My dear people of God in the Archdiocese of Lingayen Dagupan:
Our country the Philippines needs healing. We are a bleeding nation and if this is not stopped, we will bleed to death. We have seen killings and have seen deaths. Corruption in plunder proportions is admitted by those in power and endured by those in the margins. Vulgarity has become funny and exemplary. Lies are spread to sow anger and hate. The helpless gullible believe falsehoods while the hapless jobless seek jobs as liars. The well fed throw away food while the hungry eat spoiled food in the trash. Atheist communists are stealing our seas as our lapdog leaders idle and waltz with them. Blasphemy and treachery have dominion.
If we have muted the voice of God and conscience, maybe the blaring voice of the calamities one after another will make us ask “Are we getting our punishment?” Let the typhoons and volcanic eruptions and earthquakes and widespread sickness jolt us from our stupor. There is a message.
I remember the prophetic words of Saint John Bosco: Very grave trials await the Church. What we have suffered so far is almost nothing compared to what is going to happen. The enemies of the Church struggle their utmost to sink the Church.
And the Word of God rings again…
If my people, upon whom my name has been pronounced, humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven and pardon their sins and heal their land. (2 Chron 7:14).
At Fatima, the Mother God gave us a message from heaven. Penance! Penance! Penance! Prayers! Prayers! Prayers!
Padre Pio said, “The rosary is the weapon for these times!”
I am appealing for a Lenten season of REPARATION ROSARY for NATIONAL HEALING starting on Ash Wednesday March 2 until Holy Wednesday, April 13.
- For every day of the Lenten season, we will pray together for all the civil provinces all over the Philippines according to the enclosed schedule.
- As the rosary is prayed publicly in all churches at a time when most people can join, we also plead that the family rosary at home be restored as a devout family practice even in our work places.
- I invite our brother priests to make confessions more available to our people specially this Lenten season and I beg our faithful to go to confession.
We have voted for all types of politicians through the years. Promises after promises! Scandal after scandal! Nothing has changed! What is wrong? What is lacking?
We have abandoned GOD! God is lacking in our country.
Reparation! Atonement! Penitence!
Having offered our reparation rosary for the Lenten season, we will offer our REPARATION ADORATION for NATIONAL HEALING starting Easter Monday, April 18 until May 8, the vigil of our national elections.
- The Blessed Sacrament is to be exposed publicly for one hour in the parish churches, chaplaincies and pastoral stations as the people are requested to stay in SILENT ADORATION, as much as possible kneeling down, to atone for the sins of the nation.
- On Sundays, the exposition adoration will be done one hour BEFORE the FIRST MASS.
- We will pray for twenty one days for all the voters in the coming elections. Every age bracket of voters will be assigned for each day of adoration according to the enclosed schedule.
We cannot delay offering reparation for our personal and national sins. The bitter fruits of our sins are already strangling us. We are reaping what we have sown.
Again from Don Bosco, “Only two things can save us in such a grave hour: devotion to Mary and the Blessed Eucharist. Let us do our very best to use these two means and have others use them everywhere.”
From the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist in Dagupan City this seventeenth day of February, 2022, the 150th anniversary of the martyrdom of Fathers Gomez, Burgos and Zamora
+SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS
Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan
