One thing people observe about the Philippines is that it is truly a Catholic nation. Nowhere else in the world do you feel the complete traditions of Holy Week, as well as the full celebration of Christmas. Only in the Philippines! On the other hand, how can we be a Catholic country yet so corrupt? In 2022, we were ranked 118 out of 180 (countries) in terms of transparency.

The Gospel reminds us of the words of Jesus: “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” In other words, as Christians, we have an obligation to the country, three of which are:

1. Pray for our leader. Any legitimately voted leader is from God. The leader has spiritual and moral authority over the nation. Hence, if a leader is God-fearing, the country is blessed. Prayer for the leaders is always very important.
2. Give. We have to do our part in nation-building. There are many ways to bless a country. This always starts with sharing the time, talent, and treasure that God has lent us. 
3. Light of the World and Salt of the Earth. We have to actively take part in matters of the nation. As the saying goes, “All it needs for evil to prevail is for good people to keep quiet.” 

May we remember that the Catholic Church believes we have the responsibility to participate in society and to promote the common good, especially for the poor and vulnerable. Human dignity can only be protected if all human rights are protected and responsibilities of all human beings are met. Thus we pray for our leaders, we continue to give time, talent, and treasure and we continue to be light of the world and salt of the earth.