9th Day Requiem Mass for President Cory Aquino

At noontime today, after the regular monthly meeting of the priests (Presbyterium) we celebrated the 9th day requiem mass for our beloved President Cory Aquino. The mass was presided by Archbishop Fernando Capalla. Since Sunday of last week each parish had been celebrating requiem masses for Cory. Today, we gathered as a local Church to say goodbye to her. Many of the lay faithful who attended wore yellow dress, shirts or ribbons. All the priests wore a yellow stole, pinned with blue ribbon. The blue ribbon signified our belief that she is now with God in heaven, united with her husband Ninoy.

We don't normally do this for any Philippine president who dies. We did this for Cory and for what she personified.

In his homily Archbishop Capalla preached about the need to look at Cory's life and death through the third eye- the eye of faith, and the third ear - to listen with the heart. He spoke about how Cory has been an instrument of healing and reconciliation.

The prayer of the faithful expressed it all:

"For our country and our people, as we thank God for giving us a president whose faith helped us restore democracy after the people power revolution of 1986, that we may work together for the healing of our people through sincere repentance and mutual forgiveness, without which there is no future for our country, let us pray to the Lord."