In the Philippines where Christianity is predominantly practiced, altruism is deeply engraved within our roots because it connotes to the selfless values of the Gospel. This proliferated among the Filipinos a sense of national identity and a land that upholds the image of God. As Filipinos, we recognize a deep sense of veneration to religious holidays especially that of Christmas. In the season preceding this holiday, many families render a hiatus to their responsibilities to bond with their own members. It is a time where we must remind ourselves that every house has a soul that yearns for warmth. Whether we feast on a grand or simple table, our hearts must always stand above with love and compassion offered from our own folks. When we seek satiety, we must get the fullness not only from the food we consume but from the solidarity we cultivate with each other. 

The aphorisms that pervade our culture became a symbol of righteousness and guidance. However, what if there are those who cannot discern them? 

In a country that is still withheld by poverty, there are those who lack the holistic necessities to celebrate the spirit of Christmas, much less even keep themselves afloat. There is no wonder that they are deemed as ravenous social outcasts who seek nothing but rewards and money—they’re only fulfilling what lacks in them. On the other hand, we have the rich who reside disparately to the poor who desire more than what they need, beyond their mortality and others’ share of this world’s resources. Nevertheless, the venerated value of the Gospel advises us to avert from our earthly temptation and scour for greater values that we will always carry within the depths of our soul; to acquit something far greater than satiety and to opt for shared experiences rather than greed and isolation; to deem the world worthy to be trusted with to slowly ease our sadness and dismay. Yet, for a country with a prominently sanctimonious devotion to the Bible, we furtively betray what we preach.

This may sometimes mean that instead of living an altruistic lifestyle, we are primarily bestowed to earn happiness from life’s earthly gratifications. We often learn to choose material over spiritual over the course of time because of our faulty society. We may even be falsely lead to believe that we are the problem. This stands as a truth despite its despicable nature, but we must not let this overpower the goodness within us. 

There is hope. Every soul in the world needs warmth. A spirit is as real as what you perceive it to be, and what you ought yourself to be. The season of Christmas gives us an opportunity to redeem ourselves and reunite with the people who will lead us to a humble, modest, and spiritual life. Despite the dire presence of poverty in our lives that may hinder our enjoyment during Christmas, let us still be grateful to be with our loved ones which are instruments to our problems’ resolution. The Gospel is not the only guidance there is therefore we must utilize and not abuse the resources that were meant to transcend us. After all, anything physical in this world are meant to wither away and be replaced with new life. The amalgamation of these epiphanies lead to the essence to be realized in this season: it is not that of receiving a toy, a brand new dress, or an envelope containing pocket money, but the seldom time for us to immerse in our holiday culture and delve into the moments that will last beyond anything physical.