BERNADETTE F. CUEVAS
The Christmas Day homily of Fr. Kali Pietre Llamado at the Manila Cathedral talked about the difference in Christmas of 2022. He said we usually think of “a” Christmas as a time of giving, and indeed, it is true that for many people, Christmas is about giving and receiving. Preparation for advent is an endless shopping, both online and onsite, overshadowing the hopeful, loving, joyful, and peaceful waiting for the birth of Jesus.
But what if we begin thinking of “a” Christmas as a time of healing? Will advent and the coming of Jesus find greater meaning in the waiting?
On a personal note, the beginning of 2022 was marked by our office lockdown due to Covid infections that brought more than 50% of our staff complement down. Thankfully, they were all mild, and praise God, in just a few weeks, our office was again Covid free. Towards Christmas, Covid again affected many of us, but the fear had been replaced by peace, and confidence that God would bring healing, as he had done in the past year. So advent became a time of hope for us, love because of the concern and care for those who got sick, joy because we celebrated life and inner peace as we became more trusting in the Lord.
Another healing experience came after the devastation brought about by natural calamities in parts of the Philippines at various times of the year be it earthquakes (in Northern Luzon), landslides, and flooding in Visayas and Mindanao. In our CFC community, love, caring, and sharing became the norm. CFC ANCOP became the avenue for help by providing relief, braving stormy weather, and bad roads to reach the most affected families by floods and landslides. Those who could not be actively and physically present sent prayers and material donations that fueled the relief.
Relief then turned to rehabilitation and rebuilding of destroyed homes as the victims courageously turned to the Lord in faith and began to rebuild their lives, thankful that they were alive to experience God’s healing.
The best lesson learned is that a life well lived in love and compassion is God’s most precious gift.
This brings us to the call of Pope Francis for an urgent radical response to the environmental crisis in his encyclical letter Laudato Si published in 2015. The healing of the world is everyone’s duty. More serious than the Covid crisis. As we begin 2023, may we all take to heart and be instruments of God’s healing hand by doing our part and keeping the spirit of the waiting of advent, full of hope, love, joy, and peace.”
“Whoever is in Christ is a new creation. The old things have passed away; Behold, new things have come.” (2Cor 5:17)