Reason for the season
SOME years ago when I was assigned at the Divine Word College of Legazpi, Albay, I once visited a lone elderly confrere, who was director of a high school in Sorsogon.
A social mixer, he would get invited to dine in friends’ houses. He liked it because he would not cook meals anymore and save on food budget.
On my visit, true enough, he told me we would eat lunch outside.
* * * Since we were late, we went straight to the table and helped ourselves with the buffet. As we sat in one corner, quietly doing justice to our overflowing plates, I leaned to my confrere and whispered: “Father, malaking handaan ito. Ano bang okasyon? (This is a big party. What’s the occasion?) He stepped on my foot and said: “Huwag kang maingay. Hindi ko rin alam. Basta’t kumain ka na lang ng kumain.Wala na tayong ganito mamayang gabi.” (Keep quiet. I also don’t know. Just keep on eating. We won’t have like this anymore tonight”).
* * * That amiable “cowboy” priest has passed away. But that amusing experience illustrates how many of us celebrate Christmas year in and year out.
For don’t we tend to “eat, drink, and be merry,” and forget WHY in the world we’re doing all this?
It’s like going to a birthday party, rush to the food-laden table, and don’t even bother to greet the celebrant!
* * * The trouble is that our modern society has commercialized Christmas so much that we’ve mistaken the icing for the cake, the accidents for the substance. The truth of the matter is that Christmas is a religious event.
* * * While the merry-making and feasting are part of the Christmas tradition, let’s not forget its original and spiritual dimension.
Here are some concrete ways of preparing ourselves spiritually for Christmas:
• Meditate on the mystery of Christmas before your belen and ask why Jesus came to our world. Pray and thank God for sending His Son to save us.
• Attend the nine-day Simbang Gabi or Misa de Gallo climaxed by the Misa de Aguinaldo. It’s a form of penance, too, getting up early on cold mornings.
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• Share your blessings with the less fortunate.
• Since Christmas is celebrating the Grand Reconciliation between
God and mankind brought about by Christ’s redemption, strive to forgive and reconcile with your fellowmen. For instance, for people who have not been on talking terms for months and years, this is an opportune time to forgive and forget.
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Also, going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession is an excellent form of spiritual preparation.
If we prepare ourselves spiritually, then our Christmas will be more meaningful, more joyful, more fulfilling because we’re celebrating the real spirit of Christmas.
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MOVIE BENEFIT FOR SEMINARIANS. The SVD Mission Communications is sponsoring a movie – “Star Wars: Last of the Jedi” – which will be shown this December 15 at the SM Centerpoint Cinema, Sta. Mesa, Manila. The proceeds will go to the educational fund of seminarians.
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Please help our project by buying or selling tickets or be a corporate sponsor. For inquiry, call Brian Deguito at tel. 723-3343 or 726-5002 or e-mail me at belsvd@gmail.com.
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FROM THE MANGER TO THE MALL — A Christmas story is shown in Gateway Gallery today Dec. 10 at 3 p.m. The show--free admission--by Fringe Benefits Production features the kids from Cubao Elementary School with Francis Samson from Baguio City, Hannah Parambita, among others.
EVERYONE IS INVITED.