Merry Christmas
THE JOYOUS season of the year is upon us, with the excitement reaching feverish levels as the most anticipated date of the year arrives. Christmas is many things to as many people- depending of their personal needs, longings, dreams as well as the different trials and travails life has brought them. Allow your columnist to share his thoughts of the many faces of Christmas.
C is for Christ, after all it is His birthday and everyone is Christendom participates in its celebration, from the most festive noisy fanfare to the most solemn prayer. C is also for the bright colors - the flaming reds of the poinsettias compete with the bright yellows of our sunflowers with the energizing background of evergreen. C is for children who consider Christmas as their own birthday as of it is their birthright to claim it. And don’t forget, C is for all the carols that flood the airwaves as early as the September.
H is Heaven, our eyes look up to the sky whispering a lil prayer of thanks, just like the Three Kings looking up guided by the Star of Bethlehem to the birthplace of Jesus.
R is redeemer of humanity. Which is Jesus. . Reunions of kindred spirits and relatives who were separated by years or distance dictated and demanded by work e.g. our OFW. Reconciliations become easier as one swallows his/her foolish pride when one realizes that Life is too short to harbor ill feelings; and that being the first to say Im sorry does not in any way diminish personal worth and instead show strength of character
I is the innocence of youth as a lot of Catholics show fond devotion to Baby Jesus or the playful Santo Nino- Sinulog in Cebu- And why not the words I love you? These are words which must be said while the recipient or beloved still can hear them and appreciate the loads
of affection and care that go with them
S is for all the frantic shopping which reaches neurotic proportionsnever mind the sweat, the heat as one inches his/her way through a congested nose-tonose narrow corridor and alleys of stores offering all sorts of items, supposedly on sale, just to make sure that everyone in the family has a gift on Christmas day.
T is for toys , sorry Seniors, remember Christmas is not the celebrated day that it is if not for the shouts of glee when the kids are finally allowed to open their wrapped gifts to find what they have been dreaming of. Observe too their childish pride as they show off, with a toothsome grin, their toys to their playmates
M is for Messiah- our Lord and Saviour. Masses or the Simbang Gabi which many devotees obediently complete, not daunted by the rains and winds of urduja and her cruel cohorts. M is for the Manger where Jesus was born, in its basic simplicity would remind Christendom of the humility and the lack of