John 2:5
His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”
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In the Philippines, the third Sunday of January is celebrated as the Feast of Sto. Niño. All roads will lead to either Cebu, Pandacan or Tondo.
For a number of years, I have been a front seat witness to this celebration having grew up in Tondo. Streets will be closed – and tables filled with food and drinks will line up the roads. A lot of sharing, story-telling, family reunions, laughter and merry-making.
The Feast of the Sto. Niño demonstrates the Filipino’s love and fascination with children. Or does it?
Today, about 400,000 abortions are guesstimated to be carried out annually, thousands of children are roaming the streets, dangerously selling things or begging money to make a living at a very tender age.
We have a celebration, indeed, but we celebrate for our own sake, forgetting fully the purpose of our celebration – to celebrate children and pray that they be protected from all harm and evil deeds.
And after this day, people would be back to their own selfish ways, until the next feast. In fact, most will still be paying debts they incurred just to prepare food and drinks until the next fiesta.
Perhaps, next time, we should counterbalance our celebratory religiosity with a faith that reflects on our relationship with the Lord and others, especially the children of the world.
Let us pray +
Oh Jesus, today we pray for the children of our church, for the children of our city, for the children of our world. May each day bring them enough hugs for a smile, enough friends for security, enough adults to provide guidance. May they grow in faith so that they walk as your children, children of grace, joy and peace. Amen + (by Carmen Schrock-Hurst)
Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.
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