CBCP Invokes Aid of Blessed Mother for Peaceful Elections

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has sought the aid and intercession of the Blessed Mother “to cover our nation with her maternal love and to beseech her Son to grant us all the favor of meaningful, peaceful elections and a government thereafter that unifies our people in the sight of God and in accordance with His will. Lord heal our land. Lord heal our land.”

This was the closing prayer in the latest CBCP statement in time for upcoming national and local elections on May 9, 2016.

The Catholic hierarchy has vowed to support whoever wins in the May 9 presidential elections but on certain conditions.

Archbishop Socrates Villegas, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president said the victory must come from an honest electoral process and whoever wins will take the job seriously.

“…Whoever strives to heal the wounds of the divisiveness of politics, whoever respects the rights of all and is earnest in his or her fear of God and is zealous for his precepts has the support of the CBCP,” Villegas said.

“And we will do everything together with our priests so that all our people, to the remotest barangays to which we minister, may rally around a just and God-fearing government that visits no vengeance on foes but is characterized by mercy and compassion for all, not only for allies!” he said.

Government of unity
Villegas reiterated that the CBCP is not endorsing any candidate, but they are willing to support the next administration which will serve as an instrument of peace, reconciliation, and healing.

The bishops lamented that the campaign period has been “rancorous”, inflicting wounds not only on the candidates but even on their supporters.

Villegas said the next administration must lead a government of unity that rests neither on expediency nor compromise “but on truth and justice.”

A Nation at Prayer
The CBCP commended the various initiatives of the laity and other youth associations that has come together and pray for guidance in choosing the right leaders.

In particular, the CBCP encouraged the faithful to pray the rosary every day and receive Holy Communion starting May 1 until May 9. “In this novena of rosaries and Masses, we claim from the Lord the gift of a godly electoral process. With the permission of the bishops, the Blessed Sacrament may be exposed for public adoration to beg the Lord for the gift of peaceful elections.”

While most schools and parishes are making final preparations for volunteers in poll watching, voters’ assistance as part of the project E=CHAMP (Clean, Honest Accurate, Meaningful and Peaceful Elections) other parishes in the Archdiocese of Davao have already begun gathering kids for catechism while they are on school break.

They say Mother’s Day is a secular celebration, it dates back all the way to ancient times, but the idea of the celebration was first kicked around in 1872. Julia Ward Howe, author of the words to the “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” proposed Mother’s Day as a day dedicated to peace.

But it was Ann Jarvis of West Virginia, however, who really pushed for a national day to honor mothers. On the second anniversary of her mother’s death, Jarvis asked her mother’s church in Grafton, West Virginia, to celebrate a day to honor mothers. Her mother had died on the second Sunday in May. The church obliged and the following year, the city of Philadelphia joined in the celebration. Thanks to a campaign by Jarvis and her supporters, by 1911 almost every state celebrated Mother’s Day. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday.

Other countries also celebrate Mother’s Day, but some on different days. In England, Mothering Sunday is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent.

Different faith traditions have vastly divergent views and interpretations of who Mary was and her role in the church and in Christianity.

If there was Flores de Mayo during Jesus’ time, Mary, our Lord’s Mother would be the first to enrol her Child. What’s in the Flores de Mayo that she would be so eager to have her Child avail of it? Anyone who’s been through it in their childhood will only have to recall the wonderful times they had to say that it could be worth any child’s time!

The celebration of our devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary used to be every afternoon of May. Now some adjustments are made like 9 in the morning. Nonetheless, its substance is the same. It was where we as children learned with our peers how to pray, to say the Rosary and understand some basic tenets of our faith. We did not only gain knowledge of our faith but also friends who share the same faith. It surely was an interesting time to spend our May afternoons. In fact, our mothers did not have to encourage us. We wanted it too. Almost all children in the neighbourhood joined.

The most awaited time was when we would all fall in line and approach the altar where she stood to offer her bouquets of flowers. At some point too we showered her with petals of flowers while we sang her Marian songs with gusto!

Why was the celebration not done in the morning? That was because we still had to secure flowers! Surely, nobody among us would want to come to the celebration without bringing any. As the month-long celebration dragged on, however, our search for the flowers brought us all over the town. Flowers were for the asking then.

As we celebrate today’s Mother’s Day, we bring to mind the Mother of us all: the Blessed Virgin Mary. Would not today’s mothers want their children to know her? The Flores de Mayo is for children. It would be a good opportunity for children to discover her, know her attributes and even get the chance to represent one virtue during the culmination ceremonies. Of course, learning how to play sports or some skills are interesting too but are these better than learning how to be Mary-like?

Mama Mary is one great woman and mother to know. She is one role model better than any other. The Church says that “by her complete adherence to the Father’s will, to his Son’s redemptive work, and to every prompting of the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary is the church’s model of faith and charity” (CCC 967).

“This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterrupted from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfilment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation…Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the title of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix” (CCC 968).

Her role in relation to the Church and to all humanity goes still further. “In a wholly singular way she cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope and burning charity in the Savior’s work of restoring life to souls. For this reason she is a mother to us in the order of grace” (CCC 969).

Surely any mother who loves Mama Mary and who knows that she is the best companion for their children this summer would not want to miss this opportunity. She would not regret the time her children spending their May afternoons or mornings with the Blessed Mother. The Catechists are at the chapels nearby to help the children meet the best mother of all. (with reports from Roy Lagarde | CBCP News | Nena Quijano | DCHERALD)