FREEDOM!

Freedom: God’s gift to us as Filipinos and as Christians. We live every day carrying that freedom - freedom to express, freedom to worship, freedom to live, etc. However, we live in a world that uses freedom for self-satisfaction. Hypothetically, picture a world where everyone chaffs against each other merely to enforce their personal freedom. As the scripture says, “Do not use [that] freedom as a covering for evil,” so must we realign our attitudes with the fact that freedom is celebrated on the basis of God’s love through serving each other. Live as bond-servants.

MABUHAY! - ‘long live!’, and a term commonly used as a greeting to express good wishes. As we look at this day as a commemoration of the time when we were freed from slavery to injustice and cruelty, let us live out the ‘Mabuhay’ in us. With the pandemic still at hand, all the more should we be alive in our spirits as Filipinos and as God’s people! Reach out. Be involved in your community. Donate. Spend more time in scripture. Contribute to the healing of the world by practicing safety protocols. Bear in mind that you are no longer slaves to fear! You are a Filipino! You are loved!

We remember those who have sacrificed in order for us to live and be in a country we can call our own. Let us remember that we live because we were freed from captivity when Jesus sacrificed His life on Calvary, and were made into a nation to glorify Him.

Halina’t sama-sama tayo sa pagsisikap sa pagiging tunay na Pilipino - sa isip, sa salita, at sa gawa.

Mabuhay! Happy Independence Day!