Fr. Pete Montallana
“ May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, though which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ” (Gal.6,14) – Powerful words of St. Paul to the Galatians.
No one can deny that thousands have been killed allegedly fighting back – “nanlaban” – crucified by a system disguised as an angel of light in the midst of the darkness of murder. And many have believed or forced to believe in this atrocity. The fishermen at Recto Bank have been rammed and almost drowned but worse they also experienced the State relinquishing its duty to defend them as mandated by the Constitution. The dwindling price of the coconut is causing intense poverty among the coconut growers. The mining companies who have been destroying the environment as documented during the time of former DENR Sec. Gina Lopez continue to deprive the indigenous people of their ancestral lands. Workers until now are contractualized despite the election promise three years ago. The laws and policies continue to deplete the poor of their meager resources which make the rich richer. Fear has paralyzed and silenced people despite all glaring the injustices and anomalies especially in the recently concluded election – with its computerized cheating, unprecedented vote buying and use of government resources – to seat in power allies.
Worst. By and large we have pretended to be deaf to the alarm bells sounded by the UN scientists last October 8, 2018 that the accumulation of carbon emissions in the atmosphere causing global warming has reached a critical stage and that, if we have to reverse the situation, we have only 12 years left to make ambitious plans. Many of us just cool ourselves to ward off the heat which we know would be worse for the next generation. Those in power continue to push for more coal fired power plants, ravage the forests with more and wider roads and with construction of dams unmindful of the climate emergency experienced now at the same time ignoring the call for renewable energy. The Philippines has only less than 23 percent forest to cool us, provide for our needs and absorb carbon emission.
The convenience of the use plastic has made us unmindful of the plastic that has become part of the daily menu of the fish which later eat. The Popes and particularly Pope Francis have been calling us to ecological conversion since he issued Laudato Si.
The call of St. Paul “Never to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ… to be crucified to the world” is a clarion call to resist the Evil One in all its forms perpetrated by men and women in a system blinded by greed and sin.
The call “to be crucified to the world” means:
to stand for the dignity and rights of every human person even if they are considered drug addicts;
to be involved with the issues of the farmers, indigenous peoples, fisherfolks, workers and other marginalized groups;
to participate in a process of rectifying the anomalies committed in the recent election;
and to participate in bringing about a system wherein no government official can use the power of the State to demonize anyone and wherein the Constitution that is not selectively implemented and not disregarded as toilet paper depending on what is most convenient.
True believers would stand up even if It could mean personal crucifixion – exposing our own personal sins just to divert the issue. We are “earthen vessels” according to St. Paul too who could suffer inconvenience at the very least or for Christ’s followers especially its leaders it could mean more accusations of sexual sins or deprivation of privileges; for those in government, loss of positions; for those in business, less income. Persecution could come in many different forms – the worse of which are being jailed, tortured or even killed.
For such a possible crucifixion for the country, one is strengthened if one starts with nailing one’s fears and selfishness to the cross of Jesus rather than be a “politician” rationalizing our inaction as a “prudent” response or because others refuse to be become prophetic. One should never afraid to be alone because crucified in Jesus one is never alone. The Spirit in us will empower us to facilitate our response as many other Filipinos have done to witness to bring about the Kingdom of truth, justice and love for the poor and the environment. Relying totally in the Father who is the most powerful on earth, we follow the call of Jesus who was crucified and rose again who said: ”I have overcome the world.”
With St. Paul we assert: “From now on let no one make troubles for me for I bear the marks of the wound of Jesus. (Gal, 17)” With Jesus we are consoled:“Blessed are you when you are persecuted for the Kingdom of God is yours! (Mt. 5, 10)”
