Simbang Gabi: Advent journey of “Pagbabalik-loob sa Dyios” – God Not Only to Proclaim the Good News But Also to Share the Love of God in the Light!

Simbang Gabi is a Filipino Advent novena to prepare for Christmas. As you can easily guess from Tagalog evening greeting, “Magandang Gabi”(Good Evening),  the Tagalog word, “gabi” suggests night-time darkness.  The word, “simbang”, derives from “simbahan”, which means church.  Thus, “Simbang Gabi”, literally means “Church of night time darkness”.

In fact, in the Philippines, Simbang Gabi Mass begins early in the morning (usually 4 am), while it is still dark, before or at the crack of dawn.  Because of this, it is believed that Simbang Gabi was influenced by Misa de Gallo , which literally means “Mass of rooster”, in Mexico, during the Spanish colonial time.  While it is still dark in the morning, Simbang Gabi novena Mass begins.  When it is over, the sun is rising, as the sky becomes brightened.

Another notable fact of Simbang Gabi is that white is used as this novena’s liturgical color, even though purple (violet) is used during the Advent season for Mass, except for Gaudete Sunday (the Third Sunday of Advent).  While purple liturgical color means penance,  white symbolizes purity, innocence, and joy. Thus, though Simbang Gabi falls on the season of Advent, its use of white liturgical color suggests that Simbang Gabi focuses on the purity, innocence, and joy that the light of the Messiah, the Christ, brings upon his coming (advent).  Simbang Gabi reminds us that what follows the darkness of sin, for which we repent, as symbolized with the purple liturgical color of the Advent season, is the light of Chris the Messiah, turning our once-sinful and guilt-laden hearts into new hearts of purity, innocence, and joy. Truly, the white liturgical color of Simbang Gabi suggests that we are to become pure and innocent as we go through penance and conversion, as our preparation for the coming of the Lord.

During  Simbang Gabi Mass, a church becomes like a lantern light in the darkness of night before the sunrise. By the time the light of a church is turned off upon ending Simbang Gabi Mass, the sky is already bright as the sun is rising or already risen. So, there is a juxtaposition of Simbang Gabi’s focus on the rising hope and light, besides purity, innocence and joy, represented with white liturgical color, during the time of purple penance liturgical color of the Advent season, with the light of the rising sun.

One thing about delivering a homily in Simbang Gabi Mass is to focus on a hopeful message in the scriptures during the latter part of Advent, past Gaudete Sunday. Though historical context of the scripture readings during Advent tends be associated with darkness of time in the deuteronomic cycle of sinfulness, Simbang Gabi really emphasizes the coming (advent) of the Messiah, who will change our lives, ushering us from the darkness of sin to the light of God to rejoice.  The fact that liturgical color for Simbang Gabi is white, though this novena takes place during Advent, for which purple to symbolize penance is used.  Simbang Gabi makes an exception to have white during the time of purple.

During Advent season, Old Testament narratives used for First Reading often contain a potent Messianic prophecy rather in an apocalyptic manner.  The hidden prophecy of the Messiah echoed in a way to reveal its Messianic nature a bit more in the corresponding Gospel Reading.  Therefore, Simbang Gabi Mass homily is delivered to help us connect the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah to the Gospel Reading message.

Old Testament apocalyptic prophecies of the Messiah often allude to Jesus’ Davidic family lineage through Joseph, the faithful husband of Mary.  In some cases, the post-Exilic restoration prophecies are juxtaposed with the Messianic prophesies, making a metaphoric impression of newly rising light of hope.

Aided by a homily, as you mediate on how an apocalyptic Messianic prophecy in the Old Testament for the First Reading is revealed in the Gospel Reading during Simbang Gabi Mass, you will feel new light rising from a dark part of your heart to turn your heart filled with the divine light of purity, innocence,  and joy.

As your heart is filled with the light of purity, innocence, and joy, in connecting Old Testament reading  messianic prophecy and descriptions of the coming Messiah, including the nativity narratives, in the Gospel reading throughout Simbang Gabi Masses,  your life is being transformed. This transformation is, in fact, conversion, which Filipino Catholic theologian calls, “pagbabalik-loob”, which literally means, returning to our innermost being, essential core of our being.  Biblically, our “loob”(innermost being, essence) is purity and innocent, as in the time of the Garden of Eden, before Original Sin (Genesis 2).  Psycholospiritual state of purity, innocence, and joy, was our home to return to (pagbabalik), as it was in the Garden of Eden, where God and humans were in intimate harmony.  

As St. Augustine said in “Confession”, our heart is not at peace unless it finds its rest in God.  As Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1), our heart rejoices in God, and as Mary said in Magnificat (Luke 1:46-47), our spirit rejoices in the Lord, our Messiah, as we praise Him. As we let God into our heart, upon repenting and making conversion of our sinful and guilty heart, as the divine light of purity, innocence, and joy fills our heart, we become more joyful and willing to share the joy of God’s love with others.  We begin to love each other (Luke 1:34-35; John 15;12) and our neighbors (Matthew 22:39; Leviticus 19:18) more willingly as our heart becomes more joyful with God’s light. This way, we are truly becoming the light of the world (Matthew 5:14), as said by Jesus.  Becoming the light of love, like the light of Christ the Messiah, whose coming we prepare for during Advent, with joyful anticipation through Simbang Gabi, is an important objective of this Filipino Advent novena. This transformation to become a light of Christ’s  love with joy is a Simbang Gabi effect.

This Simbang Gabi effect is well captured by “Ang Pasko ay Sumapit” , a popular carol, often sung as we finish Simgang Gabi Mass. This carol reminds us that God is love (1 John 4:7-8), and love to be shared (1 John 10-11, 16-17)...."Dahil sa Diyos ay pag-ibig........Tayo ay magmahalan. Ating sundin ang gintong aral . At magbuhat ngayon .Kahit hindi Pasko ay magbigayan!"

Simbang Gabi Mass is ended,  Let us go in peace and proclaim the Good News! Let us love one another and share love of God that we enjoy with each other, even beyond Christmas! !  This is Simbang Gabi effect! 

Christian Life: Doing the Will of God - Conversion, Discernment, and Doing with Love

First, Conversion. Then, do the will of God

There are two important themes discerned from the scripture readings of the 26^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, Ezekiel 18:25-28; Philippians 2:1-11; Matthew 21:28-32. These are conversion to the way of God and working for the will of God.

In fact, conversion to the way of God and doing the will of God are sequentially related.  In order for us to do the will of God, we must first convert ourselves to the way of God from the worldly and human ways.  Therefore, conversion to the way of God is a necessary condition to do the will of God. 

When we hear the word, “conversion”, many of us tend to think of changing religious affiliation. For example, in regard to a person, who became Catholic after being Buddhist, we call this person a convert to Catholicism. However, theologically, conversion means turning our minds and hearts from ungodly way to the way of God and the will of God. Usually, it is referred to turning away from sins and turning to God and His way.

The word, “conversion”, etymologically means “turning around”.  It comes from the Latin word, “convertere”, putting “com”(together) and “vertere”(to turn). Thus, in the biblical context, conversion means to turn away from ways of sins to the way of God and the will of God, together.

None of us are full of grace, as Mary was, we all are sinners. As sinners, saying, “Kyrie, elaison”, we always need the mercy of God to sustain our life and be entitled to salvation. Thus, we all need conversions periodically through our life on earth in order to stay on the course of salvation and to do the will of God. That is why St. Ignatius of Loyola developed the Spiritual Exercises, especially Examen, examination of conscience.  The Spiritual Exercises guide us not only to find what we need to convert ourselves from but also to discern the will of God for us in dialogue with our own hearts’ desires.  In order for us to know what the will of God is and to do the will of God, we must be in state of grace. Our heats must be in right place and fine-tuned to the will of God through examining our conscience and conversion for us to do the will of God effectively.

Finding the Will of God before doing the will of God

In order for us to do the will of God, we must know what the will of God really is.  So, what is it? What is the will of God? And, how can we find out what the will of God is?

For us to discern the will of God for us, we must get to know well about ourselves in relation to God. Namely, we figure out what God’s will for us is through our respective unique object relations to God.

As John 21:20-23 suggests, the will of God is not the same to everyone. In this particular Gospel narrative, the will of God for Peter is different from the will of God for John.  In the will of God, Peter’s way of glorifying God was to culminate in his martyrdom. But, John’s way of glorifying God in a different way.  Because each of us is unique, the will of God may be different from parson to person, given each individual is endowed with unique gifts.  The only way for us to discern what the particular will of God for each of us is though cultivating our intimate trust-filled personal relationship with God.

The will of God varies from person to person, reflecting each person’s unique personality and abilities. God has His special will for each person to grow into the fullness in the mystery of the risen Christ. Psychologically, God’s will for a person will facilitate his or her individuation process. In fact, conversion is an essential part of this personal growth process, called individuation, into the wholeness, fully in union with God through Christ. The Holy Spirit is the guiding factor for this Christ-centric individuation process.  Through this Christian growth individuation process, we convert ourselves from ego-centric being into Christ-centric being.

Through our individuation process, which is also a conversion from ego-centered being into Christ-centered being, we discover more about ourselves, while getting to know more about God and our relationship with God.  It is this process of growth that we discern the will of God for each of us as we discover more about gifts and talents, which God has bestowed upon.

Though there is no one-fit-for-all kind of universal formula to figure out what the will of God for each of us is, I believe that the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola is very helpful in discerning it. The Spiritual Exercises direct us in a dialectic process between our hearts’ desires and God’s wills toward synchronization of these desires for the purpose of Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (for the greater glory of God).

In discerning the will of God – God’s desire for us – to be synchronized with our hearts’ desires, while getting to know more about our unique gifts and talents to be utilized to do the will of God, the Spiritual Exercises follows a life path of Jesus. As we walk on the path of Jesus’ life we visit experiences of Jesus, as well as his teachings to discern the will of God.  Though this discernment process, we come to realize that love as agape is the bottom line in the will of God. We realize that doing the will of God is to emulate the love that Jesus taught as his “mandatum novum” in John 13:34 – to love one another as he has loves us. It is, after all, doing this will of God – to love one another as Jesus has loved us – is also our apostolic identity (John 13:35). We just need to figure out how we can follow this “mandatum novum” of Jesus in our doing of the will of God,  as we know more about our unique gifts and talents given by God, as well as our hearts’ desires.

A practical way to do the will of God as our observance of Jesus’ “mandatum novum” , to love one another as Jesus has loved, is to practice the spiritual and corporal works of mercy for Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.  This also reflects the cardinal rule in Catholic moral theology: preferential option for the poor, as well as the pastoral principle of “hombres para los demas” (persons for others), by Fr. Pedro Arrupe, S.J..  There is no room for selfishness in doing the will of God, as our conversions help us to move toward Christ-centric being from ego-centric being.  This is how we work in God’s vineyard and to produce abundant fruits.

Some of us may not feel like doing the will of God, as one of the sons did not say “Yes” to his father’s request to work in his vineyard. But, he changed his mind, meaning that he went through conversion, and actually worked in the vineyard.  Likewise, as we convert our hearts and mind from ego-centric being to Christ-centric being, we will go to God’s vineyard and do some good work there to produce good fruits.

Even great figures in the Old Testament, such as Moses, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, did not respond with “Yes” when God first called them to work for Him. They were reluctant and had their own excuses for not being in the mood to do the will of God then. But, they overcame their reluctance and convert themselves to the will of God, with the help of God’s grace.

Jonah was even so rebellious to the will of God for him, as he ran away from God in response to His call to do the will of God. But, no matter how stubborn he was at first. Jonah also went through conversion and did the will of God assigned to him, converting sinners in Nineva.  Jonah’s conversion took place inside a big fish (Johan 2).

When Mary first received a call to do the will of God during the Annunciation, she became anxious, as she did not understand the will of God that Angel Gabriel told her. Mary’s initial reaction to the will of God for her, which is to become pregnant with and give birth to the Son of God, was not a resounding “Yes”.  Her immediate response was, “How can this be, since I have no relation with a man” (Luke 1:34).  But, with a bit more assuring explanation of God through Angel Gabriel, Mary accepted God’s invitation to do His will and said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word”(Luke 1:37).

After all, we are instruments of peace, as St. Francis of Assisi has prayed for. We are, in fact, instruments of the will of God to be done – for the will of God to be done on earth, as it is in heaven, as taught by Jesus during his sermon on the mount (Matthew 6:10).

In dong the will of God, we also need to surrender.  Unless we surrender ourselves to the will of God, it cannot be done on earth as it is in heaven. In fact, Jesus has taught this through his own examples.

Going through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, in the section of “The Mysteries of the Life of Christ Our Lord”, under the Third Method of Prayer, there is a section, “Of the Mysteries of the Garden”. There, we mediate deeply with Christ in the Garden of Agony in Gethsemane. And, we hear these words of Jesus’ intense and agonizing prayer, preparing himself to the path to the Calvary.

My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will but as you will.  Matthew 26:39

Jesus himself knew what the fill of the Father was for him. And, as his own prayer shows, it was not easy even for him to do the will of God – the will of the Father. But, he accepted the cup, the cup of suffering, for our salvation, so that the prophesy of Isaiah 52-53 is fulfilled.  

These last seven words of Jesus, powerfully remind us that dong the will of God means a complete submission not only of our egos but our whole selves, as Jesus did himself on the Cross:

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.     Luke 23:46

Jesus accepted the cup and submitted himself completely to the will of the Father out of his love. As Karl Rahner argues, this is ultimately God’s way of self-communication, communicating His immeasurable agape  to us.

As disciples of Christ, believer of God in trinity, we are called to do the will of God. Thus, we must convert our way into God’s way, taking a lesson from Ezekiel 18:25-28 (the first reading for the 26^th Sunday A),  so that we can do the will of God, not just making empty promises about it, taking a lesson from Matthew 21:28-32 (the Gospel reading for the 26^th Sunday A). 

Now is the Time to Take Action!

So, when do we do the will of God? When is the best time to do the will of God?

It is NOW!

In the parable, the father asked his two sons to work in the vineyard today (Matthew 21:28, 30). In other words, God wants us to do His will NOW – not to delay.  This is similar to the fact that Jesus wants us to become his disciple NOW. He does not want us to wait until we have a free time to follow him and to do the will of God.

It is important to note that we follow Christ and do the will of God right now and right here.  For this reason, our conversion must take place right now and right here.  Try not delay until we are “ready”.

In Luke 9:57-62, Jesus reminds us that we must start doing the will of God NOW, as he did not permit a man, who expressed his desire to become his disciple,  to wait until his father dies and bury him. Jesus demanded him to follow him right at that moment.

After all, when the time of the judgement comes, we do not want to cry out to Jesus, as in Matthew 25:31-46. If we failed to convert ourselves, discern and do the will of God, before it is too late, then, we would be crying, “Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?  And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?” (Matthew 25:37-39).

In meditating on Ezekiel 18:25-28 and Matthew 21:28-32 (the readings from the 26^th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A), let us also reflect on these words of Jesus:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘ Lord, Lord’, will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers” (Matthew 7:21-23).

James also reminds us that faith without work is dead (James 2:17). It means that simply professing our faith, simply saying “Yes” to the will of God, is not good enough. We must actually do the work for what we say “Yes” to – the will of God, which includes doing the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.  Furthermore, Paul teaches that doing the will of God must be out of our love – not out of obligatory feeling, in the following words:

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice inunrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails; but if there are gifts of ^[c]prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.   1 Corinthians 13:1-8

Doing the will of God is acting with our love, doing the works of our love, as Jesus has loved us, as God so loved the world (John 3:16). 

Ash Wednesday – The Beginning of Lenten Journey – God’s invitation for “pagbabalik-loob patungo sa Dyios”

The Lent has started!  For the next 40 days, we make a spiritual journey of purification through penance, accompanied with prayer, almsgiving and fasting. 

Just as our physiological system produces body wastes as byproducts of life-sustaining metabolism, our psychospiritual aspect of life also creates undesired emotions, thoughts, memories, and moods. 

 Anger, resentments, hatred, depression, and envy are just to name some.  As Jesus has taught us in the 7^th Sunday Gospel reading (Matthew 5:38-48), we are to take care of such harmful psychospiritual byproducts of life in order to maintain the health of our hearts and souls, by transforming these harmful emotions, thoughts, memories, and moods. Certainly, Lent provides an ample amount of time for us to engage in this psychospiritual cleansing of ourselves. 

As long as we retain these unwanted and rather harmful psychospiritual byproducts, including anger and resentment, then, we will become more prone to evil beings’ attacks, consequently sinning even more. This leads us to psychospiritual sickness, similar to how not eliminating body wastes can destroy our physiological, as well as psychological, health. 

The psychospiritual wastes accumulated in our hearts and souls first must be recognized in order to be cleansed. For this, yes, your own will power can help – if you have a very strong will. But, there is a danger in solely relying on your own power, as our own wills are subject to what Yogacara psychology calls “manas-vijnaana”. Thus, we all need a reliable external power to ensure that we do find what really needs to be cleansed out of our hearts and souls during this Lenten season.

Imagine how well you can perform your own colonoscopy to yourself by your own will, even you happened to be one of the best GI physicians. Imagine how better it is to let your colleague does it for you. Which option do you think problems can be recognized and eliminated more accurately?

Just as our own vision is not free from a blind spot, our own mind cannot recognize the reality objectively because of the ego’s narcissistic disposition or due to “manas-vijnaana”.

For this reason, the Catholics need a guidance from God, who is the shepherd (Psalm 23:1) and light (Psalm 27:1), as the Mahayana Buddhists need the immeasurable light of Amitabha Buddha.Guided by and fortified by the great guiding light of God, we are better able to find what needs to be cleansed out in our hearts and souls so that our humble plea to be created in clean and pure hearts (Psalm 51:10) can be heard by God.  This shepherding light enables us to be enlightened about our own inner problems and to make a correct turn from a path of deviation and sins back to God .

Making such a turn is an indispensable part of Lent, as it is about conversion, as the opening sentence of the first reading on Ash Wednesday says:

“Return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning” (Joel 2:12).

These are words of God in His oracles, spoken to Prophet Joel out of His shepherdly love.

In the theological context for Lent, God’s invitation to “return to” means conversion. Conversion literally means to turn around on our path of sin and return to God, the source of abundant grace, mercy, and love.

The word, “conversion” stems from the Latin roots of  “con” – (together) and “vertere” – (turn). Thus, conversion literally means “to turn around”.  Thus, when God is calling us, the sinners who have drifted away from God, to return to Him, God is calling for our conversion of hearts.

No matter how far we have come away from God on our sinning path, God have given us 40 days of Lenten period to make a turn and return to God for reconciliation. 

A Filipino Catholic theologian, Jose DeMesa describes “conversion” with the Tagalog world, “pagbabalik-loob”. “Pagbabalik” indicates “returning” and “loob” means “inner self”. So, “pagbabalik-loob” means returning our inner selves – to God, “pagbabalik-loob patungo sa Dyios”.

A good image for our Lenten journey is a turning around of the Prodigal Son, from a life of persistent sins back to his father (Luke 15;11-32). Jesus uses this parable of the Prodigal Son’s return as a metaphor for our journey of conversion (turning around and back to God), as the father in the parable is a metaphor for God. And, the mercy of the father in the parable, forgiving his son, who offended him so greatly, symbolizes the immeasurable mercy of God, while the union of the prodigal son and the father in joy is a beautiful metaphor of our reconciliation with God, the essence of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 

The prodigal son journeyed away as far from his father as he could go. But, he came to a point that he needed to return to his father, with humility and, of course, with a sense of remorse (though it is not clearly written), by overcoming his own ego’s forces (narcissistic tendency or manas-vijnaana).

So, in order for us not only to recognize our own problems inside but also to make a sound turn on our path of deviation and embark on the right path returning to God (“pagbabalik-loob patungo sa Dyios”) we must overcome our own ego, making ourselves truly humble. 

Upon recognizing our problems, our cleaning journey back to God, returning to God, “pagbabalik-loob patungo sa Dyios”, must be characterized by humility. And, this humility is the key for the three pillars of Lent: prayer, almsgiving, and fasting, as Jesus emphasized in the Ash Wednesday Gospel reading (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18). In practicing these three Lenten virtues, we cannot let our narcissistic disposition or manas-vijnaana influences. That is why we must always seek and  journey in God’s light, as the Mahayana Buddhists always seek Amtabha Buddha’s immeasurable light to overcome inherent problems with the defilement disposition (kleshas).

After all, God is calling us to return to Him with humility:

“Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and relenting in punishment” (Joel 2:13).

In order for us to rend our hearts, we cannot remain ego-centric, as our narcissistic or manas-vijnaana-infected ego cannot be rendered. 

There is no need to sweat. No need to come up with something impressive to give up on Lent. There is no need to make an appointment with a priest for a confession. First, we need to spend some quiet time to dig deeper and examine our own hearts and souls. Let’s perform a spiritual “colonoscopy”, with the help of God’s shepharding light. If you have a spiritual director, he or she can help.  For performing an effective “spiritual colonoscopy”, a great tool is the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. If you have a Jesuit spiritual director, he can certainly guide your Lenten “spiritual colonoscopy” through the Spiritual Exercises, as effectively helps us to identify our hidden psychospiritual problems and cleans them just in time. 

How the Spiritual Exercises can be applied for your Lenten purification needs depends on your unique sins and their psychospiritual byproducts accumulated deep in your hearts and soul. Thus, it is best that you consult a Jesuit or Jesuit-trained spiritual director or pastoral psychologist. But, a Jesuit priest, Fr. Kevin O’Brien, S.J., has graciously provided a great general resource, based on the Spiritual Exercise: “An Ignatian Prayer Adventure” – an 8-week purification and transformation program. You can access this resource by clicking:

 An Ignatian Prayer Adventure

http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-spiritual-exercises/an-ignatian-prayer-adventure/

So, let’s begin our spiritual exploratory examination – our Lenten spiritual “colonoscopy”, guided by the shepharding light of God. Let’s not be fooled by righteous-looking external images that our narcissistic ego has put. We must get under this “skin”.  God has spoken to us through Prophet Jeremiah:

“Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and remove the foreskins of your heart”(Jeremiah 4:4).

According to Yogacare psychology, manas-vijnaana deep within the subconscious part of our mind tends to create what God calls here “foreskin” of our heart, covering it nicely, hiding filthy psychospiritual stuff beneath it. In this regard, our Lenten examination and cleansing journey can be more like a circumcision, rather than a colonoscopy. 

Either way, hidden problems beneath and under righteous outlooks must be uncovered and removed before they will lead to more problems, keeping further distance away from God. 

In the Ash Wednesday Mass and Ash distribution homily at Madonna Della Strada Chapel on the Loyola University Campus, Fr. Mark Bosco, S.J., applied a metaphoric image of beautiful fresh snow covering up filthy litters on the ground. This metaphor was just so suitable as Chicago was covered with fresh snow on Ash Wednesday this year. 

According to Fr. Bosco, through his poetic and visually metaphoric homily, the period of Lent was also compared to this season of time, especially for those who live in Chicago, longing for warm spring’s arrival after a long period of bitter cold weather. Thus, our Lenten examination of our deep hearts and souls for cleansing (spiritual circumcism – removal of the foreskin, or spiritual colonoscopy) is like thawing the snow that covers the filth on the ground. Yes, in Chicago, we get quite a snow accumulation. Thus, it takes a while to let the snow cover melt. 

There, we begin to recognize our sins – what has been defiling us…or as Buddhist teaching puts it, we start to see our kleshas. We become more able to realize all these negative psychospiritual factors, including angers, resentments, hatred, and so forth, not to be repressed or to rationalized, but to be transformed or, as Freud would put it, to be sublimated into meaningful and constructive ways. This cleansing transformation takes place, motivated by our desire to return to God,  our need for “pagbabalik-loob patungo sa Dyios”, and guided by God’s shepherding light, as covering snow gradually thaws. And, this is how the Chicago Catholics are getting ready to welcome warm spring – Easter, as Fr. Bosco’s homily alludes to. 

May your Lenten journey be always guided by the lantern of God’s shepherding light.

May your snow-covered hearts and souls be thawed with the warms of God’s grace and mercy as Lent will give its way to Easter through the Passion Week.

Pastoral Psychologist's View on Life of Vanity - Reflection of the 18th Sunday Readings

A gym rat, who has been a member of fancy sports gym for years – but still remains flubby. 

An anxious single, who has been a member of exclusive dating club in search for a future mate with a class – yet still lonely singe, despite many expensive dating and dating coaching sessions.

A self-help addict, who have been spending a lot of money to buy new self-help books, CDs, DVDs, and attending expensive self-improvement seminars – but feel unhappy. 

All their efforts and financial investments into gym, dating programs, self-help programs, self-improvement seminars are not getting them where they want to be.

What is a common denominator among these?

It’s a life without traction. It’s vanity – a  life in vain. A life without traction means a life that cannot generate meaning of life.

Vanity begets vanity. It goes like a vicious downward spiral, to put you in a quagmire leading to an existential crisis – if meaninglessness continues long enough.

The first reading for 18^th Sunday (Year C), Ecclesiastics 1:2; 2:21-23, describes a sentiment of life of vanity. 

Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,
vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!

Here is one who has labored with wisdom and knowledge and skill,
and yet to another who has not labored over it,
he must leave property. 

This also is vanity and a great misfortune.
For what profit comes to man from all the toil and anxiety of heart
with which he has labored under the sun? 

All his days sorrow and grief are his occupation;
even at night his mind is not at rest. 

This also is vanity.

Qoheleth is the author of the Book of Ecclesiastics, which means “preacher” in Greek (Ἐκκλησιαστής, Ekklesiastes). Interestingly, its Hebrew equivalent is Qoheleth. Thus, the Book of Ecclesiastics also means the Book of Qoheleth – the Book of Preacher.  It belongs to the Hebrew wisdom literature in the Old Testament and examines what life is about.

As a psychotherapist, I use the Book of Ecclesiastics in helping my clients and patients address their existential issues – issues with meaning of life, even in non-pastoral settings.  In doing this, I usually guide them  to express their existential anxieties and frustrations as Qoheleth did in the Book of Ecclesiastics, because expressing our emotions and sentiments in narratives is healing (i.e., James W. Pennebarker (1997). Opening Up: The Healing Power of Expressing Emotions., & (2004). Writing to Heal; Erika H.  Meade (1995).  Tell it by Heart: Women and the Healing Power of Story).

Though people with existential problems often exhibit depressive clinical symptoms (i.e. Marja et al. (2002). Quality of Life in Brain Tumor Patients: The Relative Contributions of Depression, Fatigue, Emotional Distress, and Existential Issues. J. of Neuro-Oncology 57(1), 41-49), I find that using the Book of Ecclesiastics in the context of Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy approach is effective in improving their symptoms and resolving existential issues Logotherapy is found to be effective in treating depression (i.e., Close (2001). Logotherapy and Adult Major Depression: Psychotheological Dimensions in Diagnosing the Disorder, J of Religious Gerontology 11(3-4), 119-140). Thus, integrating meaning-focused narrative therapy approach and logotherapy is efficacious. 

With narrative therapy and logotherapy in mind, I would like to further explore the issues of existential issues in light of the scriptural readings from the 18^th Sunday of Year C and a relevant Buddhist concept. 

In Ecclesiastics 1:12-13a, the author, Qoheleth, tells the purpose of this book:

I, Qoheleth, was king over Israel in Jerusalem, and I applied my mind to search and investigate in wisdom all things that are done under the sun. 

Basically, Qoheleth tells that wisdom (human wisdom, as opposed to the divine wisdom) is meaningless.

Though I said to myself, “Behold, I have become great and stored up wisdom beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem, and my mind has broad experience of wisdom and knowledge”; yet when I applied my mind to know wisdom and knowledge, madness and folly, I learned that this also is a chase after wind. For in much wisdom there is much sorrow, and he who stores up knowledge stores up grief.   (Ecclesiastics 1:16-18)

Now, this segment from the Book of Ecclesiastics (1:16-18) is echoed in the Gospel reading for the 18^th Sunday Year C, Luke 12:13-21, in particular, the Parable of the Rich Fool (vv. 16-21).

“There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.
He asked himself, ‘What shall I do,
for I do not have space to store my harvest?’
And he said, ‘This is what I shall do:
I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones.
There I shall store all my grain and other goods
and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you,
you have so many good things stored up for many years,
rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’But God said to him,
‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you;
and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’
Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves
but are not rich in what matters to God.”

It seems that a lamentation of Qoheleth over storing up wisdom and knowledge in Ecclesiastics 1:16-18 can become a lamentation for the rich fool in Luke 12:16-21. While Qoheleth became a “victim of his own success” in becoming rich with human wisdom and knowledge, the rich fool in Jesus’ parable became a “victim of his success” in amassing material wealth in the eyes of God. 

This is not that God in Jesus is discouraging us to gain wisdom, knowledge, and material wealth – unless we have a short-circuit brain to make such a myopic interpretation. We must be careful in interpreting Jesus’ words on the rich and the poor to make sure that we do not turn the teaching of Jesus on the rich and the poor as a socialist or communist teaching on equity-based equality. This is not to justify the envy of the poor toward the rich, either. 

Psychologically speaking, such a socialist-like or communist-like mentality with envy may be an indication of some sort of existential or identity problem, in relating to those who have more. 

What matters here is the way we handle our wisdom, knowledge and material wealth. Gaining these, by itself, is not a problem – just as money itself is not evil, though it can become a root of evil.

If wisdom, knowledge, and wealth become a reason of our anxiety and distress, as in the case of a man who had a problem with his brother about the family inheritance (Luke 11:13-15), it is a red flag that we are becoming or have already become a slave of wisdom, knowledge, and wealth. To put this in the Buddhist context, it is a sign of attachment, due to passion or kleshas – one of the Three Poisons in the Buddhism catechism (like deadly sins in Catholic catechism). 

Paul in the second reading offers a good advice, sounding as if making a good Buddhist advice. 

If you are raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory. Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly; immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry.  Stop lying to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator.   (Colossians 3:1-10)

As Buddhist teaching encourages us to overcome passion, Paul inspires the Colossians to root out passion from their lives in order to live a Christ-centered life, making a shift from self-centered or ego-centered life. 

In the Buddhist context, Paul’s advice is understood with this:

The cause of human suffering is undoubtedly found in the thirsts of the physical body and in the illusions of worldly passion. If these thirsts and illusions are traced to their source, they are found to be rooted in the intense desires of physical instincts. Thus, desire, having a strong will-to-love as its basis, seeks that which it feels desirable, even if it is sometimes death. This is called the Truth of the Cause of Suffering (集諦、じったい). If desire, which lies at the root of all human passion, can be  removed, then passion die out and all human suffering will be ended. This is called the Truth of the Cessation of Suffering (滅諦、めったい).     

  

In Chapter One, Section one, on the Four Noble Truths, on Dharma, “The Teaching of Buddha”, Society for the Promotion of Buddhism, Tokyo, 1966, pp. 74-75)

What Paul teaches to the Colossians about becoming worthy for Christ’s salvation is what Buddhist teaches about the Truth of the Cessation of Suffering. 

Buddhism teaches that we must practice the Eightfold Noble Path: Right view, right thought, right speech, right behavior, right life style, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration – the Truth of the Noble Path to the Cessation of the Cause of Suffering.

Perhaps, Christians can take this Buddhist wisdom on the Truth of the Eightfold Noble Path toward the cessation of the cause of suffering in conjunction with the above teaching of Paul.

An ego-centered life makes us more prone to or vulnerable to becoming “victims of our own success”, falling into a gutter between what is good in God’s desire and what is good in ego’s desire. The latter, of course, is an illusion, both in Christian sense and Buddhist sense.  That is why Buddha’s teaching inspires us to transform ourselves into anatta (no ego) as atman (essential self, as in “loob” in Tagalog) to deliver ourselves from vicious cycle of suffering (cycle of reincarnation) to attain nirvana (eternal and ultimate peace). On the other hand, Christ’s teaching, here elaborated by Paul, encourages us to overcome earthly vices and illusionary concepts, such as immorality, impurity, passion (emotional states arising from insecure, heart and mind, which is not found in harmony with God),  and ego’s desires, in order to be converted into a person with a Christ-centered life.   

On behalf of Christ, Paul is expressing the need of conversion as a transformation of an ego-centered life into a Christ-centered life – attuning our true self (loob in Tagalog) with God in Christ, remembering imago Dei as our core identity (Genesis 1:27).  That is why Filipino Catholic theologian, Jose DeMesa, calls conversion as “pagbabalik-loob” (returning to our essential self).  What is anatta to Buddhists is what is a Christ-centered self to Christians is the direction of our “pagbabalik-loob” in order to prevent from suffering from existential problem of life of vanity (Ecclesiastics 1:2; 2:21-23) or to be like the rich fool (Luke 11:16-21).

Theologically, “pagbabalik-loob” to Christ-centered life, Christ-centered self by ridding us of all our attachment to earthly and ego matters and desires is not only to benefit from meaningful life (as opposed to a life of vanity) but to rejoice with parousia, as alluded in the above words of Paul. 

Unless we live a Christ-centered life, free from attachment to what earthy and ego desire, we may not be able to appear with Christ, when he appears.  In saying this, Paul is referring to Christ’s return and how it will affect us (Revelation 19 – 20). Whenever he returns, Christ will come to make ultimate cleansing not only the whole world but also – most importantly, to cleanse ourselves:

"My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  (Revelation 7:14 , echoing the prophesy of Isaiah 1:18). 

*****

The way to keep us from putting wisdom, knowledge and wealth in wrong uses in the eyes of God is to maintain a Christ-centered life. To Christians, this is also the way to live a meaningful life, thus preventing us from turning our life into a life of vanity or a life of existential problems.  When our life drifts away from Christ, then, we slip back to an ego-centered life.  An ego-centered life will eventually cut ourselves from God in Christ and turn our life into an illusion or a life of God complex. Such a life may turn into a life of bipolar disorder – feeling extremely euphoric and overconfident when living a life like the rich fool before confronted by God and becoming depressed when the reality of a life of vanity kicks in like the rich fool upon God’s confrontation.  In Christian sense, the former state is a life of pleasure, arrogance, and power that many people can covet. But, sooner or later, we may begin to suffer from existential crisis, as reflected in the Book of Ecclesiastics. Not to mention, a way to heal from this is to return our true self in tune with God in Christ, as our “pagbabalik-loob” to put it in Jose DeMesa’s word. Psychologically, this process can be facilitated by clinical integration of narrative therapy and logotherapy.  Using the Book of Ecclesiastics and certain Psalms is effective with this. 

If you are blessed with wisdom, knowledge and wealth, you can enjoy these as God is pleased with all you have earned and have.

If you live a Christ-centered life and blessed with wisdom, knowledge and wealth, you are more likely to joyfully share them with those who benefit, thanking and praising God for not only the blessing of what you can share but also the blessing of joy over making others happy.

The rich fool should have realized that it was a time for him to share what he had with others when his old storage space became too small – rather than trying to expand the storage to pile up his assets more and more for himself. 

Psychologically, an ego-centered life, as characterized by the rich fool, is usually a sign of insecure ego or fragmented ego. Such ego must die, to put in Paul’s words from the second reading.