Marching Forward Toward Sainthood with "Bahala na"!

The second reading for the 30^th Sunday Year C is taken from Paul’s second letter to his trusted and beloved disciple, Timothy.  And, this is one of my favorite scripture readings.

I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand.

I have competed well; I have finished the race;
I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,
which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me,
but to all who have longed for his appearance.

At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf,
but everyone deserted me.
May it not be held against them!
But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.
And I was rescued from the lion's mouth.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat
and will bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom.
To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. (2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18)

Being a pastoral psychologist, I often meet people in their sufferings. Some of them apparently hoping that meeting with me would find a way to find ways to eliminate sufferings.  If this is in my clients’ or patients’ intent in meeting me, then, I tell straightforward that I have no power or capacity to eliminate suffering of another person and mine. 

Yes, this honest truth busts bubbles of hope of such people.  But, I cannot mislead them into false hope by further inflating their bubbles. Hope that is not realistic and reflecting truths cannot be sustained. Such hope can only hurt more down on the road. 

It sure would be nice if we could find ways to remove sufferings as we desire.  But, we know that not all sufferings can be avoided and eliminated as we wish. 

My professional interest as a pastoral psychologist, and personal interest, are always in dealing with sufferings meaningfully. In meeting with people in their sufferings as a pastoral psychologist, I tell them that I am their partner in struggle to discern ways  to embrace and endure sufferings meaningfully and constructively – in ways to grow further as persons and toward the fullness.

On this topic,  I wrote, “Pastoral Psychologist’s View on Life with Suffering and Enduring Resilience – Reflecting the Recent Earthquake in the Philippines and the 29th Sunday Year C Gospel Reading in Light of Morita Therapy, Paul Tillich’s “Courage”, Viktor Frankl’s “Tragic Optimism” and Sikolohiyang Pilipino” , on 10/16/13, in my last blog entry.  Now, in reading the above words of Paul, we can further deepen our understanding and appreciation of psychospiritual resilience as the bottom line of our coping with sufferings. 

Note that Paul was exhausted after more than 20 years (about 21 years – from c.a. 46 AD until c.a. 67 A.D.) of tirelessly devoted missionary service to the Lord.  It is believe that Paul wrote this pastoral letter to his trusted follower, Timothy, from his prison cell in Rome, as his execution drew near.  You also notice that Paul was keenly aware of his impending fate – martyrdom in Rome, besides his fatigue, from this sentence: I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand (2 Timothy 4:6). 

Feeling as if being poured out like a libation, there is Paul’s awareness that the death he was waiting for in the prison was a sacrificial offering of himself as a libation.  Paul was allegedly beheaded in the same year he wrote this letter from the prison. Yes, he certainly shed his own blood as a martyr for the Lord he served tirelessly for years.  Thus, by saying “being poured out like a libation” and “the time of my departure is at hand”, Paul was increasingly aware of his execution, being tired after years of selfless service to the Lord, feeling well-spent for this cause. 

Upon acknowledging his exhaustion and looming death, Paul reflects his life in these years of his service to the Lord with a metaphor of a competitive race. 

I have competed well; I have finished the race;
I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,
which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me,
but to all who have longed for his appearance. (vv. 7-8).

Though Paul ended up in a lonely cold prison cell in exhaustion as a result of his service to the Lord, he has no regret at all. In fact, he is very hopeful in anticipating his reward from the just judge, God.

Imagine if you would feel as Paul did – being imprisons to wait for your execution as a result of your faithful service to someone. You gave much of yourself and much of your life to the person you love and believe. But, persecution, imprisonment, and execution are all you get. 

Would feel as Paul did? 

Paul was not bitter toward God at all. In fact, his words indicate that he is much looking forward to seeing God, whom he has served with his steadfast faith and love and receiving the crown of righteousness, which is the mark of righteousness before God. This crown means that being worthy to have his name written in the Book of Life of the Lamb (Revelation 21:27) to enter into Heaven as a Saint. 

Today, November 1, celebrates Solemnity of All Saints. This is rather a jubilant feast to assure and reassure that we are in the Communion of Saints, though we are not yet in heaven by earning our own sainthood. 

The scripture readings for All Saints Day – Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14; 1 John 3:1-3, and Matthew 5:1-12A – all direct us to the sainthood. 

In the first reading (7:2-4, 9-14), an angel from the East was making sure that destruction of corrupted world would not take place until the seal is being put on the foreheads of the servants of God. This seal is like the mark of protection during the deconstructive process of the God’s renewal to bring the new Eden, replacing the old Eden, the paradise, that Adam and Eve lost. 

What Paul is looking forward to receiving – the crown of righteousness – is like the seal on the forehead, to be chosen for the heaven – new Eden, to be one of the one hundred and forty-four thousand people (saints), wearing  white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.

The protective nature of the seal on the forehead of the chosen for salvation – sainthood – is like such nature of the lamb’s blood marking the door posts of Jewish homes in Egypt on the night of Passover (Exodus 12:13). Otherwise, Jews in Egypt at that time would be destroyed in God’s salvific cleansing process, along with their enemies. The deconstruction of the world described in Revelation comes with a similar salvific tone of Passover.  But, of course, this one is with far greater power and is the last permanent process to complete God’s evolving salvation plan in response to the loss of Eden by Adam and Eve. 

So, Paul was not simply and passively waiting to die in execution. In fact, he was waiting for this great reward, the crown of righteousness – his “ticket” to heaven to finally meet God face to face (Revelation 22:4). Paul was really looking forward to seeing the face of the one he served.

This hopeful anticipation enabled him to remain so optimistic and forward-looking with a sense of content of what he has done – even though we might find ourselves in despair and irreversible resentment because we tend to envision materialistic rewards. And, we would certainly feel angry at God if our service to God would be rewarded with imprisonment and execution as we often become angry at those who did not return our favors as we want. 

Psychologically, Buddhist wisdom pinpoints the bottom line of this problem of ours, making it difficult to be like Paul. It is our ego and its tendency of ego-attachment. In Buddhism, we cannot attain buddhahood, which can be paralleled to sainthood in Christianity, unless we completely overcome our ego-driven attachment. In this regard, Paul makes a really good “Buddhist”, as well, for demonstrating his egoless state of mind.  In a way, we can apply Shakamuni Buddha’s teaching of overcoming attachment into our Christian spiritual discipline toward sainthood – salvation. 

Because of his non-attachment, Paul remains in egoless self even after his satisfactory accomplishment of his missionary work.  He is not asking God, “now, what’s for me?”.  He simply continues to trust Him and His care for him. And, this tremendous trust he has in God keeps Paul from any mental disturbances even in fatigue, loneliness in prison, and facing death. 

In my last blog entry,  “Pastoral Psychologist’s View on Life with Suffering and Enduring Resilience – Reflecting the Recent Earthquake in the Philippines and the 29th Sunday Year C Gospel Reading in Light of Morita Therapy, Paul Tillich’s “Courage”, Viktor Frankl’s “Tragic Optimism” and Sikolohiyang Pilipino”, I wrote on the Filipino value of “bahala na” , along with its Japanese equivalent, “shikataga nai”, defending its positive value, citing Alfred Lagmay and F.L. Jocano, disputing Tomas Andres’ negative interpretation of “bahala na”.  I argued that “bahala na” is indispensable to exert what Paul Tillich calls “courage of being” and what Viktor Frankl’s concept of “tragic optimism”, in a way like a process of Morita Therapy, a Japanese psychotherapy, to grow through suffering, because  “bahala na” is not a sign of fatalistic resignation but rather a valor not only to endure suffering but also to grow in resilience through suffering. 

Now, a sense of “bahala na” is found in the above words of Paul. And, I believe that it is Paul’s sense of “bahala na” (or “shikataga nai”) that kept him psychospiritually stable and calm amidst of his loneliness awaiting for his execution. 

As I mentioned in my last blog entry on “bahala na”, there is a sense of trust in greater being to be able to practice “bahala na”. This also means humility because ego makes it difficult to accept such a difficult situation as what Paul was in.  Ego would rather make Paul fight against his situation, while making him so angry at God and those who abandoned him in prison. 

But, was Paul angry at God? Angry at those who betrayed his trust and abandoned him when he was arrested? 

Rather than being angry and casting his anger, Paul’s response was:

At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me.
May it not be held against them! (v.16)

Paul was compassionate to those who fled from him, understanding that they did not overcome their ego yet. He understood that it was rather their ego-driven attachment to their own lives rather than steadfast adherence to their mission for the Lord, which Paul shared with. Perhaps, in saying the above words, Paul must have been praying that they would once day overcome their ego and attain detachment, as taught in Buddhism. In the meantime, Paul asks God for His mercy on them in the hope that they will eventually overcome their ego and be able to engage in their mission with true courage and determination through “bahala na”. 

Holding no grudge against those who abandoned him was possible because Paul’s focus remains on God. And, it is his firm trust in Him, as “bahala na” is an expression of ultimate trust.  The following words of Paul reflect a trust aspect of his “bahala na”.

At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf,
but everyone deserted me.
May it not be held against them!
But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.
And I was rescued from the lion's mouth.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat
and will bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom.
To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.(vv. 16-18)

No matter how difficult his situation may be, Paul never loses his trust. Rather than finding the source of his psychospiritual strengths in his ego, as secular psychology in the Western cultural tradition tend to teach, Paul detaches himself from ego and continues to find the resilient strengths in God, whom he trust with increasing intimacy. Again, this is how “bahala na” works on us, too. 

Being able to practice “bahala na” as Paul did is also a sign of mature faith.  

To further assure Paul’s sense of “bahala na”, these words of him are also helpful:

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast  about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

In the above words of Paul from his second letter to the Corinthians, what says about “weakness” is “weakness of his ego”, consequently, “weakness in his ego-driven attachment”.  So, these words indicate that the weaker his ego’s grasp becomes through spiritual maturity, then, the stronger God’s power in Christ will manifest in and through us.  Thus, these words indicate that humility makes it easier for the divine strengths to be manifested in us. 

Place the word, “suffering”, instead of “weakness” in the above words of Paul. Then, you can better appreciate Paul’s sense of “bahala na” in the second reading of the 30^th Sunday - 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18. 

Now, let’s turn to the Gospel reading for All Saints Day -  Matthew 5:1-12A.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.”

To be put for the Gospel reading for All Saints Day, these constitute a list of conditions to be on our way to sainthood. These are the beatitudes – blessedness, which is also translated as “happiness”. But, our ego-driven common sense sure finds it ridiculous to consider grief, meekness, hunger and so forth to characterize happiness. These words of Jesus really challenge us on our ego-driven understanding of “happiness”. 

“Poor in spirit”, as St. Chrysostom and St. Leo the Great have explained, means humility. Poverty makes us rich in God’s blessings – beatitude, because being poor symbolically means being having “poor” ego. 

If we are humble, as “poor in spirit”, we can accept and endure hardships meaningfully with “bahala na”, because of our strong faith in God – ultimate trust in Him.

According to Jesus, practicing the beatitudes with “bahala na” to God helps us be and stay on our path toward sainthood, salvation. And, our strong and mature faith with “bahala na” can help us fight all forces from ego to see the above-conditions are misery and to see “bahala na” is a passive fatalism or sign of shameful weakness. 

Now we know that “bahala na”, as a sign of humility, courage, and the divine strengths manifested in our weakness, is indispensable on our journey into sainthood and salvation, well exemplified by Paul.

If we let our ego go unchecked, we may begin to think that Paul became a miserable loser as a result of serving God. Then, we would not be able to appreciate the above words of Jesus on beatitudes, either. When we have gotten into such a psychospiritual state, we are more attached to whatever ego drives us, while detaching ourselves from God. 

A good example of such a psychospiritual state is found in the Pharisee’s prayer in the 30^th Sunday Gospel – Luke 18: 9-14.

'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity --
greedy, dishonest, adulterous -- or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ (Luke 18:11)

This prayer is all about praising himself. It is a textbook example of ego-driven prayer, using God’s name. And, this is hypocrisy per excellence. 

Imagine, if this Pharisee had to go through the hardships as Paul did…. Imagine how his prayer would be…

It is obvious that the Pharisee’s prayer would be filled with resentment and despair because his superficial piety is ego-driven.  

Unfortunately, religions, including Christianity, tend to attract narcissists like this Pharisee, especially in clerical positions. We must be careful and keep our vigilant eyes so that the Church will not sink with ego-driven narcissism of its hypocrite leaders and members. 

These hypocrites love to preach the Gospel – on humility, chastity, piety, and so forth. But, what they don’t know is that they are living in a bubble of ego-driven illusion. For these hypocrites, sainthood is farther than repenting sinners, like tax collectors. That is why the Pharisee was not justified, while the tax collector was. In this context, justification suggests salvation. Thus, it is related to attaining sainthood. 

For those who are like this “pious” Pharisee, “bahala na” is something extremely difficult to embrace and practice. 

But, for us, let us march forward toward sainthood, inspired by All Saints and their trust in God, humility courage, and resilient strengths, characterized with “bahala na”!