It was hard to prevent tears from flowing as we watched the burial services of Tita Cory even in faraway Mindanao. Almost all speakers ended with “Tita Cory, we love you. Thank you and good bye.” If not in exactly those words it was some way similar. For what do we want to thank her and why do we love her? The themes that kept coming back were simplicity, kindness, courage, uprightness, love of God, of Jesus, devotion to Our Lady and the rosary. Interviews almost always ended up with people trying to do something for Cory in gratitude for what she has done for them. For most it was not a direct kindness. For like me, we hardly met her. But her example and devotion to God and love of country was a gift to all of us.

I may disappoint some in that I do not have any special story about Cory. I ask myself: After the emotions can I translate it to a personal resolve? Will our expressions of love and respect for this icon of freedom and self sacrifice be translated to action? Will I make an effort to think thoughts of kindness? Will I do something today to make someone happy in imitation of her? This is the transition that is difficult. It is easy to ask the politicians and others to look to the service of God, the good of the country, the common good above self. Especially we can ask the next President to be courageous and sincere. That is easy to do because it does not place any burden on us or cost us anything. We point to someone else like the possible next president. What is hard is what do I do myself?

All reforms must start with me. But I am a nobody. That is the point. If we all do a bit for the common good, for the service of God, and the service of the neighbor, then we are on our way to be a great nation. Telling others that they should imitate Tita Cory is no help since that is something that we do not do ourselves. It is just talk and may even be nagging, telling others what they already know. We are powerless over others.

We can pray for them or wish for them, or try to motivate them. But we can only do something through and by ourselves. Like Tita Cory we might set an example. It is a long path to save our country from corruption. It is already ingrained that to seek self above the good of others or the common good is tolerable. We just shrug our shoulders and even smile at the perversion of others or of our own. In that case it is really only by Divine intervention that we can correct our corruption. Some say that if we are able to correct this problem, and I agree, we would be a great nation where there would be minimal poverty.

The gap between the rich and the poor would be shortened. But perhaps the Almighty is not sure that that state of affairs would not swell our heads and think it is due to our own goodness. And we may forget that we need Divine help. We may envision a heaven on earth and not desire to move on to the real heaven.

We are not in a condition that answers to the human dignity required by God. But we may not be mature enough to accept prosperity and still acknowledge the generosity of the Almighty and our dependence on Him. We pray Tita Cory to intercede for this maturity. <emeterio_barcelon@yahoo.com>