I WENT TO A Catholic university and my memory of Holy Week was of Holy Retreats and the stentorian baritone of Irish Redemptorists booming, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?”

Now, they call Holy Retreats the Lenten Reflection. It is better.

Our Retreat Master then denounced the evils of sin and while not blaming us for committing them, was uncompromising in telling us to repent.

“Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!” Actually we were more interested in the beautiful girls on the other side of the auditorium.

* * *

I was happy, according to the news, President Arroyo, together with her Cabinet went on a Lenten Recollection at the San Miguel Church last Sunday near Malacañang. They urgently needed that.

This may not be proper but it would have been better if the talk of the Retreat Master could be published in full and a video taken on the reaction of some on the talk of corruption.

But there was a television footage of interviews with Cabinet members after the Recollection. I could not get them clearly because I was already dozing off at World Tonight news when the irrepressible, acid-tongue Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said something like he had it with the Barabbases.

* * *

Raul’s reference to Barabbas was very apt. For all his seriousness, Raul still has his sense of humor intact. Barabbas was a thief tried by Pilate with Jesus Christ.

Pilate knew Jesus was innocent but he used mob rule asking the crowd which one to execute. The Jews who, a few days before on Palm Sunday lined up the streets waving palms to welcome and sing “Hossana” to Jesus on entering Jerusalem are now crying for his blood with the shouts of “Crucify him.”

History always repeats itself. Senate whistle blower Jun Lozada might get tried and convicted, short of being hanged on the cross while the very many Barabbases will go around scott free.

That is not impossible!

* * *

In the history of thievery, Ali Baba, a story from the “Arabian Nights,” was a wood cutter who outwitted the 40 thieves. Ali was nearby when the thieves came to a cave and on shouting “Open Sesame,” the cave’s door opened.

The thieves then entered the cave to hide their loot.

When the thieves left, Ali Baba went to the door and shouted, “Open Sesame!” And the cave’s door opened. He then carted away all the loot.

When the thieves came to look for him to kill him, he again outwitted the thieves. The late Cardinal Jaime Sin called Ferdinand Marcos Ali Baba.

* * *

We ask our thieving officials not to be like Barabbas but be like Dimas, the well known Repentant Thief in history. Dimas was crucified with Christ and repented his sins. Was he not the one who said, “Remember me when you are already in Paradise.”

For being a Repentant Thief, the Roman Martyriology set a date to honor him on March 26. Tips to our thieving officials, they can be honored too like Dimas, if they repent, return their loot even if they don’t get hanged on the cross.

Judas Iscariot is the most corrupt in the history of Christianity. He sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver in exchange for identifying him with a kiss.

But Judas repented and returned the 30 pieces of silver. Then he hanged himself too.

Zaccheaus was a short man. When Jesus came to Jerusalem be climbed a tree to be able to see him. Jesus saw the purity of his heart but as tax collector he had amassed illegal wealth. Yes, even that early there was already the flawed culture in tax collection.

He repented his sins and returned four times what he stole.

* * *

What dominates my Lenten thoughts is that our thieving officials while there is no need for them to hang themselves in the nearby tree, they just repent and return all that they have looted.

Follow the trend now. There is today a moral rejuvenation, that will correct our damaged culture of corruption.

Senate President Manny Villar had said the cause of rice shortage is the corruption in the department of agriculture. Speaker Prospero Nograles has been telling Congressmen to be transparent on their pork barrel.

Locally, our media people are exposing anomalies. This will be unstoppable. Let the Holy Week be the time to meditate and repent all our sins.

Leave a Reply