Christmas means small acts of kindness— Tagle

MANILA, Philippines — Christmas is about doing acts of kindness to other people, even small ones.

This is the Christmas message of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle this year.

Tagle said people should try to emulate the goodness that Jesus Christ has done for men, especially those neglected by society.

“The joy of Christmas is about Jesus’ goodness and kindness that we manifest to one another. During Christmas, we try to make other people happy, and we are happy when we see them happy. We find creative ways of making the sick, orphan, prisoner, widow, hungry, homeless and victims of violence and natural disaster feel they are important and loved,” he said.

“As we give joy, we receive joy in return. Let us imagine a world where those simple acts of Christmas kindness and goodness generate a new culture when done repeatedly even outside the Christmas season,” he added.

The cardinal also said there are joys in saving people’s lives, sharing, denying oneself, forgiving and accepting people.

“We witnessed this joy among the drug dependents who have completed the Sanlakbay Parish Drug Rehabilitating program, their families, the barangay officials, the police and volunteers,” he said.

Tagle also cited the joy of Muslims whom Christians helped during the crisis in Marawi City. 

Tagle is hoping for the kindness to last even after the Christmas season. 

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas reminded the faithful that virtual presence is not a substitute for intimacy with loved ones this Christmas season.

“Before, you would visit them on Christmas. And then there came a time that you only send a Christmas card. Now there is no more Christmas card, only Messenger, or Viber, or just text, or Skype only,” Villegas told the faithful gathered for the annual Misa de Gallo in Barangay Lucao. – Eva Visperas