THERE IS general agreement that Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos enriched themselves almost beyond imagination. Now, their three children continue to live lives of the wealthiest, two of them gaining back governmental power and pelf. In a country listing plunder as a major crime, Imelda and her children remain most privileged.
The lesson? It pays to plunder as means to sustain its benefits even through the next generation. So, in lesser degrees we see Marcosian pattern (though world history is replete with this) in the Senate, in the Lower House, in local governments. It’s a lesson from a school where the devil is principal.
Will they go to hell in the next life? Do they deserve to be punished for enjoying earthly life on the basis of plunder (reminds me of a poster which says: In a country where millions are poor, plunder is the worst crime of all) and almost total insensitivity to the plight of those whom their greed had deprived?
No, not necessarily with Divine Mercy around. But then, take that ominous statement: easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Meaning what while God, with his unlimited power, can squeeze a camel through a needle hole, He so respects man’s freewill that only a man can decide between two masters.
For those in the category of plunderers and those plundered, it pays to pick up from the modern-day messages of the apparitions of the Blessed Mother and even Jesus Christ Himself. So here we go again.
“Man is chasing the wind. Some people do not believe in the existence of Heaven. They say that the only heaven is on this earth. Yet, on this earth, all are poor, and all need the gifts of God. Poverty is not a lack of money, nor is it a lack of food to eat. The only real poverty is the lack of the grace that leads to the Lord. Possessions of this world are only ashes, while the only real riches are the riches of the heart.”
(Jesus to teenagers in Kibeho, Rwanda, 1981-1989)(39-CD)
Blessed Mother Mary to the world through Mirjana Dragicevic of Medjugorje on Jan. 28, 1987: “Wherever I appear, My Son is with me – but Satan also follows. You have unwittingly allowed him to take charge of you and rule over you. Sometimes you understand that some of your deeds are not allowed by God — but you soon suppress those thoughts. Do not give in, dear children. Wipe away from my face the tears which I shed as I watch what you do. Look around you. Take the time to come to God in the church. Come into your Father’s house. Take the time to meet for family prayer and ask for God’s grace. Remember your deceased; make them happy by offering Mass. Do not look down your nose at the poor man who is begging for a crust of bread. Do not send him away from your rich table. Help him and God will help you.… Do not fool yourself into thinking, ‘I am good – but my brother who lives next to me is not good.’ You will be mistaken.”
Blessed Mother to the teeners of Kibeho, Rwanda in the 1980’s: “Your every action must be born of kindness, your every word spoken with love. Live as God would have you live, and others will be inspired to do the same. By walking the world as a shepherd, you will show My earthly children that the walk to heaven is a long and narrow road that is not easy to travel. But the road leading to Satan is wide and easy to follow, because the Devil puts no obstacles on the road to darkness.”
Blessed Mother to Gladys Quiroga in San Nicolas, Argentina, Apr. 12, 1984: “In other places where I have appeared, the Lord has been present. My children, without the hand of God, nothing is possible. I make you listen to things that you had listened to before, but did not practice. Now the Lord gives you a new chance. The answer is in you.”
Blessed Mother to the Medjugorje visionaries: “Make your peace with God and among yourselves. If confession does not mean anything for you, really, you will be converted with great difficulty. Pray, pray! It is necessary to believe firmly, to go to confession regularly and likewise, to receive Holy Communion. It is the only salvation. One must invite people to go to confession each month, especially on the first Saturday … Do not go to confession through habit. Confession should give an impulse to your faith. It should stimulate you and bring you closer to Jesus.”
