As the nation celebrates another Christmas amid the pandemic, a Roman Catholic Church leader reminded the faithful of the true essence of the season.
“Christmas,” the prelate said, is “Jesus dwelling in us.”
“Everything is God’s grace. Everything is because of His goodness. God has gifted us with His Son Jesus. With Jesus, we come to know, hear and feel God the Father. We are loved. We are saved,” said Balanga Bishop Ruperto C. Santos in his message for Christmas.
“Our celebration of His first coming is our celebration of God the Father’s love. With the coming of Jesus, we are taught of His obedience. His coming to us is His self-offering for our salvation. Christmas is Jesus dwelling in us. Christmas is also our coming home to God. We return and we reunite with God,” the bishop added.
Bishop Santos said he will offer his masses and prayers for the faithful' safety, sound health, and strength “as we continue to face and overcome the Covid-19 pandemic.”
“With our ardent hope and strong faith in God, trusting completely in His mercy, 2023 will be a better year for all of us,” he said.
“May our Almighty God bless us always, protect us from all harm, and reward our sacrifices a hundredfold. May our Blessed Mother Mary whom we lovingly invoke here as Virgen Milagrosa del Rosario del Pueblo de Orani keep us under her maternal embrace and mediation,” said Bishop Santos.
The Birth of Jesus to the Blessed Mother during the days of Caesar Augustus, the emperor of Rome who ruled from 27 B.C. to 14 A.D., fulfilled an Old Testament messianic prophecy. In the Scriptures, two accounts, namely Matthew 1:18 and Luke 1:26 and 2:40, narrate the events surrounding the Birth of Jesus more than 2,000 years ago.
Also known as Christmastide, “Christmas is a celebration of the Incarnation of the Eternal Word, the Son of God, and through this Incarnation, the world is transfigured and restored,” the Catholic Church said.