Fr. Bel R. San Luis, SVD
By Fr. Bel San Luis, SVD
Tomorrow is Election Day for barangay officers and SK (Samahang Kabataan). Voters exercise your sovereign right to vote. But vote wisely and responsibly.
Here are the “10 Commandments for Responsible Voting,” prepared by the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV):
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Thou shalt vote according to the dictates of your conscience.
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Thou shalt respect the decision of others in choosing their candidates.
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Thou shalt seek to know the moral integrity, capabilities and other personal qualities of the candidates you will vote for.
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Thou shalt strive to understand the issues, platform and programs of candidates and parties seeking your vote.
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Thou shalt not sell your vote.
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Thou shalt not vote for candidates using guns, goons and gold.
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Thou shalt not vote for candidates with records of graft and corruption and to add: involved in illegal drugs.
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Thou shalt not vote for candidates just because of utang na loob or debt of gratitude, popularity or pakikisama (goodwill).
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Thou shalt not vote for candidates living an immoral life.
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Thou shalt put the welfare of the country above all else in choosing the candidate you will vote for.
Today is Mothers’ Day. I can’t help remembering the story of a little boy who came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was fixing supper. He handed her a piece of paper containing the costs of all his errands and services.
The mother read it: “For cutting the grass in our yard: P5.00. For cleaning my room this week: P1.00
“For going to the store for you: .50 cents. Baby-sitting my brother while you went shopping: .25 cents. Taking out the garbage: P1.00.
“For getting a good report card: P5.00. For cleaning up and sweeping the yard: P2.00 Total owed: P14.75.”
His mother looked at him and could see the memories flashing through her mind. She picked up the ball pen, turned over the paper, and wrote the following:
“For 9 months I carried you while you were growing inside me: No Charge.
“For the nights I sat up with you and prayed for you when you were sick: No Charge. For all the trying times, and all the tears that you’ve caused me through the years: No Charge.
“For wiping your nose, cooking for you, giving you toys, and clothes: No Charge.
“When you add it all up, the cost of my love is: No Charge.”
When the boy finished reading his mother’s note, there were big tears in his eyes. He embraced his mother and said, “Mom, I sure do love you.”
And then he took the ball pen and in big letters, wrote: “PAID IN FULL”
This cute story shows tenderly the love, sacrifices and caring of a mother. A Jewish saying goes: “God can not be everywhere so He created mothers.” Incidentally, do you know that the Church is called our “Holy Mother the Church”? It’s because, aside from her undying maternal care and love, she gives birth to us spiritually in the Sacrament of Baptism.
Let’s pray for mothers-in-law, too, even if they are caricatured as “contra bida,” meddlers and irritant.
As a joke goes: the husband is the POST of the family, the wife is the LIGHT, and the mother-in-law? She’s the TERMITE (anay) of the family. (Of course, not all are termites).
HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY!