Posted on March 21, 2008 in Bar Exams
The bar exam result is usually released, by design or sheer coincidence, after the Holy Week. This makes the Holy Week reflections more meaningful, I guess. Regardless of one’s faith or religion, each one prays to his/her God. Each one implores his/her God to be in the 18% or so examinees who’ll make it. It would seem it’s a matter of who is closer to his/her God or whose God is more powerful.
To sweeten the deal, so to speak, it’s not uncommon for the examinee to make a pact with his/her God that if he/she makes it, he/she will do this or do that. More often than not, that pact involves an undertaking to make a positive change in the legal profession and the society in general. Help the poor. Help the oppressed. Seek the truth. Dispense justice.
It’s so easy to make those promises. The more difficult part is actually passing the bar exams. The MOST difficult part, after passing the bar exams, is keeping the promise. The new lawyer will be faced with the imperfections of the legal profession. There will be temptations. There will be legal issues, but that’s not the difficult part.
The life-changing decisions are made with respect to moral dilemmas. When you see injustice, what will you do? When you are about to become a part of injustice, what will you do? When the circumstances require you to do something contrary to the promise you once made to your God, what will you do? How will you justify breaking your pact?
If you get to this part, you must be thinking these are all rubbish. Of course I will keep my promise to God, you say. Of course I will not become a part of, and will stand against, injustice. Of course I will not do anything contrary to the rules of ethics. Of course I will pursue justice with all my heart. These are your answers today.
Three years after taking your lawyer’s oath, please drop by again and tell me if your answers are still the same. In the meantime, enjoy the summer vacation.
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For me I asked God to lend me his holy spirit or to send me an angel while takig the exams, coz I know for myself that I can’t do anything anymore at that time, just like in the movie “the notebook” – They say that science has its limitations, beyond that its’s God. I promised God that I will continue serving Him, whatever outcome of the result for me, I will continue to praise him. And I always thank Him for sharing to me this gift of life, where I can still prove myself, my worth.
I agree that it is too idealistic to make promises with Him, but it is also important to do that especially in prayers, since this is the time where we intimately talk to God about all the things we want and need to convey to Him.
It is the purity of our heart and the strength of our faith that giveth life to our prayers, and if we accept that God knows when such prayers should be granted, we will never be disappointed nor despair.
If we would be able to break our promises with Him, I believe that He is still giving us the chance and the time to fulfill whatever we told Him. Let us give ourselves that benefit.
Too all of us who took the exams, our journey will not stop by the release of the result, but it is the beginning of a new task reposed to us. So grab on to whatever lies in front of us and be merry for these are all God’s kindness to us.
i pray hard for ms. ruth balita.
i hope you make it this time.
Its almost a year since I took the oath, and to date I am glad that I have not encountered any “life-changing decisions with respect to moral dilemmas” but its too early to tell. I dread the day, that I will be faced with one.
After all the excitement of seeing my name in the list, parang nakakalungkot lang, to witness how imperfect the legal profession are sometimes…
I would like to thank this site, for helping me survive last year’s tension…. .
To the 2007 barristers, goodluck and God Bless.
Warrior, very well said. Your comments are always worth reading.
Edmund, I’m not scaring anyone, just a food for thought. On the other hand, I feel it’s really improper to assume that, although He knows everything, He already knows the desires of our hearts and we should not ask. Didn’t He tell us to ask, and it shall be given . . .? Peace. =)
Raldr, you’re in your first years. Two years to go and, hopefully, this site is still up by then so we could read what you have to say. =)
Everyone, good luck and God bless.