Our country needs our prayers. Our government leaders need our prayers. Our poor brothers and sisters, the little ones, all the victims of injustice and violence need our prayers. And may all our prayers lead us into action – to work courageously and unceasingly to protect the human rights of every Filipino, to expose them when these are violated and to ensure a responsible and productive national leadership.
The call for President Gloria Arroyo’s resignation plus the possibility of another coup have created an uneasy stir not only in the Philippines but among Filipinos residing abroad. This is a bad news we cannot afford to have at the moment – when the economy is crumbling and the country’s image in the international scene is tarnished almost beyond repair. It is quite hard to convince my European classmates, for example, that the Philippines is a paradisiacal archipelago worth a visit, when all they see on TV are kidnappings, bomb scare, coup rumours, move to unseat the President, and other mind-boggling news about our country.
Psalm 12 is a prayer we need to offer. It is a prayer that arises from a desire to see God’s truth and justice appear on earth. It is also a psalm of contrasts. It contrasts the godly with the ungodly and the Words of God with the words of human beings. It particularly contrasts God’s truth from human lies. Yet it is also a psalm of hope and trust – that God will come to our aid amidst deceit and threats from the wicked and the shameless. And so with one voice we say:
Help, LORD, for no one loyal remains.
The faithful have vanished from the human race.
Everyone lies to his neighbor;
their flattering lips speak with deception.
May the LORD cut off all flattering lips
and every boastful tongue
that says, "We will triumph with our tongues;
we own our lips — who is our master?"
"Because of the oppression of the weak
and the groaning of the needy,
I will now arise," says the LORD.
"I will protect them from those who malign them."
And the words of the LORD are flawless,
like silver refined in a furnace of clay,
purified seven times.
O LORD, you will keep us safe
and protect us from such people forever.
The wicked freely strut about
when what is vile is honored among people.
Gospel Acclamation of the Day: "I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you." (Jn 13:34)
…Amen.
Kumusta Padz. It’s hard to believe the difficulties our countrymen are facing right now. My trip here in the Philippines is a personal awakening. I’m now an eyewitness of our country’s corrupt system and our people’s struggle. I’m lucky to have migrated to another country. But my heart still goes to the Filipino people. I’ll do everything at my level to help my brother Filipinos. At least, they’re happy and seemed contented.