| |
|
|
 |
 |
|
May we recognize God when He comes among us
"NOW the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way…" (Matthew 1:18). Popular Jewish belief during the time of Jesus did not expect the Messiah to be born of a woman as a normal baby. Although the scribes and scholars were aware of the ancient Biblical prophecy which said that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem, they adopted the popular theology which said, "Three things come wholly unexpected – the Messiah, a godsend, and a scorpion" (Sanhedrin 97a).
At Yuletide: Heed urgent summons
By Fidel V. Ramos
IT is hard to believe that the recent fiascoes which captured the frontpages and primetime of national/international media happened here within the past eight weeks. But, happen they did – all with negative impacts on our overall image and serious damage to our self-esteem as a people. The sad thing about it all is that these were not triggered by outside forces, but were all "made-in-the-Philippines" – meaning they could have been prevented, preempted, redressed, and/or resolved well before becoming monstrous problems that almost defy any timely, peaceful, harmonious solution.
Guarding our intellectual wealth
By Edgardo J. Angara
IN this age of rapid innovation, a nation’s wealth no longer primarily rests on its natural resources but on the ideas that its people can generate. Promoting and protecting those ideas is a challenge that every nation now faces.
It was a sad Hajj farewell
By SCHEHEREZADE FARAMARZI
Associated Press Writer
MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — After five days of exhaustion and hardships, Muslim pilgrims were saddened to see the annual hajj come to a close Friday, ending what for many is a spiritual high point of their lives.
Analysis
BEIJING (AP) — China has revised its national holiday system to ease overcrowding on railways, air routes and other transport links when much of the Chinese population is on the move at the same time each year.
Christmas Eve: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light
THE past nine days of Simbang Gabi masses culminate tonight in the Christmas Eve Mass. It is followed by the Noche Buena where the whole family gathers to share the late evening meal, give gifts to each other, and thank God for His deep and mysterious love in the birth of the Christ Child.
Speaking Out
Ignacio R. Bunye
I JOIN my colleagues in government particularly in the Cabinet in extending warm felicitations to all Filipinos as we prepare to celebrate Christmas. The birth of our Savior Jesus Christ under the most humble circumstances reminds us to be always grateful for what we have, and what we all share, as a Filipino family. Our country is admired throughout the world for the strong bond among our citizens, anchored firmly on spiritual beliefs, and an infinite desire to help our country.
Weighing In
Pat Sto. Tomas
IT is almost Christmas and if, like myself, you have postponed many of the obligatory things that you have to do, you must be in a state of frenzy. Travel takes much longer than it used to, the queues at the mall are horrendous, the Christmas parties overlap and weighing in is a pain because all that food translates into added pounds. But all these are transitory. What aggravates me even more is the continuing rancor and ill will that dominates the national landscape.
Vision and values
By Chief Justice ARTEMIO V. PANGANIBAN (ret.)
MAY I thank you, the delegates from NUSP-member schools attending this 36th National Student Congress held here in Cebu, for inviting me to deliver the keynote address on the theme "NUS at 50: Continuing the Legacy of Passionate Student Leadership, Advancing the Rights and Welfare of Students and the Filipino People, Strengthening the Union Towards Serving Society."
Business Beat
Melito Salazar Jr.
PAST District Governor Hermy Jarin of the Rotary Club of Diliman shared parts of the poem that his grandson, Henry Bennett recited over the phone from the United States last month, "I am glad I’m not a turkey, a turkey, a turkey. I am glad I’m not a turkey, this Thanksgiving Day." Many of us are one with Henry in being happy that we’re not a turkey. This Christmas as in Thanksgiving, it is good for us to count our blessings.
Cultural Christians
EDILBERTO C. DE JESUS
BANGKOK, THAILAND — Christmas has bloomed in Bangkok, and the shopping malls, as the phrase goes, are doing the whole nine yards: Christmas trees, wreaths, candles and angels. Shopping mall sound systems are playing Feliz Navidad and White Christmas and even Noel and Oh Holy Night, heralding the Savior’s birth.
1st Christmas celebrated in pagan shrine – scholar
By ARIEL DAVID, Associated Press
ROME – A recently discovered pagan shrine dedicated to Rome’s legendary founder Romulus and his brother Remus is being linked by a scholar to the first celebration of Christmas held on the date that still marks the festivity today.
Nellie: A Christmas story
IT was Christmas eve. A jostling crowd of shoppers was busy grabbing last-minute bargains. A small girl, in tattered clothes made her way through the crowd. Her name was Nellie. You will find such a girl in your city or town, if you will look around.
The Sumilao controversy
By Rene Espina
DUE to the emotionally charged atmosphere that the walkathon with a telenovela script has engendered, it is best to bring the whole issue to its basic foundation wherein rights and privileges are created and protected. First, Article III Bill of Rights Section 1: No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws. ‘‘Due process is a guarantee against any arbitrariness on the part of government whether committed by the legislature, the executive, or the judiciary.’’ The essence of procedural due process is expressed in the immortal cry of Themistocles to Eurybiades: ‘‘Strike me but hear me first.’’ In more familiar words, the justice that procedural due process guarantees is, — according to Daniel Webster, ‘‘One which hears before it condemns, which proceeds from inquiring, and renders judgment only after trial.’’ The SC held in several cases that the twin requirements of notice and hearing constitute the essential elements of due process and neither of these elements can be eliminated without running afoul of the Constitutional guarantee, i.e. Vintas Maritime Co. vs NLRC 284 SCRA 656, etc.
Finding people in non-people events
Gelia T. Castillo
Member, National Academy
of Science and Technology
IF science is to serve a human purpose, we must always find people in non-people events.
The birth of Jesus
Matthew 1:18-24
The canticle of Zechariah
ZECHARIAH, [the father of John,] filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying: "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for He has visited and brought redemption to His people. He has raised up a horn for our salvation within the house of David His servant, even as He promised through the mouth of His Holy prophets from of old: Salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, to show mercy to our fathers and to be mindful of His Holy covenant and of the oath He swore to Abraham our father, and to grant us that, rescued from the hand of enemies, without fear we might worship Him in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give His people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God by which the daybreak from on high will visit us to shine on those who sit in darkness and death’s shadow, to guide our feet into the path of peace."
Christmas truth trivia
By Nelly Favis Villafuerte
A LADY reader of this column is sharing some interesting Christmas truth trivia. Says this lady reader: "No one is too old or too young to know the truth. Real life involves truth. Truth is more exciting than fantasy. When your child is ready, may you enjoy the privilege of sharing these Christmas truth trivia to you child. Have a blessed Christmas!
The battle for hearts and minds
Jesus P. Estanislao
THE face of poverty is so ugly that we wish to banish it from our land. But we would be sorely mistaken if we come around to thinking that we can win the fight of poverty by simply giving money and providing higher levels of income to our people. We can win such a fight only if we take it for what it really is, a battle for the hearts and minds of our people.
‘Nativity’ in the mangroves
IT was a secret told by the narrator to only a few of her confidants. The mystery was about a baby boy delivered by her — a midwife — in a neat thatched hut in the middle of a mangrove swamp accessed only by a river tributary somewhere in a barrio of Calbayog City on the night of December 24, 1955.
Drunken Christmas
By Dr. Brix Pujalte
CHRISTMAS is a good excuse to get drunk. But for others (and they sometimes don’t know who they are), Christmas is the best excuse to get drunk some more. Let’s give some slack to those who celebrate the season and with that, the happy intoxication. Every family however, has its resident alcoholic. Would you be able to spot him (or her) in the reunion?
The Jalosjos faux pas
Floro Mercene
QUOTABLE quote of the year: The most corrupt president in history.
|
|
|
 |
|
