An appeal to bishops and priests

I just came from Simbang Gabi and I am enjoying it. It's not just the beautiful church lights and the heavenly singing of the choir that was so inspiring. It's the whole liturgical experience. Perhaps this old age kicking in that I'm more excited about the Simbang Gabi than going to the malls this holiday. I don't truly appreciate the traffic, difficult parking, and the hordes of shoppers in a mall.

I look forward to Simbang Gabi again. Tomorrow, the last of the 9, is the culmination. It should be the most exciting liturgical celebration for Christmas.

But I'm a little bit apprehensive. The last thing I want to hear in what I expect to be an inspiring and spiritual celebration of the Christmas season, is another apologetics against the RH Bill. Be it in homily form, or a pastoral letter, I've had enough hearing about the subject within the Holy Mass. In the Mass I attended, the priest mentioned a little of it. Thank God he did not elaborate.

I think the bishops and some priests are given enough media mileage to be able to say what they believe is needed and necessary against the RH Bill. Let the Mass be for the real spirit of the season, the birth of Christ, which we want to feel in our hears, through the liturgy.

So I am appealing to priests and bishops who will celebrate the Holy Mass tomorrow, Christmas Eve. Please spare us from any mention of the RH Bill, or anything connected to it, the state of our Congress, or what will happen after the law is signed. Your laity watches the news and reads the papers. We are all informed.

Through the liturgy, we feel the Spirit of Newborn Jesus. Please don't corrupt it with the RH Bill issue.

The 40th Chirstmas

This year, I will have 40 Christmases. And how time flies to see that the world now is different from where it was back then. A lot of things has happened in my life. I can look back at it with eyes of nostalgia. So many what ifs. So many should have beens. So many…

Regrets?

Probably. Having regrets are part of being human. All of us have so many. But dealing with it… Now that's where your humanity comes in. Humanity with spirit.

Attitude towards regret is a choice. It can either lead to despair, or push you to maximize every moment the future will bring.

I choose the latter. For our time is so short and the world needs us to be better. We can build the world 40 years from now and see it as different. Just like how I see the world today in reference to 40 years back.

And when that time comes, I can look back at this moment and smile.

No more regrets. I made the right choice.