After every atrocity in the global city there are days of discussion and debate as to why such acts are happening. Blame is thrown around at the individuals who perpetrated the atrocity and the organizations with which they are associated.

I used to work with the prison ministry as a seminarian, visiting the national penitentiary called Bilibid, a place for the "rejected and discarded," both young and old men and women deemed "worthless" by society, their communities and even by their own families and friends.

One afternoon while walking from work to the house, I met some people I did not know, and one of them was very helpful. A local deputy asked me where I was going.

Though she herself readily admitted that she couldn't sing, Gloria participated in the church choir every Sunday. When teased about it, she would laugh heartily and respond that if God wasn't pleased with the voice that He had given her, then He ought to do something to fix it!

Gloria worked the night shift at a family-owned convenience store. Generally, she worked six nights a week because she and her husband were determined to have the financial resources required to educate their four teenage daughters.

Over the course of several years, many of the store's customers came to know Gloria, not just as a courteous and efficient worker but also as a friend. At first, they were charmed by her warm greeting and bright