Death penalty

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Death penalty

By Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz

Sad to say and sadder still to admit, life must really be unwelcome and even despised in this country.

The fact is that life is becoming cheaper by the day — courtesy of regular murders day and night, daily killings here and there.

The truth is that even tiny, helpless and lifeless fetuses are found thrown in garbage dumps and other despicable places. And there is nothing less than the present administration that officially registers its blatant objection to life through its well funded population control presented under the poor guise of reproduction and health.

The despise of life on the part of Malacañang is consummate — notwithstanding the fact that the biggest export of the country is people. It is the OFWs who are feeding millions of families through their big and regular remittances to the Philippines. It is also these Filipino workers in foreign and even dangerous countries who are providing the government with economic viability. Yes, rice and fish are imported. But Filipinos are exported. Even clothes and toys, not to mention fuel, are imported. But Filipino professionals and workers are considered as export commodities.

And lo and behold, the ugly design of consummate depreciation of life is once again made an option through the proposed legislation of the death penalty.

In other words, once again with contempt and disdain for life, the State is being equipped with a law authorizing it to kill its own citizen. There are many murders. Solution: Kill the murderers. There is an increasing number killers. Solution: Kill the killers. Thus it is that even the State becomes a killer too.

There is poverty in the country. There is misery in families. There is desperation and anger among the people. The solution is not for the State to kill but to wake up and work for national socio-economic development. There are more women violated and children exploited. The solution is not for the State to kill but to better protect the women and educate the children. There are more and more police authorities who are either incompetent if not actually more and more counted among criminals. The solution is not for the State to kill but to have a more trusted police force to counter criminality.

The State does not give life to anyone and may not wherefore get it from anybody. The State is not the author of life and may therefore not end it. The State has the duty to protect and promote life — not to do away with it. The State that cheapens human life, will neither respect human dignity nor safeguard human rights. The dire truth is that without life, what is there left to be concerned, to be worried about?

The death penalty legalized and imposed by the State is but a loud confession of its gross incompetence to promote law and order. This is neither too profound to understand nor too complicated to stand up for.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in Heaven, Holy be Your name.

Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptatation and deliver us from evil.

There is but one prayer taught by Christ Himself. There is but one prayer that is so theological and yet so practical, that is so profound and yet so simple. There is but one prayer that teaches much to all people who profess the Christian faith — irrespective of race and color.

The Lord’s prayer is most inclusive, most generous and most practical.

It is the most inclusive prayer because it calls upon the Father as having dominion not only in heaven but also on earth.

It is the most generous prayer because it repeatedly uses the words “our,” “us” and “we” — with no “my,” “me,” “mine.”

It is the most practical prayer because after acclaiming and praising the Father, it mentions the word “forgive” followed by asking for “bread.”

The standing and distinct truth about the prayer “Our Father” taught by Christ Himself to His followers is that: It is a prayer that is known and said by the young and the old alike. It is also a constituent prayer of the Holy Mass in the sense that the prayer is included in every Holy Mass. It is wherefore a prayer that makes the rounds of the world from morning to sunset whenever and wherever the Holy Mass is celebrated as the earth turns around the sun — form sun-up to sun-down.

There must be a thousand or more prayers composed by these and those holy men and women. There must be different prayers for different occasion in different times. There must be innumerable prayers having innumerable words and expressions. But there is but one prayer that is taught by no one else but Christ Himself.

(Reprinted with permission of Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz, from www.ovc.blogspot.com)