LIFE is already dreary and full of trials as it is. We need not look far. The immediate situation that surrounds us in our country has become very problematic; moreover, the prospects, objectively speaking, are far from bright.
Many more of us have to decide to dig in, stay in our land, and face up to the consequences of the many problems that confront us.
It would be impossible to do this alone, on our own. We do have to reach out to our fellow citizens and begin working in solidarity with them.
We can make a good start by ensuring that our "behavior (towards our fellow citizens is always) agreeable (and that this) becomes more attractive by improving in kind and intensity" (Furrow, 752). We should be more than civil towards one another. We should indeed act with sincere and genuine charity towards all. In fact, it is "through friendship and doctrine (that we can) help in earnest and do good to all" (Furrow, 753). It is by our sharing of good ideas and doing good deeds together with others that we strengthen the bonds of friendship and fellowship with our fellow Filipinos.
This should not be difficult to start. All we have to do is to "inject a great deal of (fresh) outlook into every detail of (our) ordinary life" (Furrow, 756). It helps if that outlook were more supernatural and patriotic. Then it would be much easier for us to overlook and gloss over the "reprehensible and unworthy behavior" of others; and even if we find more than a few in our midst to "show no merit at all (and who) behave badly" (Furrow, 760), we still would not despise them. Instead, we look for creative ways of winning them over to our common cause; and for those who are "contrite" we would be more than ready to "forgive (and show) forbearance" (Furrow, 763).
With such broadness of mind and generosity of heart that we show towards our fellow citizens, we would soon experience the joys of responsible citizenship. We could more easily "get rid of those niggling worries and forget about those personal (preoccupations of ours if we make) sure that (we) are interested and concerned about (our fellow citizens)" (Furrow, 765). In a twist of fate, somehow those personal problems and concerns get drowned in the enormity of the task involved in promoting the common good of our people, with many of whom we work in solidarity. Being thus occupied with such a noble cause, together with many others in our country, we would soon "find that hundredfold of the Lord’s promise" (Furrow, 766). "How many fears and dangers (are) allayed by the true love (and sincere companionship among our fellow citizens that we let) shine in every little detail" of ordinary life (Furrow, 767)!
All we need to do, then, is to bring the ideal of love and companionship from being up there in the clouds down to the ground of everyday life where the ideal is actually lived and made real. And it should be made real and operative in the many details of our ordinary life; by thus converting the ideal into something actual and practical, we would "feel comforted (and filled) with complete confidence" (Furrow, 768).
Moreover, as a sage and a Saint reminded us, we have a Mother who never leaves unaided all those who seek her protection: "She will let (us) partake of the treasures she keeps in her heart" (Furrow, 768).
