9 months ago, I wrote about the 100 priests who voluntarily went to the Palace beside the Pasig River in order to pray-over the President, who at that time was facing tantamount of criticisms from the public because of the numerous extra-judicial killings committed by the administration and the height of the scandal of the NBN-ZTE deal which involved his hubby. This incident gave a very defining moment for the enemies of the Catholic Church in the Philippines because the Bishops have already condemned the administration’s thwart of truth, and then these priests suddenly and voluntarily went to the Palace and prayed over fthe President. Nothing wrong in praying over the President, because for all we know, she might be possessed. But the worse is, they swore their support to the very person which Secretary Neri called behind the President’s back as EVIL. This sent a very confusing message among the faithful at that time whether to believe in the pro- arroyo priests or the Bishops who are against the administration.

I quote from my own words nine months ago:

“I have no problem with the Pampanga Priests praying for GMA except that the timing is really not suitable and that it generates more questions than answers. It simply sends a wrong message to the faithful. There are more questions to it than answers. But who am I to question our brother priests? I am not a priest but I know where my conscience stands regarding this issue. I quote from Bishop Soc?s message to his priests in condemnation of the corrupt government: WALANG PARING DUWAG! sa katotohanan. (There are no priests who are cowards for truth). But to this I say that even the prayer for the dead will not suffice for the President. Try the ?Prayer for the damned?, at least who knows? it might work. But I warn you our dear priests, it is blasphemy to pray for the damned!”

And recently, in a cabinet meeting, the unwitty Press Secretary Jesus Dureza mumbled this words as a prayer which really scandalized not only the people present there, but also the Media covering the event:

“Bless the President so we will have forbearance, good health, the tolerance to lead this nation up to 2010 and perhaps who knows even beyond,”

What Mr. Dureza doesn’t know in the spiritual exercise called prayer is that, when a person prays, he should be able to ask the Lord as a supplication, things and yearnings that are realistic and attainable and which cannot be given by God through magic and hocus pocus or anything that are fueled by our imagination, hunger for power nor the desire to exploit one’s position for his own interest.

Dureza’s prayer is so unrealistic that I can’t help compare it to a child’s prayer to become superman. Of course in the fantasy world, Dureza’s prayer can come true, just as much as the child’s yearning to become superman. But in the reality of our country today, being led by GMA beyond 2010 is a mere impossibility because the constitution said so. Unless Dureza knows what we do not know that there is an initiative, much likely another hocus pocus by the Queen’s men to tinker the constitution in order to extend her power. This is the oldest trick in the book. Over our dead bodies.

Like what we always say, History repeats itself. And again, a blasphemous prayer was recited for everyone to hear. Because Dureza’s prayer is not intended for the Lord’s ear, but for the people present at that time, as a political statement, seemingly saying, “Please Madame, do something about your term, I still want to stay in malacanang”.

I just want to remind Dureza that its not only a sin to recite a blasphemous, insincere and mimicked prayer, but it is also worthy of hell’s fire to pray for the Damned!

Of course you do realize that I’m just exaggerating!