Wanted: Good shepherds!

If you want to know who a good shepherd is, perhaps it would be good to note that the word “shepherd” starts with “she.”

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Happy Good Shepherd Sunday! In today’s Gospel (John 27, 30), Jesus, who calls Himself the Good Shepherd tells us to hear His voice and follow Him. Amidst the dangers and troubles we go through in this life, He promises us safety and eternal life. How assuring to hear these words in our world so full of fake, selfish, and uncaring leaders!

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Happy Mother’s Day! We remember today with love and gratitude for our own mothers. Nothing and no one can take the place of a mother’s heart. A mother will do anything for the good of her children. God bless and reward our mothers and all mothers who continue to care, love, and sacrifice, no matter what, no matter when, no matter how.

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We pray especially today for our motherland, the Philippines, so ravaged and abused by prodigal sons and daughters who claim to be public servants of our people. On the eve of our elections, let us especially pray to our Blessed Mother, Mama Mary, to intercede for peaceful and honest elections. We also pray for a bountiful harvest of good, able, and self-sacrificing public servants. Sana po! Sana all!

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“He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.” (Canticle of Mary, Luke 1, 46-55). May this come true here and now, where seemingly the proud, the selfish, and the greedy continue to prosper.

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Let not politics divide us. Let us keep in mind St. Augustine’s principle for peace and unity: UNITY in essentials; RESPECT in doubtful matters; LOVE in all things. Let us continue to pray, and work for peace. Let us not allow the evil one to destroy our families, our friendships, our oneness as a nation.

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Let us vote in conscience. May the vote we cast be a fruit of discernment and prayer, not just an outburst of emotions or blind affiliations.

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Let us vote for Christ’s kingdom. Make sure that we choose those who embody the gospel values of justice, truth, service, sacrifice, and love.

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Let us vote for country, not just for party, convenience, comfort, and promised positions or commissions.

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Sharing with you my prayer for safety and protection: Lord, in our helplessness, we turn to you and ask you to disable, restrain, and stop those people who are set doing evil and harming us. They have the money, the power, and the courage to inflict deceit, harm, violence, and even death for their selfish purposes, but you, oh, God, are powerful. Disable them, Lord, in a way only you would know. Convert them in a way only you can do. St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in our battle. Lord, you are “Israel”—the God who fights for us, the God who fights with us. We ask this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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An EX-SVD seminarian paid me a visit this week. We had a nice talk down memory lane. Before he left, he gave me an amount for the missionaries, in gratitude, he said, for the learning, he received from the seminary. Yes, gratitude is the best attitude. May we all live grateful lives! One of the very first things our mothers taught us is to be grateful, remember?

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A moment with our Lord:Lord, we need so urgently, good shepherds to lead us. Amen.

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