Ascension-guided elections

The Ascension of Christ, which we are commemorating today, is a most loving act of God the Father for all humanity. The limited physical, human presence of God the Son now moves to the unlimited omnipresence of God the Holy Spirit in all of creation. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (From today’s First Reading, Acts. 1:8). No less than the Holy Spirit is our constant companion in our mission here on earth, our mission from Christ.

The original, historical Christ was universal, cosmic, and non-denominational, much less institutional, in his teachings, but limited by his physical, human presence. Unfortunately, human as we are, institutional religion took the place of universal spirituality. In many instances, the letter of the law became more important than the spirit of the law. Moreover, a multiplication of institutional religions came about with doctrinal differences, and in some cases, even contradictions.

Thus, institutional religions failed to unify mankind. They only succeeded in dividing mankind. So much so that at one point in history, Karl Marx branded religion as “the opium of the people.” Throughout history, religion had been used to pacify the oppressed and the victims of social injustices, thus favoring those in power and the wealthy. It was only much later that Liberation Theology was developed, but even so, the latter has not yet succeeded in eradicating the failures of institutional religions and different denominations.

What has all this got to do with the Ascensions, which seems to focus our attention upward, and not downward? Well, it is precisely the downward that moves toward the upward. And you and I are still down here. How, then, do we live down here, and what do we do if we are to go up someday?

First of all, the Holy Spirit is very much down here with us, and is our constant companion, as I mentioned above. Now, to be habitually aware of this in our hearts is easier said than done. But this is indeed doable, for which each one of us has been gifted with freedom and will power. Filled with the Holy Spirit within us, we are then empowered to live as Christ lived, to love as Christ loved, until the day of our own ascension, the upward journey toward God the Father, our creator and unconditional lover.

Thus, our life here on earth is the indispensable condition of our own ascension. And God the Son came down on earth precisely to show us the way how to be really human that will lead us to our personal ascension.

Christ’s life of being the Professional Lover of anyone and everyone is no less than our human example and model. As exemplified by Jesus himself, the one and only meaning of human life is LOVE. Everything else is done for the sake of love — from work, to self-sacrifice, to the giving and sharing of one’s time, talents, and resources. Indeed, love hurts. But it is worth it. All this and more was what God the Son lived and died for. He was deeply concerned with the whole human community, the common-good of all. Thus, he was not only a religious leader but a political leader as well.

This brings us to our elections tomorrow! We must not separate our political life with our spirituality. The total context of political reality touches all aspects of our lives: the strictly political, the economic, the socio-cultural, and the strictly spiritual. Given the situation of our country today, all of us are thus called by God to as many levels of political involvement, as a response to our spirituality. This is political spirituality, a total way of life, the way of life that authentically leads to God. Let us keep listening to what the Lord is saying within us.

In connection with this, I will end, for the benefit of all, with the “10 Commandments for Responsible Voting”, taken from the 2013 edition of Pinoy Big Voter, a Voter’s Education Manual, published jointly by the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) and the Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan (SLB).

10 Commandments for Responsible Voting

1. Vote according to the dictates of your conscience.

2. Respect the decision of others in choosing their candidates.

3. Seek to know the moral integrity, capabilities, and other personal qualities of the candidates you will vote for.

4. Strive to understand the issues, platform, and programs of candidates and parties campaigning for your votes.

5. Do not sell your votes.

6. Do not vote for candidates using guns, goons, gold, and glitter.

7. Do not vote for candidates tainted with graft and corruption.

8. Do not vote for candidates simply because of “utang na loob”, popularity, good looks, and pakikisama.

9. Do not vote for candidates living an immoral life.

10. Always put the welfare of the country as top priority in choosing the candidates you will vote for.