EDITORIAL - Let goodness prevail

Whether the meal cost P500 or P500,000, families gathered last night for Noche Buena. Many attended the Midnight Mass on the eve of the arrival of Jesus Christ.

The nation joins the rest of Christendom today in celebrating the birth of the Baby Jesus. Considering the tumultuous events in the country in the year that’s about to pass, the story of the first Christmas bears retelling.

As taught in the Scriptures, the Son of God was born in a humble manger, because there was no room at any inn. There was no Noche Buena for the Virgin Mary and Joseph, who were fleeing to protect the Baby Jesus from the forces of Herod, the king of Judea, who had ordered the execution of all infant boys in an attempt to foil the prophesied arrival of a Messiah.

The Son of God became man not to rule the world or indulge in material riches, but to deliver humanity from sin and spread the message of loving one another. Christ grew up as the son of a carpenter and a housewife. He was not rich in material things, but in the virtues that make life meaningful and worth living, one rooted in selfless dedication to the welfare of others.

Christianity was born of the suffering and death of Christ. The earliest Christians were persecuted and oppressed, and yet the faith gained believers and spread. Today Christianity has become the world’s largest religion, counting 2.4 billion adherents as of this year, its growth continuing particularly in Asia and Africa, with Roman Catholics accounting for 1.4 billion.

Amid the holiday gatherings and feasting to celebrate the birth of Christ, we can bear in mind that this is a faith that lists greed as one of the Seven Deadly Sins, alongside pride, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth, with the 10 Commandments admonishing that one shall not steal.

In reconnecting with the faith, let’s hope that goodness will prevail, long after the holidays.

May your Christmas be filled with love and joy!