Pope Francis' Sunday Mass Homily, Philadelphia, USA [Text]

POPE FRANCIS' SUNDAY MASS HOMILY
Concluding the World Meeting of Families
Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015

"Today the word of God surprises us with powerful and thought-provoking images. Images which challenge us, but also stir our enthusiasm.

"In the first reading, Joshua tells Moses that two members of the people are prophesying, speaking God's word, without a mandate. In the Gospel, John tells Jesus that the disciples had stopped someone from casting out evil spirits in the name of Jesus. Here is the surprise: Moses and Jesus both rebuke those closest to them for being so narrow! Would that all could be prophets of God's word! Would that everyone could work miracles in the Lord's name!

"Jesus encountered hostility from people who did not accept what He said and did. For them, His openness to the honest and sincere faith of many men and women who were not part of God's chosen people seemed intolerable. The disciples, for their part, acted in good faith. But the temptation to be scandalized by the freedom of God, who sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous alike (Mt 5:45), bypassing bureaucracy, officialdom and inner circles, threatens the authenticity of faith. Hence it must be vigorously rejected.

"Once we realize this, we can understand why Jesus' words about causing "scandal" are so harsh. For Jesus, the truly "intolerable" scandal consists in everything that breaks down and destroys our trust in the working of the Spirit!

"Our Father will not be outdone in generosity and He continues to scatter seeds. He scatters the seeds of His presence in our world, for "love consists in this, not that we have loved God but that He loved us" first (1 Jn 4:10). That love gives us a profound certainty: we are sought by God; He waits for us. It is this confidence which makes disciples encourage, support and nurture the good things happening all around them. God wants all his children to take part in the feast of the Gospel. Jesus says, "Do not hold back anything that is good, instead help it to grow!" To raise doubts about the working of the Spirit, to give the impression that it cannot take place in those who are not "part of our group", who are not "like us", is a dangerous temptation. Not only does it block conversion to the faith; it is a perversion of faith!

"Faith opens a "window" to the presence and working of the Spirit. It shows us that, like happiness, holiness is always tied to little gestures. "Whoever gives you a cup of water in my name will not go unrewarded", says Jesus (cf. Mk 9:41). These little gestures are those we learn at home, in the family; they get lost amid all the other things we do, yet they do make each day different. They are the quiet things done by mothers and grandmothers, by fathers and grandfathers, by children. They are little signs of tenderness, affection and compassion. Like the warm supper we look forward to at night, the early lunch awaiting someone who gets up early to go to work. Homely gestures.

"Like a blessing before we go to bed, or a hug after we return from a hard day's work. Love is shown by little things, by attention to small daily signs which make us feel at home. Faith grows when it is lived and shaped by love. That is why our families, our homes, are true domestic churches. They are the right place for faith to become life, and life to become faith.

"Jesus tells us not to hold back these little miracles. Instead, He wants us to encourage them, to spread them. He asks us to go through life, our everyday life, encouraging all these little signs of love as signs of His own living and active presence in our world.

"So we might ask ourselves: How are we trying to live this way in our homes, in our societies? What kind of world do we want to leave to our children (cf. Laudato Si', 160)? We cannot answer these questions alone, by ourselves. It is the Spirit who challenges us to respond as part of the great human family. Our common house can no longer tolerate sterile divisions. The urgent challenge of protecting our home includes the effort to bring the entire human family together in the pursuit of a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change (cf. ibid., 13). May our children find in us models and incentives to communion! May our children find in us men and women capable of joining others in bringing to full flower all the good seeds which the Father has sown!

"Pointedly, yet affectionately, Jesus tells us: "If you, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Lk 11:13). How much wisdom there is in these few words! It is true that, as far as goodness and purity of heart are concerned, we human beings don't have much to show! But Jesus knows that, where children are concerned, we are capable of boundless generosity. So He reassures us: if only we have faith, the Father will give us His Spirit.

"We Christians, the Lord's disciples, ask the families of the world to help us! How many of us are here at this celebration! This is itself something prophetic, a kind of miracle in today's world. Would that we could all be prophets! Would that all of us could be open to miracles of love for the sake of all the families of the world, and thus overcome the scandal of a narrow, petty love, closed in on itself, impatient of others!

"And how beautiful it would be if everywhere, even beyond our borders, we could appreciate and encourage this prophecy and this miracle! We renew our faith in the word of the Lord which invites faithful families to this openness. It invites all those who want to share the prophecy of the covenant of man and woman, which generates life and reveals God!

"Anyone who wants to bring into this world a family which teaches children to be excited by every gesture aimed at overcoming evil - a family which shows that the Spirit is alive and at work - will encounter our gratitude and our appreciation. Whatever the family, people, region, or religion to which they belong!

"May God grant to all of us, as the Lord's disciples, the grace to be worthy of this purity of heart which is not scandalized by the Gospel!"
SOURCE

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A Note From The Gull

Thank you, Pope Francis.

In the fading light, the plane is waiting on the tarmac. The apostolic journey [19-28 September, 2015] of His Holiness Pope Francis to Cuba, the United States of America and visit to the United Nations Organization Headquarters is concluding as I post this and I am endlessly grateful to His Holiness for his work of faith and labour of love. May God continue to bless and keep him.

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare

Pope Francis’ Speech to United Nations [Text]

FULL TEXT OF POPE FRANCIS' SPEECH TO THE UNITED NATIONS
Friday 25th September, 2015

Mr President,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

"Thank you for your kind words. Once again, following a tradition by which I feel honored, the Secretary General of the United Nations has invited the Pope to address this distinguished assembly of nations. In my own name, and that of the entire Catholic community, I wish to express to you, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, my heartfelt gratitude.

"I greet the Heads of State and Heads of Government present, as well as the ambassadors, diplomats and political and technical officials accompanying them, the personnel of the United Nations engaged in this 70th Session of the General Assembly, the personnel of the various programs and agencies of the United Nations family, and all those who, in one way or another, take part in this meeting. Through you, I also greet the citizens of all the nations represented in this hall. I thank you, each and all, for your efforts in the service of mankind.

"This is the fifth time that a Pope has visited the United Nations. I follow in the footsteps of my predecessors Paul VI, in1965, John Paul II, in 1979 and 1995, and my most recent predecessor, now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, in 2008. All of them expressed their great esteem for the Organization, which they considered the appropriate juridical and political response to this present moment of history, marked by our technical ability to overcome distances and frontiers and, apparently, to overcome all natural limits to the exercise of power. An essential response, inasmuch as technological power, in the hands of nationalistic or falsely universalist ideologies, is capable of perpetrating tremendous atrocities. I can only reiterate the appreciation expressed by my predecessors, in reaffirming the importance which the Catholic Church attaches to this Institution and the hope which she places in its activities.

"The United Nations is presently celebrating its 70th anniversary. The history of this organized community of states is one of important common achievements over a period of unusually fast-paced changes. Without claiming to be exhaustive, we can mention the codification and development of international law, the establishment of international norms regarding human rights, advances in humanitarian law, the resolution of numerous conflicts, operations of peace-keeping and reconciliation, and any number of other accomplishments in every area of international activity and endeavor. All these achievements are lights which help to dispel the darkness of the disorder caused by unrestrained ambitions and collective forms of selfishness. Certainly, many grave problems remain to be resolved, yet it is clear that, without all those interventions on the international level, mankind would not have been able to survive the unchecked use of its own possibilities. Every one of these political, juridical and technical advances is a path towards attaining the ideal of human fraternity and a means for its greater realization.

"For this reason I pay homage to all those men and women whose loyalty and self-sacrifice have benefitted humanity as a whole in these past seventy years. In particular, I would recall today those who gave their lives for peace and reconciliation among peoples, from Dag Hammarskjöld to the many United Nations officials at every level who have been killed in the course of humanitarian missions, and missions of peace and reconciliation.

"Beyond these achievements, the experience of the past 70 years has made it clear that reform and adaptation to the times is always necessary in the pursuit of the ultimate goal of granting all countries, without exception, a share in, and a genuine and equitable influence on, decision-making processes. The need for greater equity is especially true in the case of those bodies with effective executive capability, such as the Security Council, the Financial Agencies and the groups or mechanisms specifically created to deal with economic crises. This will help limit every kind of abuse or usury, especially where developing countries are concerned. The International Financial Agencies are should care for the sustainable development of countries and should ensure that they are not subjected to oppressive lending systems which, far from promoting progress, subject people to mechanisms which generate greater poverty, exclusion and dependence.

"The work of the United Nations, according to the principles set forth in the Preamble and the first Articles of its founding Charter, can be seen as the development and promotion of the rule of law, based on the realization that justice is an essential condition for achieving the ideal of universal fraternity. In this context, it is helpful to recall that the limitation of power is an idea implicit in the concept of law itself. To give to each his own, to cite the classic definition of justice, means that no human individual or group can consider itself absolute, permitted to bypass the dignity and the rights of other individuals or their social groupings.

"The effective distribution of power (political, economic, defense-related, technological, etc.) among a plurality of subjects, and the creation of a juridical system for regulating claims and interests, are one concrete way of limiting power. Yet today’s world presents us with many false rights and – at the same time – broad sectors which are vulnerable, victims of power badly exercised: for example, the natural environment and the vast ranks of the excluded. These sectors are closely interconnected and made increasingly fragile by dominant political and economic relationships.

"That is why their rights must be forcefully affirmed, by working to protect the environment and by putting an end to exclusion.

“First, it must be stated that a true “right of the environment” does exist, for two reasons. First, because we human beings are part of the environment. We live in communion with it, since the environment itself entails ethical limits which human activity must acknowledge and respect. Man, for all his remarkable gifts, which “are signs of a uniqueness which transcends the spheres of physics and biology” (Laudato Si’, 81), is at the same time a part of these spheres. He possesses a body shaped by physical, chemical and biological elements, and can only survive and develop if the ecological environment is favorable. Any harm done to the environment, therefore, is harm done to humanity.

"Second, because every creature, particularly a living creature, has an intrinsic value, in its existence, its life, its beauty and its interdependence with other creatures. We Christians, together with the other monotheistic religions, believe that the universe is the fruit of a loving decision by the Creator, who permits man respectfully to use creation for the good of his fellow men and for the glory of the Creator; he is not authorized to abuse it, much less to destroy it. In all religions, the environment is a fundamental good (cf. ibid.).

"The misuse and destruction of the environment are also accompanied by a relentless process of exclusion. In effect, a selfish and boundless thirst for power and material prosperity leads both to the misuse of available natural resources and to the exclusion of the weak and disadvantaged, either because they are differently abled (handicapped), or because they lack adequate information and technical expertise, or are incapable of decisive political action. Economic and social exclusion is a complete denial of human fraternity and a grave offense against human rights and the environment. The poorest are those who suffer most from such offenses, for three serious reasons: they are cast off by society, forced to live off what is discarded and suffer unjustly from the abuse of the environment. They are part of today’s widespread and quietly growing “culture of waste”.

"The dramatic reality this whole situation of exclusion and inequality, with its evident effects, has led me, in union with the entire Christian people and many others, to take stock of my grave responsibility in this regard and to speak out, together with all those who are seeking urgently-needed and effective solutions. The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the World Summit, which opens today, is an important sign of hope. I am similarly confident that the Paris Conference on Climatic Change will secure fundamental and effective agreements.

“Solemn commitments, however, are not enough, even though they are a necessary step toward solutions. The classic definition of justice which I mentioned earlier contains as one of its essential elements a constant and perpetual will: Iustitia est constans et perpetua voluntas ius sum cuique tribuendi. Our world demands of all government leaders a will which is effective, practical and constant, concrete steps and immediate measures for preserving and improving the natural environment and thus putting an end as quickly as possible to the phenomenon of social and economic exclusion, with its baneful consequences: human trafficking, the marketing of human organs and tissues, the sexual exploitation of boys and girls, slave labor, including prostitution, the drug and weapons trade, terrorism and international organized crime. Such is the magnitude of these situations and their toll in innocent lives, that we must avoid every temptation to fall into a declarationist nominalism which would assuage our consciences. We need to ensure that our institutions are truly effective in the struggle against all these scourges.

"The number and complexity of the problems require that we possess technical instruments of verification. But this involves two risks. We can rest content with the bureaucratic exercise of drawing up long lists of good proposals – goals, objectives and statistical indicators – or we can think that a single theoretical and aprioristic solution will provide an answer to all the challenges. It must never be forgotten that political and economic activity is only effective when it is understood as a prudential activity, guided by a perennial concept of justice and constantly conscious of the fact that, above and beyond our plans and programs, we are dealing with real men and women who live, struggle and suffer, and are often forced to live in great poverty, deprived of all rights.

"To enable these real men and women to escape from extreme poverty, we must allow them to be dignified agents of their own destiny. Integral human development and the full exercise of human dignity cannot be imposed. They must be built up and allowed to unfold for each individual, for every family, in communion with others, and in a right relationship with all those areas in which human social life develops – friends, communities, towns and cities, schools, businesses and unions, provinces, nations, etc. This presupposes and requires the right to education – also for girls (excluded in certain places) – which is ensured first and foremost by respecting and reinforcing the primary right of the family to educate its children, as well as the right of churches and social groups to support and assist families in the education of their children. Education conceived in this way is the basis for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and for reclaiming the environment.

"At the same time, government leaders must do everything possible to ensure that all can have the minimum spiritual and material means needed to live in dignity and to create and support a family, which is the primary cell of any social development. In practical terms, this absolute minimum has three names: lodging, labor, and land; and one spiritual name: spiritual freedom, which includes religious freedom, the right to education and other civil rights.

"For all this, the simplest and best measure and indicator of the implementation of the new agenda for development will be effective, practical and immediate access, on the part of all, to essential material and spiritual goods: housing, dignified and properly remunerated employment, adequate food and drinking water; religious freedom and, more generally, spiritual freedom and education. These pillars of integral human development have a common foundation, which is the right to life and, more generally, what we could call the right to existence of human nature itself.

"The ecological crisis, and the large-scale destruction of biodiversity, can threaten the very existence of the human species. The baneful consequences of an irresponsible mismanagement of the global economy, guided only by ambition for wealth and power, must serve as a summons to a forthright reflection on man: “man is not only a freedom which he creates for himself. Man does not create himself. He is spirit and will, but also nature” (Benedict XVI, Address to the Bundestag, 22 September 2011, cited in Laudato Si’, 6). Creation is compromised “where we ourselves have the final word… The misuse of creation begins when we no longer recognize any instance above ourselves, when we see nothing else but ourselves” (ID. Address to the Clergy of the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone, 6 August 2008, cited ibid.). Consequently, the defense of the environment and the fight against exclusion demand that we recognize a moral law written into human nature itself, one which includes the natural difference between man and woman (cf. Laudato Si’, 155), and absolute respect for life in all its stages and dimensions (cf. ibid., 123, 136).

"Without the recognition of certain incontestable natural ethical limits and without the immediate implementation of those pillars of integral human development, the ideal of “saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war” (Charter of the United Nations, Preamble), and “promoting social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom” (ibid.), risks becoming an unattainable illusion, or, even worse, idle chatter which serves as a cover for all kinds of abuse and corruption, or for carrying out an ideological colonization by the imposition of anomalous models and lifestyles which are alien to people’s identity and, in the end, irresponsible.

"War is the negation of all rights and a dramatic assault on the environment. If we want true integral human development for all, we must work tirelessly to avoid war between nations and between peoples.

"To this end, there is a need to ensure the uncontested rule of law and tireless recourse to negotiation, mediation and arbitration, as proposed by the Charter of the United Nations, which constitutes truly a fundamental juridical norm. The experience of these seventy years since the founding of the United Nations in general, and in particular the experience of these first fifteen years of the third millennium, reveal both the effectiveness of the full application of international norms and the ineffectiveness of their lack of enforcement.

"When the Charter of the United Nations is respected and applied with transparency and sincerity, and without ulterior motives, as an obligatory reference point of justice and not as a means of masking spurious intentions, peaceful results will be obtained. When, on the other hand, the norm is considered simply as an instrument to be used whenever it proves favorable, and to be avoided when it is not, a true Pandora’s box is opened, releasing uncontrollable forces which gravely harm defenseless populations, the cultural milieu and even the biological environment.

“The Preamble and the first Article of the Charter of the United Nations set forth the foundations of the international juridical framework: peace, the pacific solution of disputes and the development of friendly relations between the nations. Strongly opposed to such statements, and in practice denying them, is the constant tendency to the proliferation of arms, especially weapons of mass distraction, such as nuclear weapons. An ethics and a law based on the threat of mutual destruction – and possibly the destruction of all mankind – are self-contradictory and an affront to the entire framework of the United Nations, which would end up as “nations united by fear and distrust”. There is urgent need to work for a world free of nuclear weapons, in full application of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, in letter and spirit, with the goal of a complete prohibition of these weapons.

"The recent agreement reached on the nuclear question in a sensitive region of Asia and the Middle East is proof of the potential of political good will and of law, exercised with sincerity, patience and constancy. I express my hope that this agreement will be lasting and efficacious, and bring forth the desired fruits with the cooperation of all the parties involved.

"In this sense, hard evidence is not lacking of the negative effects of military and political interventions which are not coordinated between members of the international community. For this reason, while regretting to have to do so, I must renew my repeated appeals regarding to the painful situation of the entire Middle East, North Africa and other African countries, where Christians, together with other cultural or ethnic groups, and even members of the majority religion who have no desire to be caught up in hatred and folly, have been forced to witness the destruction of their places of worship, their cultural and religious heritage, their houses and property, and have faced the alternative either of fleeing or of paying for their adhesion to good and to peace by their own lives, or by enslavement.

"These realities should serve as a grave summons to an examination of conscience on the part of those charged with the conduct of international affairs. Not only in cases of religious or cultural persecution, but in every situation of conflict, as in Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Libya, South Sudan and the Great Lakes region, real human beings take precedence over partisan interests, however legitimate the latter may be. In wars and conflicts there are individual persons, our brothers and sisters, men and women, young and old, boys and girls who weep, suffer and die. Human beings who are easily discarded when our only response is to draw up lists of problems, strategies and disagreements.

"As I wrote in my letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 9 August 2014, “the most basic understanding of human dignity compels the international community, particularly through the norms and mechanisms of international law, to do all that it can to stop and to prevent further systematic violence against ethnic and religious minorities” and to protect innocent peoples.

"Along the same lines I would mention another kind of conflict which is not always so open, yet is silently killing millions of people. Another kind of war experienced by many of our societies as a result of the narcotics trade. A war which is taken for granted and poorly fought. Drug trafficking is by its very nature accompanied by trafficking in persons, money laundering, the arms trade, child exploitation and other forms of corruption. A corruption which has penetrated to different levels of social, political, military, artistic and religious life, and, in many cases, has given rise to a parallel structure which threatens the credibility of our institutions.

"I began this speech recalling the visits of my predecessors. I would hope that my words will be taken above all as a continuation of the final words of the address of Pope Paul VI; although spoken almost exactly fifty years ago, they remain ever timely. “The hour has come when a pause, a moment of recollection, reflection, even of prayer, is absolutely needed so that we may think back over our common origin, our history, our common destiny. The appeal to the moral conscience of man has never been as necessary as it is today… For the danger comes neither from progress nor from science; if these are used well, they can help to solve a great number of the serious problems besetting mankind (Address to the United Nations Organization, 4 October 1965). Among other things, human genius, well applied, will surely help to meet the grave challenges of ecological deterioration and of exclusion. As Paul VI said: “The real danger comes from man, who has at his disposal ever more powerful instruments that are as well fitted to bring about ruin as they are to achieve lofty conquests” (ibid.).

“The common home of all men and women must continue to rise on the foundations of a right understanding of universal fraternity and respect for the sacredness of every human life, of every man and every woman, the poor, the elderly, children, the infirm, the unborn, the unemployed, the abandoned, those considered disposable because they are only considered as part of a statistic. This common home of all men and women must also be built on the understanding of a certain sacredness of created nature.

"Such understanding and respect call for a higher degree of wisdom, one which accepts transcendence, rejects the creation of an all-powerful élite, and recognizes that the full meaning of individual and collective life is found in selfless service to others and in the sage and respectful use of creation for the common good. To repeat the words of Paul VI, “the edifice of modern civilization has to be built on spiritual principles, for they are the only ones capable not only of supporting it, but of shedding light on it” (ibid.).

"El Gaucho Martín Fierro, a classic of literature in my native land, says: “Brothers should stand by each other, because this is the first law; keep a true bond between you always, at every time – because if you fight among yourselves, you’ll be devoured by those outside”.

"The contemporary world, so apparently connected, is experiencing a growing and steady social fragmentation, which places at risk “the foundations of social life” and consequently leads to “battles over conflicting interests” (Laudato Si’, 229).

"The present time invites us to give priority to actions which generate new processes in society, so as to bear fruit in significant and positive historical events (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 223). We cannot permit ourselves to postpone “certain agendas” for the future. The future demands of us critical and global decisions in the face of worldwide conflicts which increase the number of the excluded and those in need.

"The praiseworthy international juridical framework of the United Nations Organization and of all its activities, like any other human endeavor, can be improved, yet it remains necessary; at the same time it can be the pledge of a secure and happy future for future generations. And so it will, if the representatives of the States can set aside partisan and ideological interests, and sincerely strive to serve the common good. I pray to Almighty God that this will be the case, and I assure you of my support and my prayers, and the support and prayers of all the faithful of the Catholic Church, that this Institution, all its member States, and each of its officials, will always render an effective service to mankind, a service respectful of diversity and capable of bringing out, for sake of the common good, the best in each people and in every individual.

"Upon all of you, and the peoples you represent, I invoke the blessing of the Most High, and all peace and prosperity. Thank you."

SOURCE

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A Note From The Gull

Thank you, Pope Francis.

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare

Pope Francis' Address to Congress [Text]

FULL TEXT OF POPE FRANCIS ADDRESS CONGRESS
Thursday September 24, 2005

Mr. Vice-President,
Mr. Speaker,
Honorable Members of Congress,
Dear Friends,

"I am most grateful for your invitation to address this Joint Session of Congress in “the land of the free and the home of the brave”. I would like to think that the reason for this is that I too am a son of this great continent, from which we have all received so much and toward which we share a common responsibility.

"Each son or daughter of a given country has a mission, a personal and social responsibility. Your own responsibility as members of Congress is to enable this country, by your legislative activity, to grow as a nation. You are the face of its people, their representatives. You are called to defend and preserve the dignity of your fellow citizens in the tireless and demanding pursuit of the common good, for this is the chief aim of all politics. A political society endures when it seeks, as a vocation, to satisfy common needs by stimulating the growth of all its members, especially those in situations of greater vulnerability or risk. Legislative activity is always best based on care for the people. To this you have been invited, called and convened by those who elected you.

“Yours is a work which makes me reflect in two ways on the figure of Moses. On the one hand, the patriarch and lawgiver of the people of Israel symbolizes the need of peoples to keep alive their sense of unity by means of just legislation. On the other, the figure of Moses leads us directly to God and thus to the transcendent dignity of the human being. Moses provides us with a good synthesis of your work: you are asked to protect, by means of the law, the image and likeness fashioned by God on every human face.

"Today I would like not only to address you, but through you the entire people of the United States. Here, together with their representatives, I would like to take this opportunity to dialogue with the many thousands of men and women who strive each day to do an honest day’s work, to bring home their daily bread, to save money and –one step at a time – to build a better life for their families. These are men and women who are not concerned simply with paying their taxes, but in their own quiet way sustain the life of society. They generate solidarity by their actions, and they create organizations which offer a helping hand to those most in need.

"I would also like to enter into dialogue with the many elderly persons who are a storehouse of wisdom forged by experience, and who seek in many ways, especially through volunteer work, to share their stories and their insights. I know that many of them are retired, but still active; they keep working to build up this land. I also want to dialogue with all those young people who are working to realize their great and noble aspirations, who are not led astray by facile proposals, and who face difficult situations, often as a result of immaturity on the part of many adults. I wish to dialogue with all of you, and I would like to do so through the historical memory of your people.

"My visit takes place at a time when men and women of good will are marking the anniversaries of several great Americans. The complexities of history and the reality of human weakness notwithstanding, these men and women, for all their many differences and limitations, were able by hard work and self-sacrifice – some at the cost of their lives – to build a better future. They shaped fundamental values which will endure forever in the spirit of the American people. A people with this spirit can live through many crises, tensions and conflicts, while always finding the resources to move forward, and to do so with dignity. These men and women offer us a way of seeing and interpreting reality. In honoring their memory, we are inspired, even amid conflicts, and in the here and now of each day, to draw upon our deepest cultural reserves.

"I would like to mention four of these Americans: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton.

"This year marks the 150th anniversary of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, the guardian of liberty, who labored tirelessly that “this nation, under God, [might] have a new birth of freedom”. Building a future of freedom requires love of the common good and cooperation in a spirit of subsidiarity and solidarity.

"All of us are quite aware of, and deeply worried by, the disturbing social and political situation of the world today. Our world is increasingly a place of violent conflict, hatred and brutal atrocities, committed even in the name of God and of religion. We know that no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism. This means that we must be especially attentive to every type of fundamentalism, whether religious or of any other kind. A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology or an economic system, while also safeguarding religious freedom, intellectual freedom and individual freedoms.

"But there is another temptation which we must especially guard against: the simplistic reductionism which sees only good or evil; or, if you will, the righteous and sinners. The contemporary world, with its open wounds which affect so many of our brothers and sisters, demands that we confront every form of polarization which would divide it into these two camps. We know that in the attempt to be freed of the enemy without, we can be tempted to feed the enemy within. To imitate the hatred and violence of tyrants and murderers is the best way to take their place. That is something which you, as a people, reject.

“Our response must instead be one of hope and healing, of peace and justice. We are asked to summon the courage and the intelligence to resolve today’s many geopolitical and economic crises. Even in the developed world, the effects of unjust structures and actions are all too apparent. Our efforts must aim at restoring hope, righting wrongs, maintaining commitments, and thus promoting the well-being of individuals and of peoples. We must move forward together, as one, in a renewed spirit of fraternity and solidarity, cooperating generously for the common good.

"The challenges facing us today call for a renewal of that spirit of cooperation, which has accomplished so much good throughout the history of the United States. The complexity, the gravity and the urgency of these challenges demand that we pool our resources and talents, and resolve to support one another, with respect for our differences and our convictions of conscience.

"In this land, the various religious denominations have greatly contributed to building and strengthening society. It is important that today, as in the past, the voice of faith continue to be heard, for it is a voice of fraternity and love, which tries to bring out the best in each person and in each society. Such cooperation is a powerful resource in the battle to eliminate new global forms of slavery, born of grave injustices which can be overcome only through new policies and new forms of social consensus.

"Here I think of the political history of the United States, where democracy is deeply rooted in the mind of the American people. All political activity must serve and promote the good of the human person and be based on respect for his or her dignity. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1776).

"If politics must truly be at the service of the human person, it follows that it cannot be a slave to the economy and finance. Politics is, instead, an expression of our compelling need to live as one, in order to build as one the greatest common good: that of a community which sacrifices particular interests in order to share, in justice and peace, its goods, its interests, its social life. I do not underestimate the difficulty that this involves, but I encourage you in this effort.

"Here too I think of the march which Martin Luther King led from Selma to Montgomery fifty years ago as part of the campaign to fulfill his “dream” of full civil and political rights for African Americans. That dream continues to inspire us all. I am happy that America continues to be, for many, a land of “dreams”. Dreams which lead to action, to participation, to commitment. Dreams which awaken what is deepest and truest in the life of a people.

"In recent centuries, millions of people came to this land to pursue their dream of building a future in freedom. We, the people of this continent, are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners. I say this to you as the son of immigrants, knowing that so many of you are also descended from immigrants. Tragically, the rights of those who were here long before us were not always respected. For those peoples and their nations, from the heart of American democracy, I wish to reaffirm my highest esteem and appreciation. Those first contacts were often turbulent and violent, but it is difficult to judge the past by the criteria of the present.

"Nonetheless, when the stranger in our midst appeals to us, we must not repeat the sins and the errors of the past. We must resolve now to live as nobly and as justly as possible, as we educate new generations not to turn their back on our “neighbors” and everything around us. Building a nation calls us to recognize that we must constantly relate to others, rejecting a mindset of hostility in order to adopt one of reciprocal subsidiarity, in a constant effort to do our best. I am confident that we can do this.

“Our world is facing a refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since the Second World War. This presents us with great challenges and many hard decisions. On this continent, too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater opportunities. Is this not what we want for our own children? We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation. To respond in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal. We need to avoid a common temptation nowadays: to discard whatever proves troublesome. Let us remember the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Mt 7:12).

"This Rule points us in a clear direction. Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated. Let us seek for others the same possibilities which we seek for ourselves. Let us help others to grow, as we would like to be helped ourselves. In a word, if we want security, let us give security; if we want life, let us give life; if we want opportunities, let us provide opportunities. The yardstick we use for others will be the yardstick which time will use for us. The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.

"This conviction has led me, from the beginning of my ministry, to advocate at different levels for the global abolition of the death penalty. I am convinced that this way is the best, since every life is sacred, every human person is endowed with an inalienable dignity, and society can only benefit from the rehabilitation of those convicted of crimes. Recently my brother bishops here in the United States renewed their call for the abolition of the death penalty. Not only do I support them, but I also offer encouragement to all those who are convinced that a just and necessary punishment must never exclude the dimension of hope and the goal of rehabilitation.

"In these times when social concerns are so important, I cannot fail to mention the Servant of God Dorothy Day, who founded the Catholic Worker Movement. Her social activism, her passion for justice and for the cause of the oppressed, were inspired by the Gospel, her faith, and the example of the saints.

"How much progress has been made in this area in so many parts of the world! How much has been done in these first years of the third millennium to raise people out of extreme poverty! I know that you share my conviction that much more still needs to be done, and that in times of crisis and economic hardship a spirit of global solidarity must not be lost. At the same time I would encourage you to keep in mind all those people around us who are trapped in a cycle of poverty. They too need to be given hope. The fight against poverty and hunger must be fought constantly and on many fronts, especially in its causes. I know that many Americans today, as in the past, are working to deal with this problem.

"It goes without saying that part of this great effort is the creation and distribution of wealth. The right use of natural resources, the proper application of technology and the harnessing of the spirit of enterprise are essential elements of an economy which seeks to be modern, inclusive and sustainable. “Business is a noble vocation, directed to producing wealth and improving the world. It can be a fruitful source of prosperity for the area in which it operates, especially if it sees the creation of jobs as an essential part of its service to the common good” (Laudato Si’, 129). This common good also includes the earth, a central theme of the encyclical which I recently wrote in order to “enter into dialogue with all people about our common home” (ibid., 3). “We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all” (ibid., 14).

“In Laudato Si’, I call for a courageous and responsible effort to “redirect our steps” (ibid., 61), and to avert the most serious effects of the environmental deterioration caused by human activity. I am convinced that we can make a difference and I have no doubt that the United States – and this Congress – have an important role to play. Now is the time for courageous actions and strategies, aimed at implementing a “culture of care” (ibid., 231) and “an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature” (ibid., 139). “We have the freedom needed to limit and direct technology” (ibid., 112); “to devise intelligent ways of… developing and limiting our power” (ibid., 78); and to put technology “at the service of another type of progress, one which is healthier, more human, more social, more integral” (ibid., 112). In this regard, I am confident that America’s outstanding academic and research institutions can make a vital contribution in the years ahead.

"A century ago, at the beginning of the Great War, which Pope Benedict XV termed a “pointless slaughter”, another notable American was born: the Cistercian monk Thomas Merton. He remains a source of spiritual inspiration and a guide for many people. In his autobiography he wrote: “I came into the world. Free by nature, in the image of God, I was nevertheless the prisoner of my own violence and my own selfishness, in the image of the world into which I was born. That world was the picture of Hell, full of men like myself, loving God, and yet hating him; born to love him, living instead in fear of hopeless self-contradictory hungers”. Merton was above all a man of prayer, a thinker who challenged the certitudes of his time and opened new horizons for souls and for the Church. He was also a man of dialogue, a promoter of peace between peoples and religions.

"From this perspective of dialogue, I would like to recognize the efforts made in recent months to help overcome historic differences linked to painful episodes of the past. It is my duty to build bridges and to help all men and women, in any way possible, to do the same. When countries which have been at odds resume the path of dialogue – a dialogue which may have been interrupted for the most legitimate of reasons – new opportunities open up for all. This has required, and requires, courage and daring, which is not the same as irresponsibility. A good political leader is one who, with the interests of all in mind, seizes the moment in a spirit of openness and pragmatism. A good political leader always opts to initiate processes rather than possessing spaces (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 222-223).

"Being at the service of dialogue and peace also means being truly determined to minimize and, in the long term, to end the many armed conflicts throughout our world. Here we have to ask ourselves: Why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict untold suffering on individuals and society? Sadly, the answer, as we all know, is simply for money: money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood. In the face of this shameful and culpable silence, it is our duty to confront the problem and to stop the arms trade.

"Three sons and a daughter of this land, four individuals and four dreams: Lincoln, liberty; Martin Luther King, liberty in plurality and non-exclusion; Dorothy Day, social justice and the rights of persons; and Thomas Merton, the capacity for dialogue and openness to God.

"Four representatives of the American people.

"I will end my visit to your country in Philadelphia, where I will take part in the World Meeting of Families. It is my wish that throughout my visit the family should be a recurrent theme. How essential the family has been to the building of this country! And how worthy it remains of our support and encouragement! Yet I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without. Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family. I can only reiterate the importance and, above all, the richness and the beauty of family life.

“In particular, I would like to call attention to those family members who are the most vulnerable, the young. For many of them, a future filled with countless possibilities beckons, yet so many others seem disoriented and aimless, trapped in a hopeless maze of violence, abuse and despair. Their problems are our problems. We cannot avoid them. We need to face them together, to talk about them and to seek effective solutions rather than getting bogged down in discussions. At the risk of oversimplifying, we might say that we live in a culture which pressures young people not to start a family, because they lack possibilities for the future. Yet this same culture presents others with so many options that they too are dissuaded from starting a family.

"A nation can be considered great when it defends liberty as Lincoln did, when it fosters a culture which enables people to “dream” of full rights for all their brothers and sisters, as Martin Luther King sought to do; when it strives for justice and the cause of the oppressed, as Dorothy Day did by her tireless work, the fruit of a faith which becomes dialogue and sows peace in the contemplative style of Thomas Merton.

"In these remarks I have sought to present some of the richness of your cultural heritage, of the spirit of the American people. It is my desire that this spirit continue to develop and grow, so that as many young people as possible can inherit and dwell in a land which has inspired so many people to dream.

"God bless America!"

SOURCE

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A Note From The Gull

Thank you, Pope Francis.    

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare

Cornerstone [Song]

Uploaded by acidrootblues
"The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes."
--Psalm 118:22-23
CORNERSTONE
By Bob Marley

The stone that the builder refuse will always be the head cornerstone,
The stone that the builder refuse will always be the head cornerstone.

You're a builder baby, here I am, a stone
Don't you pick and refuse me
'Cause the things people refuse are the things they should choose
Do you hear me, hear what I say?

The stone that the builder refuse will always be the head cornerstone,
The stone that the builder refuse will always be the head cornerstone.

You're a builder, baby. Here I am, a stone
Don't you pick and refuse me
'Cause the things people refuse are the things they should use
The things people refuse are the things they should use
Do you hear me, hear what I say?

The stone that the builder refuse will always be the head cornerstone
The stone that the builder refuse will always be the head cornerstone.

Source: The lyrics posted on this blog are often transcribed directly from performances. Although it is my intention to faithfully transcribe I do not get all the words and I have a knack for hearing the wrong thing. Please feel free to correct me or to fill in the words that I miss by dropping me a message via e-mail. I'd be forever grateful. Thanks in advance! ..............................................................................................................................


A Note From The Gull

Thank you, Bob Marley.

This song is offered on the occasion of the return to Parliament of Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Keith Rowley, not only as a song of vindication but perhaps more importantly, a benediction. I imagine that it is the hope of every Trinbagonian who is affiliated first to country, that this Prime Minister will not only solidly live up to the expectations of those who are looking to him for solid leadership, but also that in time the concerns of many of his detractors will be assuaged. The task facing our leader is a formidable one but I believe that if with humility and a clear conscience, he remains focused in thought and word and deed on the well-being of ALL of the hundreds of thousands of souls willing to assist in the building of this nation, he will find the clarity and strength and courage to serve with distinction.

Statement from the Office of the Prime Minister:
Dr. the Honourable Keith Rowley invites all members of the public to join in the launch of a Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving, which will take place at the Grand Stand, Queen’s Park Savannah on Republic Day, Thursday 24th September 2015, from 9:00 a.m.

A cross section of the country’s religious leaders will join the National Steel Symphony Orchestra, the Lydians and others, in celebrating 39 years of Republican Status, a strong democracy illustrated by peaceful transitions of governments over the years, the richness of our diversity and the prosperity we have enjoyed.

Nationals of all faiths are encouraged to pray, individually or together, for peace and harmony in the Nation, and for guidance for its leaders to steer the ship of State on a path of progress, for the benefit of all our people. SOURCE

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare

Maria Roza [Song]

Uploaded by Eddy Kenzo
MARIA ROZA
By Eddy Kenzo [Uganda]

Maria, Ana Maria
Mariaroza yegwe gwe ndowooza
Maria, Mariaroza
Ayi bo, ayi bo-bo-bo nesim yeah

Maria mama roza, Maria mama we
Maria mama roza oh ma life ye.

Mariaroza [sorry] yegwe gwe ndowooza [I'm sorry]
Mariaana [sorry] Mariaroza [I'm sorry]
Mariaroza yegwe gwe ndowooza [I'm sorry]
Maria ah-ah eh-yah. Ehh.. ahhya.

Emikono egisudde e'buzibba, amagulu ebuvanjuba
Nenesange ebunayila, Maria nga nkunonya
Warayi ya mungu Maria wambula
Jewagenda yewa, ewatatukwa balala
Maria oliwa kubanga onfude ekyelolerwa
Nze eyali ategeela, nzena amagezi ganzigwamu
Eyali amanyi okukwaasa mama emirimu nagwa.

Mariaroza [sorry] yegwe gwe ndowooza [I'm sorry]
Mariaana [sorry[ Mariaroza [I'm sorry]
Mariaroza yegwe gwe ndowooza [I'm sorry]
Maria ah-ah eh-yah. Ehh.. ahhya. Uhmm yeah yeah
Ayi bo-bo-bo-bo-bo, ayi bo

Kakati nyina e sente nsasula amanyi yo
Amanyi Maria jeyagenda baaba jangu eno
Jangu onyambe baaba obulamu bugenda
Eyali omunene okukome eli kakati nakogga
Nkusaba oje Maria okomewo eweka
I'm sorry, my sweet, sweet lover mama Maria
Nayagala nkole empisa embi mama Maria zewagana
Nayagala nkole indiscipline eye kivubuka
Te amo Maria, je t'aime Mariana
Sorry, my dear, je t'aime Maria.

Mariaroza [sorry] yegwe gwe ndowooza [I'm sorry]
Mariaana [sorry] [Mariaroza [sorry]
Mariaroza yegwe gwe ndowooza [I'm sorry]
Maria ah ah eh-yah...
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A Note From The Gull

Thank you, Eddy Kenzo!! And thanks to the comedians, Seka Manala and King Kong, who danced this song of despair into laughter. Ugandan music is sweet, sweet, sweet!

Eddy Kenzo is singing in Luganda [Oluganda is the major language of Uganda]. I don't have the English translation for the lyrics but I found a summary in one of the comments by Abraham Maru below the video.

"He crying his heart out for Mariaroza come to back to him. She is the only woman on his mind and he can not stop thinking about her. He begs for her forgiveness. He is lost without Mariaroza. He has gone, east, west, north and south in search of MariaRoza but she is no where to found. He wonders where she hiding. He has looked far and wide, she's nowhere to be found. He feels lost without MariaRoza. He is sorry that he hurt her. He used to be healthy and happy but since Mariaroza left him he his health is not good. He calls out to anybody that know where Mariaroza is to him to her. He want her to come back home. Their home. His sweet Mariaroza, the woman of his life. The only woman who completes him."

In the spirit of good-natured Trinbagonian/Ugandan humour, I dedicate this video to all people who feel that they have been wronged and are tormented because they cannot escape the fact that they need and rely upon the very persons towards whom they now feel indignation and antagonism.

We have to find a way to come to terms with these virulent emotions which tend to drag us down if we don't find positive ways in which to express them, to expiate them, to let go of them. If you know in your heart that you are blowing things out of proportion, please find a way to get it out of your system. After you dispense the calpets and karate chops like Maria Roza, verbal or otherwise, for your own good and the good of those around you, take a breath, accept the hand extended in peace, smell the sea breeze, and with grace, wheel and come again. None of us have long on this earth but our legacy, as codified in the Iroquois Great Law of Peace, should be viewed as having the power to influence the future for seven generations.

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare

Oceans (Where Feet may Fail) [Song]

Uploaded by christafariband
OCEANS (WHERE FEET MAY FAIL)
By Avion Blackman

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep my faith will stand.

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
You are mine. You are mine.

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now.

So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine.
You are mine.

Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Saviour.
Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Saviour.
Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Saviour.

You are mine. You are mine.

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
You are mine..

Source: The lyrics posted on this blog are often transcribed directly from performances. Although it is my intention to faithfully transcribe I do not get all the words and I have a knack for hearing the wrong thing. Please feel free to correct me or to fill in the words that I miss by dropping me a message via e-mail. I'd be forever grateful. Thanks in advance! ..............................................................................................................................

A Note From The Gull

Thank you, Avion Blackman. 

When Avion's father, Ras Shorty I, made the decision to abandon his old life and then eventually to take his family into the forest to secure for them a simpler, more authentic lifestyle and upbringing, there were some who questioned his sanity. This is how it is in these times. The sanest among us are often ridiculed and sometimes even persecuted. While I listen to the words of this song, I imagine that Ras Shorty I must have cried out to his God using similar words as he asked for courage and guidance.

"Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters wherever You would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Saviour.

...And I will call upon Your name

And keep my eyes above the waves

When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace

For I am Yours and You are mine

You are mine."

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare

The Message [Song]

Uploaded by DJ Secret Jamaica
THE MESSAGE
Damian 'Jr Gong' Marley and Bunji Garlin

There's music in your soul, minerals in your soil
Children full of beauty worth way much more than oil
While history unfolds, don't let a good thing spoil, oh no, no!

I'll apologize, seeing the crime rate rising infinite
Everywhere people around me a drop like fly, yet I live in it
I look to the sky and ask Almighty, "When will it finish?"
Is this a sign of the last days, the last few minutes?
'Cause the land overrun with knives and guns and murderous gimmicks
Good people ah run while bad people press murderous limits
I keep my faith and wait 'cause I know evil can't win it
But this is not the time and the place for the punks and timid
In a world that's supposed to be peaceful, every little youth turn killer.
None a dem have respect for the laws of land, dem a real blood spiller
Them forgot when the parents lay dem down in the beds and pillow
Saying, "Son grow up to be a good boy." but them get bigger and pull trigger
Every question, gunshot is the answer, well, go figure
Them don't want to dig deep in their heart
Searching for the goodness like an oil rigger, pure grave digger,
Well, this message from Bunji Garlin and the one Gongzilla
Almighty Father is telling you,

"There's music in your soul, minerals in your soil
Children full of beauty worth way much more than oil
While history unfolds, don't let a good thing spoil, oh no, no!"

Can I walk the Savannah at least, buy my pholourie in peace,
Without being trailed by a full detail of ten bodyguard and police?
Must something inna island breeze, make violence spread like disease
'Cause most juvenile guns out and while with no respect for og's
Can I walk round a Half Way Tree, with nobody else but me
With cash inna pocket and nobody a watch it and nobody a target me
Well, it must be the deep blue seas that spread to the bun and the cheese
That make everybody up inna the islands waan grab up something and squeeze
Can you imagine how the sword dem sharp
Man a hunt fi the bake and shark
Should a heed advice when the place did nice
That a before the whole thing start
Now every man stop tek talk and every man start think dark
Out in the street blood spray like paint when Juve a morning cork
Long time Kingston tell we to put down the gun
From Port of Spain to Hellshire
Don't get caught up making people head roll round like Michelin tire
From grandmother bawl and grandson a fall, your soul going to burn in fire
Don't let them get your life and draw your soul like it's a vampire.

There's music in your soul, minerals in your soil
Children full of beauty worth way much more than oil
While history unfolds, don't let a good thing spoil. oh no. no!

Check, check, check
You tripping to think you can punish and whip him
-----------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------
The way you frying,  your heartbeat start skipping
Father, forgive him, so young he doesn't know a life worth living
So strong, he doesn't know the strength You give him
So long a loser that he don't know winning
Drowning in the deep and he don't know swimming
Surrounded in the streets by a life of sinning
With no one that believes that a light shines in him
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
Nobody can't speak nor try talk with him
Angel of Mercy, make you please walk with him
And save anybody that cross path with him.

There's music in your soul, minerals in your soil
Children full of beauty worth way much more than oil
While history unfolds, don't let a good thing spoil, oh no, no!

Why are we killing ourself, why are we murdering the life?
Seeking the Devil now for help, why are we pushing God aside?
Look at the colour of the sky, you no see Jehovah, Him a cry?
Asking, "Why?", asking, "Why?", asking, "Why?"

Lyrics source with edits and last verse added. 
..............................................................................................................................


A Note From The Gull

Thank you, Bunji Garlin and Damian 'Jr Gong' Marley.

"There's music in your soul, minerals in your soil

Children full of beauty worth way much more than oil

While history unfolds, don't let a good thing spoil, oh no, no!"

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare

Let It Go [Song]

Uploaded by christafaribandLET IT GO
By Avion Blackman

See you carry on your shoulder a load too much to bear
You lug around your excess baggage each and everywhere
And it is holding you back from who you were meant to be
And it is weighing you down, you've got to set it free.

Let it go, float away, all that is troubling you today
Let it go, float away, all that is troubling you today.

Try not to think about it, you just got to let it go
Try not to think about it, you got to let it go
Try not to think about it, you just got to let it go
Try not to think about it, you got to let it go.

Let it go, float away, all that is troubling you today
Let it go, float away, all that is troubling you today.

You take off that excess baggage and bid it a farewell
You got to learn to forgive others and learn to forgive yourself.

Try not to think about it, you just got to let it go
Try not to think about it, you got to let it go

Let it go, float away, all that is troubling you today
Let it go, float away, all that is troubling you today.

Source: The lyrics posted on this blog are often transcribed directly from performances. Although it is my intention to faithfully transcribe I do not get all the words and I have a knack for hearing the wrong thing. Please feel free to correct me or to fill in the words that I miss by dropping me a message via e-mail. I'd be forever grateful. Thanks in advance! ..............................................................................................................................
 
A Note From The Gull

Thank you, Avion Blackman.

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare

The Way (Unity) [Song]

Uploaded by Edward Spencer
THE WAY (UNITY)
By Brother Marvin

The time has come to give unity a chance
Grab this opportunity before it's too late
In our long years of Independence
At last we came up with such unique mandate
History, everyone say, history, world class, talking 'bout true world class
We have the chance to show all and sundry what's a true democratic country
Hand in hand, we could take this nation to heights unknown
Where we could stand proud and say, "T&T is we own!"

Forged from the love of liberty, one goal, one people, one identity
If we really want to aspire to build a rainbow empire
Side by side and with pride we must pray together
That way we go stay together, harmoniously love together in unity
That is right road for T&T.

Never listen to prophets of doom
Your country and your fellow men, they must come first
For pettiness and grudges, there is no room
Appreciation for all we must rehearse
We doh want no racists to make it their business to charm we into enmity
As long as things doh go in their favour,
They make statements I view with horror
They say, "No Indian could run this country for we."
Well, I'll tell you as man, I have a solution. Hear me.

We go take all dem racial neemakaram
Send them on a one way trip to oblivion
Then the true Trinbagonian, those who really care 'bout this nation
Go come together and pray together
That way we go stay together, harmoniously love together in unity
And that is right road for T&T.

Ethnicity should be something of the past
A feeling of patriotism must be at heart
Racism and hate is not of world class
These are ugly monsters that will block our path
This country - paradise T&T,
This society could be the world's envy
Come, let us build a solid foundation
To create a nation of nations
Time to get rid of all ------------- let good sense prevail
So that the young ones to come, they would follow the trail.

Oh, islands of the blue Caribbean Sea
Now is the time to enhance your beauty
For unity to last in this country
We have got to make it a duty
To come together and pray together
That way we go stay together, harmoniously love together in unity
And that is right road for T&T. Hear me.

I have a dream I know will come true
The Indians, Africans, Chinese and Syrians
Carib and Arawak - the remaining few
And douglas will walk this blessed land, hand in hand
No division, no reservation, proudly and with dignity
Dedicating our lives to this country
Oh, how glorious that era would be
But the time is ticking away like a metronome
So let us be colour blind and make this a better home.

Oh, in the fires of hope and prayer
Now is the time to make sure we get there
There could be no success without problems
But we owe it all to the children to come together and pray together
That way we go stay together, harmoniously love together in unity
That is right road for T&T.

Source: The lyrics posted on this blog are often transcribed directly from performances. Although it is my intention to faithfully transcribe I do not get all the words and I have a knack for hearing the wrong thing. Please feel free to correct me or to fill in the words that I miss by dropping me a message via e-mail. I'd be forever grateful. Thanks in advance!
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A Note From The Gull

Thank you, Brother Marvin.

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare

Patriot of the Week: FAZEER ROJAN

...One Love.

One man’s anti-racism campaign.
By Sandhya Santoo | Trinidad Express Newspapers | Sep 16, 2015, 10:31 am AST

Radio talk show host Fazeer Rojan has started a campaign against racism on social media.

The 103 fm presenter began a “Selfie stand against racism” campaign by visiting different places in Trinidad spreading the message of love and unity.

Rojan said that he became inspired for this campaign after reading the negative comments following the September 7 general election.

According to Rojan: “We cannot let a minority get the better of us." Raymond Ramnarine uttered these words to me upon his return to the country yesterday when he called to lend support to the ‘Selfie Stand Against Racism’. I too would like to think that it’s a minority. I have no stats to offer to support this hope but that’s what it is; hope!"

"Sometimes the world needs an idealist or two. Lord knows we have an over abundance in some other ‘not as awesome’ categories. I did what I did for reasons personal to me. I spoke on my own behalf and I’d like it to be noted that I represent no one and no group, political, religious, social or otherwise. I am citizen of Trinidad and Tobago! No other credentials are important”.

He said that the reason for the selfie was because it was a common denominator in social media.

Rojan said: “Most of the hatred I have seen is being expressed on social media by a combination of people who knew what they were saying, those who were baited and merely expressed what already existed but remained hidden for all these years, those with fake profiles who lack the testicular fortitude to make their comments bravely, those who created mimic profiles and attempted to join the conversation under false pretences, some with axes to grind; others riddled with fear because of their political conditioning and the list goes on. It made sense then to seek to counter this hate on the platform where it was most expressed. The key would be to find the common denominator though."

‘Selfies’ came to mind. They’re an online sensation. Why not use this platform to spread the positivity? Simple. Thus was born the "Selfie Stand Against Racism”.

Wearing a sign with the slogan of the campaign, Rojan is meeting people and encouraging them the take a stand against discrimination in the country.

Many have posted “selfie” photographs of themselves with the slogan signalling their stance against racism and joining in Rojan’s cause to end it.

In one of his post dated September 11, Rojan said, “It has gone from distasteful to frightful. How could a country change so much almost overnight? Or is it that social media has given everyone an opportunity to remove masks and reveal what always existed? It hurts to see it unfold and I wish it would STOP NOW! However, instead of waiting on them, I am reminded to take action ....”Be The Change That You Wish To See In The World”.

Rojan did exactly this and took matters into his own hands creating the campaign.

Rojan said that he has been faced with negative feedback from what he is doing from both sides of the political arena.

He said, “People will see what they are searching for, like those who accused me of ‘being PNM’ because my jersey is red but failed to see that I was wearing red, white and black. Others who questioned my timing and implied that I’m a ‘UNC’ man because I didn’t do this five years ago. Well, I have accepted that not everyone will agree with my stand and others may have opinions on why it should have been done differently. I will leave it as follows: Some people will see my good intentions in undertaking this. Others will question it and find ways to perpetuate the hate. The bottom line is that love and hatred, much like beauty, are in the eyes or mind of the beholder. Just think about that for a while”.

Rojan thanked his supporters and even had a message for the critics.

He said, “To the critics, someday we’ll reach you and when we do, we’re gonna love you too!” SOURCE

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A Note From The Gull

Thank you, Fazeer Rohan for following your good heart and for going above and beyond to lift up our homeland. Thanks also to the Express for covering this inspiring story and reminding some of us who have forgotten that the good outweighs the bad.

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare

A Nation's Call [Song]

Uploaded by KMP MUSICLAB
A NATION'S CALL
By Duane O'Connor

This is a call to the nation. It's time to fight for your country.

Trinidad and Tobago, come to attention
Too much red in the rainbow, blood in the nation
Society in a crisis, lives being cut short
We are on some nations' blacklist, they blanking Trini port
The issues we cannot duck 'cause passing the blame doh work
The solutions have to come from within we rank
So we have to stop looking for some outside formula
To fix we social concerns, we have the answers.

A nation's call, we need ALL
Police man and soldier, pundit or pastor
From White Hall to market stall
All hands on deck to save Trinbago from further wreck
Every Trinbagonian, every man and woman
We got to rally for we country
NGOs and party, every conscious lobby
Nation never need you more, time to restore.

Get up, get up, get up, Trinidad and Tobago!
Too much red in the rainbow.

Whenever justice waivers, people get angry
Because deviant behaviours gain ascendancy
And no gambage or guntalk can fix these problems
Firstly all ------ must get caught in the legal system
Where there is no mutual trust in stakeholders among us
All your crime initiatives, they going to fail
Law-abiding citizens must see justice being done
Then confidence will be won, that's one solution.

A nation's call, we need ALL
Deosaran and Ryan, trade union and oil man
From White Hall to market stall
All hands on deck to save Trinbago from further wreck
Every Trinbagonian, every man and woman
We got to rally for we country
NGOs and party, every conscious lobby
Nation never need you more, time to restore.

Oh, Trinidad and Tobago, too much anger, too much murder!

This problem is much bigger than holding office
Because since bygone era we sowed the genesis
So no knee-jerk reaction or blaming each other
Cannot replace the strong plan that looks to the future
And serious interdiction for all the drugs and gun
CCTV, public eye and neighbourhood watch
Rogue cops and crooked soldiers must be made to pay
Opposition must not play games, strong nation is the aim.

A nation's call, we need ALL
Bongo drum and tassa, ---------- dragon dancer
From White Hall to market stall
All hands on deck to save Trinbago from further wreck
Every Trinbagonian, every man and woman
We got to rally for we country
NGOs and party, every conscious lobby
Nation never need you more, time to restore.

Let's pray, let's pray, kneel down and pray, help the youth, help the youth
Let's save the youth of this nation.

So here we are at the crossroads, we future in balance
Everywhere must bear their load, teachers and parents
From Parliament back to the church, PSA, NOC
Take the personal approach - all for T&T
True change, it begins with youth, the community first fruit
Time to harness youthful energy into national service
Socioeconomic initiatives for long term progress
Trinbago is we birthright, for country we go fight.

A nation's call, we need ALL
UTT and UWI, we fixing T&T
From White Hall to market stall
All hands on deck to save Trinbago from further wreck
Every Trinbagonian, every man and woman
We got to rally for we country
NGOs and party, every conscious lobby
Nation never need you more, time to restore.

Source: The lyrics posted on this blog are often transcribed directly from performances. Although it is my intention to faithfully transcribe I do not get all the words and I have a knack for hearing the wrong thing. Please feel free to correct me or to fill in the words that I miss by dropping me a message via e-mail. I'd be forever grateful. Thanks in advance! ..............................................................................................................................


A Note From The Gull

Thank you, Duane O'Connor.  

Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare