Praying for peace and Rose

On July 7, 2017, at the height of the Marawi conflict, the PasaLord Prayer Movement was launched, bringing together Filipinos of various faiths and denominations to intercede for peace, unity and prosperity in our country, and to lift up leaders and families. 

PasaLord’s vehicle for intercession is the Prayer for Peace in the Philippines, to be said at 12 noon daily. 

The founder and lead convenor of the PasaLord Movement, Lourdes “Bing” Ll. Pimentel, said last year, on Feb. 7, PasaLord called for a nationwide synchronized moment of prayer.

This year, the Movement will hold a synchronized moment of prayer at high noon on July 6.

The previous noontime praying moments, which actually takes nearly a few minutes, have been successful, says Bing. The call to prayer was well publicized, with the cooperation of the media and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas, ABS-CBN2, GMA 7, RPN 9, a host of radio stations, and The Philippine STAR.

“So many miracles have happened,” says Bing. One is that Senate President Vicente Sotto III was inspired to file a resolution, which the Senate approved, proclaiming every first Thursday of February as the day for the Synchronized Interfaith National Prayer for Peace and Reconciliation. And, Bing adds, “For the first time in our history as a nation, all three branches of government (executive, legislative and judicial) prayed in solidarity with the people for peace in our land.” To Bing’s knowledge, this had never happened anywhere in the world.

Big and small businesses also supported the calls. For example, SM responded by having its staff say the Prayer for Peace in many stores throughout the country. Branches of the Armed Forces like the Army, the Navy and the PNP prayed in many outposts as well.

So did schools and dioceses and congregations of different faiths – Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Islam.

Bing considers the participation of individuals and churches a “miracle, because, on our own, the core group of PasaLord could not possibly have moved so many people to action. Truly it was the Holy Spirit at work, touching people to do their part, multiplying the biblical ‘five loaves and two fish’, so to speak, so that the multitude heard the call and, taking things to heart, prayed with us.”

According to Bing, anyone who believes in God, is automatically a member of the PasaLord. “Every believer is called to pray and to invite others to pray.” She says, “People use their mustard seed and make it grow. (They are) responsible for motivating (their) people to pray and propagate the Prayer for Peace in the Philippines.”

While people are free to say their own prayer, the PasaLord synchronized prayer that may be said by all is the following:

Almighty God, in Your mercy and compassion, forgive our sins and the sins of our people. Look with favor upon us as we pray for our country, the Philippines. 

Bless our leaders with wisdom, integrity, truthfulness and righteousness.

Uphold our families and keep our children safe. Help us be upright and moral citizens, living together peacefully, with sincerity, lovingkindness, acceptance, tolerance and forgiveness.

“Protect us from foreign invasion and destructive influences, and defend us from acts of lawlessness, terrorism and war.

“Grant our country peace, unity and prosperity, and bring about the transformation of our nation so that we may be Your light to Asia and the world. Amen.

For inquiries, call Coylee Gamboa at +63 9189357617 or Clarisse Aquino at +639175014356.

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A dear friend, Dr. Rose Aguilar Biron, has passed away. And we’re comforted by our memories of her as a kind and generous person, but most especially, who dedicated her life to the Lord’s and people’s service.

Rose passed away at the age of 86 at her Temecula home in the United States on Sept. 7, 2019.

Rose was born on Aug. 6, 1933, in Manila, to Maximo and Davida Aguilar. A Fulbright scholar, a professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago and at the University of the East in Manila, she was a Christian educator overseeing Sunday school programs for more than 120 Presbyterian churches in the Chicago area, and the founder and executive director of C.A.R.E. (Christian Action for the Reconciliation and Evangelism), in Antipolo which she founded in 1987.

She garnered several prestigious awards. She was selected by the Sunday School Teachers’ Association of the Greater Chicago area in 1984 as “Christian Educator of the Year,” awarded “Distinguished Alumna” by her alma mater, Philippine Normal University, recognized as “Woman of the Year” by the Soroptimist Club, and chosen ”Mother of the Year” by the Mother’s Day Foundation. 

She graduated as first honor at Mapa High School, Manila; graduated valedictorian in a three-year combined course from Philippine Normal University, where she graduated magna cum laude with a BS in elementary education, and a master’s degree in education with honors. She obtained her specialist in education degree from Ball State University, Indiana as a Fulbright scholar, and went on to complete her doctorate in education with distinction from Centro Escolar University, Manila.

She was a visiting professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago, for eight years. Though she excelled in her academic career, she answered the call to help uplift the lives of residents of less privileged communities in Antipolo, through CARE, Philippines which she founded in 1987.

A very touching eulogy was delivered at her memorial service at Calvary Chapel Bible Fellowship in the United States, by her husband, lawyer Melo D. Biron, who loved her so well. Look at what he said: “Rose, the love of my life and the life of my love for 50 years, I wish you ‘Bon Voyage,’ not farewell. We are only sending you off to that beautiful shore where you will find joy and comfort in the bosom of our Lord Jesus. It is not a farewell because you didn’t leave us. We are just following behind in our journey to heaven on God’s schedule beyond our control. You left a lasting legacy by living a full, fulfilled, and fruitful life for 32 years in God’s ministry.”

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