​“You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
This week, we celebrate National Heroes Day. We pay tribute to all the sung and unsung heroes, known or unknown heroes, and dead or living heroes. Such iconic men and women who sacrificially perfected their craft and selflessly laid down their lives for the nation zeroes into having “National Pride.” It is not only motivated by collecting milestones or establishing their name for fame. We can only highly imagine the likes of Dr. Jose P. Rizal and Andres Bonifacio. They did what they have done for them to become famous, but we would rather not because we don’t think they did it for fame, money, or material rewards. The dream of freedom, lasting peace, and progress for their fellow people fueled them to act. They were inspired by national pride in the struggle for national identity and independence.
National pride triggers a strong will and determination to pursue a greater purpose and larger-than-life aspirations like the shared vision and dream for the nation. Under one God, one flag, and one name, it creates a strong sense of unity among citizens, bringing people together for an enduring relationship for a shared resolution. Just look at when we recently celebrated our Olympians and national athletes. The nation rejoiced as one beyond and above our diversified opinions, traditions, and ethnicities. The feeling of pride that we are Filipinos. National pride initiated an immense sense of national unity. Further, it became a catalyst for having a heart of greatness.  Filipinos and those with Filipino blood or hearts around the world embraced an unprecedented admiration of who and what our nation is.
National pride plays a role not only during times of triumph and festive mood but also during times of crisis and adversity. When difficult situations face us as a nation, the people turn to our country for comfort and care.  We find solace in the thought that we endure because we stand and believe in our nation’s continuing pursuit of a glorious future. More so, we harness the power of every shared Filipino value to support each other. This sense of shared value, identity, and culture comes with national pride. It provides a powerful source of strength and resilience. It helps in sustaining morale and keeps spirits stirred with hope.
Above all, national pride is derived from our national identity, which shows that we are a godly nation in this region. This nation was built on the foundation of values derived from the One and True Almighty God. These values identified us in Christ that a “Bagong Pilipinas” was born. We boast in God that we are His handiwork fashioned according to what He has declared concerning us as a people and a nation. A genuine national pride is not just a brand of government but our distinct character of who we are. We pride ourselves on being a nation with enduring values, and we are called a holy nation and His special possession.
Mabuhay ka Pilipinas! Mabuhay ang ang bawat Pilipino. At ang bawat isa sa atin ay bayani ng ating bayan.

Kamakailan lamang ay dumating ang ating mga atletang lumahok sa Paris Olympics. Karangalan, saya, at inspirasyon ang kanilang naiuwi dahil sa kanilang mga ipinamalas na kasanayan sa iba’t ibang larangan ng palakasan o sports. Ilan sa kanila ay nakapag-uwi ng medalya habang ang iba namang ay makikitang ibinigay ang kanilang lahat upang maitaas ang karangalan ng ating bansa. Paano nga ba natatamasa ang tagumpay na ito? Disiplina at kaayusan ang ilan sa mga kasagutan dito. Bawat atleta na ipinapadala sa Olympics ay tiyak na pili at may natatanging kahusayan. Hindi biro ang kanilang pinadaanan upang maging Olympian dahil kaakibat nito ay ang matinding pagsasanay na kinakailangan ng disiplina at kaayusan, di lamang sa pisikal, kundi pati sa usaping emosyonal at pangkaisipan. Di biro ang mawalay sa pamilya upang tumutok sa training at sumunod sa nakatalagang iskedyul araw-araw na may iba’t ibang pagsubok mula sa kanilang tagapagsanay.
 
Bilang isang mamamayan, marami rin tayong mithiin para sa ating sarili, pamilya, at komunidad. Nais nating maging matagumpay sa ating karera, pag-aaral, pagtaguyod ng ating pamilya at iba pa. Ngunit upang makamit ang tagumpay na iyon, disipilina at kaayusan din ay kailangan. Mayroon tayong mga layunin at targets na ating itinakda o nais makamit bilang sukatan ng ating progreso at tagumpay. Sa ating napiling karera, maaring nais natin magkaroon ng promosyon, gantimpala o pagkilala. Ngunit hindi ito mangyayari kung tayo ay late na pumapasok, hindi sumusunod sa mga alituntunin at regulasyon ng opisiona, o hindi sumusunod sa mga iskedyul ng pagsusumite ng mga ulat. Hindi makakamit ang nais na pansariling pag-unlad kung walang disiplina sa paghahatid ng mahusay na serbisyo o walang disiplina sa paghatid nito nang maayos sa takdang oras.
 
Sa ating pamilya, nais natin ang ating mga anak ay lumaki nang maayos at sya ding matagumpay. Ngunit, ito ay hindi mangyayari kung hanggang kathang-isip lamang. Bilang magulang, tayo ang itinalaga sa tahanan upang matutunan ng mga anak ang disiplina at kaayusan. Sabi nga sa Banal na Aklat, “Turuan mo ang bata sa daan na dapat niyang lakaran, at pagka tumanda man siya ay hindi niya hihiwalayan.” Payo ng isa naming tagapagturo, bago mo paluin ang bata sa kanyang pagkakamali, siguraduhin na siya ay naturuan muna at nasabihan na ang gawaing iyon ay mali. Bilang magulang, tayo rin ay modelo sa tahanan, kaya naman, kung ano ang nakikita ng mga anak sa atin – ang ating pag-uugali, pagpapahalaga, at paggawa, siya ring tutularan ng mga anak. Kaya naman kung ikaw ay magulang na mapag-mahal, may disiplina at kaayusan, mataas ang posibilidad na ang mga anak ay may ganoon ding pag-uugali at pagpapahalaga.
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Sa ating bayan, marami tayong ninanais na pagbabago at mga pangarap na sana’y maging kalagyan nito – maging maunlad, malinis ang kapaligiran, kahanga-hanga, at iba pa. Ngunit, ang isang bayan ay sumasalamin lamang sa mga mamayang nakatira at nagpapalakad nito. Aasahan ba natin ang isang malinis na bansa kung ang mamayan nito ay hindi marunong magtapon ng basura sa tamang tapunan? Na pagkakain ng kendi ay siya na lamang itatapon sa paligid na walang pakialam? Aasahan ba natin ang isang matiwasay at payapang bansa kung ang mga mamayan nito ay hindi marunong sumunod sa alituntunin at mga batas? “Bawal tumawid rito” ngunit nandoo’t tumatawid ang ilan. Loyalty to the Republic of the Philippines, ngunit naroon ang opisyal, nangunag ipinagkanulo ang bayan sa kamay ng banyaga. Sabi ng ani Lee Kuan Yew, isa sa tagapagtatatag ng bansang Singapore, “A nation is great not by size alone. It is the will, the cohesion, the stamina, the discipline of its people and the quality of their leaders which ensure it an honourable place in history.” Kung nais natin ang bansang Pilipinas ay bumangon, ang pagbabago ay nagsisimula sa ating lahat, hindi sa iilan lamang. Sabi nga ng isa sa mga presidente ng Pilipinas, “Sa ikauunlad ng bayan, disiplina ang kailangan.”

​A well-known Proverb encourages us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” This timeless wisdom from Scriptures reminds us of the value of being prayerful, which is synonymous to pleading, beseeching and imploring. It emphasizes our reliance on God rather than just on our own abilities, skills, and talents. While our efforts play a part in our success, committing our tasks to divine providence acknowledges that we are unable to achieve anything without God. Without the blessing of God Almighty, we believe that all our toils will be in vain.
 
The same theme can be seen in the Preamble of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, which states, “We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of the Almighty God, in order to build a just and humane society, and establish a Government that shall embody our ideals and aspirations, promote the common good, conserve and develop our patrimony, and secure to ourselves and our posterity, the blessings of independence and democracy under the rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace, do ordain and promulgate this Constitution.”  The first line emphasizes the importance of working together with the help of God in building our country.
 
The term “implore” is defined by Britannica as “to make a very serious or emotional request” or “to ask or beg in a very serious or emotional way”. In Filipino, it is translated into “magmakaawa, makiusap, at magsumamo.” It conveys an earnest, sincere and heartfelt request with a sense of necessity and urgency. It invites us then to be in a posture of humility consistently before our Creator, who resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. In effect, grace and mercy will continue to be rendered in our country rather than judgment. Healing from ills of society will also our land for God has promised, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
 
This makes us wonder whether we have truly implored the aid of Almighty God in our homes, workplaces, communities, and nation. Considering the things that we hear and see daily around us in our immediate community, in different parts of the Philippines and even the neighboring countries, may it compel each of us, irrespective of our religious affiliations, to sincerely and genuinely seek the help of God - not just for our personal needs but more so for the well-being of others and for the betterment of our nation.
 
Let us make prayerfulness, not as a last resort, but a daily priority that comes with an assurance of breakthroughs, blessings, and the abiding divine guidance.
 

In his 90s, former US President Jimmy Carter still teaches adult Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia. Carter is the only US president to have taught a Sunday school class while in office and the only former president to continue teaching to this day. Despite doctors finding that melanoma had spread to Carter’s brain after he underwent surgery to remove part of his liver, there is no sign of him backing down from his responsibilities as a Sunday school teacher. Carter said he wanted to stick to his usual responsibilities and routine as much as possible. Regardless of his age and health issues, "he's not planning on quitting anytime soon," says Maranatha Baptist Church Pastor Brandon Patterson. Such is a display of commitment to responsibility.    
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According to Stephen Covey, responsibility is “response-ability” or the ability to choose your response. Highly proactive people do not blame circumstances, conditions, or conditioning for their behavior. Their behavior is a product of their conscious choice, based on values, rather than a product of their conditions, based on feelings. Each person has responsibilities that must be carried out within a given period. Failure to fulfill a responsibility is irresponsibility, and the person concerned is marked as irresponsible, which could result in a loss of trust and confidence from those around them. Such stigma remains until they redeem themselves by becoming a responsible person.

Saint Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, states, “Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.” This passage teaches us that we are all responsible for our work and not our neighbors’. Each of us will be held accountable for our actions or inaction. Additionally, it pleases God when we fulfill our responsibilities out of love. Doing so serves as a form of worship.

The following are practical points of strengths and responsible person: Stop blaming others, admit your mistakes, maintain a positive attitude, take responsibility by acknowledging your weaknesses and strengths, and cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Ultimately, taking responsibility for our actions leads to success. It also enhances our self-esteem and liberates us from negative behaviors such as anger, fear, bitterness, resentment, and uncertainty. Therefore, be committed to responsibility.