Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) President Fr. Roberto "Bobby" Yap SJ reminded Filipinos this Christmas season to "always choose to serve others" and "to bring change to our world."
In Yap's message to the Ateneo community on Saturday, Dec. 18, he recalled the "darkness" that descended upon the country in the past two years "as crisis upon crisis battered our world.
"But it was during those dark times that we saw people from all walks of life step up and respond to the world's greatest needs. And in that darkest of times, I am truly happy to see that Ateneo's light shone -- our students, staff, alumni, and our extended community braved an unseen enemy and responded to the needs of our community, especially of the neediest, the abandoned, and most at risk," Yap said.
He also lauded the volunteerism, creativity, and innovation of Filipinos who responded to the needs of their fellow Filipinos.
"Our society has been profoundly altered by the experiences of the past two years. Many people are still suffering and recovering from the multiple blows they’ve been dealt with. The call for positive, lasting change will never cease as long as inequality, injustice, and suffering exist. We all must actively choose to respond to this call, to always choose to serve others, to bring change, even bit by bit, to our world," Yap added.
"This Christmas season, and as we turn the calendar to another year, I hope that we all pause, pray, and reflect on how we can be truly agents of God's love in our world. May the spirit of Lux in Domino (Light in the Lord) guide all of our endeavors, as we work towards being a true force for good in the world," he concluded.