'Law ko, law ko'

QUESTION: How do you detect when a politician is lying?

Answer: When his lips are moving.

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The Gospel today (Mk 7, 1-8, 14-15, 21-23) speaks about the hypocrisy and the dishonesty of the Scribes and the Pharisees: "These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me."

More often than not, we are involved in some kind of dishonesty and hypocrisy. Yes, we are all loko, but when we use and abuse the law to hide our sinfulness and rottenness, then we are doubly loko (loko-loko).

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Notice how people (especially those about whom we read in the newspapers) are always talking about their rights and the laws favorable to them? Everyone seems to be saying, "I am protected by this law and that law. Law ko ito, law ko iyon!" Loko-loko! You can get away with it, perhaps, but remember God knows everything, for God sees the heart.

You know what can help us change for the better? When instead of crying out "Law ko!" we humble ourselves to God and ask, "Lord what is your law?"

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The story is told that when Moses came down from Mt. Sinai, he told the people that he had good news and bad news. The good news was that God had reduced the commandments from 20 to only 10. The bad news was that "Thou shalt not commit adultery" was still included among the 10.

God's commandments are clear. We may break them, we may joke about them, we may adulterate them, but they are our clearest guidelines to a happy, peaceful life. Follow the 10 Commandments and you'll have life.

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The law can give life, but it can also lead to death. When we limit ourselves to the observance of and compliance with the law, we can end up cold and legalistic. As Fr. Vima Dasan, S.J. beautifully put it: "We are expected to live by the Commandments and not die by them. We will die by them if there is no love in our hearts when observing them, for love of God is the root, and love of our neighbor is the fruit."

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Some people are religious, but they are not spiritual. By the same token, some people are good, but they are not nice.

Are you religious? Go beyond your religiosity. Are you good? Let your goodness shine!

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Some people have well-preserved hearts because of their observance of the law. The problem with such people, however, is that their hearts are canned and closed, with lots of preservatives within. Better to have a heart that is dirtied and broken. At least, to such a heart, the Lord can come in.

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Where, oh where are the honest people? There are not too many of them anymore in our country. Once in a while, we hear of stories about simple workers returning some money that did not belong to them. But that is only once in a while. Most of the time (and this is ad nauseam), we hear of big officials and even lawmakers getting money that does not belong to them. Remember, we all must give our final accounting to the Lord someday.

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The other thing that puzzles me is why dishonest people get away with it in our country. It is as if we have accepted corruption as part of our culture already. It is sad when all we can say is, "Ganyan talaga ang buhay." Again, with much distress we ask: Why do good people suffer, and why do bad people prosper in our country?

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Some people actually think they can appease God by doing some religious or charitable acts here and there while continuing their evil ways. We cannot manipulate God! Some people can make other people believe, and even they themselves believe that they are good and are okay, but, in the end, it is God, not others or we, who can truly say if we are good and okay. If God says you're okay, then, you're really okay.

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It is sickening to know that those who profess to be in public service are the ones who are so engrossed in self-service. They say the most noble things, but do the most evil things. I have nothing against rich people per se. All I am saying is that dirty money will leave its scent on the hands that held it, and blood money will leave its stain on the hands that squeezed it.

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Having said everything I have said above, I come before the Lord in humility, deeply aware that I too need to be honest and true. Our only consolation is that God knows and sees what is really in the heart of each one of us. In the end, we must continue to beg for God's understanding and mercy, for we are all sinners, we are all hypocrites, in one way or another.

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Join me in thanking the Lord for 50 years of life in this world with a "Concert for the Missions" on Oct. 1, 2003, 7 p.m. at the Meralco Theater for the benefit of our Filipino SVD missionaries abroad. For inquiries please call +63 2 7217457; +63 2 7271160; +63 2 4147044 or e-mail jorbos@ manila-online.net

As long as we can point and continue to point to something or someone greater than you and I, there is hope even for hypocrites like you and I.

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A moment with the Lord:

Lord, you know everything, and you know that deep in my heart I love you. Amen.