The Agony of the Poor

Mang Jose is praying at the garden of Gethsemane in Lucban, Quezon. His callous hands were trembling in the same rhytmn as the grumbling of his stomach. He got only P25 pesos in his pocket. His jeepney fare going to work will cost him P15 and the remaining P10 can only buy 3 skyflakes for his lunch. As he walked into his construction barracks , he remember what his daughter said to him. "Tatay, if the cost of jeepney fare ate a lot of your daily income it means our economy does not benefit the poor". He can not understand what his daughter told him but what he experienced daily taught him that he is in much worst situation than before.
In the store near the construction place, Aling Maria replaces the price of rice. The Sinandomeng that Mang Jose bought every payday now costs P32. Mang Jose shook his head as he estimated that he can buy only 5 kilos of rice for his family this coming payday. As he is riding the jeepney going home, his Pareng Jun, a jeepney driver told him that the drivers will go on strike next week to demand P8 jeepney fare. Mang Jose did not say anything as he felt a sudden anger on his soul that he need to let it out or else his mind will explode. I could not take it anymore..... I could not take it anymore....
Meanwhile, the moneyed class are in their usual mode. They go on shopping abroad, watching concerts of foreign artists in Araneta and buying the latest Italian shoes & bags.
The upper class can not feel the pain of their poor brethren and sisters.
Our country is not blessed of people who love their country deep.
The poor will think of first of having something to fill their stomach before they feel that they are part of country.
The upper class will need a painful lesson before they feel that they are part of country.
The middle class need to be awaken in order for them to rekindle the feeling that they are part of the country.
Meanwhile, Mang Jose is now thinking of something radical. On his head he will go on a riot if he can not feed his family in the coming days. He has nothing to loose because he feel that he is already dead anyway.
We got few days to help Mang Jose and his kind in convincing not to do it. Let us talk to Mang Jose that it is against God and the law to go on a riot. But will they listen to us?.
Jesus said that the poor will be in our midst always but he did not say that we let the poor starved.