BLESSING AND DEDICATION OF BAAND LAW OFFICE
(0:00:00) DILG announced that bawal na yung inuman—you can’t drink [on] the side of the street. So a lawyer, a doctor, and an engineer said, since they’re going to start tomorrow, let’s have one last drinking session. And when they were tipsy and drunk, the doctor started boasting, you know when the Lord got the rib from Adam and made Eve, that is medicine.
(0:00:31) So the first profession is really medicine. So sabi ng engineer, but sandali lang. Before Adam and Eve, there was chaos, right? Yes. And through chaos, he made order. He made the world. Yes. That’s engineering, Brad. So engineering was the first profession.
(0:00:56) So sabi ng lawyer, but Brad, you said before there was order, there was chaos. Who do you think made the chaos? So, I’d like to talk a little bit about mission and vision. My dad would get mad at me about lawyer jokes.
(0:01:17) Sabi niya Anak, I’m doing everything, my program, you know, to get people to believe in the legal profession. Then you’ll make jokes. So I said, don’t worry, Dad. I won’t make any more lawyer jokes because anyway, there’s only two lawyer jokes. Sabi, what do you mean there’s only two lawyer jokes? Well, all of the rest are true. So there’s only two. Of course, nagalit ulit and…
(0:01:42) Now I do not make lawyer jokes unless there’s a meaning to it. So in every law office put up today and every graduate, and I really like to honor yung ating mga nagtuturo—mga professors and those who are spending time with the next generation. Of course, former CJ who dedicated her life in judicial reform then.
(0:02:09) It’s really a choice. So when the apostles had everything, miracle after miracle after miracle, imagine no food, being able to feed 5,000 people with a few pieces of fish. What was on the mind of the apostles walking with the Lord Jesus? Remember, there was no McDonald’s, Jollibee, or Mang Inasal before. So when they’re going to walk to the next town, it’s but normal. They’d look at each other and say, do we have enough food?
(0:02:39) Do we have enough resources? Not everyone had a mule or a donkey. Not everyone had shoes. But the Lord Jesus read their minds and told them, Seek first my kingdom and righteousness, and everything shall be added unto you. So I think that’s the only advice I can really give you today. That even without the second part, that everything will be added to you. Don’t seek VIPs. Seek Very Important Believers — VIBs, but not VIPs. Don’t seek those big cases, those big clients, etc. Just seek God’s righteousness and His kingdom. And believe me, ‘di ba?
(0:03:27) You know pretty soon [we] will have to inaugurate a bigger office for all of you, all of you guys. Because, you know, everyone lies but we’re not liars. God does not lie. So when God says, seek first the kingdom and righteousness and everything shall be added, you know, you are called for this.
(0:03:46) So let me close lang in saying this, I’d like to quote someone I’ve been reading. So together with many here, Bishop Noel and Sister Chona, brother Tuna, have attended the conference we’ve been hosting the last three years. It led me to this book. The name of the African author is Njideka Anyadike.
(0:04:10) So she said, when Africa became Christian, and this is all denominations, Catholic, Evangelicals, and all, everything in between, from Jesuits to the very conservative, also from Baptists to Pentecostals, everything, from Opus Dei members. Sabi niya parang she lost more hope.
(0:04:38) And she said, Lord, I don’t want to be in politics anymore because there’s no hope. More Christians, more corruption. That was her mind. Then she was praying down and the Lord Holy Spirit told her, you know what your problem is? You think you can give a political solution to a spiritual problem.
(0:04:58) So, yes, we’re in a law office, but our problem is not legal. Our problem is not political. There’s an oil crisis, but our problem is not economic or financial. Our problem is [also] spiritual. And when we solve that, the doors of heaven will just open. And the political, economic, social solutions will come there. So thank you for making us a part of this. We’ll continue praying for you. Be the salt and light in everything. And just an honor to be with all of you today. Thank you, man.
