The Feast of Sto. Niño

During the month of January . The feast of Sto. Niño is celebrated in almost all places in the Philippines. The feast of the Sto. Niño brings us back to the birth of Christianity in the Philippines. The feast is an occasion for recalling with thanksgiving how the precious gift of Christianity came to us.


The story ,as we very well know, is part of the story of conquistadors like Ferdinand Magellan. Magellan had in his company Antonio Pigafetta who chronicled his travels. Pigafetta’s diary tells it all.

Magellan was met by King Humabon and his family, his courtiers and his followers. Filled with missionary zeal, Magellan preached to them about accepting Christianity. In their simplicity they responded and many of the natives were baptized together with the royal family.

On this occasion, as was the practice of conquistadors, Magellan left gifts behind. It is almost certain that one gift he offered was an image of the Sto. Niño.

Why do we celebrate the feast of the Sto Niño? The reason we have for celebrating it is not exactly the same as the reason we have for celebrating Christmas. In Christmas we celebrate the gift of salvation and the powerful lesson that greatness does not depend on a show of power but on a demonstration of humility. Now the feast is mainly a thanksgiving feast for the gift of Christianity.

More than that, however, it is also a reminder that the destiny of this nation depends very much on the restoration and the strengthening of the values which Christianity first planted in the Philippines.

The Story of Christmas at Marikina

The Marikina City government with the help of the owner of The Manila C.O.D. transformed the Marikina City Hall into a stage-like establishment depicting the story of The First Christmas.

I was able to visit and watch the 30-minute show last December 19 with my family. It was a show of moving human-sized dolls/puppets. It started with the replica of Marikina City Mayor Maridess Fernando asking the children affected by the typhoon on how they will celebrate their Christmas. Upon hearing how sad these kids was about their situation, she then told the story of the First Christmas.



She even ended it saying that people sometimes go through difficult situations, like Joseph and Mary when they travelled to Bethlehem.

Christmas As God Wants It To Be

Christmas is fast approaching, and I can feel it. There are lots of small stalls in almost everywhere selling everything from apples to christmas decors, to clothes and shoes. It's nice to see this colorful sight. But, I am saddened by the thought that I still have'nt bought anything for my family.
My kids are starting to talk about their Christmas Parties ans I have not yet prepared the stuffs they'll be needing. Well, money is needed to buy those stuff and I have'nt got the amount I need yet.Then, I started wondering why Christmas is so commercialized nowadays. Is'nt it that so much festivities and commercialization makes us neglect what Christmas really is for?
Here are some things I thought of doing to make Christmas season what God wants is to be:
1. Recover what's been lost through commercialization of the season. Don't buy cards that say "Season's Greetings" or "Yuletide Wishes". Be sure the message you'll send and the wishes you offer reflect the true meaning of Christmas. We may also have a manger scene in our home as decoration.
2. Discover the true message of Christmas. No matter how familiar you are with the Christmas Story, read it or watch a video of it with your family.
3. Uncover the gift of life God gave to the world at Bethlehem. Christmas is a great opportunity to share our personal faith and commitment to Jesus Christ. It's a Christian Holiday, and there's no better time to "speak up" and to uncover the true message.

May all of us be able to reflect the true meaning of Chrismas. Let's not let that simple message be obscured by gifts, clothes, and colorful lights.

Our New Hero

Efren Peñaflorida was named 2009 CNN Hero of the Year. He is a Cavite City Native who pioneered a brand of mobile education, or the pushcart class room for the urban poor youth. In his acceptance speech, he said: "Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need.

In his acceptance speech at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, CNN quoted him as saying: "Serve, serve well, serve others above yourself and be happy to serve. As I always tell my co-volunteers... you are the change that you dream as I am the change that I dream and collectively we are the change that this world needs to be."

I've only watched him in an episode of "Wish Ko Lang" when the program granted his wish of additional books for the poor children they are teaching, and now he has made a name for himself not because his wealthy or powerful but beacause he has given time in helping those children.

We had voted for him because we believe and support what he is doing. I believe, we should also follow his example, we can be heroes in our own ways.