PGMA's Speech during the 22nd Philippines National Prayer Breakfast

Centennial Hall, Manila Hotel (12 Nov. 2003)
Thank you.

Thank you, Secretary Romulo.

Other Cabinet members, Senate President Drilon, Speaker de Venecia, Justice Puno, mayor Atienza, Congresswoman Dumarpa and the other elective officials who are here.

Joe Tan Ramirez and George Drysdale, the leaders of this prayer breakfast; former Senate President Salonga, thank you for your prayer for the president; Bishop brother Eddie Villanueva; Bishop Tendero and the other reverend bishops; Father Tapiador and the other reverend fathers; Commissioner Ide Tillah, happy birthday to you; ladies and gentlemen; brothers and sisters:

Thank you for inviting me again to be a part of the Philippine National Prayer breakfast.

I think today is a good day for having this prayer breakfast. I think today is a good day to thank our lord that our democratic system has survived one of its greatest tests in recent times. I think today is a time to thank the Lord that this passing a test has made us prouder of our democratic system. The three great powers of government have come together to express faith in each other and in a stable national future.

There is indeed no substitute for living and leading in gods presence, and calling on his holy name for help or for thanksgiving.

I have never doubted that the lord would guide us to a resolution that highlights our governments capacity for self-repair and self-redemption.

And now, as we have heard from the many prayers and many reflections today, I would like to stress that we must have reconciliation. We must have a newfound unity if we are to move the nation forward. For the peace of mind of the people, we must quiet down the controversy of the Davide crisis now that it has already been constitutionally resolved. All sides in the dispute have acted with statesmanship and we must gather around our democratic institutions rather than erode them further.

I have opened earnest back channels to all the groups involved and I hope they will heed the call for principled reconciliation.

What is principled reconciliation? Yesterday, I called my cabinet to a special meeting to reflect on this -- what is principled reconciliation? We had asked our resource persons to guide us in the theology of principled reconciliation. Reverend Archbishop Capalla, who is the incoming President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and Father Intengan, Romeo Intengan, who is the provincial of the Jesuit Community of the Philippines. And when we talked about what is principled reconciliation, and Archbishop Capalla opened the floor for comments, questions and reflections, Joey Lina, our guest speaker for today, talked about the story of Zacchaeus. And, indeed, as we reflected on the different elements of the story of Zacchaeus, abstracted from that story were indeed the elements of principled reconciliation.

I will not repeat the theological analysis of our learned archbishop and learned priest, but that should be for another time and they can explain it more not me. But I found it providential that today's gospel reading was about the story of Zacchaeus. It is the story of principled reconciliation. It is the call of god to our people today.

The people must sense a unifying force in their institutions of governance or they themselves will be divided and weakened in facing the formidable challenges of waging the peace and fighting poverty. The nation must be healed by a common patriotism and sense of duty among leaders and constituencies.

This is the meaning I discern in your theme for today's prayer breakfast living and leading in gods presence. Your theme is a timely and relevant call towards strengthening our virtues and addressing our ever evolving roles in this new millennium. In 2 Peter 1:5, we are told to put forth "Earnest effort in supplying virtue to our faith." Earnest effort to me the meaning of that in today's context is we need to speed up the healing process. This is a time to fortify our democratic moorings.

We are not past the pressures of nationhood, for we are not yet a strong republic. There are challenges that we must confront to make us stronger, wiser and closer to God.

As president, I face the duty of stewarding the welfare of over 80 million Filipinos. How did I come to this stewardship? I remember that evening in the prayer in Araneta Coliseum where Bishop Tendero invited me. In fact, I was having at that time a very crucial meeting, a very crucial command conference because then there was yet another challenge to our country at that time. But Reverend Bishop sent a message: come, for even just a short while and pray with us. And I went. I had no time prepare a speech. No time to prepare a prayer because, indeed, I had to leave a very crucial meeting just to spend a few moments in prayer. And so, I had to ask the Lord, Lord, what do you want me to pray? And the Lord, in a little voice made me pray: here I am Lord. I have heard you calling me by name. I will go Lord where you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.

And today, that was the song of our choir. How providential once again. I believe it is a message about what I must do about my stewardship. Hold his people in my heart by listening to the lord. And as Joey said, saying always, here we are, lord.

My supplications, together with prayers of support of all of you, our brothers and sisters, who all say here we are, lord. These have given me the strength to pursue our goals in the midst of great challenges. Challenges in our internal society, challenges in the world environment.

I stand fast to our vision of prosperity for the greatest number under a strong republic.

You and I, who are praying today, we are partners in faith as well as in nation-building. As we pray together, we must support each other in building the just and equitable society we aspire to have because we know that that is the kind of society, that is the kind of nation that the lord wishes and wants for us.

I seek your prayers, brothers and sisters, so that we can institute true reforms in our way of politics, in our way of economics to really develop our economy and create a stronger republic to bring about the common good.

Yesterday, as we were reflecting on the need for reconciliation, reconciliation is always a bible value, but it is an even critical value at this time for the common good. That was what our reverend fathers reflected. And somebody in my cabinet said, the common good. We haven't heard that term in a long time. We must remember the term once again and reflect on the common good.

And today, in this prayer breakfast, I heard that term again on the other side of this podium -- the common good. The lord is reminding us again to reflect on and seek the common good.

The common good today, I firmly believe in my discernment is healing and reconciliation.

And so I seek your prayers so that we can heal our broken land. So that we can reconcile the fragmented ramparts of the nation.

I've often said that together we must build a strong republic. Psalm 127:1 says: Without the help of the Lord, it is useless to build a home. We can only build the strong republic that we want to be the home of our people with the help, in fact, with the lordship of the Lord.

Let each one of us then pray to the Lord for the wisdom, the courage, the strength of character to bring about true reforms and true reconciliation.

With the grace of god, lets share the spirit of fellowship and prayer, reinforce the ties of family and community, reach out in unity to our brothers and sisters who all comprise our one nation -- gods chosen people in Asia. For the lord said, love your God with your whole heart, your whole soul; love your neighbor as yourselves.

In our challenges, may God's will be done. In your triumphs, in our triumphs, to God be the glory.

Thank you and amen.

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