The spirit of giving continues

In the Catholic tradition, the season of Christmas ends today, the Feast of the Epiphany. By this time, all the gifts have been opened and “Thank Yous” have been said. The Christmas decorations have been packed and stored away. Christmas is over.

Is the celebration really over? No, it isn’t! Because Jesus is here. Because our loving savior has finally arrived, there is more rejoicing for us to do. Through his healing presence, the real season of love has just begun. Christmas is loving, sharing and forgiving — and it should be this way not just in December, but all year round.

The fact that we celebrate and share our lives with our family every day is enough reason to feel Christmas in our hearts. That’s why for me, the best symbol of the season is the belen. The Nativity scene is a simple and sincere way of reminding us that Christmas season is about the family.

Having said that, it is still with great delight that I give my felicitations to the mother-daughter tandem of Tita Isabel and Dr. Isa Cojuangco-Suntay for the yearly Belenisimo sa Tarlac. It is with fervent hope that they continue this five-year-old tradition to bring more meaning to the people’s celebration of the season.

In the last five years that I have been judging the competition, I have seen how Tarlaqueños come together from all walks of life to celebrate and draw attention to the essence of Christmas. The registered entries to the Belenisimo sa Tarlac ranged from the smallest dioramas to huge monumental and grand category displays.

“Each year, the belens focus on Christ’s coming to save both you and me. People, communities, organizations, parishes, students, government employees, business establishments, mayors, political rivals, congressional representatives and countless others rally around one another as they try to outdo each other in coming out with the best entry in seven categories. What is evident in all these is the Tarlaqueños’ belief in one’s self and in a God who makes all things possible,” Isa said.

I personally love witnessing all these belens every year because Tarlaqueños remind us that we should cherish revered customs and traditions, adopt a daily attitude of goodwill and generosity, be harbingers of peace, remain steadfast in our faith and keep that ray of hope burning within our souls.

The belen designed by PNP-Tarlac is patterned after a policeman’s cap.

Tita Isabel and her daughter Isa, being the originators of the Belenisimo sa Tarlac, stressed on the fact that Belenismo is the art of making a belen, not buying a belen. “It’s all about building a belen together as one community of Christ. And in the very process, embracing the values Jesus taught us,” Tita Isabel added.

“The success of the Belenismo lies in the consciousness it has created; that Christ-centeredness will live on in the Tarlaquenos’ hearts. As the Belenismo spirit lives on in Tarlac, the people can look forward to a province where hope in God’s love, unity, compassion for the suffering, kindness to the poor and a giving spirit, will be celebrated not just at Christmas but every blessed day of the year,” Isa said.

In the yearly Belenisimo, it is inevitable to notice the participation of the members of the PNP-Tarlac. Such is their commitment to protect the people all year round, to maintain peace and order in their beloved province. They have won several times in the Belenisimo sa Tarlac that they have been accorded the Hall of Fame award in the grand non-municipal category.

“While the men in uniform have always been the dominant component of the PNP, the female colors of their belen pay tribute to the women who serve alongside the men in our police force. These exemplary individuals collectively or singly make a significant contribution to the task of nation-building by molding their offspring and partners in life into wholesome and sensitive individuals responsive to the needs of their fellowmen in the service of God and country,” Isa said.

This year, the PNP-Tarlac made a belen patterned after a cop’s cap. The men and women in uniform explained that the hand-crafted giant star in the front of the cap signifies God the Father’s careful watch over all mankind, which they said is “a mandate our first Tarlac police director general and PNP chief Nicanor Bartolome has sworn to uphold.” They further said that their belen is a reminder to the members of the police force that the PNP’s motto — maka-Diyos, makatao, makakalikasan at makabansa — must be adhered to at all times in the observance of their duties and responsibilities.

Indeed, the Belenisimo sa Tarlac that ended yesterday proves that the spirit of Christmas is alive. The beautiful memories carved in the hearts of many who crafted the belens and many others who witnessed what the Tarlaquenos showcased throughout the season will remain as reminders that the season is not over yet. After all, the spirit of Christmas continues all year round.

(Would love to hear from you at miladayjewels@yahoo.com.)

The men and women of PNP-Tarlac. Photo by Angie de Silva