CORRUPT LEADERS should step down and choose the welfare of the people as an act of love at a time of growing uncertainty, the former rector of Quiapo Church said.
In his homily during the Misa Mayor for the Feast of Jesus Nazareno, Balanga Bishop Rufino Sescon, Jr. called on corrupt officials to be ashamed of their acts and to practice humility as the country grapples with a flood control scam that has worsened the suffering of the poor.
“Tumigil na, tama na, maawa na kayo sa taong bayan. Mahiya naman kayo. Bumaba na ng kusa alang-alang sa awa at pag-ibig. Matuto tayong magkusa,” Sescon said on Friday, Jan. 9 at the Quirino Grandstand.
(Stop it, it’s enough, have mercy on the nation. Be ashamed. Step down in the name of mercy and love. Learn how to take initiative.)
The bishop lamented that many politicians refuse to step down from their posts despite being implicated in the scandal, while some cling to power even if they are clearly unfit for the jobs.
Sescon noted that true greatness does not come from power or position, but from the willingness to step down out of love and concern for others and to follow the example of Jesus Christ.
The prelate explained that people often think Jesus descended just to listen, but in truth, he also came to teach people to approach Him and to listen in return.
Sescon urged leaders to emulate Christ’s initiative by immersing themselves in the lives of the masses. He reminded the Nazareno devotees to focus not only on the procession, but on the mission of their devotion.
“Huwag lang tayong mag-unahan sa prosesyon kundi sa misyon. Huwag lang tayong mag-unahan sa pagalingan kundi sa paglilingkod. Mag-unahan tayo bumaba sapagkat nauna nang bumaba ng kusa si Kristo,” he said.
(Let’s not only get ahead during the procession but on the mission. Let’s not outdo each other and show off, but serve. We should strive to practice humility because Christ practiced it first.)
“Kung bumaba si Jesus Nazareno para iangat tayo, tinatawag din niya tayong makibahagi para i-angat ang ating bayan, i-angat ang ating kapwa, [at] i-angat ang dangal ng bawat isa,” he added.
(If Jesus of Nazareth descended [from the heavens] to lift us up, He also called us to participate in lifting our people up, lifting our neighbors up, [and] lifting the dignity of each one.)
The bishop stressed that humility is not a weakness, but a conscious choice rooted in love and responsibility.
“There are times when not being humble is the real embarrassment. If Christ, who was without sin, willingly humbled Himself, I hope we too learn to be humble out of love,” he said.
The bishop told devotees to listen and respond to the cries of those affected by injustices, saying faith must be reflected in concern for the suffering.
He also encouraged the faithful to learn from Jesus’ humility and refrain from self-centered desires and indifference.
“A true devotee is willing to come down with Christ to lift up his neighbors and the people,” the bishop added.
Millions of devotees celebrate the feast of Jesus Nazareno in Manila every Jan. 9, making it one of the largest religious events in the world. One of its highlights is the Traslación, the procession of the wooden image of Christ carrying the cross that commemorates its transfer from Intramuros to Quiapo Church in 1787.
The procession, which took place after the Misa Mayor, is expected to draw eight million devotees this year. F
