Further Love Lesson from Zacchaeus - Zacchaeus vs Bro. Leo - On Letting Jesus In

In my last blog entry, A Love Lesson from the Gospel Story of Zacchaeus, a Short Sinful Man, I described the Gospel story of Zacchaeus and Jesus in Luke 19:1-10 as a story of love.  In this context, love does not mean romantic kind.  It is also a s tory of seekers as love seeks love’s object, because love unites, illustrating a mutual seeking of Zacchaeus and Jesus in light of Song of Songs 2:8-10.14.16; 8:6-7. 

The Gospel story makes it clear that it was not just Zacchaeus who was seeking Jesus but Jesus was also seeking Zacchaeus. Otherwise, he would just pass by Zacchaeus on a sycamore tree without any interaction. But, out of countless numbers in the crowd, Jesus responded to Zacchaeus,  as if he had known this “wee little man” trying to see him from a tree.  And, it was on his way to Jerusalem – in fact, to Calvary.  Though Jesus did not have to go through Jericho, as there were other ways around to go from Galilee to Jerusalem, Jesus chose to go through Jericho. 

Significance of Jericho – where Jesus met Zacchaeus

Jesus did not do anything without a reason. He always had a certain intention for his action. So, he had a certain intention or interest in going to Jerusalem through Jericho. 

Biblically, Jericho is believed to have a symbolic meaning as an impeding factor between God and us – a sort of a stumbling stone that blocks a pathway between God and us, an obstacle in our covenant relation with God.  

Jericho was a city associated with problem against God. That is why it was conquered by Joshua  (Joshua 6:1-27) and dealt by Elijah and Elisha (2 Kings 2:1-25). During the time of Elijah and Elisha, Jericho was a city where King Ahab’s wickedness was so evident and needed God’s action. 

With this Old Testament background, It makes sense that Jesus chose to go through Jericho on his mission – on his way to Jerusalem to be crucified as prophesized in Isaiah 53. 

Even after Elijah and Elisha responding to Jericho’s problem as God’s representative (prophets),  there was something about Jericho for Jesus. 

And, Jesus not only met and transformed a sinner, Zacchaeus, (Luke 19:1-10) but also healed Bartmaeus’ blindness ( Mark 10:46-52).  These two actions of Jesus in Jericho bear significant meaning.

These actions of Jesus in Jericho can be symbolically understood as removing stumbling blocks on our path toward salvation. Zacchaeus’ metanoia (turn of heart back to God through penance) also means our metanoia, and Barmaeus’ gaining of vision also echoes our enlightening to God’s great power of mercy and salvation. 

Jesus needed to accomplish these as part of his mission before completing his earthly mission in Jerusalem for our salvation.  In this regard, Jesus’ path from Galilee to Jerusalem via Jericho symbolically means our path of salvation.  So, Jericho means obstacles to be resolved in order for us to attain salvation. 

A Love Lesson from Zaccaheus – Responding to Jesus’ Love Call Without Delay – Joy:  Clinical Comparison Between sinful Zacchaeus and righteous Bro. Leo

Now, I want to talk a bit more about my characterization of the Gospel story of Jesus and Zacchaeus as a story of love, expounding my last blog entry.

Besides it is story of seeking, which is a character of love, as Blessed Pope John Paul II spoke in his 6 June 1984 address to general audience,  it is a story about our response to love’s call. 

Lovers seek and search each other, because seeking is love’s nature.  Even though loves are together, they still continue seeking and searching each other further on deeper levels.  As Blessed Pope John Paul II addressed, love’s seeking nature is everlasting.  In fact, this is how God has been to us, and we are to be the same to God. 

Jesus, the incarnation of God’s love for us, seeks us,  especially those who are in more need of God’s providence, like sinners.  That is why Jesus intentionally and symbolically went through Jericho on his way to Jerusalem and sought out Zacchaeus, showing how God seek us in His love. 

When God seek, God call us. That is why Jesus told Zacchaeus, “ Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house”(Luke 19:5).   

These words of Jesus certainly echo the following words of Jesus in Revelation:

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, [then] I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me”(Revelation 3:20).  

The reason why I find these words of Jesus from Revelation 3:20 to be paralleling the words of Jesus in Luke 19:5 is Jesus’ words in Revelation 3:19:

Those whom I love, I reprove and chastise. Be earnest, therefore, and repent.

In Revelation 3:19-20, Jesus is calling us, the sinners, inviting us to dine with him at our homes.  Spiritually, “homes”  means our hearts.  And, this invitation of Jesus to us is with the same pattern  as the way Jesus invited Zacchaeus to dine with him at his home. 

Of course, Jesus has a specific intention in calling us to let him into our houses – our hearts – as he asked Zacchaeus to let him into his house,  as Jesus’ words in Revelation 3:21 indicate:

I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne.

It is clear that Jesus is inviting us to sit with him on his throne as he is the victorious King.  This eschatological and soteriological image in Revelation is very important to understand why Jesus said to Zacchaeus:

Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham (Luke 19:9).

As the throne of Christ the King is an important image of salvation – heaven, where Saints and saints are,  as in the case of Zaccheus, we must say our willing “Yes!” to Jesus, when he calls us – whether he tells us to come down from a tree immediately (symbolically, Jesus asking us to come closer to him) or knocking on our doors (symbolically, knocking on the door of our heart) – in order for us to be entitled to salvation.  And, this is definitely a call and seeking of Jesus, the lover. 

As Jesus wants to visit and dine with Zacchaeus at his home, he also wants to visit us and dine with us wherever we are. It is because Jesus is the ultimate lover, who seeks us.  And, when Jesus seeks and wants to dine with us, it is him, who provides “dinner” as he offers himself – his body and blood – as the Eucharist at every Mass. 

So, when we attend Mass and receive the Sacrament of Eucharist, we are saying “Yes!”(Amen!) to Jesus’ call – in a way, as Zacchaeus joyfully responded to Jesus’ call by coming down from a sycamore tree and had him over dinner at his house. And, it was there salvation came. 

So, how willing are we to let Jesus into our own hearts? 

This question is a good indicator of how genuine and authentic our relationship with Jesus is. In other words, the aforementioned question can be:  

How intimate and genuine your relationship with Christ is? 

Would you immediately open the door and welcome him in, regardless of the cleanliness of your home?

Would you rather tell him, “Lord, I’m glad you have come! But, I wish you would have told me before so that I could have clean my house and be more hospitable. I’m sorry, Lord. Since you just came unannounced, I cannot let you in. My place is a big mess. Could you please come back tomorrow so that I can be more welcoming to you? “

Spiritually, many of us tend to respond to Jesus’ call as Jesus never tells us when he is going to visit us.  He sure did not tell Zacchaeus he would come to his house and dine with him until he met him on that very day.  And, Zacchaeus did not have the luxury to make a grand plan to provide best hospitality to Jesus the special guest.  He just did his best to host Jesus at his last minute announcement. 

So, this is how we must act in response to Jesus’ calling us and knocking our hearts’ doors, as Jesus wants to visit our hearts, whenever he wants and feels like. Not when we feel ready to host Jesus into our hearts. 

As sinners, we tend to feel reluctant to let Jesus into our hearts immediately upon his unannounced contacts, because we know our hearts are not clean enough to be seen by Jesus.  Don’t we all feel some reluctance, though we know we need, upon going to confession? 

The same reluctance manifests when Jesus knocks our hearts’ door – if we feel our hearts are not clean enough to please Jesus.

So, we rather prefer to wait or postpone Jesus’ visit to our hearts until they are clean enough. 

This intention seems to be a nice gesture on the surface. But, from a pastoral psychological view, this actually leads to psychospiritual disorder. A good case study is found with Bro. Leo, who slipped into despair as a result of his diligent pursuit of the purity of heart. In my 10/13/13 blog entry, St. Francis as a Morita Therapy Practitioner – A Case Study of Bro. Leo”, I extensively addressed this issue. 

Bro. Leo felt that he had to attain the purity of heart to attain salvation. Thus, he worked very hard in his own way to achieve this goal. But, in his efforts to attain the purity of heart, he lost himself, resulting in despair.  And, it was St. Francis who pointed out this problem to Bro. Leo, stating:

“The sadness of not being perfect, the discovery that you really are sinful, is a feeling much too human, even borders on idolatry. Focus your vision outside yourself, on the beauty, graciousness and compassion of Jesus Christ. The pure of heart praise Him from sunrise to sundown……… holiness is not a personal achievement. It's an emptiness you discover in yourself. Instead of resenting it, you accept it and it becomes the free space where the Lord can create anew. To cry out, ‘You alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,' that is what it means to be pure of heart. And it doesn't come by your Herculean efforts and threadbare resolutions…… Simply hoard nothing of yourself; sweep the house clean. Sweep out even the attic, even the nagging, painful consciousness of your past. Accept being shipwrecked. Renounce everything that is heavy, even the weight of your sins. See only the compassion, the infinite patience and the tender love of Christ. Jesus is Lord. That suffices. Your guilt and reproach disappear into the nothingness of non-attention. You are no longer aware of yourself, like the sparrow aloft and free in the azure sky. Even the desire for holiness is transformed into a pure and simple desire for Jesus.”  (taken from “The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus” by Brennan Manning)

As these compassionate yet powerful words to Bro. Leo also teach us, it is our narcissistic excuse to delay in opening our hearts to Jesus because of impurity of our hearts. And, if we keep prolonging our self-induced blockage to Jesus’ path to come into our hearts out of our ego’s ego-centric attachment, as St. Francis analyzed, we can suffer from psychospiritual disorder as Bro. Leo did. 

So, a great lesson here is to simply open our hearts’ door – opening our hearts – to Jesus even our hearts are in “mess”, even far from pure.  In fact, Jesus already knows that our hearts are not pure – yet. That is why he comes to us – just as he sought Zacchaeus, a sinner.

And, as Zacchaeus did not hesitate to let Jesus in, we are to let Jesus into our hearts, in spite of impurity.  Let us not make imperfection and impurity be our excuse to block Jesus! If we do, then,  we are symbolically holding up Jesus in Jericho! 

Another important lesson from Zacchaeus is that he was able to resolve his ego attachment through his contact with Jesus and by letting him into his house to dine with him, as he let go of what he was holding – at least a half of his treasures. And, he gained more joy.  Interestingly, St. Francis was also pointing out this to Bro. Leo. 

No wonder Zacchaeus did not suffer from a psychospiritual disorder as Bro. Leo did, though the former was a sinner and the latter was rather a righteous man.  Zacchaes was able to save himself from slipping into despair because he immediately let Jesus in. But, Bro. Leo had to suffer because he became too busy focusing on purity of his heart though he should have just let Jesus into his heart. 

The more intimate we become in our love, then, we become much less reluctant to let our love objects further deeper into our hearts.  If it is our hearts’ deep desire to have true intimacy with our love objects, then, we must first strive to attain the intimacy with God through Jesus the Christ.  

Christian couples who let Jesus into their hearts without preoccupation of purity, as Zacchaeus let Jesus in,  tend to be happier and intimate couples. But, Christian couples, who let their preoccupations with perfection or purity become hindrance to invite each other deeper into one another's hearts,  tend to suffer from intimacy deficiency and a host of its consequences. 

As Jesus loves us as we are, including our imperfection, things to be improved, and impurity, lovers in genuine intimacy love one another regardless of each other's imperfection and so forth. And, as Zacchaeus let Jesus in though he was a sinner (while righteous people thought he was not worthy to let Jesus in), we, sinners, also let not only Jesus deep into our impure hearts but also we, genuine lovers, let one another in love deep into one another's hearts. The intimacy that enables us to do this means salvation! 

A Love Lesson from the Gospel Story of Zacchaeus, a Short Sinful Man

The Gospel story for the 31^st Sunday Year C (Luke 19:1-10) is always my favorite. It’s a story about a short man in Jericho, Zacchaeus.

I like this story because I feel some affinity with Zaccaheus.  As I am 5’5”, short for being a man,  I can relate to the fact that Zaccaheus had to climb up a tree to see Jesus because he would not see anything if he had to stay in a crowd.  When I am in a crowd, I also often have a hard time seeing a person I want to see, because there are far more people, who are taller than me, than people , whose heights are the same as mine or shorter than mine. 

Not to mention, I am also a sinner, as Zacchaeus was.  Of course, as a sinner, I want to be transformed as Zaccaheus was. And, I make my daily efforts for penitential transformation in seeking salvation, finding inspiration also in my fellow sinful short man, Zacchaeus.

There are many ways to teach about this Gospel story – though it is a story about a particular form of transformation, called metanoia, which is often translated as conversion.  But, in Zacchaeus’ case, his penitential metanoia came with his willing act of restitution.  

Another important issues to be learned from this story is that Zacchaeus called Jesus the Lord, though he was employed by the Roman Empire, the colonizer, as he was a tax collector for the empire. It means that those who are employed by the Roman Empire, whether they are Roman citizen or not, they were to call Caesar, the Roman Empire, their lord.  

As a Roman Empire’s employee, a tax collector for the Roman Empire, the colonizer of Judea, he was to call Caesar the lord. As a tax collector, he was at service for Caesar. But, the fact that Zacchaeus began to call Jesus his Lord indicates his metanoia, shifting his loyalty from Caesar to Jesus. This shift also means that he was giving up his sinful life as a tax collector for his new penitential life with his new allegiance to Jesus.  And, he was very joyful about this transformation. So, he happily gave his wealth he accumulated by abusing his Roman authority back to the victims of his extortion, to show his penance through this way of restitution.

The scripture did not mention if Zacchaeus said “I’m sorry”. But, the story really tells us that what is more important than an apology is an act of penance.  This echoes what James said – faith without works is dead (James 2:26). 

Now, this leads to what I emphasized in my teaching on this Gospel story to my Sunday evening prayer and scripture study group. 

As a mere apology is not sufficient to show our contrite heart, just like faith without works, neither is love without its action. In other words, merely saying, “I love you” is only as good as faith without works…merely as trustworthy as an apology without a penitential act. 

I emphasized in my teaching that what Zacchaeus demonstrates in this Gospel story is not only his contrite heart through his act of restitution but also his affection for Jesus through his great effort, which is the fact that he took all the troubles in climbing up a tree to see a man he likes. 

From this point of view, this story of Zacchaeus can be taken as a story about love, as seeking.  If you love someone, wouldn’t you seek this person at any cost – in spite of any obstacles – until you find this person? Not only this, as your love is so strong, wouldn’t you do everything to keep your faithful relationship with this person? 

I certainly see this in Zacchaeus, as he did not let his short height stopped his efforts to see Jesus, a man he felt enough affection to seek and as he took an action to demonstrate his love of Jesus. That is why he climbed up a tree to overcome an obstacle of his vertically challenged nature and he let go of half of his wealth for the poor, in addition to paying four-fold to the victims of his sinful acts. 

In my practice of psychotherapy, I frequently see troubled couples.  They have said they love each other. Those who are married have taken their matrimonial vows. Those who are married in the Catholic Church understand that their matrimony is sacramental and permanent. But, as their relationship journeys continue on, they face obstacles and begin to feel their desires for love have become weakened.  Their initial flame of affection begins to fizzle. 

So, as a pastoral psychologist, I often tell this story of Zacchaeus’ will to overcome obstacles in his pursuit of love in conjunction with these words from Song of Songs.

I hear my Beloved.
See how he comes
leaping on the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
My Beloved is like a gazelle,
like a young stag.
See where he stands
behind our wall.
He looks in at the window,
he peers through the lattice.
My Beloved lifts up his voice,
he says to me,
'Come then, my love,
my lovely one, come.
My dove, hiding in the clefts of the rock.
In the coverts of the cliff,
show me your face,
let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet
and your face is beautiful.'
My beloved is mine and I am his.
Set me like a seal on your heart,
like a seal on your arm.
For love is strong as Death,
jealousy relentless as Sheol. The flash of it is a flash of fire,
a flame of the Lord himself.
Love no flood can quench,
no torrents drown.  (Song of Songs 2:8-10.14.16; 8:6-7)


These words from King Solomon’s Song, often used for a wedding Mass first reading, tells that love makes us pursue an object of love as if we are on mission.  And, on this mission of seeking our objects of love, we do everything we can to overcome any obstacles that get in the way. In other words, if there is an excuse to stop our pursuits – our missions, then, it is not true love,  because nothing can stop an action of love until it is completed, for “love no flood can quench, no torrents drown”(Song of Songs 8:7). 

In the case of Zacchaeus’ pursuit of Jesus, nothing stopped him, nothing kept him, from seeking him, though he had an obstacle – his height problem. 

We have gotten so easy on our discipline in terms of love, as we tend to get confused love with selfish pleasure. It is a phenomenon of psychospiritual immaturity – egocentric heart –creating a bubble of illusion to make us confuse self-gratification with love. 

We often do not realize this problem as long as the cost on ourselves to attain the self-gratification is lower than the benefit of the self-gratification. And, this is typically the case during an early phase of relationships, including a marriage. But, as relationships continue on, the costs begin to overweigh the benefits, couples with psychospiritual immaturity and lack of spiritual disciplines begins to feel temptations to stop seeking each other. And, this is a serious red flag in relationships that psychotherapy and pastoral counseling address. 

Blessed Pope John Paul II, in his address to general audience on 6 June 1984, said “Love is ever seeking and never satisfied” through his interpretation of Song of Songs.   In this address, Blessed John Paul II, who is set to be canonized to become Saint on the Divine Mercy Sunday of 2014 (April 27, 2014), emphasized on our need for psychospiritual discipline over eros so that our love won’t be mistaken for  a mere means for self-gratification. 

Imagine, if Zacchaeus’ efforts of overcoming an obstacle to seek Jesus were only for his self-gratification or out of mere curiosity, then, his would not make his sacrifice by giving away a large portion of his possessions in order to become more intimate with him. 

By calling Jesus his Lord, rather than Caesar, Zacchaeus’ allegiance is with Jesus. This is like a pronouncing a vow of a relationship. But, this must be constantly proven and demonstrated through actions because love is not static but rather constantly dynamic. That is why Blessed John Paul II characterized love as ever seeking and never satisfied, emphasizing on disciplines. 

Psychospiritually immature couples and seekers often let eros dictate their pursuits, while mature couples are guided by agape. Thus, couples and seekers who are psychospiritually mature are willing and joyful to make sacrifices for the sake of their pursuits of love objects – as in an image of young man seeking his love over the mountains and hills (Song of Songs 2:8) and as Zacchaeus overcoming his obstacle of short height by climbing up a tree. 

So, we can learn a psychospiritual discipline of overcoming obstacles, making no excuse, to keep our love ever seeking and never satisfied from Zacchaeus’ creative efforts to compensate his vertically challenged nature. 

We Christians are, by nature, lovers, because God of ours are ever seeker, who never give up on us no matter how many obstacles our sins put when we are influenced by Devil. 

Zacchaeus, as Jesus indicated, was truly a man of imago Dei, by calling him a descendant of Abraham. We Christians are also descendants of Abraham by faith through our baptism into the communion of Christ and all Saints. It means that we Christian never stop our seeking and let nothing keep us from our continuing pursuits that our love, as agape, drives. 

If we are to transform ourselves through metanoia into salvation, then, we sure take this lesson from Zacchaeus, too. 

Of course, I do not let my short height and other personal challenges become excuses in my everlasting pursuit of love, as I inspire people I provide my clinical and pastoral services in the same way. This is particularly true in my pursuit of the most important love object, after God, the beautiful woman, whom I call "mahal" in Tagalog. For this, I am in constant need of God's grace and mercy.

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”!