Bukas Loob sa Diyos
Catholic Charismatic Covenant Community

Years ago the most important decorations in churches, stores, parks, and in many homes was the CRIB in varied and beautiful presentations. As we contemplate before such cribs, we encounter one of the deepest riddles of life: why God as we know him to be – eternal, and omnipotent– chose for his coming into our world the poor accommodations of the crib, the lowly parents and visitors. What a contrast! The answer is that, God loves contrasts. True God and true man! Fully divine and fully human! God in Jesus has become “a sign of contradiction,” a “living paradox,” a living parable that can be told again and again.

Nowadays we seldom see the Crib displayed in homes and public places, except for our churches which still keep the tradition. Probably we have not “taken in” the answer, the meaning of the riddle of life. Probably the Filipino has become so poor and the “poor crib” expensive! In the parishes, for nine “aguinaldo masses” the parishioners are led to reflect on God’s question “Is there still a place for God?”

Today’s Christmas celebration, although centuries from the historical birth of Jesus Christ, continues the pulse of that momentous birth, because it is not the birth of just a great man of this world, it is the birth of one who continues to be born in the hearts of men and women “who hear the Word of God and obey it.” He is the WORD made FLESH. As long as we can find him in our hearts, in the heart of every man and woman, of every human being, never mind if we fail to see him displayed in our homesand public places. Christmas is not a matter of remembering a past event of the birth of Jesus. .Christmas is a celebration of the new presence, the new companionship, the new image of God in our life as Man. It is an event that cannot be consigned to the past because He is the “Living One” “who is and who was and who is to come” (Rev. 1/18 & 4).

What does the coming New Year hold for us, for our country? If we really believe that God in Jesus invades our human situation even now and until now, we can verily expect that He can transform the worst of times into the best of times, our failures into victories, our tragedies into transformations, our curses into blessings.

A Blessed Christmas to all!

+ ANGELN. LAGDAMEO
Archbishop Emeritus of Jaro
& BLD Community Spiritual Director