Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma (File photo by JUNJIE MENDOZA / Inquirer Visayas)
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Amid life’s difficulties, never lose hope.
This was the message of Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma as Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Christmas, he said, is a reminder about Jesus who stripped Himself of His glory to share in the sufferings of the world and to free humanity from the slavery of sin.
“No matter what happens, God is with us. He is Emmanuel (God with us). Let us never lose hope,” he said in his Christmas message.
Palma called on the faithful to cling to God and to make room for Jesus in their hearts.
“I would like you to reflect on how the child Jesus was born in a crib surrounded by animals. That happened because no one received Mary and Joseph in their homes,” the prelate said.
“He shouldn’t have been born there because He is God. And so we tell him: ‘Lord, if there are people who did not accept you, I invite you to live in my heart. I welcome you to our family. We welcome you in our community,’” he added.
With God, he said everything is fine no matter how gloom the circumstance may be.
“When He is with us, there is renewal; a change for the better. In effect, there is love, mercy, and forgiveness,” Palma said.
Journeying with the Lord, he said, should lead one to help others so as to extend God’s mercy and love.
“His coming brought hope and joy to people. I hope, in our own little ways, we can be instruments of hope and joy to other people. Just as Jesus was a gift to us from God the Father, may we also become a gift to other people,” he said.
“In that way, we can make our community, archdiocese, and country a better place to live in. Because God is with us, we have every reason to hope for a better tomorrow,” he added.
The Solemnity of the Lord’s birth celebrates the mystery of the incarnation by which Jesus humbled himself to become a human being.
An eight-day period, or octave, of Christmas ends on Jan. 1, the Solemnity of Mary, the mother of God.
For Cebuanos, however, the spirit of Christmas lingers all the way until the Feast of the Santo Niño, which falls on Jan. 19, 2020.
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