Suffer with Jesus

Palm Sunday / Passion Sunday
March 28, 2010
Luke 23: 1-49 “All his friends stood at a distance”

In our dream to have a slim and perfect body, we exercise daily to burn our excess calories. Some end up strained and frustrated. The daily exercise becomes a mere “calorie burning” activity. But some are smiling and fulfilled. They don’t care about calories. They exercise for one good reason – a healthy life. And they benefit much from it, including losing weight.

Holy week could also be like that. It becomes an annual tiring religious ritual when done for pure religious obligation of fasting, abstinence, praying the way of the cross, vigils and attending long Holy Thursday Mass to Easter Vigil Mass as penance for our sins.

But Holy Week is more than that. It’s a life-giving spiritual exercise. It’s a profound opportunity of bringing into our “here and now” the passion and death of Jesus and making his love real for us. Holy week liturgies and rituals are pregnant with meanings. If taken seriously, it could lead us to a spiritual growth and renewal. But we need to involve ourselves to the different images of Jesus’ humiliation, suffering and death on the cross. Let it sink into our hearts to gain profit from it. Bear in mind that when Jesus suffered on the cross, it was not only his body that suffered much but his soul. The suffering was so intense that he sweated blood in the garden and begged his disciples to stay with him: “My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch.” (Mark 14:34). Unfortunately, the disciples fled and left him alone.

When we are distress, we ask God, “Where are you in my pain and suffering?” But Jesus is asking us, “Where are you in mine?” This Holy Week, let’s stay and suffer with Jesus. Don’t run like the disciples. Be like Mary and John who stayed with Jesus until his death.


But how do we dispose ourselves for the Holy Week? How do we gain profit from it? St. Ignatius of Loyola suggested a specific grace to ask when meditating the Passion of Christ:

“Ask for sorrow and regret, because the Lord is going to his Passion for my sins.
Ask for an interior suffering because of the great suffering he is to endure for me.”

The feelings of sorrow and regret is not so much that our sins merited death but our sins are the cause of Jesus’ death: “He was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins, upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we are healed.” (Is 52:13 - 53:12).

But Ignatius does not end here. It’s his hope that while meditating how Jesus willingly suffered and died for me (to make it more personal); I may realize the depth and breadth of God’s love for me. And in gratitude, I would be moved to consider the question:

“What should I do and suffer for him?”

As we commemorate the Paschal Mystery, may it lead us to an overwhelming gratitude that Jesus died for us, so “that we may have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10).
Holy Week is an intense spiritual exercise. Walk with him on the road to Calvary. Feel his interior pain and sorrow. Be grateful. For his death merited life for you.

- Fr. Willy M. Samson,SJ / Sacred Heart Community, Los Gatos, California / March 28, 2010

Give Life

5th Sunday of Lent (C)
March 21, 2010
John 8: 1-11 “They went away one by one”

Three surprises may welcome you when you get to heaven: People whom you expect to be there are not there. People whom you think should not be there are there. And most of all, you are there.

Our gospel reminds us to be slow or not to judge others. While it is good for us to individually examine our own intentions and motivations in our actions, we should be extra careful when doing the same for others. Any judgment which is not based on the established facts, motivations and intentions is prone to error. Beware: Our emotions, biases and prejudices may lead us to hasty judgments. We might end up falsely accusing each other.

The Pharisees in our gospel angrily brought the “adulterous” woman to Jesus, hoping that he would condemn her to death by stoning. But Jesus knew their hideous intentions, said, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7) The Pharisees were caught in surprise for two reasons: First, nobody among them was blameless in God’s eyes. Second, in the Mosaic Law, only the principal witnesses have the right to cast the first stone. Nobody dared to throw the first stone because nobody saw the woman having an illicit affair. So they dropped the stone and left in shame.

Surprisingly, Jesus who has the right to judge spared her also. When everybody left, Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and from now on do not sin anymore.” (John 8:11) The guilty woman was ready to receive her due punishment. But it never came. Instead she received forgiveness and was encouraged not to sin again. God disposes mercy (not wrath) to remorseful and repentant sinner. When God thinks of us, He thinks of saving and giving us life, and not to condemn us to eternal death.

The Pharisees saw the sin of the woman. Hatred ruled their hearts. They wanted punishment. On the other hand, Jesus saw a person trapped in her own sin, begging for help and longing for forgiveness. And Jesus gave her what she wanted: Mercy. The mercy she received was enough for her to reform her life. Jesus came not to judge but to save, so “that we may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10).

In another confrontation with the Pharisees, they protested when Jesus dined with Matthew, a tax collector. “Why does your teacher eat with sinners?” (Matthew 9:11). But Jesus said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but the sinners.” (Matthew. 9:12-13). In deep gratitude, Matthew became an ardent disciple. Like Jesus, we should hate the sin but not the sinner.

I cannot forget the words of a death row prisoner in New Bilibid Prison who became a catechist for the prisoners, “Sa totoo lang Pads, wala naman akong planong magbago, pero nang makita kong meron pa ring nagmamahal sa aming mga bilanggo, tulad ninyong ng mga prison volunteers. Naisip ko...lalo na ang Diyos. Doon ako nagbago.”

This Lenten Season, let’s be slow or avoid judging others. We are all sinners. God alone has the right to judge for he knows what’s in our hearts. Throw those rocks away from your hands. We are capable of doing greater things than throwing rocks. Our hands should lead sinners back to the fold of God. Instead of throwing rocks, forgive, understand, and pray for sinners. This is what God wants from us: save sinners and give life.

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”
- Mother Theresa of Calcuta

-Fr.Willy M. Samson,SJ / Sacred Heart Jesuit Community, Los Gatos / March 18, 2010