LAST Dec. 2013 I received a call from my
bishop requesting me to represent him in a Department of Education event
launching the ALS or Alternative Learning School among the children and adults
at the Brgy Camada Dumpsite. Apparently the bishop thought that since the area
still belongs to the Parish of the Assumption of Our Lady, my current
assignment, I was the right person to represent him. I said yes at once. But I
realized later that it was in conflict with another scheduled Mass and school
blessing in another barangay. I told the bishop about the circumstances but,
wanting to still keep my yes, said that if the event started on time I could
still represent him, but if the guests arrived late, then I would have to leave
for my other acts. “That is okay, Father,” he assured me, “as long as you came
to express my support to the program. If you are forced to leave because of
your other acts, it would not be your fault anymore.” I checked the time. The
event was scheduled at 9 AM. I had a Mass and blessing at 10 AM. It was 9:41 AM
but there were no signs yet of the “distinguished guests” (read: “powerful
people”). So when I decided to leave, the event organizer said he understood
why I had to. But I was at peace and I remembered thinking, “If I did not come,
it would have bothered me.”
My
obedience to the bishop, to me, was a right response not only because he is the
leader in our local Church, but also because, all things considered, he had to
attend to more important matters. Now it occurs to me that if we render
obedience to the bishop or our bosses at work, should it be any less with God?
I think our problem is that often while we could easily obey human authorities,
we do not hesitate to disobey God. And I am not even thinking simply of the
relatively easy passage of the RH Law (when PDAF and DAP easily changed many
legislators’ convictions) or even the deliberate abuses of human rights, the
unabated extra-judicial killings or the continued non-realization of justice,
peace and authentic land reform in our islands etc.
The
president once said that the people are his “bosses”. The trouble with this
belief system is when the “bosses” are hardly listened to or when they are not
listened to because they have a contrary idea or opinion. Or when those who
have a contrary idea or opinion are labeled “enemies” of the people’s true
welfare.
Worse
trouble than all the above is when this line of thought forgets that there is a
Supreme Boss whom the president and his “bosses” must first obey. And this
trouble begets another trouble when the Supreme Boss is ignored just because he
has no vote to court in the elections.
This
worse trouble leads to the greatest one: When we continually ignore—which is
practically the same thing as disobey—the Supreme boss, political, economic and
socio-cultural “mischiefs” are so easily committed, especially beyond the
prying eyes of the cameras or media outlets.
The
August 28, 2014 editorial of the New York Times considers as “political
mischief” the sum total of current attempts to elicit support for another
charter change in order to extend the president’s and other elected political
leaders’ terms as well as clip the Supreme Court’s powers to check “judicial
overreach”. Such attempts, observes the Times, are a threat to Philippine
democracy. The editorial then appeals to the president to the effect that since
his parents were heroes and icons of democracy, he should desist from such
efforts aimed at perpetuating himself in power or at reviving the long-rejected
dictator’s habit of controlling or bending the judiciary to the Chief
Executive’s will. It is unfortunate that the New York Times’ unsolicited advice
was dismissed, as it could easily be dismissed for, among other things, not
coming from the “bosses” (i.e., the people who has the leader’s ears).
This
reminds me of Isaiah 7:10-14 when King Ahaz of Israel is told by the prophet
Isaiah to ask God for a sign, which he refused, apparently because he thought
that what God wanted to do might not suit his interests. Yet Isaiah still gives
the sign: the imminent birth of a child through a virgin and he is to be named
“Immanuel”, which means “God is with us”. I think this is the beauty of God’s
love; human beings may refuse to obey him, but his saving plan will still get
through by other ways and means. A warning to our leaders is implicit here.
The
document Filipino Catholic Laity: Called to be Saints…Sent Forth as Heroes challenges Filipino Catholic lay men and
women to focus on two areas of our national life that are basically a
consequence of our disobedience to God’s will.
First,
our poverty. The document describes the massive character of destitution in the
country, the continuing flight to foreign shores by many Filipinos which brings
both good (material wealth for their families) and evil effects (family
separations, “servitude” and “humiliation” in foreign countries, etc.). Then it
states: “This endemic poverty is gravely contrary to the will of God” (FCL 3).
The response? “You our dear lay faithful are in the best position to creatively
work out solutions which will satisfy the demands of justice and charity. What
are you doing to create wealth, preserve wealth and share wealth?” (FCL 3).
Second,
our politics. The problem with our politics is that it is “the problem”. This is because “as it is practiced in our
country [it] is perhaps the single biggest obstacle to our integral development
as a nation [as it is]…riddled with graft and corruption” (FCL, ibid.). The response?
“It is now clear that our people are poor because our leaders have kept them
poor by their greed for money and power. What are you doing to help get worthy
people to positions of authority and power? What are you doing to get rid of
the politics of patronage, violence and uneducated choices? ” (FCL, ibid.). I
would even add: What are you doing to check the abuse of and greed for power
and, instead, promote it as a means to truly serve society unselfishly?
All
these questions are summed up in this: Are you, the laity, listening to and obeying
the Lord’s call to establish on our islands and the whole world “his eternal
and universal kingdom, a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and
grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace” [Preface on Christ the King
Sunday]?
In
his letter to the Romans Paul brings to our awareness the right response to the
Messiah called Jesus Christ whom we profess to follow. “Through him we have
received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the obedience in faith,
for the sake of his name among all the Gentiles…” (Rom 1:6-7).
The
president and we, his “bosses”, could act like Ahaz who disobeyed the Lord and
reaped the whirlwinds. Or like Joseph and Mary who, in their obedience, were
instrumental to the dawning of our and mankind’s salvation.
To
pick the right choice St. John XXIII gave us the clue written in his coat of
arms: “Oboedientia et pax.”
My
translation (I know full well how difficult the act can be): “Obedience [to the
Lord] begets peace.”
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