I. Newspaper photos yesterday of dead bodies in the streets of Kausawagan, and a series of text messages from a religious sister asking prayers for her blood relatives and religious sisters caught in the middle of the fighting, brought back memories of 25 years ago tomorrow: news of Ninoy's assassination; three days of darkness as we reflected on the evil in heart of man, and of our society: a dark room, evil presence.
II. But then, hope reviving: calm uncompromising stance of Cardinal Sin, of Radio Veritas and Fr. Guido Arguelles; long lines at Times Street; magnificent funeral sermon of Card. Sin (Arevalo?) concluding with Ninoy's prayer for peace; the funeral procession, prayer rallies, ANV, and three years later the peaceful revolution at Edsa. A STAND AGAINST EVIL, A JOURNEY OF HOPE.
III. Now, 25 years later, the nation again faces a crisis, and we come to realize that the evil was deeper than President Marcos. Edsa was a political revolution, not a social revolution. Fault lines of injustice and inequality lie beneath the surface of our society, pressures are building up and threatening to break it apart. We saw this in the violence and hatred which burst to the surface in the contorted faces of the poor at Edsa III, we see it in continuing revolt in the countryside, and we see it in Mindanao . Even the good intentions of a president like Cory Aquino could not break through established structures of injustice in the landowning system for example, the same structures that continue to block effective agrarian reform. Development in Mindanao has been put on the back burner in favor of development elsewhere and military operations. My generation, the older generations have failed to build a viable society founded on justice
IV. We look then at this moment to a new turning point, one which will change not only leaders but long-entrenched structures of injustice and inequality. It will not be easy, and will be costly, for we are all part of the problem. There will be fewer flyovers in Manila so that Mindanao can have roads; more expensive newspapers so that the scavengers can have a decent living.; our building will cost more so that the construction workers need not squat; there will be fewer parents who can afford an Ateneo education for their children. And perhaps your generation will not be able to afford the extremely expensive medical costs incurred by the province for me in the past two years.
V. And this will require not just political leadership but moral leadership, leadership such as Cardinal Sin and others showed 25 years ago. THIS IS THE CHALLENGE THAT LIES BEFORE YOU, THE COMING GENERATION. IT IS A MASSIVE, CONTENTIOUS TASK AND CANNOT BE DONE BY JESUITS ALONE; BUT OUR VOCATION REQUIRES THAT WE BE PART OF IT. MAY YOU BE INSTRUMENTS OF HIS PEACE, A PEACE BASED ON SOLIDARITY, JUSTICE AND EQUALITY AMONG ALL FILIPINOS. MAY THE LORD BE WITH YOU ON THIS JOURNEY OF FAITH AND HOPE.
At ito ang message ni Mark about Fr. Jack...
