walk the talk- June 21, 2005

“Human beings need two things: something to believe in and something to belong to. To be successful, a parish [or a community, a marriage, a friendship, a team, a nation, any human organization] must be a place where both needs are met.”
Timothy E. O’Connell, Making Disciples

This is a tribute to Jaime Cardinal Sin, the late archbishop of Manila (Philippines) who just passed away. Cardinal Sin was an example of a true disciple committed to the kingdom of God as the mission of the church, and to the common good as the purpose of any political institutions. His commitment to end dictatorship in the Philippines and to bring about freedom, solidarity, especially with the poor, and democracy will never be forgotten. The way of conversion had become his way of living. May the Most High grant him the eternal reward. May the Lord grant us to be courageous disciples and genuine prophets, like cardinal Sin. The legacy of cardinal Sin is a call to live and give account of our faith in the public arenas where the dignity of the human person is at stake. our faith in the Trinity, our hope for the Kingdom of God, and our charity are what the world of today longs for and what God is offering to creation though us. Through cardinal Sin's legacy, Christ is reminding us that there is no genuine human growth and happiness if we don't believe in the the values of the Kingdom of God that he came to realize and if we don't build a genuine human solidarity that he came to inspire.