Deus solus in omnibus per Mariam matrem nostram

Random thoughts about Christmas

2/10/2010

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1.

What Christmas really is

Christmas, as they say, is intended for children. I say, not only for us, but also for those who were young once and those who continue to be young at heart. In the city, we are amazed by the glitter and the glamour. Christmas lights put up from post to post and Christmas decors of different sorts adorn the walls and windows of houses. In the countryside, we hear the carols of children, young and old, going from one home to another and singing their hearts out. Everywhere we go, we now feel the spirit of Christmas. Yes, Christmas is truly in the air.

People start shopping for gifts for their friends and loved ones. Some do it way before the season starts so they don’t get caught up with all the panic and the traffic. Some do it with haste, even on the eve of Christmas. It’s amazing how Christmas changes people’s behavior, right?

But what really is Christmas?

To answer this question, we all go back to the very essence of why we are even celebrating it. The Nativity, Jesus’ birth, is the reason why there is Christmas. The child born in the manger reminds us of Christ’s humility and love for us. It is because Jesus loves us so much that He wanted to be close to us. Emmanuel, God with us, is the reason for this season. Without Christ, there wouldn’t be Christmas.

Were you naughty or were you nice this year? Let’s recall how we did the past months. Is it only during Christmas where we become extra generous and considerate of others? Is it only during Christmas that we learn to forgive? Is it only now that we think of our faults and failures?

I believe that the only time that we understand the true essence of Christmas is if we feel it all year through. It’s not just about gift-giving, not about decorations and candies and all that glitters, it’s also about loving, caring and sharing and being constant and steady about it. If we can see to it that we have been true to ourselves and to others everyday of our lives, only then can we honestly and sincerely wish each other, “Merry Christmas!”

 

2.

The Paradox of Christmas

          The first Christmas night when God became man in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ must have been very dark because there was no electricity then. What aided them was the light coming from that star, which shone so bright and guided the Three Wise Men.

          St. Joseph and Mama Mary went to a cave in the little town of Bethlehem because there was no place for them at the inn. Imagine, God-made-man was born in a not-so-well-lighted cave! And in a manger at that! How very uncomfortable! But behold, a King in all His glory chose to be born on a bunch of hay and straw and His witnesses, some cattle and shepherds.

          God came down to earth in order to teach us to be happy here and forever with Him in heaven. What a lesson for those who think that happiness at Christmas is found in partying, in receiving many gifts, or in decorating our home with Christmas decors and lights.

          True Christmas joy and happiness at Christmas means reminding ourselves that Almighty God loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son, born in a manger inside a cave in the smallest town of Bethlehem.

          But what have we done? We gauge our happiness on the number of gifts that we receive. Businessmen enrich themselves by capitalizing on the poor God-made-man. They make people think that lights, food and drinks make us happy. Let us not listen to them because this is not where the true spirit of Christmas is found.

          True happiness is found in love because each one of us is a product of love. God-becoming-man that first Christmas is our reason for being happy!

          Rejoice, Rejoice, Emmanuel means God is very close and near to us by becoming one of us at Christmas. Let us all be thankful to that!

 

 

 

3.

Christmas in the Philippines.

Christmas in the Philippines starts when the ‘-ber months begin. As early as September, shopping malls and department stores play Christmas songs. Lights and ornaments go on sale. Some cost cheaper in bulk. The Filipino customer who’s after the savings begin shopping even before All Saints’ and All Souls ’ Day. They even buy more Christmas decors than candles in commemoration of their dearly departed - typical Filipino practice.

Christmas in the Philippines means making sure that they have completed the nine-day dawn mass. This means waking up in the wee hours of the morning to religiously follow this devotion until Simbang Gabi. Usually, most end up sleeping in the middle of the mass, missing important parts of it and doing the same in the succeeding days. Tsk tsk tsk! So Filipino.

I could go on enumerating typical Filipino practices during the Christmas season but I really don’t have to just to prove my point.

I understand that we as a country want our Christmas to be happy and memorable. But if I may say so, it’s becoming pretty boring and traditional. Every year, it’s all the same.

That’s why, this Christmas I like to challenge all of you to try something new. Make it unique and worthwhile. Make it a learning experience. It doesn’t need to be a very happy one. Try some new stuff. Talk to your neighbor whom you haven’t spoken to for a while, for example. Give gifts to those who can’t give you something back but their happiness and gratitude. Wear your old clothes which you have worn only once. Try not to overeat. Share your food to those who have none. These acts may come as sacrifices for you but they are valued by the recipients.

As a country, I think we are missing the whole point of why there is Christmas. And it’s about time to change that mentality.

Give genuine love not only this Christmas. Everybody needs love, don’t you?

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Declamation piece: "Peace and Unity"

2/10/2010

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  Where does it all start?
It was a bright and sunny morning. After I got up from bed, I finished my daily devotional and said my morning prayers. “Make me a channel of your peace…where there is hatred, let me bring your love...” kept playing inside my head as I was about to get ready for the day.
As I went down to the kitchen, I sensed that our house was awfully and unusually quiet. I couldn’t figure out why. Oh well… I turned on the television to check if there’s anything interesting to watch.
I chanced upon Channel 5 where reporters have flocked to the area where a middle-aged man was lying dead, shot by an anonymous criminal.
“Live from the crime scene… the police just announced a nationwide search for this heartless murderer on the loose…”
“In politics… the President has just granted pardon to a plunderer, who was proven guilty of stealing the people’s money…”
"Meanwhile, in Manila, the untoward incident shocked thousands of Glorietta shoppers. Different angles have been looked into to determine the root cause of this tragedy…”
I couldn’t take anymore of these bad news so I switched off the TV and went upstairs to read. On my way up, I figured that the reason why our country is in turmoil is because a lot of injustice has been done to our people and there’s no end to it if we just let the abuse continue. But if we act upon these injustices as one people, then there might be a chance that we achieve the peace we long for.
Just as I was about to open the door to my room, I heard a loud scream. It came from my parents’ bedroom. Before I could run to check, my mother stormed out of their bedroom, a mess and crying.
“Catherine, let’s leave this house. I can’t stand living with your father anymore,” was what she told me in between sobs.
“Why, Mom? What happened? What is it this time?” I asked her. I was really worried why she was crying so hard.
“I said, go pack your bags! No questions asked.” She began to shout at me.
“No, Mom. I won’t go.” And then out came Dad with a bag of clothes. He was ready to throw it right at Mom’s face.
“Stop it, Dad! Dad, please! Mom, please stop it! Please stop fighting!” was my endless cry as I try to part them to make them stop from hurting each other. But the shouting never stopped.
I covered my ears to strain off their bitter exchange of words. Stop, please stop.. please… “You don’t have to say you love me, just be close at hand…” I closed my eyes so I couldn’t see them hitting each other. I prayed so hard for it to end. Why? Why can’t we have peace in this family?
“Catherine! Leave your mother and me alone!” Dad muttered, but it was already too late. My mother hurriedly went out the door, carrying all her stuff without even looking back.
Their fights were becoming a daily routine. Dad says one thing, Mom says another and then they argue and start shouting at each other. Now the house is so quiet. So quiet, I could almost hear the sad beatings of my heart.
Is this peace? Is it in silence that we find it? Is silence equal to being peaceful? I mean, who are we kidding, right? How can we achieve peace when even in our family we couldn’t stand a day without fighting? It’s simply impossible!
And then, the words of Confucius resonated to my ear… “A peaceful world is built by individuals at peace. It all starts from within us.”
Yes! Peace could then be defined not by the silence of the cemetery but by the spirit of unity that is alive in every individual. It is personified by a family bonded together in unity.
Mom, Dad, if you are not one in patching things up and in forgiving each other, then, it’s going to be a very long and difficult process before we could have peace in our family.
In our country, the call of the time is to have peace…without unity, justice and truth, peace will continue to be an elusive and fleeting dream for our nation. Where does it all start? Right in the very core of our being.
Peace and unity start with me!
CONTESTANT: Fritzie Claire Lopez          SCHOOL: OcañaLearningCenter, Incorporated
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“Peace and Unity: The call of the times”

2/10/2010

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It was a day of contradictions – an amazing learning experience, so to speak. I was invited by a good friend to attend a declamation contest participated by different private schools in Southeast Cebu.

When I got there, the audio-visual room of the host school was filled with tension and excitement. The pupil contestants were already seated in the front row and everyone else in the audience were anxiously waiting for the program to start. I was glad when it finally did.

The theme, “Peace and Unity: The call of the times” was clearly plastered in front for everybody to see. It was indeed nicely put up and very colorful. Interesting… but what interested me most was what transpired during the contest itself.

Again, may I reiterate that it was a declamation contest. But as we moved from the first contestant to the next, I noticed that some of the pieces were not declamatory at all. One, in fact, delivered the famous, “Desiderata” and another one sounded like preaching. So I whispered to my friend, whose school was one of the participants, and asked her if there was a pre-screening process done on the texts because clearly some would not even pass the set of criteria i.e., the piece should be original, relevant to the theme and declamatory in nature and essence. I was surprised when she told me that initially, they were required to submit copies for the judges but were later informed that there was no need to do so as the judges’ attention may be affected/divided in a way. This is where I point out the first contradiction. I think it would have been very helpful to the judges’ decision if they have seen the texts prior to the actual delivery. This way the judges would see if the contestant was able to give justice to the piece. Question is, why change the guideline at the last minute? Because I am sure that if the pieces were viewed before the contest, the judges would be able to filter which ones would pass for declamation and which ones would fall under oration or mere recitation.

I would also like to stress on the mechanics of the competition. I gathered that it centered on Emotional Appeal, Vocal Expression, Mastery of the piece and Audience Appeal. Apparently, these criteria were not really good measures for the category because one of the judges blatantly put forward that the contest could have been judged according to the contestant’s stage presence… blocking, body expression and movement, etc. But why announce it right after the mechanics have been agreed upon by the intended committee? Worse, why even mention it right before announcing the winners? Do you think no eyebrows were raised when that declaration was made? Whatever happened to the fact that the judges’ decision was deemed final and non-appealable? The judge was right in saying that the contest should have been judged according to this and that but to make such statement made me wonder if this particular judge made the decision based on the set criteria agreed upon by the committee. By this, the criteria’s validity and reliability is put into question. It is also very possible that the judges may have created their own criteria in choosing the winners because of that surprising statement. If the judges believed in what could have been a more appropriate set of criteria for the contest instead of what was agreed upon by the organizing committee, then reading the mechanics would prove to be futile!

Also I think the audience was honest enough to express their awe and amazement to contestants who were able to capture and maintain their interest and attention. But the judge discounted this factor and even mentioned that audience impact should not have been part of the criteria. Why make this statement my dear judge? Why now when everybody is expecting that
the contestants will be judged according to the criteria read to them? Isn’t it that your winner did not make much impact/effect on the audience? Or wasn’t he not convincing enough and deserving enough to win that’s why you made such defensive and strong declarations?

The fact of the matter is that it seemed to me that the judge made unnecessary justifications of his decision. I think we already got the idea that the decision was final and non-appealable granted that they use the criteria set. But why defend it my dear judge? Nobody asked you why. Clearly, the judge himself was a walking contradiction!

Another point I would like to raise is the fact that one prominent character that day approached the table of the tabulator and timer and gave instructions on how to compute the scores. I heard that instead of computing it based on the averages, she told them to do it by ranking and not by numerical rating. Is this to make the decision faster and easier? But my dear friend, I think the host prepared enough intermission numbers to give time for computation. I also trust that the assigned tabulator and timer already know what to do with the scores. But with what happened, I am now questioning the credibility of the tabulators and how they came up with the winners. I also could not help but consider the fact that one of the members of this committee came from one of the schools that joined the contest. Now, I would like to challenge these people to show to everyone the scoring made by the different judges and the calculations they have made. The contradiction is, how can we prove accurate and fair results when the ones computing them may have the intention of letting their school win?

  Where did time limit come into play during the contest? Did the judges even consider it? It’s not even in the criteria! So why did they have to take note of the time when it did not have any effect on the judges’ decision? Or did it?

Going through how the winners fared in the contest, I must say that the judges need to reexamine their scoring. To review, first placer’s delivery and enunciation was not for public speaking. There was no voice projection and the content of the piece came to me as weak and vague. Good for him though because his school was assigned to select the judges for the competition. Second prize went to the piece which did not have much activity going on. How can it become a winning declamation piece when the emotion was sustained from beginning to end? I was waiting for its climax or where the emotions would peak. But it didn’t happen. Lucky for the contestant, one of the tabulators was from her school. For the 3rd placer, I guess the judges acknowledged the effort with the paraphernalia she brought. That was probably why she came in late.

It was a very unfortunate event for me as I was witness to the subtle manipulations. Funny how the theme was set as such when the people involved could not behave accordingly. True, the call for these people is to promote peace and stop the injustices. What they have done just proves that the journey to achieving peace could not ever begin with these people around because there can be no peace without justice.

The winners had their own “justice,” but those who were not lucky enough, they “just tiis.” The 3 won the battle (according to the judges’ biased decision) but lost the day.

Call me a sore independent bystander but the winners do not deserve their pride.

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