Christmas is upon us

The new liturgical year began last Nov. 27th with the observance of the First Sunday of Advent heralding the Christmas season. At Mass in church, the first of four Advent candles was lit, a purple, one of three, with a pink one to make four. With all the Christmas lights in lanterns, trees and toys all over town, and in the malls and stores now crowded with Christmas shoppers, we remember that Advent heralds the coming of Jesus, the Christ, in the Nativity on Dec. 25th, hence Christ-mas, NOT Xmas!

Viewing the daily Mass beamed worldwide on the United States Catholic channel EWTN, we learn that starting the First Sunday of Advent, they have been using the new missal, which hews more to the classical translation in English from the original Latin. Here in the Philippines, that new edition of the missal will be used in churches starting next year, 2012.

So instead of Santas with sleigh and reindeer and Christmas trees, Bishop Nereo Odchimar, outgoing president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBP), on Sunday urged the faithful to make the Nativity scene, the belen, the centerpiece of the season, with the traditional star lantern, the parol, reminding us of the star that led the magi to the baby born in the manger.

In this connection, congratulations to our new Archbishop of Cebu, Jose Palma, for having been installed as the new president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines!

Back to the symbols of Christmas, we in the Philippines have happily integrated Santa Claus (whose prototype was St. Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop of Asia Minor, patron saint of Russia, and protector of children), and the Christmas tree (evergreen, signifying our living faith through the seasons and the years) into our celebrations. So we have a lighted star-topped Christmas tree sheltering the Nativity scene in most homes on Christmas, and Santa Claus and Christmas socks/stockings hung out for Santa’s gifts. And if you look up to the recently lighted Lhuillier Christmas tree at Fuente Osmeña, it is topped with a star and angels blowing their horns announcing Christmas. Come the Feast of Señor Sto. Niño next month, we look forward to His image atop that tree!

We also associate Christmas with Church and bells ringing out the Good News. So it was timely that the Cathedral Museum of Cebu on its 5th anniversary last Nov. 26th honored old bells that have become part of parish life for centuries, with a lecture forum titled “Ang bagting sa kampana.” Anthropologist and writer Prof. Regalado Trota Jose delivered his talk, illustrated with a video showing of various church bells in Cebu and other old churches in the Philippines, the religious orders they represented, the bell casters and foundries who cast them, the variations in their silhouettes and the designs, dates and inscriptions on them. Afterwards, the San Remigio (Cebu) Excavations Exhibit was blessed and opened with Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma and Mayor Michael Rama at the Msgr. Virgilio Yap Chapel. The bells were blessed at the centennial Garden.

A week earlier, last Nov. 18th , with a nephew and her artist daughter and husband, we went to the opening of Homage 2, the 34th one-man art exhibit of Celso Duazo Pepito at the Cebu SM Art Center. I have visited a number of his earlier art exhibits and through them watched his development through the years from the early classical genre inspired by Martino Abellana, then developing his own style in the basic portrayal of the Filipino family. This exhibit shows his latest involvement and interpretation of his theme in cubism.

Before the show opened, Celso spoke about his artistic exploration that he realized in 30 years in the creative industry needed a lifetime to complete (if it will end at) all. So Homage 2 is for him a means of looking back at how he spent these years. This Homage is his way of thanking the Creator for the gift of creativity he has received.

Viewing his paintings, I appreciated Pepito’s use of “his principle of three planar divisions in his composition, reflecting the three important aspects of a man’s life: loving God, caring for the Filipino family, and concern for the country” (quoted from Glenn Martinez). Celso also explained his use in all his paintings of the red, sometimes blue or pink, octagonal sun shape.

Celso, who was making pencil/charcoal sketches for my niece for viewers during the exhibit, made large sketches for my niece, her artist daughter and myself! I must have mine framed to hang at home beside the only other professional painter’s work I now have: Bert Kiamko’s “Three Fishes.”

In this significant week, November closed on the 30th with the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, as we in the Philippines honored our people’s hero, Andres Bonifacio, on his 148th birth anniversary. Significantly, too, in these times when partisan politics in our country is making for troubled times, Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist Randy David writes of “heroes (being) different from statesmen,” because the authority of heroes “comes from public esteem” and not from political decisions. That Bonifacio was a hero, not a statesman.

“Shortly after he launched the revolution against Spain, he was perceived as an obstacle to the formation of a Filipino state. The man (now) recognized as the father of the Katipunan was (then excluded from the government established later), charged with sedition and treason… put to death by his own comrades.” David said, “Bonifacio’s image as a hero has persisted to this day, more likely that the Filipino people fail to see the justification for his execution.” I cannot better explain this than borrowing David’s words in his Dec. 1st column.

With so much more to share with you, let me set for next week our Cebu Girl Scouts of the Philippines meeting last Wednesday, the Aboitiz annual Christmas bash tonight and the on-the-spot painting activity for children tomorrow at Montebello.

In closing, kindly pray for the soul of the late Fernando “Nanding” Delgado, a Mass server for 20 years at the Redemptorist Church, where his Requiem Mass was held followed by interment at Queen City Gardens this week.

Until next week then, may God continue to bless us, one and all!