Last October 5, 2008 in a major Vatican meeting, Pope Benedict XVI decried the modern culture that corrupted the people’s faith, leaving them with a deistic belief that if God were existing, He might have left us alone with our miseries and consequently affecting many nations as to become devoid of faith in God to lose their identity. The Pope was referring most especially to the European nations which were once united by the Catholic or at least the Christian faith. These days, because of the media and the globalization, not only Europe but the other Christian nations are affected by the lost of genuine Christian faith caused by materialistic, consumerist, pagan and anti-life culture.

Our nation, the Philippines, is already experiencing such crisis in faith. Although we cannot deny the fact that generally, we Filipinos are religious by culture, yet our religiosity due to the lack of religious information and formation does not make of us men and women of dignity. Many people are dishonest, corrupt, living a double kind of life, lazy, superstitious, irreligious, using contraceptives and doing the abortion, and so on. All these unchristian practices simply manifest the fact that our religiosity is born of culture not of faith. For this reason, we do know grow in our faith as a nation and we are left behind by our neighboring nations in terms of economy and industrialization. Their faith may be different to ours yet they truly live their faith to the letter. On the other hand, we claim to be Christian nation, the nation blessed with true faith in true God, yet we never practice in our daily life the faith that we believe. As a result, the faith that should bring us towards the self-realization, peace, and success has become a hindrance for us to achieve our goals. This is the rule of life: a life not lived worthily is a curse. A faith then not practiced as it should is a disgrace.

This coming December 16, we will begin the traditional Aguinaldo Masses in all catholic parishes in the Philippines and even in other Christian nations especially in Latin America. The liturgical Ordo says that the “Aguinaldo Masses in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary (are) to be celebrated on the nine days before Christmas for the perseverance of the nation in faith.” We have to remember such fact that these masses are meant both to honor the Blessed Virgin and for the perseverance of our nation in faith. We need the healing of our nation especially that our nation has just suffered a lot of calamities both natural such as typhoons and floods and manmade such as the corruption and the Maguindanao Massacre. More still, our nation will undergo crucifying national elections this coming year. The more we need to cure our nation of its social illnesses and restore in it our Christian faith.

The Aguinaldo Masses are a divine gift of our Lord who is to be born again in our hearts this Christmas just to heal us and our nation. Let us remember that it was through the Blessed Virgin Mary that Jesus our Savior was born and God was able to redeem us from our sinfulness. Let us then grab such opportunity of honoring her through the assistance in the Aguinaldo Masses because it is though her that again God will bring Christ into our hearts, convert us into genuine Christians and heal our troubled nation.

PRAYER FOR OUR NATION

Loving Father,

You are the King of kings and the Lord of rulers.

You bless all the rulers and their people who honor You and serve You.

Bless our nation, Father!

Today, I am praying for my nation and for all who live in it.

Give all the rulers and authorities Your knowledge, wisdom, and understanding.

Help them to fear You and honor You. Let them also render justice to our people.

Let Your righteousness fill our nation. Let all the forces of darkness, derision, destruction and demons be destroyed. Let there be peace and prosperity in our nation.

Father, I also pray for the people of my nation.

Bless the efforts of their hands. Let our nation overflow with milk and honey.

Let our barns be full. Let our Young people sing and dance in full contentment.

Let Your joy rule our hearts. Let Your peace rule our nation.

Let Your justice fill our nation. Let Your righteousness control our lives.

Father! Shower Your blessings on every one of us in this nation today and forever.