A Pastoral sychologist’s View on the Dishonest Steward: Unprincipled Narcissist - 25th Sunday Year C Readings

In the first reading (Amos 8:4-7) for the 25^th Sunday Year C, God made it clear that those who exploit the poor, cheating on the poor, will face stern consequences. 
 

In this regard, the fact that a dishonest steward in the Gospel reading (Luke 16:1-13) of the 25^th Sunday was caught on his usurious practice, harming his master’s reputation.  Of course, those whom this steward had exploited were poor enough to borrow money from his master. Thus, the steward was cheating on the poor and pocketing the difference between what his master actually charged and the inflated amounts he charged. 

In fact, among the Jews, making personal profit through lending money was prohibited (i.e. Exodus 22:24-25, Leviticus 25:36-37, Deuteronomy 23:19-21).  So, this steward should not have added any amount to the exact amounts that the debtors owed his master.   The fact that the master had to summon this steward due to bad reputations also tells that the steward was engaging in usurious practice. Perhaps, he was also concerned about his clients who were exploited by his steward’s unethical conducts.

When confronted by his wrong-doing by his master, the steward did not express his remorse at all. He did not even apologize for his cheating.  There is no evidence that he repented, either. Rather, this steward responded to his master’s inquiry very shrewdly. 

When Adam and Eve were confronted by God, neither of them repented for disobeying God but simply responded excuses, blaming on others (Genesis 3:8-10).   The way Adam and Eve responded to God’s confrontation indicates that their concern is about themselves. And, it was what the steward in the Gospel parable was concerned about. Just as Adam and Eve, the steward remained selfish.

But, an interesting thing about the steward is that a good behavior came out of his selfishness. Out of his fears of reprimanding and punishment by his master, the steward came up with a clever idea to minimize a negative impact on himself from the consequence of his dishonesty.  So, he wasted no time to move to a damage-control action to save himself by calling his master’s debtors and stroke better loan deals with them. This way, the steward could make himself look better of himself by easing the amounts of debt for them.  It means that he had to forfeit the last batch of unethical profit-making for himself before he would get fired. But, in exchange, he calculated that he would gain these debtors as his new friends. 

The below narrative from the Gospel reading indicates the steward’s self-centered motive to ease the debt of his master’s clients, rather than responding to his master’s confrontation with his remorse and intent for restitution. 

He (the master) summoned him and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.’  The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg.  I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.’  Luke 16:2-4

The steward exhibits unprincipled narcissistic personality in Theodore Millon’s clinical classification scheme of personality disorders (Disorders of Personality: DSM-IV-TM and Beyond. 1996), as he is so boldly shameless and unscrupulous all the way to his core.  In fact, he responded to his master’s confrontation with even more moral callousness to avoid negative impacts on himself.   

Furthermore, the clinical concept of “the Dark Triad”, developed and empirically examined by Paulhaus & Williams (2002) (“The Dark Triad of personality: narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy”, J. of Research in Personality, 36(6):556-563) offers a better contextual view on the steward’s pathological narcissistic personality.  According to “the Dark Triad”, narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy are overlapping significantly.  It means that the steward’s narcissism bears the character of Machiavellianism and psychopathic factors. In fact, given the steward’s cleverness in pragmatism and manipulativeness not only to fatten himself with money but also to save himself, he certainly shares a significant amount of pathological Machiavellianism.  

Perhaps, the kind gestures the steward made to his master’s debtors in reaction to a prospect of punishment on him, being fired, also indicates Friedrich Nietzsche’s critique on hypocrisy  in kind and compassionate behaviors.   In his “Beyond Good and Evil”(1886), Nietzsche argued that cowards exhibit helpful behaviors to others in order not only to feel good about themselves but also to enjoy a sense of control over those whom they help.  

Remember, this man, has too much pride in himself – too proud to accept the shame, to ask forgiveness, and to reconcile, as he refused to face the full consequences for his dishonest behaviors.  But, it was, indeed, his narcissistic ingenuity that motivated him to exhibit “helpful behaviors” to the victims of usurious practice. 

This is, indeed, an irony, in the Gospel parable that the steward’s narcissism ended up contributing to helpful actions to the victims of his exploitative stewardship!  It is because of the steward exceptional shrewdness. 

It is evident that what is underneath in the steward’s mind is his obsession with money.  In fact, in his September 20, 2013, homily, in regard to 1 Timothy 6:2c-12, Pope Francis attributed greed and obsession with money to idolatry, upon stating that the love of money is root of all evil. The love of money means obsession with or, as Buddhist say, attachment  (raga) to, money.  And, Pope Francis views this as a form of idolatry. 

In this regard, the steward in the Gospel parable seems to have the same psychospiritual problem as Judas Iscariot had – though the degrees of their pathologies are on different levels while they are on the same spectrum of idolatry – attachment (raga) to money. 

Psychologically, a major bottom line factor for attachment to money or other material stuff is a sense of insecurity or anxiety.  What produces attachment to money – what prompts idolatry is what St. Augustine called “restless hearts” that needs to find peace and restfulness in God. Such hearts namely correspond to insecure minds, plagued with anxieties both on conscious and subconscious domains.  And, as Pope indicated, such minds, such hearts, are detrimental to healthy strong faith development.

So, what’s a cure for the steward’s narcissistic personality disorder? How can this man of Machiavellianism or Machiavellian narcissism can be resolved? 

Generally speaking, a plethora of personality disorders are extremely difficult to treat. This is particularly so with narcissistic personality disorder because it is very difficult to establish rapport with narcissists. 

You do not have to be a psychologist to understand how reluctant a narcissistic person to go for psychotherapy.  Like the steward in the Gospel parable, narcissists often feel they do not need any help as they tend to believe they can help themselves.  Their Machiavellian manipulativeness not only goes to control others but to control themselves and their own fate – not for self-discipline but to bring selves to directions of their own desires. Not to mention, the steward succeeded to bring himself to the direction of his own desire by avoiding possible hard labor as a punishment but rather to win new friendships from his victims by manipulating deals with them. 

But, to counter such a reluctant narcissist, like the steward, Heinz Kohut advocates to approach psychotherapy with empathy (“Forms and transformations of narcissism”, J of the American Psychoanalytic Association, Vol 14(2), 1966, 243-272).  Heinz believes that patiently and persistently treating narcissists like the steward, will help to transform their narcissism into healthy object love.  On the other hand, Otto Kernberg advocates for a confrontational therapeutic approach to narcissists (“Borderline conditions and pathological narcissism”, 1975).  However, as far as the steward in the Gospel parable is concerned, narcissists, especially shrewd Machiavellian type , like the steward, may find ways to circumvent therapeutic confrontation. 

In light of the Gospel and Christian theology, I believe that Kohut’s empathy-based approach is appropriate to treat narcissists like the steward with psychotherapy.  As a pastoral psychologist, in putting empathy forefront in my therapeutic practice, I strive to ensure that the empathy in therapy reflects the mercy of God, which was a major theme for the 24^th Sunday Gospel reading (Luke 15:1-32), as well as the mercy of Amitabha Buddha.  The empathy that mirrors the divine and Buddha’s salvific desire (hongan in Japanese Shin Buddhism) shall convert narcissist’s self-centered obsession to more others-oriented objective love. In this regard, I also believe that Morita Therapy, which gradually shift client’s/patient’s locus of attention from self to non-self, is effective in its integration with Kohut’s empathy-based psychodynamic treatment. 

Of course, I am open to integrate Marsha Linehan’s Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT), which is an improved modification of CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy) to Kohut’s empathy-focused psychodynamic therapeutic module and Morita Therapy module.

４５歳の娘の胸を触りたがる７７歳の父親の行動から学んだこと ー 臨床心理の常識を超えて

今朝、４５歳の女性の方が相談に来られ、認知症を患う７７歳の父親の”いやらしい”行動にどのように対処すればいいか悩んでおられるということでした。

”お父様の’いやらしい’行為とは具体的にどういうことですか？”、と尋ねると、それは、彼女が父親に身を寄せて親子の愛情を示そうとしたり、介護の為にオムツを替えようとすると、時々、いきなり彼女の胸を触ろうとしたり、胸に自分の顔を押し付けよとしたりする行動をし始めたということです。

彼女によれば、この父親は厳しくても、いつも自分や自分の兄弟達、それに、亡くなられたお母様を優しさと強さで守り、養ってくれた人だったということです。まじめ、規律正しい、勤勉、ストイックだが”父親的な”思いやりがあるよい父親であったということです。どうやら、典型的なドイツ系です。しかし、６年前にお母様が亡くなられてから、落ち込むようになり、心配した彼女が自分の住む家に移り、一緒に住むことを勧めても、持ち前の頑固さで拒否しました。父親は、母と一緒に４１年前に購入し、自分や兄弟達を育て上げてきた長年の家を手放すことに強い抵抗を示しました。そこで、彼女は自分の夫と相談し、自分たちの家を売却し、母の死後父が一人で住んでいる家に夫と子供と一緒に移り住むことで落ち込みがちな父を独りにすることなしに見守ることができると考えたのです。この考えには父親も反対しなかったので、彼女と夫は自分たちの家を売り、子供達と一緒に父親が住む家に７ヶ月後に引越しました。

父が離れることを拒む家に自分たちの家族が一緒に住むことで父親の悲しみも和らぐであろうと思っていたのですが、そうではなく、しかも、物忘れが非常に顕著になりだしたことに気付きました。それでえ、これは普通のグリーフではないと思い、プライマリーケアの医師に父親を看てもらい、その医師は認知症の可能性を感じ、老人医学の専門医チームに紹介すると、そこで認知症であることがわかりました。

あまり微笑まなくなった父親、ぼ～と窓の外を見ながら座っていることが多くなった父親。いつも毎朝必ず読んでいた新聞も読まなくなった父親。ぼ～とテレビを見ていても、殆ど何も覚えていないような父親。自分の子供や自分の兄弟の子供達に会っても、誰が誰であるか認識できなくなってしまったおじいちゃんになってしまった父親。そして、亡くなった母の写真をよく眺めながら母の名前を呼んだり、涙を浮かべている父親。

そして、自律神経の機能の低下も顕著となり、介護が必要となり、主に彼女が２年半前ぐらいからおむつの交換などの介護をしているということです。

当然、彼女と父親のスキンシップは濃厚で親密なものです。しかも、親子です。

彼女は、子供の頃、父は優しくても厳しく、あまりスキンシップを感じることなく育ち、しかも、それが当たり前だと思っていました。だから、こうした介護を通してのスキンシップは未知の経験で、初め、戸惑いがありましたが、すぐに慣れ、寧ろ、”やっと父との肌を通しての温もりを分かち合うことだできる”と思うようになり、思わぬ幸せさを感じたということです。

父親は時々、彼女の顔を見ながら母親の名前を呼んだりすることがあったので、初めは、自分のことを母と勘違いしているのではないかと思っていました。ところが、今からおよそ２ヶ月ぐらい前から、父親は彼女の胸に手を当てたり、胸に顔を埋めようとする行為をとるようになったということです。彼女は非常に気持ち悪くなり、一瞬その場を離れ、いったい自分に何が起きているのかを把握しようとして呆然と立っており、向こう側では父親が悲しそうな顔をして彼女の方を見ているということです。

彼女は、もしかして、自分の父親は脳が耄碌していく過程で性的に異常な症状を呈するようになったのではないかと心配するようになりました。初め、医師に相談しようかと思っていたのですが、やはり恥ずかしく、自分のことよりも、父親のことを思うと、やはり、父のことを恥ずかしい人だと思われたくないという願いから、悲嘆カウンセリングや性的問題についてのカウンセリングをも手がける、私のことを友人から聞き、相談に来られたということでした。

そこで、私は彼女に、お父様が彼女の胸に手を当てようとする時や顔を胸に埋めようとする時、どのような表情であるかを尋ねてみました。すると、彼女は暫く考えているような様相を示した後、”そうですね、今、はっと思ったんですが、父はどことなく嬉しいというか、満足しているというか、何か、'安らか’というか、'幸せ’な雰囲気をかもし出す顔をしていますね”、と答えました。更に調べてみると、彼女も、”べつに下心で私の体に触れようとしているのではないのではないかという気がしてきました”と言いました。

この父親、恐らく、４５歳の自分の娘を亡くなった自分の妻の若い頃の姿と交錯したり、或いは、更に遡り、潜在意識的に自分の母親であるかと、認知症的な脳神経機能や心理的な老化によくみられる退行により錯覚している疑いがあります。そうであれば、性的な病理ではなく、老化によく見受けられる脳神経、心理的機能の低下による様相の一つであると受け止め、意義のある対応をすることができます。勿論、更に調べてみたところ、この父親には性的な異常性は見受けられませんでしたし、彼女の胸に対する行為が性的な病理からくるものであるということを証明できる要素もありませんでした。

このように説明した後、彼女に尋ねました。

”お父様、認知症だから、あなたのことを在りし日のあなたのお母様と思い込んだり、また、更に、潜在意識的にお父様の体があなたの体を自分の母親のそれであると交錯させたりしているみたいですね。それでは、これからあなたはお父様があなたの胸の温かさと優しさを求める行為に対して、あなたの愛情でどのように対応していけますか？”

彼女はまた暫く考え始めました。

そして、”さっき先生がおっしゃった、’退行’ということのお話を聞いていて、なんか父が赤ちゃんのようになって行く気がします。人って、年老い、死が近くなってくると、赤ちゃんのようになるのでしょうね。だったら、私もいつかそうなるかもしらないし、私の娘の胸に無意識的に触れていたりするかもしれませんし。よくわかってきました。私の父ですもの。しかも、今では唯一生きている私の親です。できるだけのことをしたいと思います。だから、もう’いやらしい’なんて思わないように努力し、私の胸で父を優しく支えてあげたいと思います”、と少し涙ぐみならが答えました。そして、”あら、私、自分の子供を育てていた時、いつも私の胸を子供から触られ、中には私の乳房を’噛む’のがいたりしてましたが、私はそれを’いやらしい’とか’異常’だとか、’恥ずかしいこと’だなんて全く思いませんでしたから。年老いて、耄碌しながら赤ちゃんに戻っていく父も、私の胸をかつての私の子供だそうであったように求めているんでしょうね。先生、何ていうんでしょうか、母性っていうもの、赤ちゃんの健やかな成長だけでなく、老人が’健やかに”老いを全うできる為にも大切なんですね”、と微笑ながら結論付けてくださいました。

専門家としての私の見解も、彼女の結論に１００％同意します。私が更に説明しようとしていたことを、彼女はもう自分で気付いていました。

彼女は、父親の行為が人には言えないような”いやらしい”ものではないか、そしてそれに対して父に恥をかかせるようなことをすることなくどのようにして対処すればいいのかと悩んでいましたが、相談室を出られる時には、自分と父親との深いスキンシップを通した関係とその意義を新たに見出し、しかも、自分が女性として、母親として、そして、孝行する娘としての新たな自覚を母性本能の素晴らしさの再発見と共に実感され、父親が自分の胸に母性本能の恩恵を受けながら’健やか’に老いていくことができるということを嬉しく認識されていました。彼女の胸にはすごく深い優しさがあります。その優しさで、彼女の子供は健やかに育ち、そして、その優しさで今彼女の父は健やかに老いているのです。そのような胸を持つ全ての女性は本当に素晴らしいです。

臨床心理の常識では、夫でもない者が女性の胸を触るという行為は、一般に性的に異常な行為だとされ、犯罪行為でもあります。夫であれ、いやがる妻にエッチな行為をとろうとすると性犯罪として見なすのが殆どの州の法律です。だから、こうしたケースにおいても、そうだから、この父親は性犯罪の現行犯として警察に通報すべきだとか、この父親には、介護をする娘の胸を絶対に触らせてはならないなどと、対応すると、いったい誰の為にどのような利益があるのでしょうか？そして、そうすることで社会がよりよくなるのでしょうか？

彼女にも言いましたが、ただ留意すべきことは、この父親の胸を求める行為がエスカレートするようであれば、精神病理学的、及び、神経病理学的な角度から再検証し、新たな対処法を考えねばなりません。しかし、そうでない限り、森田療法でいうように、しかも、彼女自身が私との会談の中で自覚したように、”あるがまま”に受けいれ、それに意義を見出せるように建設的に対処すればいいのです。

彼女の父親はある意味では幸せです。なぜならば、健やかに老いていく過程で母性本能の温もりを赤ちゃんの時のように、とはいえ、新たな意義で、また体験しながら人生を全うできるからです。もし、自分の娘ではなく、全くの他人による介護を受けていて、いきなり女性介護師の胸を触ったとすると、厄介にことになりかねません。

今の日本では家族関係の希薄化とそれがもたらす様々な問題が顕著となり、連鎖反応的に多様な社会問題とつながっています。こうした日本の現状の中で、あえて、私は家族の絆、スキンシップ、の重要性を強調したい。スキンシップによる絆とはお母さんの胸に赤ちゃんが安心して触れられることから始まり、それがJohn Bowlbyなどが説く愛着形成理論が健全な人格形成に強く影響して成人となり、そして、健やかに老いて行く過程においても、やはり、こうしたスキンシップによる家族の絆は大切である。今の日本のお母さん達、自分の胸の形が崩れることを恐れるが故、あめり自分の胸を赤ちゃんに触らせないようになった。だから、精神的免疫力ともいえる精神的強靭性が欠如する、いわゆる”キレ”やすい子供や若い大人が増える一方、母親の胸に象徴される母性本能的な愛に再度ふれることなくして寂しく死んでいく老人が多いのではないか。

まあ、そうして老いの過程で母性本能のご利益に預かることなしに死んで行く老人達にも、女性的なイメージのある観音菩薩は、全ての凡夫を救うことが本願であられる阿弥陀如来の慈悲の光でもって、何らかの形で女性の胸の温かさと優しさをお与えくださるであろう。でも、やはり、阿弥陀如来の召使である観音菩薩のご利益だけでなく、自分の肉親である母親の温かさを肌身で感じられるような家族の絆を世代を超えて体験できるような世の中を目指したい。

それは、良い意味での土居健郎がいう”甘え”であり、河合隼雄などがいう日本は本来は母性社会であったことを示す母性愛を欲する日本人の深層心理にとっても非常によろしいものでありましょう。

アメリカよりも高齢化が進んでいる日本で暮らす皆様にとってこうした問題はアメリカの方よりもより早急な問題ではないでしょうか？だから、まず、取り急ぎ日本語で書きました。

Mercy of God, Conversion, Pilgrimage Home, Salvation - An Integrated Contextualization with Buddhism and Tagalog, 24th Sunday Scripture Readings (Year C)

The scripture readings for the 24^th Sunday of the Year C are characterized with God’s mercy, which also reflects God’s sense of justice. 

The first reading  (Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14)tells that God rescinded His intent to punish sinful Israelites as Moses appealed to God’s mercy for his fellow Israelites.  The second reading (1 Timothy 12-17) is about Paul’s statement of his conversion with gratitude for God’s mercy. The Gospel reading (Luke 15:1-32) comes with a trio of Jesus’ parables on “lost and found”. But, the last of these three parables, the parable of the prodigal son, addresses mercy, forgiveness, and a problem of pride. 

In this blog entry, I also draw a parallel between God’s mercy and Amitabha Buddha’s mercy to see Christianity and Buddhism teaching the same truth. 

Additionally, I address the 24^th Sunday scripture readings’ relevance to Catechetical Sunday. Finally, hinted by Paul’s description of his conversion, I further explain how God’s mercy leads us “home” , where God is (the Kingdom of God), through a journey of conversion, in Filipino and Buddhism integrated contextualization. 

Adelante!

Jesus’ Parable of the Prodigal Son

Suppose you have a younger spoiled brother. He is selfish and arrogant. He gets on your nerve all the time. On the other hand, you work hard, obedient to your parents, faithfully practicing the virtue of filial piety. One day, your younger brother demanded your parents his share of inheritance money. He took the money and left home. He wasted all the money for debauching pleasures – alcohol, drug, prostitutes, you name it.  He got broke and homeless, trying to eat out of street garbage. He began to miss home and made his way home. As he got near home, your father, who had been patiently waiting for his return, ran up to your younger brother and embraced him warmly. No, your father did not scold him at all but just welcomed with open arms. Then, your father hosted an extravagant banquet to celebrate your younger brother’s return.  Your father also calls you to join him in rejoicing over your brother’s return. But, neither your father nor mother had never treated you to such a banquet, not even special dinner, during all these years of your hard work for them. 

Now, how would you feel about this? How would you respond to your younger brother’s return, having treated to a lavish welcome banquet?  Although you had been so loyal to your parents, neither your father nor mother had ever treated you like this. 

If you find it difficult to rejoice over your brother’s return, then, what is making it so hard for you to celebrate? Jealousy? 

Is the way the father treats the younger brother unfair to you, given how faithful you have been to your parents, while how your younger brother had been disrespectful to and disgraced your parents?

This is the kind of question that the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) in the 24^th Sunday Year C Gospel reading (Luke 15:1-32) challenge us. 

This parable is two-fold as it addresses the extraordinary mercy of God, illustrated with the mercy of the father, while it also challenges the attitudes of the older brother, who was unable to join his father in rejoicing over his younger brother’s return. 

Moral Problem of the Older Brother, characterizing our hypocrisy

In the parable, the older brother, unlike the younger brother, was always faithful to his father, while the younger brother, the prodigal son, extorted his inheritance money from his father, while he was still alive, and went away with the money. The younger son wasted the money only to find himself at the bottom rock of life, while the older brother continued to work hard to support his father. What a contrast! 

The younger brother decided to come home to his father. But, it is not to be welcomed as his son but to be accepted as his father’s slave, acknowledging that he was no longer worthy to be his son for the sin he had committed against his father. But, to his older brother, he could be seen as bold enough to come back to his father, assuming that he would further take advantage of his father. Such a critical thought against the younger brother must be due to the older brother’s self-righteousness and pride.  Otherwise, the older brother would not have difficulty in welcoming his younger brother as his father did. 

Through the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus warns us that we should not let our pride gets in the way of forgiving and being merciful to others. The parable also reminds us that God’s care is not distributed equally as it sure goes more toward those in greater needs, such as sinners like the younger son.  Jesus’ parable of the vineyard workers (Matthew 20:1-16) also makes this point. In this parable, the workers from early morning complained to the vineyard owner because he paid the same amount of wage also to the workers who came late and worked less. 

In the eyes of merciful and compassionate God, the Kantian concept of fairness in the distributive justice concept never works.  Martha Nussbaum, in her “Frontiers of Justice”(2007),  challenges this type of concept of justice, to which she attempts to compensate with compassion and mercy, based on capabilities and needs, rather than a mathematically calculated equity. In this argument, Nussbaum not only challenges the Kantian view of distributive justice but also John Rawl’s theory of justice.  Nussbaum’s challenge to the Kantian view of distributive justice, which the Western social contract theory is based upon, also reminds Shakespeare’s moral plot in the “Merchant of Venice”, resolving Antonio’s debt problem with Shyrock, who adamantly demands Antonio to pay his debt regardless of his situation. 

“The Merchant of Venice” shows that the concept of the Kantian concept of distributive justice is not helpful in dealing with a debt problem like Antonio’s. What was needed in Antonio’s situation is some mercy and compassion. Of course, it is not fair to Shyrock to change the nature of the contract. But, religiously enforcing the contract does not solve the problem. And, this is what Nussbaum points out. 

In fact, Friedrich Nietzsche also pointed that many modern ethical philosophies insufficiently address compassion (Michael L. Frazer, “The Compassion of Zarathustra: Nietzsche on Sympathy and Strengths”, The Review of Politics, 68(2006), 49-78). Such Nietzsche’s view is certainly echoed in Nussbaum’s new proposal for justice with a sense of compassion and mercy. 

The view of the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son and the view of the vineyard worker who complained about their wages is rather close to the Kantian concept of distributive justice. As these Jesus’ parables tell, God’s sense of justice rejects such an equity-based sense of distributive justice. Rather, God’s sense of justice is characterized with mercy, compassion, and love, and is distributed not equally but according to the needs and capability of the people. In this regard, Nussbaum’s concept of justice is rather closer to God’s sense of justice, in reflecting on the problem of the older brother in the Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son. 

It is better not to be obsessed with “equality” to appreciate God’s mercy. If we are attached to “equality”, we would be as self-righteous as the older brother in the parable. And, as the parable shows, our obsession with or attachment to “equality” or “equity” can make it difficult to be merciful to others, making us unable to forgive, as in the case of Shyrock in Shakespeare’s the Merchant of Venice.

The “prodigal” mercy of the prodigal son’s father, characterize God’s mercy

The father of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32 sure is prodigally merciful! Although the younger son (the prodigal son) had really insulted him, this father did not scold him upon his return. The father simply embraced the son with unconditional love and rejoiced over the reunion with him – as the shepherd who has found his lost sheep (Luke 15:3-6) and the woman who has found her lost coin (Luke 15:8-9) rejoice. 

The way the father in this Gospel parable treats the sinful son is a metaphor that Jesus must be applying in order to help us understand and appreciate how God love us, the sinners, how God pour His mercy on us.  Mercy is God’s desire as God want all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, as Paul said in 1 Timothy 2:4. No wonder, Jesus tells this parable of the prodigal son and the prodigally merciful father in Luke 15:11-32. The two preceding parables (the parable of the lost sheep, and the parable of the lost coin) are to build up the point of the third parable – the parable of the prodigal son: merciful God’s love sometimes reaches out to find the lost souls and bring back, while it also patiently waits for the return of the lost soul and rejoices over the reunion with those who was lost but now found. 

Paul said that love is patient (1 Corinthians 13:4). Indeed, the love of God, the mercy of God, is really patient, as illustrated by the patience of the father in the parable, who waited for his son’s return for very long time. And, he must have never lost his hope, believing his son’s return. 

Our common sense tends to tell that a person who insults and leaves his or her father as the prodigal son did is not likely to return.  But, our faith, which is closely associated with love and hope, in triad (1 Corinthians 13:13, 1 Thessalonians 1:3), enables us to be as patient, hopeful, and loving, as the father of the prodigal son was, reflecting the quality of God’s love and mercy. 

The way the father of the prodigal son demonstrate his patient and hopeful love, as a man of faith with a heart of unconditional acceptance, it also reflects the way Jesus loves. 

Prodigal Son, Adulterous Woman, Peter – Beneficiaries of God’s Mercy through “Here and Now and From Now On” Unconditional Acceptance

Remember when Jesus met a woman, who committed adultery, as she was about to be stoned to death (John 7:53-8:11)? Although he confronted her sin, he did not condemn her. He did not dig up her past, asking her why she committed adultery.  Jesus was not interested in why she did. He was not interested in digging up her past. What matters to him is “here and now” and “from now on”, not the “past”.  So, Jesus accepted her as she was, though those who were self-righteous attempted to condemn her. 

Another good example of this Jesus’ character of not getting into sinners’ past is found in his interaction with Peter, as he reinstated him (John 21:10-25). Although Peter betrayed Jesus three times, Jesus did not mention Peter about his betrayal in the past.  Jesus simply asked Peter if he loves him, making sure that Peter still and really loves him.  So, Jesus’ focus is “here and now”. And, as he commanded Peter to take care of his sheep, Jesus’ interest was also in “from now on”. 

This aspect of Jesus’ mercy to the adulterous woman and sinful Peter is certainly found in the father of the prodigal son, as he never asked his younger son why he insulted him by asking his inheritance money while he was still alive and what he did with the money he ran away with. What mattered to the father was the fact that his lost son is found and has returned to be with him again. And, he accepted the son as he was.

Like  the lost sheep and the lost coin, God’s mercy can reach out to find the lost soul wherever they may. The mercy of God also patiently waits for the lost soul to make its way back like the father of the prodigal son.

Jesus reaching out to the adulterous woman (John 7:53-8:11) and to Peter (John 21:10-25) shows God’s mercy, described in the parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7) and the parable of the lost coin (Luke 15:8-10). God’s mercy can diligently seek out to redeem those who have gotten lost – wherever they may be. 

Conversion of Paul, a Lost Sheep, Redeemed by God’s Mercy, Accepted by God’s Unconditional Love

The way the mercy of God had reached out to Paul in the second reading (1 Timothy 12-17) is another good example of God’s mercy’s reaching-out aspect. 

In his epistle to his disciple, Timothy, with joyful gratitude, Paul shares his conversion journey – from a sinful arrogant man of ignorance to a man of strong faith.  He was lost before because he was ignorant of God, in particular, God’s grace, which includes mercy.  But, His mercy reached out to Paul and found him, gracing him with love.  Being touched by God’s mercy, Paul’s conversion began. His life made a critical turn from the world of sin and ignorance to the world of God’s grace, including His mercy and love.

The word, “conversion” came from the Latin word, “convertere”, which is composed of its prefix, “con”(com), meaning “together” and “vertere”, meaning “to turn”.  So, there is a turn in the process of conversion, and the turn is prompted by grace of God, which comes as mercy. 

Paul was reached out by God’s mercy through Christ to turn to God, while he was in the world of sin.  Jesus also reached out to Peter to make a turn back to him, while he was still living with unresolved betrayal.  Paul’s conversion was rather began with a violent lightening from the sky, knocking him off the horse, before Jesus appeared to him through a mysterious voice to turn him toward him (Acts 9:1-9), though the resurrected Jesus directly approached Peter, inviting him to dine with him, and asked him if he loved him and commanded to take care of his sheep, before asking him to follow him (John 21:10-19). While God’s mercy found Paul in a traumatizing way, it came to Peter with an inviting way. It suggests that God’s mercy can reach out to us, the sinners, in many different ways. 

Conversion of Paul, Conversion of John Newton Through God’s Mercy as Amazing Grace

Paul’s recalling on his conversion in the second reading (1 Timothy 1: 12-17) invokes John Newton’s famous 18^th century hymn, “Amazing Grace”.

Like Paul, as well as Augustine of Hippo, Francis of Assisi, and Ignatius of Loyola, John Newton’s early life was plagued with sinfulness.  He was recalcitrant and drunk at times.  It was when he was engaged in Atlantic slave trade as a British Royal Navy sailor that grace of merciful God reached out to him to save him, amidst the stormy sea. Though Newton’s conversion did not begin immediately after being touched by God’s mercy in the stormy sea, as he continued to be involved in slave trade for another 6 or 7 years, he eventually left the sinful business of slave trade and began to study theology. And, he was ordained in the Anglican Church.

It is believe that Newton wrote Amazing Grace first as a sermon, recalling the stormy sea experience, in which he felt being touched by God. 

It is no coincidence to draw similarities between Paul’s conversion experience narrated in 1 Timothy 1:12-17 and John Newton’s “Amazing Grace”.

 Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, as blind but now I see.  ‘T was grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed!  

Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come; ‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home. The Lord has promised good to me, His word my hope secures;  He will my shield and portion be as long as life endures.  When we’ve been there ten-thousand years , bright shining  as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise then when we first begun. 

Now compare this to Paul’s testimony:

I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and arrogant, but I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief. Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the foremost. But for that reason I was mercifully treated , so that in me, as the foremost,  Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life”(1 Timothy 1:13-16). 

The mercy of God reaches out to those who are lost in ignorance. Ignorance means being severed from Christ the light. Thus, being ignorant means being in darkness.  As Paul said in Galatians 5:4, being ignorant, being cut off from Christ means fallen from grace.  Original Sin, committed by Adam and Eve, is the very first case of a fall from grace.  Though the humans, represented by Adam and Eve, have fallen from grace, and repeatedly fallen subsequently throughout the history, God never give up on us, as He continues to redeem us with His mercy in his grace.  And, Paul, John Newton, and many others who have been converted (having made turns from darkness of sin to Christ the light) are witnesses of this God’s ongoing salvific plan and actions.  

Such God’s continuing saving plan and actions are, indeed, characterized by Jesus’ parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son.  As Paul puts it in 1 Timothy 1:12-17, this outreaching mercy of God shines upon sinners in darkness, guides them in their turning and on their journey back to God. 

Analogy Between God’s Outreaching Light of Mercy and Amitabha Buddha’s Immeasurable Light of Mercy

The way God’s mercy is characterized in Jesus’ parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son, and the way Paul describes how God’s mercy reached out to him and guided his conversion journey in the 24^th Sunday scripture readings (Luke 15:1-32, 1 Timothy 12-17), invokes the way the Amitabha Buddha’s immeasurable light of mercy reaches out.  Whether it is God’s mercy or Amitabha Buddha’s mercy,  its purpose is to save the souls of those who have been lost, fallen from grace. 

As Japanese Shin Buddhist master, Shinran (親鸞), said in his “Hymn of True Faith”(Shoshin nembutsu ge/正信念仏偈),  Amitabha (Amida) Buddha’s boundless light reaches out to save sinners.  This is analogous to how God through Christ extends His mercy to save lost sinners, wherever they may be, and to bring them back to Him.  In regard to mercy and salvation, there is a parallel between Buddhism and Christianity.  

I take refuge in the Buddha of Infinite Life, the Tathagata of inconceivable Light. Bodhisattva Dharmakara sat with Buddha Lokeshvararaja…..Why did the World-honored One come into this world?  To expound the ocean of Amida’s Primal Vow; In this evil world of five defilements ,we should believe the Buddha’s true words. We, by a single thought of Joy in the Vow, passions though unsevered, will attain Nirvana. Whether wicked, good or in-between, all are the same, as of one taste are all rivers entering the sea.  Light of compassion ever shining protects us, darkest ignorance it has already overcome; still, the clouds and mist of greed, delusion and rage always cover the sky of shinjin; Yet, as the clouds and mist obscure the sun’s light, under them is Light and no darkness at all; when receiving faith with greatest joy and reverence, we at once transcend the five evil realms. Whether good or evil, if ordinary folk hear and trust the Buddha’s Universal Vow, great and highest is their understanding, He said: White Lotus Flowers they are called.  (Shinran, Shoshin Nembutsu Ge – The Hymn of True Faith in Nembutsu)

Paul before being touched by mercy of God was ignorant, as he confesses in his letter to Timothy (1 Timothy 1:13). It suggests that Paul’s sinful behaviors were due to his ignorance.  This echoes one of the Buddhist cardinal teachings:  ignorance (moha), which is one of the Three Poisons (trivisa), along with aversion (dvesa) and attachment (raga).  Thus, in Buddhism, ignorance can lead us to sinful acts, resulting in sufferings.  Ignorance, in Buddhism, means a separation from everything else in the universe, and a false perception about self and everything else because of this separation.  The truth in Buddhism – the Dharma – teaches that we are all connected not only with each other but also with everything in the universe, as we, along with everything else in the universe, exists only contingent upon the intricacy of interdependent causes and conditions (pratityasamutpada) . 

What the connection with everything else in the universe is to Buddhism parallels what the connection with God to Christianity. Being ignorant about this truth means being severed from everything else in the universe to Buddhist is analogous to being ignorant about this truth means being cut-off from God and being fallen from grace. 

With delight and gratitude, Master Shinran, in his “Shoshin Nembutsu Ge – The Hymn of True Faith in Nembutsu”  sees that it is Amitabha Buddha’s desire to extend its immeasurable light of mercy to save those are in the darkness of ignorance – just as Paul expresses his joy and gratitude for God’s mercy, the saving grace, in 1 Timothy 12-17. 

According to the Heart Sutra and the Avalokitesvara Sutra, an embodiment of Amitabha Buddha’s salvific desire, mercy, is Avalokitasvara Bodhisattva (観音菩薩/ Guanyin Bodhisattva  ).  The Sanskrit word, “avalokitasvara” means “to look down to the world and listen”.  Thus, Avalokitasvara Bodhisattva is, indeed, an embodiment of the immeasurable light of Amitabha Buddha’s mercy to save sinners in the world. 

As with Christianity, what sinners need to fully benefit from the mercy of Amitabha Buddha is to repent.  As merciful God have incarnated in Christ to save us, reaching out in the Holy Spirit, Amitabha Buddha, whose desire is to save, has been embodied in Avalokitasvara Bodhisattva, shining Amitabha’s immeasurable salvific light of mercy on us. 

Whether it is the saving light of God through Christ or of Amitabha Buddha through Avalokitasvara Bodhisattva, this immeasurable light works on our ignorance, which is a root of our sins, attributed to the Original Sin. 

Spiritual Works of Mercy  - Catechetical Sunday

The 24^th Sunday of Year C falls upon Catechetical Sunday in 2013.  Whether it is a mere coincidence or rather God’s providence – though I believe the latter, the scripture readings of the 24^th Sunday have much to offer in signifying the meaning of Catechetical Sunday. 

Based on St. Thomas Aquinas’ “Summa Theologica”, Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) describes works of mercy that we are to practice.  There are the corporal works of mercy (To feed the hungry; To give drink to the thirsty; To clothe the naked; To shelter the homeless; To visit the sick; To ransom the captive; To bury the dead) and the spiritual works of mercy (To instruct the ignorant; To counsel the doubtful; To admonish sinners; To bear wrongs patiently; To forgive offences willingly; To comfort the afflicted; To pray for the living and the dead). 

One of the spiritual works of mercy is to instruct the ignorant. It means to help those who are in the darkness of ignorance become enlightened as they come to know God, to appreciate grace of God, benefitted by God’s mercy. And, this is what catechesis aims for. 

Catechists in the Catholic Church throughout the world are committed to make their efforts in religious education to bring salvific effects to their students.  “Ignorant” in this context does not mean “ignorant” in colloquial sense or psychological sense, but it means “not really knowing God and His grace”.   

For us to be saved, we need to have our eyes opened to God, as Paul became able to see after three days of blindness, in his conversion (Acts 9:1-19), or as John Newton’s “Amazing Grace” sings, “I once was lost, but now am found, as blind but now I see.”  Catechesis is a way to help our eyes open so that we appreciate the light of God – His mercy fully.  Thus, catechesis is a path to enlightenment. 

In this effort to help us become enlightened, catechesis must address the rest of the works of mercy.  Not to mention, forgiveness, which is another spiritual work of mercy is addressed in the 24^th Sunday’s Gospel reading through Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son. 

Effects of God’s Mercy – Returning Home – Pagbabalik-Loob

As Paul has testified in 1 Timothy 12-17, God’s mercy prompts us to turn from the darkness of sin to the light of God.  As I explained, this is what conversion literally means - con “together” and “vertere”, to turn.  So, when God’s mercy touches upon us, who do we turn with? Of course, it is the mercy.  Upon mercy’s contact upon us, we turn with mercy to where it guides into. Namely, it is where God is that mercy leads us to.  

To the believers, the ultimate home is where God is.  The mercy of God is like the shepherd who goes out far to find a lost sheep to bring it home, as described in the parable of the lost sheep. And, God wait patiently until all lost souls make their ways home to God, as the father of the prodigal son, in the parable of the prodigal son, waited.  Thus, the ultimate aim of God’s mercy is homecoming of all to the Kingdom of God.  A life on earth is, indeed, a pilgrimage home to the Kingdom of God, where God reside and lead us to through His mercy. 

A Filipino Catholic theologian, Jose DeMesa, explains that a Tagalog equivalent to the word, “conversion” is “pagbabalik-loob”.   The Tagalog word, “pagbabalik” means “returning home”, while the world, “loob” means “inner self”, “substantial self”.   In this Filipino contextualization of “conversion”, there is this image that conversion is a journey or pilgrimage to who we really are and are to become.  It also suggests that who are in the state of “out of grace”, “ignorance”, “darkness of sin” is not who we really are or being our own “loob”.  

Buddhist teaching on moha, which means ignorance, is rather close to understanding that who we are in the state of sinfulness is not our real self, because moha suggests living with a false sense of self, a delusional sense of self.  And, living a delusional sense of self means a life of kleshas, a life of afflictions, the kind of life that St. Augustine of Hippo defined as “restless heart”. 

St. Augustine puts it,  our hearts are restless until they find rest in God (Confession, Chapter 1). It means that we live a life of kleshas in the state of “fallen from grace”, “ignorance”, “moha”.  It is a life of delusion, in Buddhist teaching.  In such a delusion,  we, the sinners, are not living with “loob”, our substance.  It is where we are far from “home” – the Kingdom of God. 

The souls in such a state needs to be touched by the mercy of God – the Divine Mercy, so that they will be saved upon conversion, so that they turn (vertere) and make their way home (pagbabalik) , where God reside, where the Kingdom of God is, and where we find our true self, “loob”.

As we are touched by mercy of God and open our eyes to the truth, the Dharma, we come to realize that we cannot save ourselves.  We need the Divine Mercy to be saved, as Jesus spoke to St. Faustina.  Mahayana Buddhism, especially Japanese Shin Buddhism, teaches that we need the mercy of Amitabha Buddha, to be saved.  And,  in our salvation, we find our true self, no longer in kleshas, no longer a restless heart,  no longer a delusional self, but now living the true self, “loob”,  found in God in the Kingdom.  This is the state of Nirvana in Buddhism.  All we need to find our way to “loob” found in God (secure heart rest in God) is the Divine Mercy. And, this journey upon making our turn with the Divine Mercy is a journey of conversion (turning with), heading to “loob”, true self, in God.  This journey is far more than a process of what Abraham Maslow calls “self transcendence through self actualization” or Carl Jung views as “individuation”.  This is, indeed, a pilgrimage toward the fullness in the mystery of Christ. 

For our meaningful journey of “pagbabalik-loob”, let the Divine Mercy guide us, as it is our salvific pilgrimage, which Paul, the foremost among the sinners” made. 

As Pure Land Mahayana Buddhists images Amitabha Buddha’s mercy with a large vessel  (mahayana) that carry saved sinners home to the Pure Land, Christians can see the Divine Mercy as “Christian Mahayana”(Christian large vessel) that carry saved souls home to the Kingdom of God.  

Indeed, Jesus spoke to St. Faustina:  

"I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the signature: 'Jesus, I trust in You'" (Diary, 327)

For Christians, our full trust in Christ is the anchor of the saving vessel that Christ offers, while Japanese Shin Buddhist express their full trust in Amitabha Buddha’s care through “nembuts”(念仏):  Namuamidabutsu (南無阿弥陀仏) to sail home to the Pure Land with Amitabha’s mahayana (large vessel).