Salutation #153

Prudent stewardship of the temporal order does not disincline the wings of the soul to flight for a rightful love of the things of the earth is one that does not diminish the appetite of the spirit for virtue and truth.

Material prosperity is not undesirable, materialism is. 

For materialism breeds greed and greed is the real dirt.

Therefore, one must guard not against matter but the spirit for it is this dirt that soils the soul; it is this dirt that buries the spirit.

(Nation vs Materialism)

SIMPLY PUT,
economic prosperity
depends on two things:
matter and spirit.

THIS is why materialism
ultimately destroys national wealth.

- selah -

Virtue is currency!

The rich need the poor, the poor need the rich
for each may only prosper with the other
and this relationship, by it's own virtue,
sustains the middle classes
which is the surest foundation
of a strong and steadfast democracy
providing safe shelter - for all:

A community of striving souls
standing for a just and lasting peace
where freedom is nourished - for all -
and peace, though imperfect, is yet
strongly believed and understood - by many -
as an ideal to be perfected in practice
in vision as well as in mission
- in thought and in act -
as an expression of the good will
of all citizens - least to great,
past, present, and forever.

A society of citizens
living in a just equality with each other
where every and all opportunity
though offered and received in unequal parts
by each individual citizen quantitatively
becomes a quality in the nation
that creates wealth equally
for all.
---<--@

Of Virtue and Vice

20110709

There is an old Chinese saying - "when seeking prosperity, first build a road." I personally subscribe to the timelessness of this wisdom.

Essentially therefore, poverty alleviation in this Country of ours must begin with connection...

Salutation #33

(The Common People)

Why do you find it so difficult to believe?

Filipino ingenuity lives everywhere in our people.

There is passion in our hearts - we are a people with a lot of love to give.

Because of this fire, there is bravery too.

Sometimes, this bravery can be misplaced

and so we must open a way for courage to profess itself

- within the Republic -

in a manner that is not divisive.

Valor must find its way back to its immortal beloved

in the reality of the nation we all must cherish and protect.

There is a mighty patience in our people.

Perseverance is truly present in the soul of the nation -

if it were not so, my honorable compatriots,

we would have descended long ago

into the pits of anarchy and - consumed by endless battle -

we would have ceased to be in our heart of hearts.

Everywhere in our people

- there are willing hearts and humble hands -

productivity is rampant even in the poorest of the poor!

Is this not a reason to be glad?

For productivity when it is duly recognized

leads to more productivity.

Why be so bitter and unbelieving then?

You are not a citizen were it not for citizens like yourself.

Wise up.

We have what it takes to succeed as a nation.

We only have to return once again to an understanding

of ourselves as ourselves.

---<--@

Ignorance breeds fear for lack of understanding.

What's strange about it all is that people seem to fear the understanding more than the ignorance itself.

---<--@

"Bless our one Filipino nation,
O LORD and Giver of all good things,
each and every Filipino heart,
that yet believes with conviction
in this endeavor of Country
that we may by our own willingness
be transformed by Thy abundant mercy."

- From Prayer to God as First Defender of the Republic

(See Sidebar)

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! God bless us all.

The National Minimum

20110527

A Mature Republic

Mature nations derive their eternal significance according to responsibility. The most powerful is not necessarily the greatest. The greatest is the most responsible.

Of the five ages of Country, my fellow Filipino compatriots, only the first four is well within our natural competency as a nation distinct but not apart from our one family of nations.

The fifth age is a supernatural event. For at the hour of fulfillment, when all things true and good the LORD, our God, shall restore unto their original beginnings, all nations shall be transformed into ascended nations - together.

This hour is commonly known as the Last Day or General Judgment. Now, as the one heart of Mankind implicitly knows, this hour shall certainly come to pass for the promised time shall indeed be fulfilled.

But this hour is known to God alone.

So we shall leave it at that. For we are a nation under God, my people, and we shall forever be that way

Therefore, for our own intents and purposes of building a better, brighter, kinder Philippines, it shall be sufficient for us to concentrate our freedom and our will on the first four ages of Country.

We shall be aiming precisely for the fourth age - a mature Republic.

---<--@

A Nation Distinct But Not Apart...

These days, under our President Noy, we are laying the groundwork of those things to come.

Now, being always mindful that our nation as a whole is always greater that what the present can perceive, let us make that last statement more complete:

These days, under our President Noy, we are laying the groundwork of those things to come - for us, here in our present time, and for all our generations, past as well as those that are yet to come.

My honorable compatriots, if we perceive ourselves only in part, we shall find it quite difficult to grow into a fuller, more potent appreciation of who we are as we are - as we must be.

Consequently, we shall find it hard to qualify in our souls those little, seemingly unknown acts of civic responsibility and common patriotism that we are everyday required to meaningfully accomplish as citizens to each other. For they will seem pointless - like a fish out of water.

But a miracle is almost always composed of little acts of faith.

Likewise, to get to the fourth age of Country - a mature Republic, we must labor to commit ourselves sedulously to accomplishing meaningfully those selfsame acts of civic responsibility and common patriotism - for ourselves (i.e. family, friends, tribes, communities), here in our present time, and for all our generations, past as well as those that are yet to come.

- selah -

Every nation is unique to itself and to it belong its own destiny.

When this destiny is understood by the peace of its people - the vision of the national success is perceived by the whole of the nation.

When this destiny is likewise perceived by the Responsible State, it drives forward the motion of Country (for Country is a verb) into its ages in time.

For the peace of the State and the peace of the Nation are one. And this vital unity builds as well as enriches the Common Market, prospering the people, giving glory to God.

- selah -

For our intents and purposes, my brothers and sisters of the Promise, our destiny is to work our way into becoming a mature Republic and to shine in the brightness of its remembrance - not only for the good of our own nation, but equally so for the good of all the kindred nations of our one family of nations (represented in and by our United Nations institution).

Truly, one who understand these things should agree with me that it has now - more than ever - become vital for us Filipinos to awaken to a knowledge of who we are as ourselves - as our new, old Philippines.

- selah -

We were not situated by the Providence of the LORD, our God, upon a continent so we should not be thinking in terms continental nor should we be building in terms other than tropical and archipelagic. We have to re-discover our own unique forms of architecture.

Too some say that national power is intrinsically linked to national productivity. This is true.

But national productivity is first of all, linked to civic responsibility. And this sense of civic responsibility is founded on a heart of peace that in this Republic "we belong" truly as citizens to each other.

This is how we shall "open a way for the poor".

Indeed, my friends, middle class is key.

---<--@

Our Justice System

We are not a material people (i.e. unspiritual).

I can name you precisely those problems that we face today that arise out of a forgetfulness of those things we have just mentioned above.

I am quite sure however, that those of us who are abreast of these things already know them.

These problems affect those fundamental national functions because those things that lack our remembrances are existential national truths.

Having said that, I greatly admire Secretary de Lima for her indefatigable spirit and unwavering determination to make things work. She is truly a blessing to this great Country of ours.

It is always a good thing that we pray for her and for all our national leadership.

One must never again doubt the fact that our women have a great contribution to make to the future of this Republic.

Our Justice system is not broken, my people. It has always been there.

Its spirit has apparently become diluted however, and therefore, keenly require our own greater participation that it may continue to preserve the life and the promise of our nation.

Having said that, here are the Five Pillars of our Justice System:

1. Our National Community
2. Our PNP
3. Prosecution/Public Defenders
4. The Law Courts
5. Corrections/Penology.

---<--@

Our Common Market Environment

Our natural resources are the patrimony of all our generations.

It is sad to hear the report from among our news agencies about the plunder of our coral reefs.

These reefs take generations to grow, my fellow Filipino compatriots and they are presently being destroyed in a comparatively very brief span of time.

Is this not an outrage?

In a previous post, I have identified four major sources of poverty (i.e. corruption, geography, division, ecological depletion) - this plunder of our natural resources is one of them (ecological depletion).

We are being taken for fools by criminals who do not recognize the value and the beauty of the natural patrimony of this nation of ours.

I think it's about time we citizens wise up to them. Let us echo the call of our DENR and of our President Noy -

Boycott all black coral products!

---<--@

The Joplin F5

Lastly, let us pray for the victims of that massive tornado in Joplin, Missouri, USA.

May all of those who have been lost to friends and family find their way back to God and may all of those whom they have left behind be likewise led by the LORD back to safety and peace.

---<--@

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas, long may our remembrance serve us! God bless us all.

Patient Perseverance