...and those who were with us in prayer.
“Whoare you, sweet light, who fills me
andbrightens the darkness of my heart?
Youguide me like a maternal hand,
Andif you were to abandon me,
I could not take another step.”
--St. Edith Stein prayed this prayer on the last Pentecostof her life.
Amidst the compliments, the support, the undeniable affirmation we receive from you, the darkness of the heart encircled by the SPACE we know as the HOLY SPIRIT, can only tell us, ‘to God be the glory!’ All these are but a glimmer of HIS grace, so abundant in the crosses of mylife. Our eternal gratitude to HIM who loved us first.
And to those who were and are His instruments accept the gratitude of the Burgos family and our fellow victims. Salamat po sa inyo: Director Joel Lamangan , Heaven’s Best Entertainment, Ms. Harlene Bautista-Tejedor, Mr. Ricardo Lee, and all those involved in the production; Ms. Lorna Tolentino, Rocco Nacino, Dimples Romana, Allen Dizon, Ina Feleo, Kerbie Zamora, Bangs Garcia, and Barbara Miguel and all the actors and actresses; Dennis Evangelista and the work force behind the scenes. Pagpalain kayo ng Diyos.
Tomy family, children, brothers, relatives … fellow Carmelites, to Human Rights advocates, to dear faithful friends, to my fellow victims… and all who wonder why, I, a very private person, now allow the public to get a glimpse into the life of the Burgos family, the film is for you.
When Director Joel proposed the idea of the film, my first motion was to just smile and shrug it off… but prayer within the year (from the time the idea was broached to the first interview with Ricky Lee), has led me to go ‘out of the walls of Jerusalem’. Jesus was taken outside the city gates, to die in that unholy place, Calvary. Thus, we know that ‘the love of God can be found precisely where in the eyes of men and women, God is not present. The Cross of Christ is imbedded in the middle of a sinful sea of humanity. I am urged to look for His face among all, the weakest to the strongest, the voiceless to the loud, including those who are furthest away.
I share with you the core message of the film … that our main preoccupation, our passion is to practice persevering and continual prayer. To pray …while we search for Jonas or try to keep still to listen, to pray…while we laugh and sing or as we shed tears and hug each other to ease the sorrow. All should emanate from the heart… an overflow of love for The Unseen Lover reaching out to the ‘seen’ unloved. Then everything becomes a unifying and uninterrupted prayer. Then when the moment comes that we are no longer able to say a word of prayer because the pain is so deep or the joy is so immense, then that moment will also be prayer.
Maraming,maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat.
God be praised for ever!
EDITA T. BURGOS, OCDS
