Opening Prayer by Secretary Teresita Quintos Deles Cabinet Meeting on 11 July 2015, Presentation of the 2015 National Budget We raise our voice in prayer in this holy month of Ramadan when all humanity is blessed through the fasting, prayer, and sacrifice of the worldwide Muslim ummah... God Creator, Jesus Redeemer, Holy Spirit Sustainer, Today we gather together at a time more challenging than most. Several issues threaten to engulf this ship of state and thus derail our tuwid na daan: the constitutionality of the DAP, the work-in-progress that is the Bangsamoro Basic Law, the recovery of Yolanda-affected and other devastated areas, CARPER or comprehensive agrarian reform program extension with reforms, and so on and so forth. We, individually, and as a cabinet under the leadership of President Aquino, have embraced public service as our calling. But this season of disquiet and turmoil has so sorely tested our souls. Legal cases have been filed against our fellow cabinet members ascribing bad faith, and more, where there is none. As we seek the way forward through today’s discussion and debates, we ask of You three things. The first is to remind us that politics can become friend, not foe. In fact, many of us have wagered on transformational politics, embracing governance as a premier arena for social change. Remind us that the power of naming is the power of defining and redefining. Help us, in this hour of doubt, to hold fast to this vision of a new politics that stands in judgment of the old, even as we know that politics is a two-edged sword. Make us politique enough to be cunning as serpents and gentle as doves. Sharpen our skills and keep fresh our vision. The second thing we ask of you, God Creator-Redeemer-Sustainer, is humility. Boldly striking out on daang matuwid, we have called the high and mighty to account for wrongdoing through due process. We have instituted reforms across our respective spheres of governance; we have initiated and enriched social programs to fast-track our anti-poverty mandate. But always, we must ask ourselves: have we done enough; or too little, or too much, or too late? Have we done the right thing in the right way? So many of our people still have needs we have not served, too many of our communities still sundered, their potentials stunted. Give us the humility to heed and honor the lessons from our missed targets and shortcomings. The third and final thing we seek today is grace, abiding grace, amazing grace. All of us here have devoted our passions and seasons to making real the credo: the common wealth for the common weal. As former activists, some of us, and as government functionaries, all of us, this fire still burns in our belly. But we know that our best can only go so far. We know that life has a way of confounding our best-laid plans. And so we come to you this morning, seeking your mercy, your compassion, your grace. Amen.
Posted on: Fri, 11 Jul 2014 03:35:36 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015