MEDITATION TIPS (#268)
— 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time,
September 7, 2025

“First Sit Down” (Luke 14:28, 31)

　Jesus uses two parables to explain what it means to take up the cross, urging us to “first sit down” and consider carefully. Russian writer Turgenev classified human personalities into “Hamlet-type” and “Don Quixote-type.” Hamlet, the protagonist of Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet,” faced life’s difficult questions and found living painful. He thought that perhaps death would free him from his worries and suffering. But would ending his life truly free him from pain? The world after death is unknown to the living. Might death only carry suffering into eternity? And so Hamlet agonizes. This is expressed in his famous line: ‘To be, or not to be, that is the question.’ He is introspective yet skeptical, striving to act after careful thought, yet his excessive self-reflection leads only to torment.

　Don Quixote, the protagonist of Cervantes’ masterpiece, indulges in fantasies, constantly seeking adventure, and eventually becomes possessed by delusions of grandeur to the point of losing his reason. He charges headlong into battle against perceived social injustices, but everywhere he suffers from the gap between reality and his ideals, accumulating failures and becoming the object of people’s ridicule. However, in the end, he awakens from his madness and delusions, regains his reason, asks for forgiveness from the people, and dies a pious death.

　In everything, one must “first sit down” and think carefully. But dwelling on things for too long doesn’t necessarily lead to the best course of action. Everyone thinks they know themselves best, but such self-assessment is often surprisingly inaccurate. This is because it’s heavily influenced by our experiences and environment, making us prone to judgment based on preconceptions. Even regarding ourselves, we need to listen to others’ opinions and judge objectively. The Book of Wisdom states, “The reasoning of mortals is worthless, and our thoughts are uncertain. For the corruptible body burdens the soul, and the earthly tent weighs down the mind with its concerns” (9:14-15). Like Hamlet, the speaker agonizes, yet ultimately declares with certainty, “Thus the paths of those on earth were set right, and people learned what is pleasing to you, and were saved by wisdom” (9:18).

　Paul, who wrote the Epistle to Philemon, is the quintessential Don Quixote type. He was a zealous legalist, unable to distinguish dream from reality, consumed by delusions of grandeur and persecuting Christians. Yet on the road to Damascus, hearing Jesus’ voice, he awoke from his delusions and underwent a dramatic conversion. He then followed Jesus devoutly, seeking forgiveness for his past sins, and ultimately met a peaceful end.

　Now, pondering whether one is Hamlet-like or Don Quixote-like is meaningless. That is for others to judge. When faced with some cross, one must first settle down, think, and wrestle with it. Yet when the time comes to decide, one must not procrastinate but make a firm decision. Especially major life decisions must never be put off.

 　　　　　(Contributed by Father Yutaka Akabae)