TO be truly Christian, we should really have the very heart of Christ. We should have his attitude toward all possible conditions our life can find itself in, irrespective of whether these conditions are favorable to us or not.

This can mean that in spite of doing a lot of good, we can still be misunderstood, unappreciated, contradicted and rejected. And yet we should never succumb to hatred and condemning people. Like Christ we should be willing to offer our life even to those who do us evil, even offering forgiveness to them. We have to go that extent.

Like Christ, we should have the desire to save rather than to condemn those who are wrong morally and spiritually. Obviously, we can only have this kind of attitude when we truly identify ourselves with Christ. Absent this and relying solely on our human powers, we can only go so far.

In the readings of the Mass of the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year B (cfr. Acts 4,8-12; 1 Jn 3,1-2; Jn 10,11-18) we are told about our tendency to rely only on our own powers, on our estimation of what is good, true and just. We forget what is said in the Responsorial Psalm of the Mass: “The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.” (Ps 118,22)
We need to see to it that our primordial duty as a person and as a child of God is to identify ourselves with Christ, who is the pattern of our humanity, the savior of our damaged humanity, the very “way, truth and life” that is proper to us. We need to carry out this duty in everything that we do and that can happen to us.

That is why it indispensable that we really know Christ. Not only that. We have to love him, following his teachings and example. Let’s keep in mind these words of Christ: “Whoever is not with me is against me. Whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (Lk 11,23) With these words of Christ, it’s very clear that we are supposed to be so united with Christ, so identified with him, that he and us can be considered simply as one.

We need to process this truth of our faith about ourselves very slowly, because it will obviously astound us to think that we are supposed to be one with Christ. Who, me, one with Christ? We most likely would be tempted to say, tell it to the Marines!

But that’s just the naked truth about us, whether we like it or not. We cannot be any other if we just bother also to know why it is so. An expression that is relevant to this matter is ‘alter Christus,’ another Christ. And it’s worthwhile to know what it is all about.

We are supposed to be ‘alter Christus,’ the goal and ideal that is meant for us, though we need also to do our part, free beings as we are, to achieve that status. God, our Creator and Father, wants us to be that way, though he does not impose it on us without our consent that should also be shown with deeds and not just with intentions or words.

We are supposed to be ‘alter Christus’ simply because, if we have been created in the image and likeness of God, and Christ is the Son of God who is the perfect image and likeness that God has of himself, then we can only conclude that we have to be like Christ who is the very essence of love that is meant for us.

Armed with water cannons and high-powered firearms, the Chinese naval forces had been pushing their illegal claim on the West Philippine Sea (WPS). They keep on asserting on their own nine dash line demarcation which encroaches on our country’s territory. Such claim had already been found without basis in an arbitral award issued by the United Nations Arbitral Tribunal. Yet, the Chinese authorities had the temerity to deny the ruling, arguing that they do not recognize the authority of the arbitral tribunal. They continue asserting their claim despite adverse international opinion as they arrogantly insist by the force of their might.

Our fisherfolks had been deprived of their livelihood as they are being harassed and drove away from the fishing ground that is historically and legally ours. The Chinese military had reportedly occupied our territorial waters and built artificial islands where they establish their military forces. In many instances, the Chinese had used arms and their military vessels patrolling the area to drive away our fisherfolks by force. Their vessels had rammed a fishing boat and its Filipino crew members were reportedly injured as their fishing boat capsized due to the damage on its hull.

The harassment continues and had even reportedly increased by the day. Even our coast guard had not been exempted from the attacks. Protests raised by the military officials in the area had been passed to our foreign affairs department but nothing had resulted to better our position. The recent incident where our military was blocked by the Chinese forces from delivering food and ration to the warm bodies manning the country’s territory had caused alarm to our government. In a statement issued by the magical president, he asserted as always that the Filipino will not give in.

Ironically, nothing concrete had been done aside from oral pronouncements that the government is taking steps to see to fruition the victory in the arbitration case that rejected the fallacious claim of China. Good to know that our country’s neighbors are giving full support to our claim. Also, the United States had issued declaration that their forces are ready to defend the arbitral award and our claim over our territory. The joint military exercises conducted by the Americans with our own armed forces had sent serious notice to China to halt its aggressive attacks on our Philippine territory.

Recent developments had China turning the tables as they assert that there was a previous agreement with then president Rodrigo Duterte regarding the supply of food rations to the crew manning our territorial waters. The oral agreement is being used by China as the basis for their actions, placing the Philippines as the violator instead of them. Many legal experts had posited their opinion on the matter, all against China’s position. Unfortunately, all our magical president could do is plea with the Chinese government despite the pronouncements that our country will not give in. And so we keep our fingers crossed as we send our pleas, repetitive pleas, unending pleas, pleas, pleas, pleas.
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