“BEHOLD, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away.” (Rev. 21:3-4)
We all long for order in our lives and in our society. We long for peace, progress, justice and respect for all human beings. We long for harmony and human decency; for streets and cities that are free of crimes and drugs; and for governments that are not corrupt. We long for a better world, a better nation, and a better future for our children. We long for strong, wise, intelligent, unselfish and genuine leaders that have hearts for the poor and the alienated.
But we can’t fulfill these longings if we don’t choose wisely the people who can lead and serve us; if we don’t do our part in building up our nation; and if we don’t work together in mutual respect. A slogan on Facebook says it right, “Real change begins with me…not with the President you are a fan of.”
We can’t fulfill our hearts’ yearnings if we and our leaders don’t have fear of God and love for his will and commandments. Ultimately, change happens when human hearts are converted and have become pure and free from sins of greed, pride, selfishness, and corruption.
As we, Filipinos, experience the anxieties of our country’s election of new government leaders, we must pray for peace and order. We must ask God to enlighten our minds and to intervene in our lives to help us choose our right leaders.
During the last presidential election in the Philippines, Mark Herringshaw, an American writer and pastor, wrote this prayer for our country, which I think is still relevant today:
“God, may your regime prevail today in the Philippines. As this nation goes to the polls to elect a new president we ask that in and through this process your perfect peace would reign. We know that no human government is perfect. We know that until your Kingdom comes in total we will always fall short of your glory. But there are degrees of goodness that are possible here and now and we ask that by your Spirit you would guide the decisions made today in this great nation. We ask that godly men and women would be entrusted with authority there. We ask that truth would triumph, that the light of honesty and integrity and generosity will win the day. Lord, root out corruption and greed in the Philippine government. Bring instead a spirit of humility, servanthood, and gratitude. Lord, prevail there. May your people across every island, in every city and village rise to speak your voice in their vote. Unite those who have faith in you, and build your Church in part by giving them a good and just government that will protect them from the waves of human and demonic evil. We pray for the Philippines in Jesus’ great name.”
Let’s all join together in the same longing and prayer for peace, order and guidance during this election time in our Motherland, the Philippines!
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From a Filipino immigrant family, Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas was ordained to the priesthood from St. John’s Seminary in 1991. He served as Associate Pastor at St. Augustine, Culver City (1991-1993); St. Martha, Valinda (1993-1999); and St. Joseph the Worker, Canoga Park (1999-2001). In 2001, he served as Administrator Pro Tem of St. John Neumann in Santa Maria, CA, until his appointment as pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Los Angeles, in 2002, which lasted 12 years. His term as Associate Director of Pastoral Field Education at St. John’s Seminary began in July 2014.
