by: Chita Dela Cruz-Heap
The Spirit Of Jose Rizal
Who was Jose Rizal? Every Filipino will tell you that he is one of our most renowned, if not the most renowned national hero of the Philippines. We have all seen the statues erected in tribute to him in the various parks and plazas around the Philippines. We all know that he made a heroic stand against the Spanish when they conquered and so brutally occupied our country, and that he paid the ultimateprice when he finally stood before a firing squad to be shot down like a dog.
His courage and his selfless devotion to the people of his beloved country has won him a place in all of our hearts, and has given us good reason to cherish his memory. But who was Jose Rizal? Was he born a hero, his destiny being to fall amidst a hail of bullets, to be cut down in his prime? Was he a prophet who descended from the clouds that he might lead the Filipino people? No. He was simply a man, and as such he was just like you or I.
Certainly he was a hero, but what made him a hero was the fact that he found within himself the courage to speak out, regardless of consequence or cost. By so
doing he discovered the bayani within himself, and as a consequence the legend became larger than the man himself.
He lived a life just like you or I, and no doubt encountered financial problems as well as sickness, bereavement, and all of the other trials that life throws at us, on top of which he was also persecuted by the Spanish. Whereas a lesser man might have taken a step back in order to ensure his own safety, Jose Rizal stayed true to his cause, for he was a man who was given to following his own heart.
Rizal was no different from you or I. He was just a simple Filipino who found his
courage and who will ever be revered because of it. That same courage resides within each one of us, and it is waiting there to be found. Within each one of us there is a bayani waiting to be discovered, a great reservoir of strength from which we can draw, the strength of which is beyond our power to imagine. The gateway to this reservoir is the heart.
Free speech is the right of every woman and man, and it requires for people to speak out in support of a just cause if we are to get our country back on track. Should any amongst us seek to inhibit this freedom to speak out and to express, I am put in mind of what Jesus once said; that it would be better that a mill stone be tied around their neck, and that they be thrown into the very depths of the sea to drown.
The Filipino people are coming of age, and I am inspired to see that many are now finding their courage. There are so many ways in which our country is needing change, corruption being one of the major challenges that confronts us today. One individual standing alone can do little to change this, but together there is nothing that we cannot do.
In each of us there is a bayani waiting to emerge, and as each of us discovers this bayani within, others too will become inspired and take courage. For too long now the Filipino people have remained subservient to those who seek only to further their own interests at our expense. It has been a long dark night, but the sun is now rising above the horizon, and it is time for each one of us to speak out.
The spirit of Jose Rizal is alive and well. Mabuhay Ang Pilipinas!/TE
Who was Jose Rizal? Every Filipino will tell you that he is one of our most renowned, if not the most renowned national hero of the Philippines. We have all seen the statues erected in tribute to him in the various parks and plazas around the Philippines. We all know that he made a heroic stand against the Spanish when they conquered and so brutally occupied our country, and that he paid the ultimateprice when he finally stood before a firing squad to be shot down like a dog.
His courage and his selfless devotion to the people of his beloved country has won him a place in all of our hearts, and has given us good reason to cherish his memory. But who was Jose Rizal? Was he born a hero, his destiny being to fall amidst a hail of bullets, to be cut down in his prime? Was he a prophet who descended from the clouds that he might lead the Filipino people? No. He was simply a man, and as such he was just like you or I.
Certainly he was a hero, but what made him a hero was the fact that he found within himself the courage to speak out, regardless of consequence or cost. By so
doing he discovered the bayani within himself, and as a consequence the legend became larger than the man himself.
He lived a life just like you or I, and no doubt encountered financial problems as well as sickness, bereavement, and all of the other trials that life throws at us, on top of which he was also persecuted by the Spanish. Whereas a lesser man might have taken a step back in order to ensure his own safety, Jose Rizal stayed true to his cause, for he was a man who was given to following his own heart.
Rizal was no different from you or I. He was just a simple Filipino who found his
courage and who will ever be revered because of it. That same courage resides within each one of us, and it is waiting there to be found. Within each one of us there is a bayani waiting to be discovered, a great reservoir of strength from which we can draw, the strength of which is beyond our power to imagine. The gateway to this reservoir is the heart.
Free speech is the right of every woman and man, and it requires for people to speak out in support of a just cause if we are to get our country back on track. Should any amongst us seek to inhibit this freedom to speak out and to express, I am put in mind of what Jesus once said; that it would be better that a mill stone be tied around their neck, and that they be thrown into the very depths of the sea to drown.
The Filipino people are coming of age, and I am inspired to see that many are now finding their courage. There are so many ways in which our country is needing change, corruption being one of the major challenges that confronts us today. One individual standing alone can do little to change this, but together there is nothing that we cannot do.
In each of us there is a bayani waiting to emerge, and as each of us discovers this bayani within, others too will become inspired and take courage. For too long now the Filipino people have remained subservient to those who seek only to further their own interests at our expense. It has been a long dark night, but the sun is now rising above the horizon, and it is time for each one of us to speak out.
The spirit of Jose Rizal is alive and well. Mabuhay Ang Pilipinas!/TE
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