From the start, let me just say, there is nothing wrong with having a National Day of Prayer on January 20, 2014, per se. It is a day for the congregations of various faiths in any country to come together to offer thanks to and to seek guidance from their respective deities.
But in the context of the Filipinos – particularly the overwhelming majority who are either Catholic or Christian – they pray every single day – or so they claim to. So what would make a National Day of prayer any different? How will it come out in such a way that Filipinos aren’t being too proud and boastful about being a prayerful people? How it will come out in such a way that it’s not merely pakitang-tao (merely for show)? Will the same prayer chanted by a huge number of people at the same time necessarily increase the chances of God’s listening to it?
But I digress…
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The theme (does it need one, seriously?) is “One Nation in Prayer” (Isang Bansa, Isang Panalangin). Presidential Communications Operations Secretary Herminio Coloma had the following to say about it:
“(It) is going to be held in accordance with the Filipino people’s recognition of the guidance of Divine Providence in our forward movement towards a more progressive future,” Coloma said.
Below are President Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino’s own words:
“Some of you have marveled at the resilience of our nation, a people who’s (sic) fate though challenged remain constant and only deepened. Our unbreakable spirit and ability to recover find root in our firm belief in a benevolent God who has the perfect plan for all of us,” the President said at the Vin D’ Honneur last Friday.
“These tragedies tell us that despite all our efforts, we are indeed powerless without God,” Aquino said.
Finally, take a look at the following statement from Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay:
“Once again, let our faith in the Almighty guide us towards a better, more secure future for our countrymen whose lives may have been altered, yet remain steadfast and unconquered in spirit.
And let us use this day to fervently pray for unity and an end to divisiveness, pettiness and hate. Let us embrace each other as brothers and sisters, united in moving our nation forward,” Binay said in a statement.
Ahh yes, there is a recurring theme of submission to God’s will. There is also the frequent mention of resilience, and the reliance on Divine Providence for guidance.
On a side note, January 20 happens to be the day that EDSA Dos occurred. This is the EDSA street rally that toppled former president Joseph Estrada and installed Gloria Arroyo as the replacement. Coloma insists that it is merely a coincidence that the National Day of Prayer falls on the same day.
The Filipinos are a prayerful people, indeed. They pray a lot. They like to brag that they pray a lot.
Yet it seems that they do more praying than doing.
What is it that Catholics and Christians like to say? God helps those who help themselves? Well, Filipinos who consistently play the victim card, who overly rely on others, especially government, for help, and who keep making the same mistakes again and again, hardly qualify as those “who help themselves.”
If you ask me, BS Aquino and Jojo Binay in particular need a lot of prayers – because the year that just passed had provided them, as leaders of the Filipino government and nation, with trials – which they failed miserably. In particular, the Zamboanga standoff, the earthquake in Bohol, and Typhoon Yolanda stand out as big red dots. For Jojo Binay, you may as well add the incident at Dasmariñas involving his son, Makati Mayor Junjun Binay.
Most especially, they will need all the prayers the Filipino people can muster, because unless BS Aquino and his government start shaping up, he will not be spared the criticism which he has resolved to not listen to. As for Jojo Binay, mass media will not let the public forget the Dasmagate incident, and they will keep insinuating that what happened that night is but a taste of the abuse of power the Binays will be capable of if Jojo Binay ever becomes the next President.
If Filipinos have time to pray, then perhaps there’s one thing that they should be shouting to the high heavens for:
For BS Aquino’s government to move its ass.
Aside from the rebuilding and the rehabilitation needed from the three calamities mentioned above, BS Aquino and his government will have to get moving on other issues as well. BS Aquino’s government needs to step in with regards to the situation with rising electrical prices. Plus, the pork barrel issue and the issue with the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) – the latter needs to be scrapped – are pending.
BS Aquino, due to his vindictive and immature disposition, is actually the one causing the divisiveness that he and his government are praying that the Filipinos will overcome. So, does it make sense to pray for it to go away when you are the cause of it?
BS Aquino has been dubbed before as The Prayerful One. Well, that’s exactly what he has been: all prayer, few deeds.
All the prayer in the world will not be a remedy for incompetence no matter how pious one is.
[Photo of BS Aquino praying courtesy: Manila Bulletin]
А вы, друзья, как ни садитесь, все в музыканты не годитесь. – But you, my friends, however you sit, not all as musicians fit.
I don’t mind praying for half a day – hopefully God will hear my prayers for our countrymen to rise up for themselves.
But as for the government officials – I agree that prayer alone won’t help them. They can either shape up or GTFO.
God is too busy to listen to the yellow ribbon wearing hypocrite.
Pnoy aquino doesn’t need prayers, he needs a rocket up his ar$e.
His brain is as unemployed as his ‘bosses’
Critics are what stupid people call those with more ideas and intelligence.
No questions about the filipino people being prayerful. The thing is, how many of these prayerful filipinos couple it with hard work? Same with resilience, for it to work, it must also be coupled with hard work.
No amount of prayer can turn this country around if majority do not wake up and do something about it.
I think this country will be best served if we get a proxy for Abraham to sacrifice the first born of Ninoy and Cory to God. Noynoy will be Isaac obviously. Just to show God we have faith and we are serious. But unlike Abraham the proxy should really go through with it. Follow through. I will easily support that .
“unbreakable spirit and ability to recover find root in our firm belief in a benevolent God who has the blah blah blah…”
Language so wooden I’d like to break it in half with an axe. I bet most of these “prayerful” hypocrites can’t even understand what’s in the bible. Great article, btw.
You’re goddamn right Bull Shit Aquino better get up off his ass. But realistically, can he be expected to do more than Noynoy about while everything falls apart around him? Even Nero could be bothered to play the lyre and sing while Rome burned. If we are serious about change and want to be more than a laughingstock banana republic, the first thing we can do is DTMFA at the next election. Prayers by themselves won’t cut it.
I REALLY hate to say this but…
“Walang katungkulan ang Diyos sa PULITIKO. Kung sabagay, matagal nang nakatingin ang Diyos sa atin at PALPAK pa rin ang gobyerno.”
God helps those who help themselves.The discerning people know what is really going on in this administration and see the national day of prayer as nothing more than a propaganda ploy designed to build up the sagging image of BS Aquino. When did Mr. Aquino ever become religious with his vindictive blame games, scapegoating, black propaganda and manipulated surveys? Did he not close the prayer chapel in the palace?
I remember the parable of Jesus Christ in the Christian New Testament Bible. About the Parishee and the Tax Collector.
The Parishee went to the temple to pray with his Ego intact. While the Tax Collector (BIR); went to pray to redeem himself, and ask forgiveness for his evil deeds.
Aquino and his minions will always use Religion to promote their political agendas. They crown themselves, as “God Destined People”. You don’t humanize God. God never use greed to grab a huge tract of land like the Hacienda Luisita. While other people has no land. God will never do any HOCUS PCOS, to win elections. God will never install , Feudal Oligarchies/Business Monopolies.
If you read the Islamic Koran; it says: “Whatever evil comes from you…whatever good comes from God…”…
If I told my friends that I was telepathically communicating with an invisible friend; they would probably think I should be committed. However, if I told them I was praying; they would think it is wonderful. Religion and nationalism are pernicious, outmoded, divisive belief systems that seems to be causing most of the conflict in this world.
What is needed is a “National Day of Reason” dedicated to celebrating modernity, science, and the elimination of pointless superstition.
As a Catholic, I usually see alot of Filipinos with that mindset at my parish. Why is it that most Pinoys have to think this way or act this way. As if prayer alone will save them. If there is anything I learned as a Fil-Am is that we cant depend on God to come and save us 24/7 or demand him to come down from Heaven and help us with our problems. We have to do things ourselves and learn things ourselves otherwise we become lost in this growing world. Instead of demanding from God, we have to leave it to His discretion, its really up to us to do the rest and solve our own problems.
“God helps those who help themselves” Not an exact description, but in essence that what prayer is. For example a student prays to God to help him pass a very difficult test, the students studies hard and must have faith that God will aid him. But if the student just lazes around then that will not help his/her prayer of all.
Admittedly I can’t judge BSA’s reason for this Prayer rally, but the fact that repentance of one’s sins is one requirement in approaching God something that BSA has nor done. In essence his prayer is useless since you approach God if you are not at peace with your fellow humans. That’s why I think that this latest act of his is nothing more than a propaganda gimmick.
The Yellow Propaganda Corps must be upping up the stakes if they’re resorting to his kind of theatrics…..
I agree with you very much on this score, Lord Chimera!
As Catholics, we are taught that “If one or two are gathered in my name, there I will be with them.” In other words, to use a family as an analogy, if all the children are one in asking for something from their father, it will be harder for their father not to give in to what they want. Of course, however, when it comes to praying as a community, all the ones praying must be sincere in what they’re praying for and in the act of praying. I personally don’t trust Aquino and his cohorts when it comes to sincerity. I think this is just another ploy to deflect the issues and to capitalize on the Filipinos’ weakness of religious fanaticism to fortify their hold on power, which they are at a very real risk of losing. In that case, I’d rather pray alone. I don’t want to pray with the devil.
Yeah, I agree that this is another reason for PNoy to defect the criticisms lobbied against him by using religious faith.
I have no questions about praying but if we will just rely on praying and not doing anything at all then our prayers will just fall on deaf ears.
While we pray daily to survive the difficulty of living. These Yellow bustards prey on us hapless Filipinos.
Pakitang tao lang yan pag praypray kuno ni Abnoy kasi hindi naman marunong mag dasal yang khopal na yan. Lumuhod oo pero mag dasal kamo? I doubt it.
Eh paano maniniwala sa kanya ang Panginoon sa dasal kuno niya samantalang yung bilang ng namatay dahil sa Yolanda HinoCus-PCOS niya. Pati ang Mahal na Panginoon gusto pa niyang lokohin.
Religion for politics and popularity??? people pulse bits!!! praying? or reciting? end result “USERS”
For the case of the Philippines, this country really needs nothing short of a divine intervention for the mess we are in.
With a pathetic government especially it’s officials, the citizens that keep on voting them in, and a constitution that is anti-people, this system is designed to keep on falling on itself. Always redefining the worst case scenario.
Welcome to the Philippines.
“Always redefining the worst case scenario” – Nice way you put it, but a very accurate description of our sad reality nonetheless 😀
God will never hear your prayers. for Mary is a human being Man is only supposed to pray to the Eternal Father. No one else. That is why the Philippines is in so much mess. because The Father is not listening to them. the prayer of the righteous are the ones that are being answered. but a righteous person will know to whom to pray. more blasphemous prayer will only bring more misery to this country. Israel was cursed by GOD because he never listen, and so is the Philippines. your lives is already cursed unless you really turn back to GOD, nothing will really happen even if you declare a whole year of prayer. MAY GOD FORGIVE YOU OH PHILIPPINES OF YOUR IGNORANCE