More than Many Sparrows

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Matthew 10: 26-33 “So do not be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows”



Nowadays, if you want to begin your day with fear or “with a bad start” … begin by reading newspapers! After reading the newspaper for just five minutes, fear… anxiety… uncertainties will dawn on you! Just this morning, I read that another possible series of oil increase and oil may hit an all time high P60 per litre. Samar Island and parts of Leyte province, including Tacloban City are now in darkness after strong winds caused a massive power failure; Some provinces in Iloilo are now under water up to the roof of the house caused by the typhoon Frank, and now battering the whole Metro Manila with strong winds and rains; plus the usual newspaper favourite reports on kidnapping, massacre, and other heart breaking news.

That is why I don’t want to begin my day by reading the newspaper for it will only spoil my day or even my breakfast. Newspaper for me is a thing to be done after my morning prayer and a good breakfast with my Jesuit brothers. A sociologist had said that the first five minutes of your day upon waking up will dictate the tempo or mood of your day. If you begin your day with fear and anxieties, your whole day will be full of fear and anxieties. If you begin your day with prayer, thanksgiving that we are still alive, and ask for God’s guidance to give us enlightenment to see Him moving in spite of the seemingly difficult situation of our families and our country, then our whole day will be a day of hope. After my prayer … I am now ready to read the newspaper, because in the end, the call is not to run away from our world but to face it with God.

In our gospel for today, it is interesting to note the word “Do not fear” was mentioned three times, as if Matthew wanted us really to remember those words as the central message of this gospel. DO NOT FEAR. When Matthew wrote his gospel, about 50 years after the death of Jesus, the early Christian communities had already begun experiencing trial via persecutions. In order to encourage them, Matthew reminded them that the Master had foreseen what would happen. And so Jesus consoled them by telling them not to fear for He will be with us.

But to have peace because we know Jesus is with us is not enough. Jesus wants to relay the same message to others through us. We need to do something and reach out. We are God’s visible hand. God gave us a hand … not only for us to receive graces from Him with an open hand and to our pockets… but we need to use our hands also to share what we have received. If upon waking up … I realize that I am healthy, maybe I should visit a friend or somebody who is sick in the hospital. Upon waking up, I realize that I have something to eat for breakfast; maybe I should give something to somebody who still needs to find breakfast. If upon waking up, I realize that my father and mother want an annulment, I can still be grateful to God because I still have parents, while others have none at all; therefore I should do something to help fixed the problem. Upon waking up, open your eyes, thank God and know that our problem is lighter than others and we are more fortunate than other people.

The grace is to know that we are blessed and fortunate and everything is gift; and therefore after receiving, I need to share according to my means… and according to what my arms can reach. In the end, this world is actually a very liveable and beautiful world when we know that someone cares and will lend a helping hand. I guess, natural calamities and man-made crisis like the rice and oil crisis will always be there… and people will continue to starve… but we can always share something to ease the hunger for food and the hunger for love. Jesus said in our gospel today, “What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light, what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.” The Christian optimist sees opportunity in every danger; the pessimist sees danger in every opportunity. For Jesus, running away was never an option.

Our gospel for today is challenging us to be more daring and courageous to face our trials and see opportunity in our crisis. Be confident to face the challenges in your life, be creative, think outside the box and strategize in order to reach out and help less fortunate people! Orient yourself with your family’s crisis by staying home and finding a solution and not by running away. Do not fear. Orient yourself with our country’s situation by reading the newspaper, if the solution is beyond your control, at the least pray for our country and then do something within your reach.

Our gospel says, ““Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” God knows us well … and He knows also our capacity to do something for others. Do not fear. To those who know how to go beyond and share themselves to others, they discover God’s love and presence within them.

In the first chapter of St. Augustine’s classic, City of God, it addresses the disaster of the destruction of Rome by the barbarians. Augustine narrated all the suffering of the people and emphasized that the Barbarians tortured, raped and killed the Christians. They desecrated and destroyed the churches, but they failed to desecrate the Presence of God in the believing Christian, and could not steal God from them.

We have valid reasons to fear in our present situation today. Yes, we have to take care of our families, particularly our children. Yes, we have to be careful about our own health, going to the doctors when we need to, eating correctly etc, etc. And yes, we do need to be alert from the bombings, kidnappings, robberies, oil increase, and rice crisis in our midst. But fear? No, we do not need to fear. No matter what happens to us, we will always have God. We do not need to be afraid.

So the next time you turn on the news or pick up the paper and read: Alert, Breaking News, Crisis looms or whatever, remember even if the news is far more serious than the rice crisis and the Ces Drillon kidnapping, or less serious than the coming fight of Pacquiao this month, or as mundane as who will be the members of the next season of Pinoy Big Brothers, the only thing that you and I need to be concerned with, is the One thing that makes every moment of our life not just bearable but beautiful, and that is the very Presence of the Love of God within each of us. He will make a way. And he will make all things beautiful in His time.

With faith and conviction, let us console one another.
Jesus tells us, “Do not be afraid; you, we, are worth more than many sparrows.”


- Fr.Willy M. Samson,SJ

Operation: Lost and Found

3rd Sunday of Easter
Luke 24:13-35: “But we had hoped that he was the one who was going
to redeem Israel.”


Mario and Angelo are best of friends. They are like real brothers. They love playing Nitendo games, eat chocolates and ice cream, and spend time studying together. One day, Mario was diagnosed with cancer and his doctor gave him 6 months to live. Fear overwhelmed Mario, “What will I do now?” But Angelo simply said, “We will continue playing Nitendo, eat chocolates and ice cream, and study together.” And so they did. But when Mario is in deep pain, he is surprisingly calm and in good spirit. Angelo asked him, “Are you not afraid to die?” Mario smiled, “I’m in pain but I am not afraid to die. If God can send me a friend who is always at my side and holds my hands when I am in pain, how much more of God when I die? God will take care of me.”

The hope that Easter brings should inspire us to seek and save people from their shattered dreams, depression, fear, grieve, loneliness and hopelessness. As Easter people, we are called to help Jesus in his “Lost and Found” operation. Lost souls are all around us, crying out for help and just waiting to be found. All we need to do is to walk with them, listen to their stories and break bread.

Our gospel begins with Cleopas and another disciple discussing on their way to Emmaus. Like the rest of the disciples, they are lost souls – disheartened and disappointed with their master’s humiliating death and failure to redeem Israel from the Roman Empire. Dream time is over. It is time to pack up things and return to the ordinaries. The death of Jesus, their very promising master, shattered all their dreams. They have lost hope, lost heart and lost all visions.

The first step to recover lost souls is “to be with them.” Walk with them in their journey. Jesus walked with the disciples on their way to Emmaus. To “walk with” is to be present and offer companionship. To “walk with” is to be a “loving presence” – always assuring but non-threatening, accepting but non-judging and supporting but not imposing. To know that somebody is accompanying us without demanding anything has a calming effect. When Jesus accompanied the disciples along the road, he did not even demand to change their direction and return to Jerusalem. Due respect was given to them. It was a walk of trust and companionship.

Second, we need to understand them by listening to their stories. Encourage them to tell their stories and listen faithfully by dropping all our biases, judgment and boxes. Each person is uniquely created by God and has “his-story” or “her-story” to tell. In the advent of global community and modern communication today, where everybody is a phone or e-mail away, it is ironic that we become more strangers to one another. We don’t have the patience to listen well to people, especially of their frustrations and difficulties. We don’t want to be involved for many reasons and we find a good excuse by telling ourselves we are busy with more important things. The greeting “Kumusta ka na?” is just a cliché. I was slightly offended by a friend who said “Kumusta ka na?” but his eyes were fixed on a pretty lady.

But Jesus knows how to listen after posting a question to the disciples, “What are you discussing?” He allowed his disciples to express their frustrations and ventilate their feelings. By listening to their story, Jesus entered into their life and understood them. But in the process of telling their story, they also gained self-understanding. In the end, they also gained insight and realized their own misconception about Jesus.

After listening to the disciples’ frustrations, Jesus gained understanding of their failure to recognize him: “We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.” (Luke 24:21). Their minds and hearts were fixated to see only one thing: a victorious Jesus according to the world’s standard. It was a selective seeing. Jesus gave them a piece of his mind and said, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! (Luke 24:25). And he corrected the disciples’ vision and misconception by patiently telling his story again in different perspective. He explained what was said in the Scriptures beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, the savior must suffer and then enter his glory (Luke 24:26-27). It was a complete cycle, Jesus patiently listened to the disciples’ story, and so when his time came to tell his story, the disciples returned the kindness by listening patiently to Jesus. It is the secret of a good dialogue.

When evening came, the two disciples requested Jesus to stay with them. The invitation to stay was not a concern for the stranger’s safety traveling alone on the road, but they felt a great need for the stranger. There was “something” in him they badly need. They wanted his company – they felt at home. The stranger reminded them of something they forgot – the call to do something more, the call to love.

A free meal is expected from the host when one is invited to stay. The disciples invited Jesus; therefore the disciples were expected to feed Jesus. But it was Jesus who fed them – a reversal of role! The visitor feeding the two lost hosts! To save souls, we need to wear the garment of the host – to be equally warm, receptive and accommodative to all. The host wants his guests to feel home away from home.

It makes sense why it is hard for us to accompany somebody in their difficulties, loneliness and hopelessness … we will always end up as host. To host is to serve. In the breaking of bread, it is the host who offers his own bread and initiates the breaking. Breaking bread involves listening, understanding, loving, and forgiving – these are not easy without love. And so Jesus commanded his disciples to love one another (John 13:34) and then break bread together, “Do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19). It is in the breaking of bread that eyes are opened and see that we are being accompanied and loved! Jesus prepared a good breakfast for Peter and company after returning to their old job of fishing: “When they landed, they saw a charcoal fire there with a fish laid on it and some bread.” (John 21:9). When Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples, he asked, “Have you anything here to eat?” (Luke 24:41). It was a command to break bread when somebody is lost.

The word “companion” came from the Latin word “cum” and “panis” which means “with” and “bread.” When there’s companionship, there should be breaking of bread. Breaking of bread is an intimate sacrament of acceptance, forgiveness and companionship.

Jesus did a lot of bread breaking after the resurrection. And He is doing it everyday through the Eucharist to prevent us from being lost. And as Easter people, breaking bread should be part of our family, friends and community activity.
The power of unconditional love as manifested in the spirit of accompaniment and genuine listening opened the eyes of the disciples. The realization, “were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road…” (Luke 24:32), gave them the courage to stop running away and return to Jerusalem. Love has the power to recover. Love has the power to give life. The two disciples recognized Jesus through the breaking of bread. And without any words from Jesus, they immediately returned to Jerusalem to break bread with the rest of the disciples.

Go now. Start recovering souls. Break bread and win a brother!


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