As millions of Christians all over the celebrate Holy Week, my thoughts turn to somber reflections influenced by Mel Gibson's presentation of the passion of Christ shon in a brutal, violent and repulsive manner which has jolted and even traumatized audiences all over the world. I am one of those hose consciences were pricked after seeing the movie.

     I was greatly touched not only at "almost" actually seeing Him suffer very deeply on His way to Calvary and excrutiatingly die on the cross but also by the simplicity of His message which I have been completely ignoring the past decades. That message is, "No greater love hath man that when He lays don His life for a friend."

     Jesus Christ so greatly loved us that He laid down His life for all of us. He set the ultimate example of selfless love. Thus He spawned the seeds of love and nurtured the seeds of faith that has endured centuries of persecutin and abuse.

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     Hopefully, this Holy Week, all of us especially our leaders shall meditate, absorb and consistently practice Christ's simple message of selfless love. Deeper analysis will show that most of the social and environmental ills that we suffer have been caused by our intense desire to fulfill our selfish interests.

     Poverty will always be with us as long as men who have much more than what they need still hunger for wealth and not for the sake of establishing a better world but to dominate it.

     Peace and order shall be an endless search as long as people use the law and the courts of justice as their instruments to advance their selfish interests at the expence of other people's rights and welfare.

     Freedom and democracy shall always be under siege for as long as leaders of governments percieve themselves as monarchs not as public servants.

     Socio-economic underdevelopment caused by illeteracy and ignorance shall always be pervasive as long as the budget for free education as drastically decreased by graft and corruption and financing for it has less importance than the income and perks of politicians.

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     OFWs, in their own way, have shown their national leaders what SELFLESS LOVE is. They have left their own safety and comfort and left their mother country so that their loved ones may not only survive but gain a brighter future. Ohter OFWs have even lost their llives for the sake of their families and even for their employers.

     Thus in this Holy Week let our prayers be not the attainment of our own salavation but let it be the deep absorption of Christ's message - SELFLESS LOVE. Moreover, let us pray that our leaders, in recognition to the OFW's heroism, be converted by the Christ's and seek election not to become rulers but servants of his constituents.

     For us here at UPAK, we pray that Christ's passion and death bring LOVE into our hearts and His resurrectionbring HOPE to us all.