Prayer for Cory*

(Inspired by Ninoy Aquino's poem and Joe Mari Chan's song)

Heavenly Father,

We have fallen in love
with the same woman three times:

We loved her first in 1983,
when she flew back home,
a grieving widow in black.
Her brood under her wings,
she wrapped her grief with faith,
and with all her heart,
she embraced our frightened, fragmented nation.

We fell in love with her a second time,
as she marched the streets,
a reluctant Moses defying our Pharoah
who demanded to “let her people go.”
She called down confetti rain,
and through her infectious courage
we crossed the yellow sea.

Today we find ourselves falling
for the same woman a third time:
Surrendering herself to You,
she gathered her pain and ours—
a wounded, bewildered, downhearted people.
Not once did she give up on us.
And in her death, suddenly,
we regain hope in ourselves.

Lord, we thank You for our love for Cory
for each time we fell in love with Cory,
we fell in love with country,
And we fell in love with You.

AMEN.

*Courtesy of Fr. Johnny Go SJ. The same prayer was used as invocation during the necrological services last night at the Manila Cathedral.