MARY AILEEN BACALSO

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Fr. Rudy Shall Live Forever

Fr. Rudy Shall Live Forever…

By Mary Aileen D. Bacalso

You came to us as God's precious gift
As a friend; a retreat master;
A co- rallyist during Marcos' darkest years;
A good shepherd to the little ones of God's flock;
A spiritual adviser and an ardent follower of Christ Jesus,
The Most Holy Redeemer.

You touched our lives in many a different ways;
Opened your doors to the weary activists for social justice;
Listened to our stories in as much as you shared yours;
Shared our pains and anxieties; our fears and uncertainties;
Owned our dreams and aspirations
For a country where human rights are respected
and the sanctity of life upheld;
Where there shall reign the New Heaven and the New Earth.

In the spirit of accompaniment and camaraderie
You immersed with the workers in their cry for just working conditions;
Your inspiring presence had lifted the hearts of the urban poor
Who were threatened with demolition and homelessness;
You lived with the farmers in the hinterlands of Cebu
As they struggled for land and life;
You marched with the students
in their search for academic freedoms;
In so doing, you have truly lived up to Vatican ll's
preferential option for the poor,
the deprived, the oppressed, the alienated and the struggling.

As our Most Holy Redeemer
Was condemned and crucified for the ransom of many,
You earned the ire of the powers-that-be;
With truncheons and shields, they arrested you;
Brought you to official prison cells;
And condemned you for your "subversive" actions;
Yet, no amount of arrest and imprisonment could silence you;
As you courageously gave voice to the voiceless.
With people's support, a number of times, the perpetrators had to release you.

Yet, in one cowardly and desperate act to silence a just man,
The forces of darkness plucked you, our good shepherd, from the bosom of your flock;
They forced you to go with them;
And never returned you to where you belonged;
Since that fateful day of July 11,1985,
you have been forcibly disappeared.

We strongly demanded for your release;
Marched daily in the streets of Cebu City
to demand for your freedom;
Used all legal and meta-legal means to find you;
Echoed our collective voices that they may be heard by those
who callously kept you in their custody;
We hoped and continue to hope against hope for your return;
Prayed and continue to pray that the heavens
May answer our collective supplication;
That one day, you shall be reunited with us.

You have unselfishly offered yourself
For the sake of the cause to which you committed yourself;
For the Filipino people whom you loved;
And for the sake of the Most Holy Redeemer,
Who offered His life so that others may live,
And whose footsteps you ardently followed.

Like a seed that has sprouted and grown and has borne fruits,
Your exemplary life has multiplied a hundredfold, nay a thousandfold;
Manifested by the people who are following your footsteps,
And who continue your struggle despite all odds
and by the realization of whatever freedom
we have acquired after the Marcos dictatorship.

For the beautiful memories you have left behind;
For planting the seeds of freedom and democracy;
For your exemplary work with the wretched of the earth;
For offering the ultimate sacrifice of your life;
Fr. Rudy, no words can thank you enough for everything you have done for us.

Your memory is like a shadow that would not leave us.
Your great examples have left an indelible imprint.
In our continuing struggle for the realization of
the much cherished dream
for God's Kingdom here on Earth;
Wherever you are,
You shall live forever in our minds and hearts.

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