Every Day is a Gift

          It's Christmas morning! And many people in this side of the world are still sleeping at 8:09 am. I woke up with the priest's words during the Christmas eve mass still ringing in my ears. His main message centered on the theme: "Can we see Jesus who was born in lowliness and in poverty?"            In our culture, the long Christmas celebration which starts in October until January, focuses on the material aspects -- food, parties, new clothes and gadgets. If not for Yolanda, people would still have those annual big and pompous celebration. I believe that calamities do happen before Christmas to give us a message -- TO SIMPLIFY.            I remember last year, when I introduced a gift-less Christmas to my family in respect to the Pablo victims and survivors. It was done but was not well received. Nakasanayan na kasi eh (It has been a tradition.) . And worse, I heard " Si Tito Nel kas...

          How would you perceive the image of the cross? Is it a sign of a victory or a defeat? Is it a sign of hope or a sign of failure? These are but some of the questions we can raise in our mind in relation to today's complex world.           Personally, I would claim that we should always be grateful to our Lord Jesus Christ for His preparedness to sacrifice even His own life to merit our salvation. With this in mind and in heart, I unceasingly put my prayer that may our minds be enlightened by the power of the Holy Spirit, the source of truth, so that any decision that we will make about other people may be all honest and sincere. if we can live by the principles of truth the we will contribute to the peace and harmony in our society no matter where we are in.            Consequently the image of the cross for me is a paradox of what it meant to be for others. The cross where Jesus died is a complet...