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Christmas after Christmas, we are witnessing how
artificial Christmas trees, blinking lights, wreaths and
other West-influenced ornaments, including snowmen,
socks, candy canes, mistletoes and images of Santa are
dominating, and seem to be actually replacing, the
prime symbol of Christmas—the humble manger or
sabsaban.
Commercialism and marketing have greatly influenced
most, if not all, occasions we know—from Valentine’s,
Mother’s, All Souls, Father’s and Grandparents’ days,
and Christmas, most especially. These celebrations are
sure to be well-advertised with seasonal marketing
campaigns coming from all sectors in the business
industry, from the lowly vendor to multinational
companies. Marketing campaigns geared toward both
short-term and long-term indoctrination for each
particular theme or season have been formulated and, of
course, the biggest season of them all is Christmas.
Christmas ornaments that have a “winter” theme like
snowflakes have gained so much popularity. Snowflakes in
the Philippines—soften you up for climate change.
In the
Philippines, just a few decades back, the main Christmas
symbol was the star-shaped Christmas lantern or parol.
And to us Filipinos, this symbol would be very
appropriate, both historically and logically, since the
star of Bethlehem, also known as the Star of Jesus or
the Christmas Star, would have been our only direct
visual link to the birth of Jesus. Not the manger or the
Three Kings, and particularly not snowflakes.
But, the
manger would still be the prime symbol anywhere for
Christmas, for that is what Christmas is all about—Jesus
being born. The humble manger features the Infant Jesus,
Saint Mary,
Saint Joseph
and some unexpected visitors: the shepherds, wise men
from the East and farm animals. But in its most basic
form, the key characters are Baby Jesus, Mama Mary and
Papa Joseph—The Holy Family.
To find
the meaning and relish the message of the manger or the
Holy Family in reverence to Christmas and in terms of
our everyday lives, we go to Pope John Paul II’s
Centesimus Annus and Pope Paul VI’s Populorum Progressio.
The
Centesimus Annus of Pope John Paul II underscores the
value of the family to each individual. The family, the
Pope teaches us, is where children learn the importance
of truth and goodness. It teaches by example and
experience the importance of love and the meaning of
love, how to be human and live in humanity. All
leaderships, be they in the business, government,
religious, education or civic sector must, therefore,
put the individual family unit as its primary concern.
The simple test question when confronted with decisions
that have to be made should be: Would the decision bring
families closer together or farther apart?
In
Populorum Progressio, Pope Paul VI emphasizes the family
being part of God’s divine plan to unite different
generations and make them realize and recognize the
rights of each.
“. . .
But man finds his true identity only in his social
milieu, where the family plays a fundamental role. . .
the natural family, monogamous and stable, such as the
divine plan conceived it and as Christianity sanctified
it, must remain the place where the various generations
come together and help one another to grow wiser and to
harmonize personal rights with the other requirements of
social life.”
The
Filipino family is faced with countless challenges and
difficulties. Some arise from lack of basic necessities,
like food, clothing and shelter; some from deeper
emotional calamities. We encounter families that,
although materially well-off, are faced with rather
serious crises. There are families forced to part
because one member has to work overseas and has to
sacrifice and put to risk the unity of the family. Many
mothers and fathers of families have gone on “different”
directions, so to speak.
And a
number of us continue to be blinded by “snowflakes,”
Christmas trees, gifts, vacations, worries and useless
anxieties that we forget what it is all about—family.
Will you be with your family this Christmas? Where is
your family this Christmas?
This is
why I’m writing this article this early, to give you
time to think of family—your family—before Christmas,
and hopefully give you ample time to put it in the
center of your schedules. And should some of us be
blessed enough to be able to share, please do so in the
spirit of being able to bring other families together or
closer to one another this Christmas.
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