My Christmas postscript

(This column appears in today's edition of the Leyte-Samar Daily Express)

Hi there! It’s nice to be back. So we have started the New Year with the usual bunch of soothsayers (just wondering, what I.Q. score or degree does it take to be one?) giving this and that prediction that’s either happy or grim. Well, I’d rather settle for the happy ones, and the predictions on fashion and techie trends and yes, trends in carrying out one’s love life (oops, what am I saying?). Along that fantasy line (pardon the term), come the realities of life, at least as reported on TV - new toll fees, new taxi flag down rate, the higher mrt fare, gas and taxes (forget the last two, it’s there since the time I can remember). And yes, the same salary. So what else is new? Oh well, let’s not include the floods and death or injuries that go or went along with it, it’s one of the sad realities of life. But, so are taxes and bad governance too (lest I forget).

Back to the predictions of these astrologers or whatever you call them, I still have to hear one of them predict if there will be more or lesser crime in the year to come. Surely there will be less of these in May when Manny P. goes to the ring again.

Problems, problems, problems. What is life without these? I guess Evita (or the creator of the character of the musical) was correct when she sang this line during her waltz with Che, “… (problems) from war to pollution, no hope of solution even if I live for 100 years” Very well-said madame.

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My Christmas postscript. Christmas in my hometown. Let me give you what I got from the web. It’s the article entitled “What is the origin of the Nativity Scene (creche)?” by Fr. William Saunders.

The story of the origin of the Christmas creche rests with the very holy man, St. Francis of Assisi. In the year 1223, St. Francis, a deacon, was visiting the town of Grecio to celebrate Christmas. Grecio was a small town built on a mountainside overlooking a beautiful valley. The people had cultivated the fertile area with vineyards. St. Francis realized that the chapel of the Franciscan hermitage would be too small to hold the congregation for Midnight Mass. So he found a niche in the rock near the town square and set up the altar. However, this Midnight Mass would be very special, unlike any other Midnight Mass.

St. Bonaventure (d. 1274) in his Life of St. Francis of Assisi tells the story the best:
It happened in the third year before his death, that in order to excite the inhabitants of Grecio to commemorate the nativity of the Infant Jesus with great devotion, [St. Francis] determined to keep it with all possible solemnity; and lest he should be accused of lightness or novelty, he asked and obtained the permission of the sovereign Pontiff. Then he prepared a manger, and brought hay, and an ox and an ass to the place appointed. The brethren were summoned, the people ran together, the forest resounded with their voices, and that venerable night was made glorious by many and brilliant lights and sonorous psalms of praise. The man of God [St. Francis] stood before the manger, full of devotion and piety, bathed in tears and radiant with joy; the Holy Gospel was chanted by Francis, the Levite of Christ. Then he preached to the people around the nativity of the poor King; and being unable to utter His name for the tenderness of His love, He called Him the Babe of Bethlehem. A certain valiant and veracious soldier, Master John of Grecio, who, for the love of Christ, had left the warfare of this world, and become a dear friend of this holy man, affirmed that he beheld an Infant marvelously beautiful, sleeping in the manger, Whom the blessed Father Francis embraced with both his arms, as if he would awake Him from sleep. This vision of the devout soldier is credible, not only by reason of the sanctity of him that saw it, but by reason of the miracles which afterwards confirmed its truth. For example of Francis, if it be considered by the world, is doubtless sufficient to excite all hearts which are negligent in the faith of Christ; and the hay of that manger, being preserved by the people, miraculously cured all diseases of cattle, and many other pestilences; God thus in all things glorifying his servant, and witnessing to the great efficacy of his holy prayers by manifest prodigies and miracles.

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So why devote precious editorial space who one piece of religious history which most of us would frown upon? Well, I gave it much thought after being at Christ the King College for the recent Taragapo. There were Nativity scenes all over the place. And then I realized that in Calbayog, Christmas is when the workers start erecting the giant Christmas tree at the plaza. The same tree that seemed to have grown thinner in the past few years. Sign of the times perhaps? (Oops, me and my mouth!). Yup, the Christmas tree meant that people will once again drink and eat in the Plaza, and yes it’s Chrsitmas.

Of course it’s nor only in Calbayog that we see the tree during the Christmas season. Try installing one during the other months of the year and it’s not only the funny glances and stares that you will get. Yup, it’s (or it was) all over the place – the Christmas tree, Santa Claus, bonuses, 13th month pay (oops not all private employees got this, if I may tell you), the bazaars, the Christmas sales, and yes, even Oplan Isnabero (thanks you DOTC).

Certainly Christmas has come a long way. Yup even the Nativity scene has been glamorized. Nope I’m not here to give you a lecture on the significance of the season which ended last Sunday. We have more than enough of our share of sermons, err homilies, talks on TV and write-ups in our dailies (do I have to mentions blogs too?). There is one thing that remain about Christmas in my hometown and I suppose in everybody else’s hometown – that people still take time to reflect on the greatest gift that the Almighty has given to all of us. And this is found in the generosity that a good number of people showed by giving food and gifts to the prisoners, the elderly and even the street urchin around the corner. Again, it’s nice to note that we have reserved a few days before the end of the year to do acts of goodwill to our fellowmen, seasonal as it may be. (Smile, it’s a weekend)

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Back to the story of the Nativity Scene. Let me end today’s column with the words of Fr. Saunders: Although the story is long old, the message is clear for us. Our own Nativity scenes which rest under our Christmas trees are a visible reminder of that night when our Savior was born. May we never forget to see in our hearts the little Babe of Bethlehem, who came to save us from sin. We must never forget that the wood of the manger that held Him so securely would one day give way to the wood of the cross. May we too embrace Him with all of our love as did St. Francis. To my readers, I wish that you had a very holy Christmas. Ciao!