In line with advent, allow me to share something I wrote in my journal a long time ago (Yes, I did keep journals in college and, like I always say, I prefer calling these notebooks "journals" since "diaries" are for women. But I'm already getting away. Carry on). I wrote this journal entry last December 24, 2007 and is actually divided into two parts: the first part I wrote down before we went to the midnight Christmas mass and the second part was written after our Noche Buena.
The reason why I'm sharing this is because, ever so often, we miss out on the "real" reason why we're celebrating Christmas. Hence, we often feel that our Christmases, despite the presents and the festivities, are both hollow and lacking in substance. I do hope that this post will serve as a point of reflection for others, guiding them to the actual cause for celebration in this season of hope. Here goes:
First Part (Actual Entry)
It's almost Christmas and right now, I'm feeling numb. Lonely even. Not happy at all. Ambut uy. Wait. What else pa ba ang dapat buhatun? Let's see. Lit 33 report. Chapt 4,6,8 sa Thesis. Ok, Lord, help me. This is another boring Christmas. Is Christ aware of that? I don't feel renewed kay I didn't make an effort to renew myself. Sa New Year's Eve na lang. Really, I feel so old na (a la Kris Aquino).
Second Part (Actual Entry)
Damn! How could I have forgotten! Ginasulat naku ni kay para kung muabot ang Christmas next year puhon, kung feeling napud naku na empty ang Christmas, pwede naku basahun ang part sa akong journal nani ug ma-remind ko what exactly am I celebrating about this Christmas. Na-struck man gud ko sa sermon kaganiha sa pari. According to one father of the church, St. Iraneus ba to?, Christmas is a celebration of the "marvelous exchange", a phenomenon he beautifully stated in these words: That the Son of God became the Son of Man so that the sons of man can become sons of God. Beautiful. Bitaw noh? Christmas is never about being happy; it is about celebrating the incarnation of God. That's what it's all about. It is not about family reunions, peace, unity, generosity, charity, although there are, shall we say, "perks" of Christmas. Sa Christmas, we get to reminisce, reflect, and remember how the greatest story ever started. Gi-ingon pud sa Pari na ang mga mangaroling daw, naay purpose: they are supposed to be carrolling to tell people the Greatest Story ever. It was never about telling people, singing pala, crappy songs and collecting change. It's about telling people that Christ did come. To digress lang gamay, ganahan kaayo ko katung last line sa Cinderella, featuring Drew Barrymore, it says: ambut kung makuha naku exactly-"Yes, they did live happily ever after. But what's more important is that they lived." Bongga. I like that line. What's more important daw is that the story is true. Ok, let's go back. According to the priest, the problem with Christmas is that it has become too commercialized that we already start forgetting Christ, the reason for the celebration. In place, we have Christmas decorations and Santa Claus, all of this stuff that distract us from truly celebrating it. Song lyrics: "Bahala na kung wala man akong syota. Bahala na kung wala namang ham. Bahala na kung malayo ang pamilya. Basta't nandito si Kristo, pasko ko'y kumpleto na." Most of the time, we endorse Christmas values (like being with family, unity, peace, generosity) but no longer Christ. On hindsight, that's what made GMA's short film festival outputs so un-appealing: wala ang diwa ng pasko. Wala si Kristo. And it felt like, every time I watched one of those films, I felt cheated because I was being "commercialized", being swayed to think that the essence of Christmas need not include Jesus Christ. Christian values are enough. Hay naku. Ok, that's it.
Ok, that's it for this post too. Merry Christmas!
The reason why I'm sharing this is because, ever so often, we miss out on the "real" reason why we're celebrating Christmas. Hence, we often feel that our Christmases, despite the presents and the festivities, are both hollow and lacking in substance. I do hope that this post will serve as a point of reflection for others, guiding them to the actual cause for celebration in this season of hope. Here goes:
First Part (Actual Entry)
It's almost Christmas and right now, I'm feeling numb. Lonely even. Not happy at all. Ambut uy. Wait. What else pa ba ang dapat buhatun? Let's see. Lit 33 report. Chapt 4,6,8 sa Thesis. Ok, Lord, help me. This is another boring Christmas. Is Christ aware of that? I don't feel renewed kay I didn't make an effort to renew myself. Sa New Year's Eve na lang. Really, I feel so old na (a la Kris Aquino).
Second Part (Actual Entry)
Damn! How could I have forgotten! Ginasulat naku ni kay para kung muabot ang Christmas next year puhon, kung feeling napud naku na empty ang Christmas, pwede naku basahun ang part sa akong journal nani ug ma-remind ko what exactly am I celebrating about this Christmas. Na-struck man gud ko sa sermon kaganiha sa pari. According to one father of the church, St. Iraneus ba to?, Christmas is a celebration of the "marvelous exchange", a phenomenon he beautifully stated in these words: That the Son of God became the Son of Man so that the sons of man can become sons of God. Beautiful. Bitaw noh? Christmas is never about being happy; it is about celebrating the incarnation of God. That's what it's all about. It is not about family reunions, peace, unity, generosity, charity, although there are, shall we say, "perks" of Christmas. Sa Christmas, we get to reminisce, reflect, and remember how the greatest story ever started. Gi-ingon pud sa Pari na ang mga mangaroling daw, naay purpose: they are supposed to be carrolling to tell people the Greatest Story ever. It was never about telling people, singing pala, crappy songs and collecting change. It's about telling people that Christ did come. To digress lang gamay, ganahan kaayo ko katung last line sa Cinderella, featuring Drew Barrymore, it says: ambut kung makuha naku exactly-"Yes, they did live happily ever after. But what's more important is that they lived." Bongga. I like that line. What's more important daw is that the story is true. Ok, let's go back. According to the priest, the problem with Christmas is that it has become too commercialized that we already start forgetting Christ, the reason for the celebration. In place, we have Christmas decorations and Santa Claus, all of this stuff that distract us from truly celebrating it. Song lyrics: "Bahala na kung wala man akong syota. Bahala na kung wala namang ham. Bahala na kung malayo ang pamilya. Basta't nandito si Kristo, pasko ko'y kumpleto na." Most of the time, we endorse Christmas values (like being with family, unity, peace, generosity) but no longer Christ. On hindsight, that's what made GMA's short film festival outputs so un-appealing: wala ang diwa ng pasko. Wala si Kristo. And it felt like, every time I watched one of those films, I felt cheated because I was being "commercialized", being swayed to think that the essence of Christmas need not include Jesus Christ. Christian values are enough. Hay naku. Ok, that's it.
Ok, that's it for this post too. Merry Christmas!
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