch the woman “within.” And so after having a lengthy conversation with her, Jesus offered the water of life and said, “Go, call your husband and come back.” (John 4:16). The woman realized that Jesus knew him well. She was found! Without any desire to hide her sins anymore to somebody who knew everything, she decided to come out openly and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus without any judgment said in reply, “You are right in saying, “I have no husband”; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!” (John 4:18). Jesus saw her sincerity to repent for she did not give any alibi or blame somebody but herself. She admitted her fault in full humility and took the responsibility.

Jesus must have admired the woman’s sincerity. The humility to accept one’s sins is the beginning of conversion and real worship. “God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24)

Anyone who finds Jesus (or shall I say, when we allow Jesus to find us), everything in this world becomes secondary. The woman found Jesus. She left her water-jar and went back to the city to tell the good news. (John 4:29).

Like the Samaritan woman, we are also playing hide and seek with God. First, we tried getting satisfaction in the different “earthly wells” – power, fame, and wealth! We feel the “thirst to grab material things” but we always end up unsatisfied and unquenched. Second, we easily see the faults of others but not ours. We hide in our “self-righteousness.”

Like what he did to the Samaritan woman, Jesus is lovingly seeking us by calling our names. Have you ever felt “emptiness” in the midst of your own security? Or a more meaningful life? Or when friends, high paying job, trip abroad and successes can no longer make you happy? Sometimes, in our desire to fill this “emptiness” within, we are tempted to seek more of these worldly desires. Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty.” (John 4:14). The choice is ours now. Follow the footstep of the Samaritan woman: Stop hiding. Accept our sins and leave our jars!

The call of CBCP for a “communal action” and the increasing call from different concerned groups for truth and accountability should be taken seriously by the Arroyo Government. All Filipinos are called again to be socially engaged – to pray and discern together, to demand truth and accountability on the ZTE scandal from the Arroyo Government and vigilance against any individuals, political parties and groups who are taking advantage of our present political situation for their own political dreams and interests.

My eyebrows rise every time I hear members of the opposition, some disgruntled congressmen and a former president shouting for moral revolution but are perceived to be corrupt themselves. Moral revolution will never come until all of us change – First, by humbly accepting that all of us have contributed something to this graft and corruption we failed to exorcise since EDSA I. Second, accept that the graft and corruptions in our government are also present in our midst. They have already metastasized in our schools, churches, offices, and even in our families in different forms.

Our gospel today is offering us a handy advice. Be like the Samaritan woman. Accept that we have our own shortcomings and misgivings to our country. I am also guilty. When we won in EDSA I and II, we promised to be more vigilant and watch our present government. But when all the euphoria died down and GMA was proclaimed President of the Philippines, I simply returned to my “non-involvement and observer” mode. For this…I ask for forgiveness. Mea Culpa!


In March 2000, Pope John Paul sought forgiveness for the many past sins of his Church, including its treatment of people of other religions during the Inquisition, the Crusades, and forced conversions of natives. John Paul knew that a genuine inter-religious dialogue with other faith was impossible without forgiveness.

Last January, President Roh Moo Hyun of South Korea apologized for the killings by police officers and troops of more than 800 citizens in the early months of the 1950-53 Korean War for their past involvement in leftist activity.

Last week, led by PM Kevin Rudd, the Australia Federal Government made an apology to the aborigines for the “stolen generations” (aboriginal children who were taken away from their families by the government and church mission from 1869 to 1969). The apology was the government’s attempt to reconcile with Australia's Indigenous people and become one people.

In this Lenten season, let’s stop hiding from our own self-righteousness. Humbly accept our faults and apologize to people we have hurt and offended.

There is a profound and liberating experience in accepting that we are all sinners … yet loved and sought by God.


- Fr. Wilfredo M. Samson,SJ
Ateneo de Zamboanga

Lotto

2nd Sunday of Lent (A)
Matthew 17: 1-9: “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased;
listen to him!”



The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office reported last Jan 21 that the winning ticket combination 4-8-11-13-22-26 won P133 Million, the largest lotto jackpot since 2002. Four lucky Filipinos became instant millionaires. Two days before, thousands from all walks of life flocked to lotto outlets nationwide after the newspaper reported the prize had gone up to P 100 million. They were hoping to become an instant millionaire!

Nilda grew up in Cagayan de Oro in a poor family. Her best friend married an American and regularly sends dollars and chocolates. Nilda followed her best friend’s advice to try the mail-order bride website. She got married to an Italian who owns a small restaurant in Rome. Nilda was not as lucky as her best friend. She was verbally and physically abused by her husband. She was treated like a house-helper by her husband’s family. She went home emotionally disturbed. Her Italian dream turned into a lifetime nightmare.

In the midst of the recent broadband deal scandal that rocks Arroyo’s government today. An Aussie friend told me that he used to admire Filipinos’ EDSA revolution in 1986. It was one of the most peaceful revolutions in the modern time. But he was amazed how EDSA II, the so called “EDSA III”, and numerous coup d’etat followed suit. He commented, “In the Philippines, if the Filipinos want to change their President, they just march to EDSA or to Manila Peninsula and call for people power. Instant political solution!

I am a veteran of EDSA I and EDSA II; but with the present scandal in the Arroyo government, I am not that keen to join another people power movement to oust President Arroyo. Corruption in this administration should be condemned but I don’t want other parties and individuals to capitalize the situation for their own selfish political interest. CBCP calls for a “communal action;” but it should not be equated to rallies and street protest. We should engage ourselves in a serious prayer, careful discernment, and have a broad-based consultation and dialogue, and not to jump hastily to another EDSA for the sake of ending it soon or to just get rid of GMA. I am tired of moving in circles. The two EDSAs where we victoriously ousted a corrupt government in haste did not bring us to new heights.

There is a “lotto attitude” in our midst, the culture of instant gratification. Anything that is “instant” is good! Instant coffee, instant noodles, instant pain-killer, instant trial separation, and instant college degree from the “diploma factory” in Recto Avenue. We want to lose weight in few weeks but we don’t want strenuous exercise and disciplined diet. We take Bangkok Pills! We don’t want to fall in long line and sweat for our driver’s license. And so we pay the “fixers.”
We want everything to be done quickly. We don’t have patience anymore to go through the process and struggle. We want shortcuts… we want quick results. We do not want inconvenience. We do not want to suffer. We avoid the cross. And because of that, we don’t grow.

In our gospel, Jesus took with him Peter, James and John and led them to Mount Tabor where he was transfigured instantly before their eyes. Jesus allowed his disciples to get a glimpse of his divinity to inspire them and see the possibilities of their own transformation.

Peter was awe-struck, “Lord it is good that we are here. I will make three tents here …” At that instant, he wanted to set up an instant dwelling place with Jesus, Moses and Elijah. The moment was so consolingly beautiful that Peter did not want to leave the mountain anymore.

But the voice of the Father interrupted him, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” The words of the Father was intended for the disciples and summed up everything. Our own transfiguration is not in the mountain but down in the plain - by listening to Jesus and carrying our daily crosses faithfully, “bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God” (2 Tim 1:8).

On their way down, Jesus said, “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” Jesus wanted to keep his messianic secret. He did not want “instant disciples” who sees him as an instant messiah who can deliver anything instantly! Jesus wants real disciples – seasoned and matured by their daily crosses and struggles. Jesus does not want spiritual babies … he wants spiritual giants!

We have glimpses of hope to inspire us. We need not to be mesmerized and tempted by the culture of instant gratification! We need to be at “home” with the virtues of waiting, sacrifice, hard work, monotonous daily work, and commitment. When God commanded Adam to till the soil and Eve to suffer pain in child bearing, these were not only for punishment but for corrections. God wanted them to see the value of hard work and enduring pain. God was giving them opportunity to correct their mistakes and regain their human dignity after falling to the devil’s temptation of instant gratification. In our last Sunday’s gospel, Jesus did survive the temptation of instant food, honour and power. (Mark 4:1-11).

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin,SJ summarized it well: “Above all, trust in the slow work of God. We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay. We like to skip the intermediate stages. We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new. And yet it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability- and that it may take a very long time…Give Our Lord the benefit of believing that his hand is leading you, and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.”

One Friday morning in New Bilibid Prison, an inmate came to me for confession. In the end of his long litany of sins, he said, “Father, mas masarap palang pakainin ng tuyo o sardinas ang aking pamilya mula sa aking pawis kaysa ng masasarap ng pagkain na galing naman sa pagnanakaw.” I gave him God’s absolution and blessing. His face lit. Tears flowed in his face. And he smiled … A glimpse of human transfiguration!


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

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