As in previous years, the latest surveys show Filipinos expecting a happy celebration of Christmas and greeting the New Year with hope. Like bamboo, Filipinos bend with the wind, smiling through adversity and natural disaster.
The hopefulness and resilience are most evident in the areas hit by typhoons, from Yolanda last year to the most recent powerful cyclone code-named Hagupit or Ruby. Even victims of Typhoon Pablo, which devastated parts of Mindanao in December 2012, have not yet fully recovered from the lives, property and livelihoods lost. But even among those who suffered the most grievous losses from nature’s wrath, there is an enduring belief that dawn inevitably breaks after the darkest hour.
In many cases, the optimism springs from religious beliefs, from a faith that celebrates today what it considers the greatest story ever told: the birth of Jesus, the Son of God. It is a day for family gatherings, to give thanks for blessings and ask for strength to face life’s challenges.
Pope Francis is adding to the optimism as his words and actions herald a reinvigorated Church – one that is focused on matters of the spirit rather than temporal pursuits of power, money and pleasures of the flesh. The widely popular pontiff has made the Church accessible again, stripping away the pomp and leading the way in a long-overdue housecleaning.
His forthcoming visit at the start of 2015 is further fueling optimism that the coming year will be better in this country where hope springs eternal.
May you all enjoy a blessed, joyful Christmas!