The Holy Father, in one of his reflections after praying the Angelus, pondered on a passage from the Letter of James that delved on the question of true wisdom. True wisdom, which emanates from God “possesses the indomitable vigor of truth and love that is self-affirming,’’ he said. True wisdom, which is not subjective, does not resort to deception, lies or subtle manipulations. It results in fairness and inner peace.

The prevalence of a lack of respect for truth and for keeping one’s word, which we Filipinos refer to as palabra de honor, seems to have become pronounced in our present time. Today, there are “certain typical internal dynamics’’ that tend to nurture a culture of fear and insecurity, that make self-interest take precedence over things that will benefit the bigger society. And these motivate people to espouse violence and develop the tendency for aggression and hatred for the other.

It seems ironic that the very people who profess to advocate peace and peaceful processes are the ones who, within themselves, experience so much conflict and contention – between their principles and self-interests, between the right values and self-perpetuation, between upholding the truth that few people dare to stand firm for and allowing lies and deceit to continue gnawing at the pillars of institutions because the latter option is met with the least opposition. It is not the number that makes an act moral and upright. It is the principles and values that we espouse and for which many of our forefathers and leaders willingly died for.

The only way this world can achieve peace and unity among its peoples is by cultivating respect and upholding the truth no matter what the cost. If we are to become men and women of peace, we must endeavor to reject lies and violence, and carefully cultivate and nurture feelings of respect, understanding, and esteem for others. In doing so, we will be able to resolve many of the problems of our age and time, with a more serene disposition and a clear conscience, and leave a better world for the succeeding generations.

In the end, when we are asked to account for the talents we have been entrusted with, we can look our Master in the eyes and proudly state that we have contributed to making other people’s lives more bearable, and the earth a much better place to live in.