Reading Cory’s
colon cancer

The quick response of most of us was to pray for former President Corazon Aquino when it was announced that she had cancer of the colon. But it was said without regrets. It was plain and simple. And, naturally, there was a lot of sympathy for the former President.

And it was good that so many were touched by her state of health. It evoked among us a sense of sympathy for her.

But it seems that there was something lost along the way. And that was that most of us overlooked the need for the gift of discernment which is needed for us to be able to get the message.

Surely, that was the message. That our time is limited. And no one can escape the message. We have only limited time. Our timelines have been set long before.

Medical science can only prolong the inevitable. In short, while we pay tribute to the skill of medics in extending one’s life, there remains the grudging admission by doctors themselves that when the time is up – when God issues the summons, it cannot be denied. One dies whether he likes or not.

That’s what is wrong. We have been enamored with the illusion that we have the decision on life.

Unfortunately, the reality is quite different. We have to admit that God has the final say from the very start. In short, our timeline had long been set and we cannot extend it.

That seems to be the message of Cory’s ailment. It is something natural to many. And there is no reason why we should really go overboard to pray for her. Except to ask that God give her the courage to accept the reality of her mortality.

The more important thing is for us to examine how we live our lives in the limited time given to us.

But the question is that most of us opt to pray for the cancer victim rather than introspect and listen to the message. The timing of the announcement was just perfect – the Holy Week. The time intended by God on us is to examine ourselves and how we have spent the limited days and year to help others.

Thus, even if we have stolen millions or even billions, ultimately the most important thing is that we all have to give them up and leave them behind. So, what happens? Still nothing.

In short, this is the time for us to introspect and listen to the Holy Spirit.*

back to top