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Homily delivered by Archbishop Socrates B Villegas
at the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist
Dagupan City on September 21, 2017 at 12noon
Today is the feast of Saint Matthew one of the writers of the Gospel. He found Jesus. He followed Jesus. He wrote about Jesus. He died like Jesus offering the Mass and stabbed to death from behind his back.
The color of Saint Matthew’s day is red. Red is for blood. Red is for faithfulness. Red is for courage.
Forty five years ago, the red of Saint Matthew’s day was replaced by black, the black of darkness, the black of uncertainty, the black of death, the black of warrantless arrests, the black of solitary confinement, the black of bleak future, the black of lost freedoms. Many died in the dark of midnight with no hope of seeing the dawn.
Araw ng Kahihiyan
When we were children forty five years ago, we were compelled to call this day Araw ng Pasasalamat. The vision forty five years ago was a new society bagong lipunan where discipline was observed but opposition was silenced. The streets were clean but dead bodies were mixed with garbage in the dumping sites. There were admirable cultural buildings and long bridges across wide rivers but the wheels of justice had stopped turning and money was the right of a lucky few. Our elders spoke in whispers for fear someone was spying. We had elections but we knew the results even before the ballots were cast. Television and radio were censored and newspapers were controlled.
Martial law destroyed our national values and ruined our integrity. Martial law was sustained by a culture of lies. Martial law stayed afloat by murders in the dark of night and in the light of day.
Martial was murders and lies. Martial law was hidden wealth and fake medals. Martial law was the egoism and insanity of the dictator.
Araw ng Kadakilaan
But those years of murders and falsehood also brought about the best in so many. It made so many our elders martyrs for freedom and heroes of democracy. When darkness set in, many of our leaders chose to light a candle rather to curse the darkness. Our heroes and martyrs of martial law fought darkness with light and fought evil with the power of good.
They refused to bow down to the authoritarian rule and made the grounds where they stood holy by their courage and conviction. The martial law years made us see the weeds from the wheat, the opportunists from the real patriots, the true Filipinos from the fake ones.
May mga bayaning kinilala ng bayan at tinatanawan ng utang na loob. May mga bayaning nakiangkas lang sa bandang huli. May balimbing na sisipsip kahit kanino mayroon din namang nanindigan sa prinsipyo kahit kailan.
For the martyrs and heroes of martial law, we offer our thanksgiving to the Lord. We are standing on their shoulders, they who died in the darkness without seeing the sunrise. Sa mga balimbing hanggang ngayon, walang kupas at walang kahihiyan, maawa kayo sa bayan!
Araw ng Pagbabantay
We have only martial law in Mindanao but the murders are all over more than 13,000 now since last year. Killing the poor and the poorest is the only solution they know to stop crime. Fake news abound and liars succeed to mislead and confuse. Decency has given way to cuss words. The respectful and the polite are ridiculed and the rude and
ill-mannered are the new saints. Human rights and the indigenous peoples are worth one thousand pesos.
We must stand up for the real Filipino. Marangal tayo. Magalang tayo. Makabuhay tayo. Matapat tayo. Matapang tayo. We are losing our national soul to the Father of Lies and Prince of Darkness. They are killing the poor and poisoning our consciences. We must return to the Lord and regain our national soul.
We pray to stay free. We ring bells every night. We light candles. We help the orphans of the killings. But we must do more!
We have a right as people to demand change. We voted for change and we want to see it. Keep on demanding for it. Do not relent. Do not tolerate excuses and jokes. Demand for the change promised. Bayan gumising!
The change we need is for the better not the change from life to death. We need a change from darkness into light not the change of darkness into deeper darkness. Bayan gumising!
Wrong is wrong and right is right. When they confuse one for the other, stand up and correct the wrong with courage but with love. Stand up. To keep quiet in the face of evil is a sin. Bayan gumising!
Let the September 21 forty five years ago be the last Araw ng Kahihiyan. Never again!
Let everyday be Araw ng Kadakilaan. Bawat Pilipino bayani!
Let every moment be Araw ng Pagbabantay. Huwag na tayong papayag na mawalang muli ang ating kalayaan.
Panginoon maawa po kayo sa Pilipinas hirap na hirap na po kami. Palayain po ninyo kami sa aming sariling pang lilinlang at kabaliwan!
