Citizenship with Fidelity: 20110911 AM

Good morning, the Philippines!

Today is the 10th year remembrance of 9/11.

I'll take this opportunity to speak frankly with you about it.

9/11 is a day that changed the world. It is one of those moments that define us by the freedom of the choices we take as nations.

Its significance can not be lost to us here in the Philippines. (No nation on earth can forever hide from the pain of remembrance.)

Take note, my honorable compatriots, nations do not make choices. Individuals do that. Nations "take" a choice.

Now please, I want us to reflect about this as individual citizens.

It illuminates something about the liberty we, as the people, are gifted with by God; the freedom which is our inalienable right as a nation among nations.

Our democracy is strengthened by the depth of our individual understanding of a freedom that is responsible; of a liberty that is human.

It is this authentic human freedom that guides the unique vision entrusted by all our generations to our own particular Republic undertaking of Country. It is one of the nine common human needs and therefore, part and parcel of our common labor as citizens to each other.

It is our civic duty to seek, understand, love, and embrace this freedom and to protect and preserve it from its false image.

- selah -

Now, there may be condemnation about America in our world today. I can feel some of this same incomprehensible condemnation about America (and other Countries) here in our own Country.

There is a natural tension that exists between nations. But a hatred that is as blind as this may only be permissible in a culture where liberty is weak; the freedom of the people held captive by the darkness of the times.

In this sense, it is our constant duty - as citizens to each other - to liberate ourselves from who we are not.

As sacrifice is the price of Country, vigilance is the price of liberty.

All freedom that is irresponsible is an anathema to itself. This is a certainty. He or she who does not understand freedom will lose it. And a nation who does not know liberty will never discover the overcoming strength of its own truth.

With this, I shall ask again the question, it is right to hate as blindly as this? No.

It is this selfsame hatred which will prevent us from properly commemorating the essence of what we must now return to today, this 11th day of September 2011.

This was the hatred that brought upon the common people of America and all our nations, this longest night - ten years ago.

- selah - (selah means to pause thoughtfully)

Every year, I return to a reflection of the day that begun for our world, this longest night.

And every year, my singular hope is to further understand what brought us here today. Both the Scriptural as well as the Providential meaning of it all. And to bring this understanding to each of you who follow this conversation with me, by the grace of God, no matter how less or how much, as a guide to our nations - in particular to our one Filipino nation.

The Y2K event was a false start. If we had a chance back then to take a better road, only God can tell that now. What I can tell you today is we still have a chance to take a better road. And that road must begin - here and now - in each our hearts.

Love is the perfection of nations.

- selah -

So that if we make the choice of peace today as citizens, for every right reason, it will follow that our nations shall take that road of peace in our behalf.

This victory of peace in our hearts is the only way out of this war on terror.

We must forsake the War in that is raging in our hearts and drive away the darkness laying its siege against the truths of each our nationhood. This is the only way into the promise of the new age as well.

If we even begin to entertain the choice of Peace, if we begin to work on it in each ourselves, we also begin to fall away from the maddening thrall of War. And time being what it is, this season of the sky shall be our season and time itself shall be on our side.

Peace is the shape of the door that will lead our nations east, toward the dawn of this new age of thought and spirit. It is also the key that will open the way for every human heart to the vision that will lead our failing world to that promised morn.

Not peace which is the false image proposed to us by the spirit of this world but the peace which is purposed for us by the one LORD of All; the one peace which is the universal salutation of all three Abrahamic faiths; that very same peace that the whole of blessed Christendom celebrates every year in the Christmas season - the one prologue of all things new.

If this is our mindset, if this is the conviction we keep in our hearts, not only shall we overcome the mindlessness of the divisions that persist in our lands, we shall as human beings and citizens to each other, across our diverse national communities, prevail against the unknown earth.

For this peace is the craft of all nations.

With this, I leave you to your remembrances this day, mabuhay!

God bless the Philippines, God bless America and may God bless all our nations of our one family of nations with the peace that prospers!

---<--@

PHL in the ICC -

The one Republic of the one Filipino nation has recently joined the International Criminal Court. This is good news. It was further reported that our Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago has been chosen to be sent to contribute to the mission of that international body as the first Filipino judge of the ICC. This is also good news.

Our Miriam is as fierce as a judge could be. I hope Khadaffi sits in her court.

If Colonel Khadaffi ever loved his Libyan people, he should concede defeat for the sake of the nation which is still his own. Both sides have fought bravely. Both sides have lost enough time, treasure, and promise. Now is the time to sober up; now is the time to think about the present and proceed to the future.

When promise awaits, there is no time to waste.

My own Republic have already recognized the legitimacy of the transitional council in Libya. And so do I recognize in them, the prevailing will of the one Libyan nation.

---<--@

The Philippine Peace Process -

The Philippine peace process has hit a road bump.

I tell you the truth, as a rock stands against rushing water shall soon find itself washed away, we can not prevent the morning from rising here in our Land of the Morning.

If we love Israel and Palestine. If we love Afghanistan. If we love India and Pakistan. If we love America. If we love the ASEAN. If we love Asia. If we love Iraq and Iran. If we love Africa. If we love Europe. If we love South America. If we love Korea. If we love China and Japan. Indeed, if we have love for all the other nations of our one family of nations - broken and in need of this peace. We will love our Philippines first and restore our nation to its proper place in time and space.

To love your own and then others like your own.

(Is this the real work of our nations?)

From these islands shall proceed the peace that prospers or none at all.

I'm talking here about tangible, sustainable, durable, meaningful peace - the hard fought peace of the ages. The peace that all nations must need to work out - under this season of sky - with one another before the one LORD of All nations and not the fantasy, feel-good peace of popular fiction.

---<--@

To Prayer -

This afternoon we shall have our Sunday Evening discussion. I encourage all my fellow Catholics to go to Holy Mass today and all my fellow Christians to fulfill their Sunday obligations to God.

The Peace of the LORD be with us all -

O MANKIND, my nations,

saith the LORD, our God,
where is thy one heart?
The heart that yearns
to be one as I AM one.

O ye believers, listen:
Have thou loved the other?

Have thou seen through

Babel's confusion?

O ye peoples, gather about!

Return to Me, O my portion,
come and learn again My ways
for My ways lead thee to life
and My peace is thy only path.

Know ye the Truth

and I shall set thee free.

I am the LORD, thy living God:
Behold! I am but one God alone,
worship Me not with thy divisions!
Serve me not with wars' ambition
but turn away, O stars of Abraham,
and serve the life of My creation.

(A Call to Remembrance)
---<--@

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! God bless us all.