FULL TEXT: Villegas homily on ‘Lord, Heal Our Land’ Sunday

Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas

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FULL TEXT: Villegas homily on ‘Lord, Heal Our Land’ Sunday

Rappler

Start the healing by repenting now,' says outgoing CBCP president Archbishop Socrates Villegas on 'Lord, Heal Our Land' Sunday in EDSA Shrine

Below is the full text of the homily prepared by Archbishop Socrates Villegas for his Mass at EDSA Shrine for “Lord, Heal Our Land” Sunday, a huge gathering against the killings in President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs

Sa bawat pag-aalay ng Misa ay paulit-ulit nating naririnig ang mga salita ng Panginoon na binibigkas ng pari: “Ito ang aking dugo na ibubuhos para sa inyo.” Sa pagbubuhos ng kanyang dugo, itinuturo ng Panginoon ang tunay na kapangyarihan. Ang tuktok ng pag-ibig ay ang pag-aalay ng buhay para sa minamahal.

Leadership is for service. Service is dying that others may live.

Kapag bumuhos ang dugo ng Panginoon, bumubuhos ang pagpapala at biyaya. Ito lamang ang pagbubuhos dugo na may bungang biyaya. Kapag ibinuhos ng tao ang dugo ng kanyang kapwa, wala itong dulot na biyaya kundi sumpa at parusa. Nang unang dumanak ang dugo ng kapatid dahil sa pagpatay ng sariling kadugo, sabi ng Panginoon, “Ang tinig ng dugo ng iyong kapatid ay dumadaing sa akin mula sa lupa” (Gen. 4: 10).

Ang pakiusap na itigil na ang patayan ay panaghoy ng mahigit sampung libong kababayan nating nabaril dahil nanlaban daw o kaya ay binaril ng ‘di makilala. Ito ay hinagpis ng mga ulilang magulang at anak, mga maagang naulilila sa asawa. Ito ay pakiusap mula sa mga matang luhaan at kaloobang sugatan. “Tama na po. May test pa ako bukas.”

Kapag hindi natin itinigil ang patayan, may sumpang parusa ang bayang pumapatay sa sariling kababayan. Sabi ng Birhen sa Fatima, “Tigilan na ninyo ang pagsuway sa Panginoon sapagkat labis labis na siyang sinasaktan ng mga kasalanan ng tao.”

Ano ang panawagan? Ano ang dapat gawin? Magbalik loob upang maghilom. Repent so healing can begin. Stopping the killing is only one big step. The journey of healing for the values of our nation turned upside down will be a long journey still.

Bayan ng Diyos, bumalik na tayo sa Panginoon. Naligaw na tayo ng landas at pinili natin ang kadiliman kaysa liwanag. Bakit tayo pumapalakpak sa patayan? Pinili natin ang karahasan kaysa kapayapaan. Pinili natin ang magsinungaling kaysa katotohanan. Pinili natin ang pagtawanan ang malaswa sa halip na iwasto. Pinili nating manahimik kaysa makisangkot. Sa maling akalang ito na ang huling baraha, nasubukan na natin lahat ng uri ng pamumuno… kumapit na tayo sa patalim. Ang dating bayan ng mga bayani ay naging bayang walang pakiramdam at walang pakialam. Magsisi ang manhid.

Hindi ito ang Pilipinas. Hindi ganito ang Pilipino! Ang inaawit natin ay “ang mamatay nang dahil sa ‘yo,” hindi “ang pumatay nang dahil sa ‘yo.”

Call for repentance

Let us return to the Lord, seek His pardon, and promise to reform our lives NOW!

Peace to you, brother bishops and priests, let us be the first to repent and turn away from sin. For falling for the lure of comfort and the attraction of convenience, for giving in to the temptation to be powerful and popular rather than be humble and faithful, for our tendency to judge rather than seek unity, for keeping quiet when we should speak and blabbering when what is needed is silence, God forgive us, leaders of your Church. Have mercy on us.

Healing for you all civil servants and honorable officials in government in the majority coalition or in the minority opposition, let politics serve the poor. God forgive those of you who use the poor. When party loyalty prevails over love of country, we need to repent. Let civility and courtesy prevail over curses and lies. Let the institutions of democracy be revered and safeguarded; let dialogue prevail over the many reasons for division. When mediocrity in social services becomes normal, the poor suffer first. 

Honorable servants in government in the administration or in the opposition, what will it profit you to gain the world, ensure that your wife or husband or daughter or son will win in the next elections… but lose your soul? Walang gobyernong forever. Walang politikong forever. God lang ang forever. Turn to the Lord and turn away from destructive politics. Peace to you all! We respect you and we call you “honorable.” Be worthy of it.

Peace to you in the armed forces and the police. Stop the violence and uphold the law. Seek justice, not revenge. Choose to be respected rather than feared. If you have stumbled and waltzed with graft, rise up, men and women in uniform. Demand ethical leadership from your officers. Choose integrity not the quick fix.  Remember that power belongs to the people, not to the weapon holder. Serve your countrymen, not the politicians. Edify us through your self-discipline. Return to the Lord and obey God rather than evil men.

Call for healing

Paghihilom sa inyo mga ulila sa EJK na nasa gilid gilid ng lipunan. Kung totoong drug users kayo, tama na at magbago. May pag-asa pa! Kung naulila kayo dahil napagkamalan, dahil nanlaban daw, dahil wala na raw kuwentang tao ang drug user, huwag kayong padala sa simbuyo ng paghihiganti. May awa ang Diyos. Magbagong buhay na tayo, kasama ako. Bumalik tayo sa Panginoon. Naghihintay ang Diyos. Ang simbahan ay handang umalalay sa inyo. Do not be afraid to ask pardon. Tell us what help you need.

Peace to you the murdered brethren and victims of extra judicial killings. May the Lord give you peace in His kingdom, that peace that the world failed to give you! May your blood speak to us, disturb us and move us to act to resist violence.  No more killings! Pray for our healing. EJK poor souls killed by even morally bankrupt poorer souls, patawarin ninyo kami. Rest in God now.

Peace to you beloved Philippines. Mahal naming bayan. Patawad po sa aming baluktot na pag-iisip, sa kamay na amoy pulbura at pag-iisip na kasinlamig ng baril. Patawad po sa pagpapahalaga muna sa sarili sa halip na sa bayan. Patawad po sa pangungunsinti sa pandarambong basta may balato kami. Nakakahiya po. Sorry po, Inang Bayan.

'START THE HEALING.' Archbishop Socrates Villegas presides over the Mass for 'Lord Heal Our Land' Sunday at EDSA Shrine in Quezon City on November 5, 2017. Photo by Angie de Silva/Rappler

We need to repent as a nation. Hamon ni Kian, “Tama na po may test pa ako bukas.”

Bayan, tama na! May test pa tayo sa Diyos – baka mamaya, baka bukas, sino ang nakatitiyak kung kailan. Haharap tayo sa Panginoon. Hindi atin ang panahon. Magbago na habang may panahon. Repent now. Time is not ours. Start the healing by repenting now. We cannot heal as a nation by blaming others. We have only ourselves to blame first. Let the healing begin here… in each one here.

Lord, forgive us and heal our broken land. – Rappler.com

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