Parol, a Pinoy Christmas symbol!

.”…Pasko! Pasko! Pasko na namang muli, tanging araw na ‘ting pinakamimithi…ang Pag-ibig naghahari!”  While that song is being sang these days gift-giving culture is permeating our awareness once again!  A wonderful Christmas-spirit! But likewise, that brings the Christmas-consumerism-spirit too!

This latter spirit exaggerates a lot of things: It exaggerates our expenses. It exaggerates our not very good financial condition.  It exaggerates our lack of money and it exaggerates our complains about our life’s difficulties with the global financial crisis and the effects of the recents typhoons!  Year after year and Christmas after Christmas we always hear people fuss, “Mas magaan ang buhay last year kesa this year!”

It is our nature to easily see, focus and complain on the negative things and developments.  We naturally see the bad people where ever we go!  We see bad things in our work places, we see the bad attitude of our bosses, we see the bad work practices of the one near our office cubicle, we see how badly our clients demand from us.  We see bad bad bad things!  We are pessimists naturelle!

But – what we behold is what we get! What we see is what transforms us to become!  When we see bad things, bad things happen to us!  And bad things will get in our way!

That is the reason why St. Paul wrote very strongly in his letter to the pessimist people of the city of Philippi: “…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – If anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things…And the God of peace will be with you.”

It is true that this Christmas Season the world is not in the best condition…but let us intentionally seek for the good you can find in your family, in your work, in your co-workers, in your employers, in your clients and in the people you get along everyday.  Then, you will discover that true to what Paul promised…you will have God’s peace this Christmas!

Have an peaceful Holiday preparations!

*Bible verse Reference: Philippians 4: 8, 9b

Consider one passage coming from the Bible, that says “…(we) must work, doing something useful with our own hands, so that we may have something to share with those in need.” [Ephesians 4: 28]  That is being generous!

GENEROSITY is a very good virtue!  Yet, if we do not have something to share we cannot practice it! I don’t mean, though, that those with less resources should not be generous. But let me ask you this question…who gave much during & after the Ondoy tragedy? They were the ones with greater resources!

Our jobs provide our means for living & if we know how to manage those, it will make all the possibilities to be generous with people who are much more in need than us.

From the resources we get from our jobs God wanted us to be generous!