‘For the proper use of wealth’

Whoever is the senator-judge tasked to begin with a prayer on Day 41 (on Monday) of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, that is, after a three-week break, I wish she or he would use some lines from Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for November, which is “For the proper use of wealth.”

Every month, the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communications issues an oral recording of the Pope praying the intention for a particular month with accompanying video clips. It is accessible on the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network website and CBCPNews. Although the recording is protected by property rights when used by third parties “and is made available only for personal and private use and cannot be exploited for commercial purposes,” I do not see any problem in lifting some lines or using it in its entirety for certain occasions. With proper attribution, of course.

Of late, there has been a lot of noise, debates, hand-wringing, finger-pointing, and blame-throwing involving wealth and everything that has to do with the word—the national budget, massive poverty in the world, the rise in prices of essential commodities, and most of all, corruption. The last one leads to the subject of squandered wealth, ill-gotten wealth, hidden wealth, and unexplained wealth that are at the core of the impeachment trial. Whose wealth?

Here is Pope Leo’s latest even while he wings his way to South America to visit three countries—Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru—countries which, like the Philippines, have wealth and poverty issues of their own.

“Lord of life, all we have comes from you: the fertile land, the talents we’ve received, the effort of those who came before us. Nothing is ours alone—everything is a shared gift.

“But so often, Lord, we let the wealth we seek or attain harden our hearts, lock us in selfishness, and make us forget the most vulnerable. Forgive us for storing up instead of sharing, for using goods as power rather than as service.

“You remind us that true wealth is not found in what we keep but in what we give with love.

“A heart detached from possessions transforms the world: It opens paths of justice, tears down walls of indifference, and sows hope among the poor.

“We ask you, Lord, that your spirit teach us to use what we have—money, time, talents, opportunities—as instruments of fraternity. May each economic, family or community decision spring from a free heart, able to recognize that every good is meant for all, and that only by sharing we build the future.

“Make us witnesses of a wealth transformed into service and mercy, so that our lives, united to the lives of others, may be a sign of your kingdom of justice and peace. Amen.”

I highlighted what I thought spoke loudly to me and entered the cave of my heart. What are yours? If one seriously dissects and reflects on the prayer line by line, you end up with nothing of your own really. Everything is a gift.

The above prayer is short, but it gently delivers a reminder for the high and mighty, the poor and lowly as well as those in between. It is a may-it-be, a desiderata for these uncertain times, for this balde republic, as well as for our wretched selves.

—————-

Feedback on last week’s column “Do not destroy massacre memorials”: “Thank you so much for writing about our Escalante monument, which is now obstructed by a comfort room. We, together with the Carmelite Fathers, wish that somebody will help us eradicate those obstructions so that [the site] can be made into a freedom park instead. Again, our sincerest and heartfelt gratitude.”

Whoever in the Escalante local government unit ordered the construction of a toilet on the site should please do the right thing. Madamo gid nga salamat.

—————-

Send feedback to [email protected].