Why Fast?

Friday after Ash Wednesday
Matthew 9:14-15 "Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do
not fast?"



Tragic news made us sad yesterday. A Grade IV student from Ateneo de Manila University died on the spot when a speeding car hit him at the school’s parking area. Everybody knows that it was not intentional. Maybe the lady driver, out of panic, stepped on the gasoline pedal instead of the break. It was a fatal mistake that caused one life. But it was not intentional.

I might not commit a big mistake and unintentionally kill somebody. But in my own little way, I may have hurt people unknowingly with my unkind words and harsh action because of my insensitivity and selfishness.

The gospel today is not discounting the value of fasting. In fact, Jesus tells us that fasting must be done in the right context and understanding.

Some of us abstain from eating because they want to lose weight. That’s not fasting but dieting.

Some of us do fast as a form of penance for their sins. It’s not really fasting but mortification – a self denial that helps a person overcome both psychological and physical weakness, and helps him grow in virtue.

But real fasting is when we consciously or intentionally denied ourselves of our needs and think of the need of other people. That’s fasting! It must always be an “other-oriented” action. God said, “This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own.” (Isaiah 58:6-7).

In this Lenten season, let’s purify ourselves with our self-centeredness; and think “others.” The more we think of others, the more we become sensitive to their feelings and needs, and the more we avoid unintentionally hurting others.

Today, let' set aside our habit of “unintentionally hurting each other.” Let’s try the habit of “INTENTIONALLY LOVING EACH OTHER.” That’s the best way to fast.



- Willy M. Samson,SJ
Sacred Heart Chapel
February 27, 2009

Fantastic Four

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 2: 1-12 “Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up
the roof above Him”


July 2008, World Youth Day, Sydney, a Filipino priest on his way home to his sponsor family had a casual conversation with an old Aussie lady standing on the train station. The priest felt something was wrong and politely asked, “Are you okay ma’am?” The lady said in surprise, “You know Father, for many years, I don’t go to the Church anymore. I committed a grave sin. I don’t know if God had forgiven me.” The woman continued, “But when you asked me if I am okay, it is as if God telling me I am forgiven. I guess it’s time to return to Him.” A simple question of concern brought back to God a long lost sinner.

Ten years ago, when I was in Kitaotao, Bukidnon, I witnessed how painful for somebody out there in the middle of nowhere to die of cancer. No medicines. No pain-killer. No extra-ordinary intervention from a hospital. No air-conditioned room. No nurses and doctors at his bedside. But he died in peace in the presence of his loving family. Presence matters.

We cannot deny that we are surrounded by people who need help. We do meet them everyday, sometimes we just don’t care. Yet if we have the “heart of God,” we cannot just ignore them and live in peace.

Our gospel today is a classic example of what “reaching out” means. Like leprosy, the Jews believed that paralysis was also caused by sin. Somehow, the four friends knew that only Jesus could heal their paralyzed friend. In Mark’s desire to highlight the extra-ordinary effort of the fantastic four, he gave details of the obstacles they would encounter in their “caring mission”: “Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door. (Mark 2:2) ” The situation was very frustrating. Everybody wanted a share of Jesus’ attention. It was four against hundreds. It was easier for the four to say, “Better luck next time, my friend” than to go through all those inconveniences of coming near to Jesus. But the physical obstacles did not discourage them from bringing their friend closer to Jesus. They were insulted and mocked when they tried bringing their friend through the door, but to no avail. And they received more curses and insults when they climbed the roof. More or less they have calculated the risk of doing something unthinkable (make a hole on the roof!) and they were willing to pay the price, the fury of the crowd. But their detestable action in the eyes of the crowd gained admiration in eyes of Jesus. Their determination, imagination and all out support to their friend compelled Jesus to heal their friend: “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Child, your sins are forgiven." (Mark 2:5). And the paralyzed man was healed.

It dawned on me that there are hundreds of “paralyzed people” in our society today. Some of them are just a “look” away from us. They have the desire to come to God but they do not know how. Some have heart paralysis – they do not know how to forgive. Some have hand paralysis – they don’t know how to share. Some have foot paralysis – they can’t move on. And some have eye paralysis – they see people as “things.” Let’s encourage them to exercise their hearts and move on.

When was the last time you invited a non-church goer to attend Mass? When was the last time you visited a long lost friend? Have you ever tried sending a note of thanks to your favourite retired grade school teacher? What about visiting our forgotten Lolos and Lolas in Talon-talon Home for the aged? When was the last time you watched a Tagalog movie with a friend who is an avid fan of Piolo Pascual or Ai Ai delas Alas? A surprise dinner for three - for you and your parents? A new shirt for the school janitor? The possibilities of doing something “life giving” for others are innumerable. Be creative. Be imaginative and we can make others happy. Let’s create a “hole” in their hearts with our unwavering support, unchanging love, and continuing invitation to move out from their miseries and woes. Let them feel that we are determined and serious in helping them.

I am eternally grateful to my friend Fr. Pat Falguera, SJ. I owe him my vocation to the Society of Jesus. When I was in UST and reviewing for my Civil Engineering Board Exam, I used to see him at the Main Library. He was very “makulit” (persistent) in inviting me to join the Jesuits, “O kailan ka papasok?” Because of his untiring invitation, I finally went to Ateneo de Manila and applied in the Society of Jesus. The rest is history

The gospel reminds us of our responsibility to reach out, care, and make a difference. Don’t give up. Transcend the obstacles. Think of the roof and make a hole. Think creatively how you can bring someone a little closer to God. We do not need magic and heroes to save the world. Be “makulit.” Wear that “never give-up” spirit and someday, you will achieve a breakthrough - a “hole” in their hearts.

When I was in New Bilibid Prison, the most intimate and soul-searching conversations I had with the prisoners happened in mundane moments, while we are playing chess, dama, and scrabbles. The best way to bring people closer to God is not through catechism, homilies and seminars, but in a “friendly walk” with them. A hardened heart and a paralyzed spirit cannot resist a “faith-full” friend.

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Let me end my homily with words of wisdom from Leo Buscaglia:
“The majority of us lead quiet, unheralded lives as we pass through this world. There will most likely be no ticker-tape parades for us, no monuments created in our honour. But that does not lessen our possible impact, for there are scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come along. Someone who will live a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have a potential to turn a life around. It's overwhelming to consider the continuous opportunities there are to make our love felt.”








- Fr.Willy M. Samson,SJ
Zamboanga Catedral
February 22, 2009

Be Made Clean

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
Mark 1: 40-45: “Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and
said to him, ‘I do will it. Be made clean’.”


During the time of Jesus, leprosy was believed to be deforming, incurable, and contagious. Lepers were ostracized by their community and families, and forced to live in the dessert or outside the villages. As the leprosy advances, the leper hardly looks human. No fingers. No toes. Face disappearing. No one wanted to draw near, no one wanted to touch them. And in a sense, they could not touch, for they could not feel anything at all. They don’t comb their hair, carry bells in their waist, and shout “unclean, unclean” as they walk to warn people of their coming. They are usually called the living dead. The Jews in the past believed that they were cursed by God because of their sins. Anyone who came in contact with them was considered “unclean” and could not go to the temple to worship God. The pain of being completely cast out of the community was really devastating.

Surprisingly, the leper’s wish to Jesus was not to be healed from leprosy but to make him clean. We miss the point of the gospel if we think that the leper’s request is equivalent to “Heal my leprosy.” The leper’s request was “I want to worship God. I want to be a part of God’s people, in relationship with Him. I want to touch others, to be in relationship to the people of God.” Of course he wanted physical healing. But becoming clean was much more important than to be healed. To be clean is to be able to return to his family, community, and the temple to worship God.

When I think of the story, I thank God for giving me a healthy skin. For us, a healthy and supple skin is an asset. We even spend a lot for moisturizers, conditioners, and lotion to keep our skin young and soft. Yet, the leper in our gospel is telling us a different kind of leprosy, hiding and living in our soul – that leprosy is called sin. This spiritual leprosy is much more dreadful and dangerous than the skin leprosy. Like the skin leprosy, it could ostracize us from our family, friends, community and God. Sin could destroy all relationships and isolates us from everybody.

How many families are broken because of unfaithfulness? How many of us are sulking in loneliness because of our failure to forgive? How many people have we hurt and in pain because of our insensitivity and selfishness? How many of us have closed our eyes and ears to the needs of our less fortunate brothers and sisters because we don’t want to leave our own comfort zones? We are tainted with our own spiritual leprosy because of our own selfishness and self-centeredness. And like the skin leprosy, if left untreated, our spiritual leprosy could eat us away, go deep into our being, and gradually destroy us and our connectedness to others and to God.

Today, we are fortunate that this skin disease is now curable. Thanks to modern medicine. But our sin, the hidden leprosy, is still with us, deeply rooted in our hearts. It is deeply imbedded in our hearts that sometimes we don’t even feel that it is there. Some of us may even say, “Ganito na talaga ako, hindi ko na iyan mababago” Deeply rooted sins can control and destroy us, unless we do something about them. How? Learn from the leper.

I admire this “unknown leper” in our gospel. Despite being ostracized, ridiculed and reduced to a “non-person” status, he bravely approached Jesus. He fell on his knees (an act of submission and humility) and said: “If you wish, you can make me clean.” It was a wish. It was not even a request. He knew he was unworthy. He knew he could not heal himself or make himself clean. He knew that Jesus can! But he also knew that Jesus has the right to refuse him. He made no demand. He has no right to make a request, but to beg for Jesus’ mercy.

The Jewish law forbids people to touch lepers. But the leper’s remorseful and humble disposition moved Jesus to come to him. Jesus stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” Immediately the leprosy left him. The leper’s wish was granted – he was cleansed! Now cleansed as white as the snow, Jesus restored the leper’s right to reintegrate again with his community, live with his family and re-established his relationship God.

Our gospel today tells us of God’s unconditional graciousness. God is always willing to forgive our sins and restore our relationship with others and with Him. He wants us to be whole again and enjoy the fullness of life with Him and our love ones.

The call for us is to be like the leper in our gospel – acknowledge our spiritual leprosy, humbly come to Jesus, kneel in his presence and tell, “If you wish, you can me clean.” If there is one thing that Jesus cannot resist, it is a humble and contrite heart.
As we move closer to the Lenten Season, it is good to evaluate ourselves with the following questions:

What are my sins that cause my spiritual leprosy?
How did it affect my relationship with other people?
Do I have the courage and humility to accept them and bring it to Jesus?
Am I willing to obey Jesus’ words, “Go, and show yourself to the priest…”
and avail the sacrament of reconciliation?

---------------------------------
"Jesus, my Lord and my God. Saviour and Redeemer. Hear the cry of my heart, feel the pain of my soul, see the need of my life. Cleanse me of all my sins. Take away everything in me...
...that does not bow before you as Lord.
...that does not have your name on it.
...that is resistant to your Spirit.
...that is impure and unworthy of You.
Lord Jesus, today I feel like an outcast leper. I kneel in front of you. Cleanse me deeply. Then seal me with your Spirit. Amen."





- Fr. Willy M. Samson, SJ
Mercedes Retreat House
February 15, 2009