Keep on praying

Prayer can be classified as Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. ACTS for short. The "Glory Be" is an example of adoration. Saying sorry to God for our sins is an example of contrition. If you won the Euro Millions and exclaim "Thank you, Lord" that is a prayer of thanksgiving. If you pray for your or someone else's need, that is supplication.  ACTS can be seen in the Holy Mass, the highest form of prayer.

Prayer can also be described as communal or personal. An example of communal prayer is when religious communities, such as the Poor Clare sisters, gathering together to pray. The Mass is another example of communal prayer. 

A priest, commenting on Jesus' healing of St Peter's mother-in-law (Mk 1:29-31), showed an example of communal prayer when "they immediately told Jesus about her" (Mk 1:30). We cannot identify exactly who's "they", but we could only guess that these were Peter's family and friends. The power of prayer was shown here because Jesus "went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them." (Mk 1:31). Indeed, where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Mt18:20).

The same priest thought that it was also possible for Peter to told Jesus about his mother-in-law and asked Him to heal her. This is an example of a personal prayer. Peter was a staunch follower of the Lord and, in spite of his weaknesses, opened his heart to the Christ. In our personal prayer, we develop a relationship with God.

Towards the end of August we celebrated the feast of St Monica. She was a devout Christian who prayed hard for the conversion of her son Augustine. Unlike Peter's mother-in-law who was healed after people entrusted her to the Lord, Augustine's conversion took a while. Guess how long? Fifteen years!

There was a story that the Virgin Mary appeared to St Monica and gave her a belt, assuring her of Our Lady's intercession. That belt is now being worn as part of the habit of the Augustinians.

St Augustine would later explain that the reason why God sometimes delays answering our prayers is because He is preparing our hearts to receive our answered prayers. St Monica prayed for Augustine's conversion and indeed, after 15 years, he was converted. However, that was not the end of it. Augustine became a priest, then a bishop. He put to good use his knowledge and wisdom. Through his magnificent writings and teachings, he is recognised as one of the doctors of the Church. 

God has bigger plans for Augustine. He has bigger plans for all of us. So don't lose heart if your prayers are not yet answered. God is preparing your heart to receive His blessings which is beyond human imagination. Don't lose hope. Keep on praying!

(This is a reflection I shared during the Filipino Rosary Crusade's Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help held at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Parish, Bulwell, Nottingham, UK on 31 August 2024.)

Persevere, Change, Witness

Last Monday, August 26, a great crowd of Filipinos marched to Luneta to protest the corruption besetting the government.  The PDAF (a.k.a. pork barrel) scam was on top of the list of the most hated forms of corruption that involved a number of legislators on both houses of Congress. Previous to the Million Man March, President Aquino announced that he is abolishing the pork barrel. I am against the pork barrel since I first started to hear about it when I was in college as it reeks of corruption and traditional politics.  For me, it should be the governors and mayors who must dispose this to their constituents. After all, they are the ones who get in direct contact with people. Not the legislators who, by the nature of their job, must create laws.

When P-Noy made the announcement, I was overjoyed that I posted on Facebook that he is abolishing it.  My excitement backfired.  P-Noy won't abolish it until 2015. And his own pork will not be covered by the abolition!

At any rate, people marched to the streets to air their protest. As a sign of unity with them, Chiara and I wore white that day, the color of the protester's attire.

A day after that protest, we celebrated the feast of St Monica.  This great saint is known for her perseverance in prayer. Her sacrifices bore fruit - first, the conversion of her pagan and adulterous husband Patricius and later, the conversion of her restless and unsettled son Augustine.  

Imitating St Monica, Filipinos need to persevere, to be vigilant lest the Evil One outmanoeuvres us. Lest the pork becomes bacon, sisig, bagnet or lechon for the corrupt and callous-faced politicians and their minions.

Following St Monica's feast day, is her son St Augustine's fiesta. After his metanoia, this "son of many tears" (as what St Ambrose described Augustine in his previous life) would later become a bishop and doctor of the Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church has mentioned quite a lot of St Augustine's writings.

As a nation, like St Augustine, we need to have that metanoia, that change of heart.  Giving funds at the politicians' discretion is an occasion for sin.  Issuing statements that belie irresponsibility and incompetence is uncalled for.  Incidentally, PDAF scam matermind Janet Lim-Napoles has turned herself over to P-Noy on St Augustine's Day. This is a good sign of conversion. I hope others concerned would do the same.

As of this writing, the Church commemorates the Passion of St John the Baptist.  The Lord's cousin and forerunner called a spade a spade.  His humility and truthfulness were the foundations of his call for repentance. His brutal frankness annoyed Herod and especially Herodias. Later on, this incestuous woman had her way of having this great prophet beheaded.

"Aming ligaya na pag may mang-aapi, ang mamatay ng dahil sa iyo", goes the final line of our National Anthem.  Following the footsteps of St John let us bear witness to the truth even to the point of shedding our blood for it.

Persevere. Change. Witness.  Three essential course of action the Philippines has to take to be saved, to be renewed.

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Talking about the Philippines, you may or may not heard the news that the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino passed a resolution way back in April to use "Filipinas" instead of "Pilipinas" to recognize our history and development as a nation.  When I was in high school, the subject Pilipino was changed to Filipino because the modern alphabet has already included 'F' in its roster.  Fair enough!  But I am sceptic about changing how we call our country. Imagine changing the seal of the President into "Sagisag ng Pangulo ng Filipinas". How about "Pambansang Awit ng Filipinas"? Or (when communicating with a compatriot) "Saan ka sa Filipinas?".   I am comfortable with Pilipinas!