INTRODUCTION
The whole nation is grateful that we are the recipients of your prayers. The Good Book says that “the prayer of the upright pleases the Lord.”

Today, as we celebrate the first decade of the Philippines for Jesus Movement (PJM), we are again reminded that all of us are placed where we are on earth to perform a mission for God.
A HISTORIC TASK
We are engaged at this time in the historic task of giving material substance to our democracy won at EDSA in February 1986. We seek a democracy not only of rights and freedoms, but also of means and opportunities and economic growth.

This too, is part of our Christian mission. For while suffering may be part of human life, and while suffering can strengthen our character and spirit, no true Christian can stand by idly, while his fellowmen endure needless suffering brought on by poverty, injustice, and environmental degradation.

This is that kind of progressive pro-active Christianity that we need if we are to serve both god and man effectively — a Christianity of performance and action, beyond passive prayer.
ENDURING FAITH, ENDURING PEACE
Today we have high hopes for enduring peace in our society. Our efforts to end internal conflicts have been moving progressively. Erstwhile insurgents and rebels have signified a readiness to cooperate in achieving this elusive peace.

Luke (4:18) shows us the way, thus, “the spirit of the lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.”

I call upon our leaders to help lead in the spiritual reawakening of our people. For only through the lord’s guidance can our people be spiritually empowered. And only then can we achieve and sustain the goals of unity, peace, and progress.

Acts 1:1-9 clearly states that we need not question the decisions of the Lord. In Isaiah 11, God promises everlasting peace to all the righteous who will keep his covenant.

Once again, we see the imperative of spiritual empowerment to keep us on the path of righteousness.

For we must remind ourselves that it is not only economic progress and political stability we are after.

We also seek the total human development of 65 million Filipinos. This involves, beyond the material sphere, their spiritual upliftment.

Our government vigorously pursues programs to empower our citizenry that each Filipino may have all the opportunities to realize his full potential.

Our government espouses the ideal that God’s gift of freedom is best appreciated if we all work at enabling every man, woman and child in this country to achieve the full flowering of his talents.

Our government firmly believes that the faith, trust and obedience we repose in our lord’s teachings are expressed in our efforts to attain our aspirations for peace, justice, progress and abundance. Our government believes that service to country and people is also service to the almighty.

For while the patterns of human life may have been altered by the triumphs of modern science and technology, our moral imperatives remain the same — to serve God and our fellowmen, to practice love and charity unto each other, and to find and nurture, within ourselves, that seed of spirituality with which God has blessed every human being.

We must aim to fortify the Filipino character through the revival of the basic Filipino traits which are “Maka-Diyos, maka-tao, maka-bayan at maka-kalikasan,” values that are pro-god, pro-people, pro-nation and pro-environment.

With our faith in the almighty and the support of everyone, the Moral Recovery Program that underpins our shared vision of “Philippines 2000!!!” will accomplish for our souls what our economic and social programs will do for public welfare.
A CALL FOR SUPPORT
I have been honored to be the recipient of the prayers of your large group, and I am most grateful for this. In turn, I am fully supportive of your moves for greater social cohesion and for spiritual upliftment for I believe in your cause.

I thank God for the partnership of more than 300 different churches with their 3,000 satellite chapters under the PJM. I thank God that the PJM has penetrated even the barangays in the farthest places of the country to bring them the good news of what faith in the Lord Almighty has brought about.

I praise the Lord for his blessings in multiplying the members of the PJM.

With the coming of the Christmas season, let us all wish each other the blessings of spiritual prosperity as well as material abundance to enable us to carry on the noble goals of community development and nation-building.

With this in mind, let us remain united so that we may generate renewed strength that will bring us to the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise of enduring peace, prosperity and brotherly love.

I wish you all a Christmas full of joy and prosperity in the years to come.

Thank you.