Salutation #42
(The Peace of ASEAN)
To my honorable Filipino compatriots
and to the kindred nations of our ASEAN -
Our ASEAN Neighborhood has the potential for much good
not only for our region but for Asia and the world.
But only if we apply ourselves
to the understanding
that the Peace of our ASEAN
is wrought in virtue and human community.
We are the ASEAN Neighborhood.
A region that is distinct but not apart
from the problems that the nations of our world
must presently confront as a planetary community.
Problems we must work out and confront together as one
to bring about the close of the last great age of War.
If we fail, we shall all fail together.
For the planet itself is at stake.
But if we shall succeed
- as nations dreaming together this time -
we must triumph as ASEAN first.
It is essential that we believe with our hearts
in what strength there is in our unity
over what darkness there was in our past -
The strength of this unity is evident in the Flag of our ASEAN!
O my beloved ASEAN nations -
we can not hope to pull our home region in Asia
away from the descendant gravity
of the last great age of War
if we cast away our unity, covertly or overtly,
and pull ourselves apart in all directions:
War will surely scatter our peoples to the four winds.
If we remain divided in spirit,
O my Philippines,
O my kindred ASEAN nations,
we will have hoped in vain
to develop the inherent potential of our region.
If we hope in vain, we labor in vain.
For we all have inherent strengths
and we all have inherent weaknesses too
because our civilization is not complete
as individual nations in our ASEAN.
We will capitalize on our strengths
and work together to encourage, develop and fulfill them
in our nations for our region.
And we shall through weaknesses become empowered
to rely on our faith in each other and in God - more and more -
with a sense of humility and sincerity.
We will strive to realize - without direct interference -
that our ability to succeed as nations
depend largely on our being adequately cognizant and understanding
of our essential human natures,
its weaknesses as well as its common needs,
invested to the call of each our nations
and entrusted to the care of each our undertakings of Country.
By this we shall strive to be an example to each other in ASEAN
so that while we understand that we can not without coming into conflict
disregard the common experiences of our peoples,
each nation being as unique as each individual human being is unique,
we may also affirm in our own times
within each our own particular undertakings of Country
that the destiny we all aspire for as nations is one and the same
as the Peace we all strive to live in as Countries in ASEAN.
The spirit of War will eventually flee us
by the strength of the Peace of our ASEAN.
Therefore,
peace be to Brunei Darussalam,
peace be to Cambodia,
peace be to Indonesia,
peace be to Laos,
peace be to Malaysia,
peace be to Myanmar,
peace be to Singapore,
peace be to Thailand,
peace be to Vietnam,
and peace be to our ASEAN!
(And to East Timor
- waiting in the wings -
the Peace of our ASEAN as well)
Mabuhay po sa ating lahat - past is past -
we will ascend with one ascending
as one ASEAN Neighborhood.
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Attack on Norway
The twin terror attacks on innocent Norwegians yesterday at a youth camp and at the city center is appalling. Initial reports that placed the casualties at less than 10 have now risen into around 80 with people still unaccounted for.
This crime is a condemnable act of terrorism indeed.
Let us stand with Norway in this hour of tragedy, my Filipino compatriots, and let us pray for the victims and their families.
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SONA 2011
Let us pray for our President Noy. May his SONA 2011 be a sweeping success!
Lastly, let us ask the LORD in prayer (especially at Holy Mass tomorrow) to bless our nation with a strong succession of presidents beginning with our PNoy to lead our Country out of this long night.
Better yet, let us constantly desire this in our prayers to God as a nation that the LORD may bless, preserve and prosper the Office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines and that God may likewise bless, preserve and prosper the Office of his or her Vice President.
(Yes, we need more than one and so may all of them be blessed by God with a lion's or a lioness' heart. Refer to Daniel 12 since we are running on this timeline.)
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Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! God bless us all.
Being Present for Peace