Flicker of Hope

A friend once asked me: “Do you feel the spirit of Christmas nowadays?” I was taken a back as tried to find some answers, but I further asked myself “what is the meaning of Christmas nowadays?”

I have seen in the television, read in the newspapers and heard in the radio about the recent typhoon that struck the Philippines; the tragedies that happened in Bicol, hundreds of bodies have been recovered, bridges were destroyed. Rescuers continued to dig and look for more people whom may have buried alive.

In one of the headline of a newspaper, there was a picture of a man weeping profusely as some rescuers trying to retrieve the bodies of his family inside their house that was swept by a landslide. One of the survivors who lost a brother and a child was interviewed and she said “I don’t want to hear Christmas carols. There is no reason for me to celebrate Christmas given this horrible condition of ours.” Given this horrifying incident, one of the victims asked “Where is God in all of these?” My heart helplessly trying to get some answers. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine that God’s hand is in all of these that have happened.

After all of these things happened; after all the sadness and grief, Christmas is an occasion that we should celebrate no matter what. For God is the reason to celebrate Christmas even in such terrible condition, in such horrible circumstances.

Last night, we had a relief operations for the typhoon victims and I was the one in charge of packing the relief goods. We were packing some food and clothes to be given away to Reming victims in Albay, and Daraga. I prayed to God to send even a little patch of hope. Since there was no classes yesterday the response was so little, but there are few who stayed and gave their time to give something to less fortunate countrymen of ours. They carried with them some clothes, canned to goods to be given away to the victims. In the little way they can, there are willing to help and to show their care for their fellow Filipinos who are in great distress.

Some problems emerged as we go along, we lacked rice, coffee and milk. I was little bit anxious if we could fill the whole truck of goods. But God was good, and I know if I put my trust in him he will take care of the rest, and He did. Late last night, help came cash came pouring in, and we decided to buy some rice to packed, but still there was a problem there are no stores that are opened at 11pm that night. We searched and tried to talk to the managers of stores (and some of them are closed that time), but they said that they have no stock. I was little bit jittery, and we searched every stores until we tried to search in a market in Cubao. My friends whom I invited and volunteered that night beared with me and said to me “bro, try natin dun sa isa. sayang naman kung wala tayong madadala pag uwi.” And sure enough there was providence. We arrived 12mn, with 5 sacks of rice which we bought. Some dormers in Ateneo woke up when they heard the goods had arrived and help us packing. All were making jokes, laughing and that made our work more bearable. To make us alive, we have this cd of joyful Christmas songs and we merrily sang along as we put into the plastic bag clothes, canned goods, coffee and milk, rice, crackers, and noodles. We ended up at 2:15 am.

Somehow it touched my heart, and I myself, was rushed with eagerness to do the same. I was watching the students’ happily puttimg rice, canned goods, noodles and clothes inside the plastic bag until we reached 1,116 of goods to be transported that night. Before we called it a night, I had some speech to say to the volunteers. Then it dawned on me, as I said to them, maybe this is the meaning of Christmas after all.

Yes, celebrating Christmas is an act of faith in itself. It is a celebration of hope. After all the tragedies, the unavoidable circumstances that have happened, Christmas is the time when God decided to stoop down and be with us. The disasters happened proved that God is alive in the very hearts of people who helped Agap Bicol.

We are not alien to suffering, and sometimes the sense of desertion it brands devastatingly our spirit. And when suffering walked us to the border of desolation, this son of God who promised to stay with us till the end of time He hold us and binds us to hope. Many times that He does seem to connect us in such fragile stride of comfort, and we dare not to cut Him and loose Him away. For Jesus is no alien to suffering Himself. And this silence that we feel, we wish to believe that it is the time that the Emmanuel suffers with us and dwell among us, the least, the last and the abandoned.

The recent calamities made me feel the spirit of giving, the spirit of hope, and the spirit of love - the real spirit of Christmas. And this is the Christmas hope which we celebrate every year. God is present in each and every one of us. That is Jesus the Emmanuel, a God who is with us, not the God will all the answers , not a God will all the solutions, not a God to take away all our suffering, not a God that will do away with all the pain that we feel. But He is a God who keeping us in company, giving us strength and hope. Most likely in times when we are so down and desperate. It is Jesus said “I will be in this world, and suffer a human demise so that I can be one with you, entirely. He is certainly with us.

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To the readers of this blog: If you know some that could help us, please send this to them.

GOODS: You may directly donate the goods to the Cervini (Male Residence Hall) Function Room at the back of Church of the Gesu. Temporary AGAP BIKOL Relief Operation center can accept donation from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight . Contact person is Residence Hall Director Tim Gabuna. You may communicate with him through 426-6001 local 5902.
Priority: Food (Canned Goods, Noodles and other kinds with long shelf life) and Water

CASH/CHECK: Direct deposits (online from any of the BPI branches) may be made to:

SIMBAHANG LINGKOD NG BAYAN (Account Name/Payee)
Bank of the Philippine Islands (Loyola-Katipunan Branch)
BPI Peso Checking Account Number 3081-1111-61
BPI Dollar Savings Account Number 3084-0420-12

For proper acknowledgment:
- Please fax a copy of the validated deposit slip to SLB through telefax 426-5968
- Kindly indicate contact information: Name, Address, Email, Mobile
- Those who wish to remain anonymous may skip this procedure

Or you may send it to

Loyola House of Studies (LHS)
Ateneo de Manila University
Loyola Heights , Quezon City
Telephone Number 426-6101
Time: 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Official Receipts will be immediately issued to you by the LHS Lobby Porter.

For dollar remittances:
- You may purchase a Manager’s Check and send it via any courier to SLB’s address
- Course it via telegraphic transfer to BPI Dollar Account

Should there be any concerns, please contact:

MS. MARJORIE TEJADA
Telephone Number 426-6101 local 3440 (Office Hours)
Telefax 426-5968
Email: slb@slb.ph