MANILA, Dec. 23, 2014 — More than the season’s trimmings, the gifts and parties, Christmas calls us to “cross-over” to where God wants us to be, where our brothers and sisters are.
“From where we are at present, we also need to cross many more rivers, many more seas, many more mountains. We also need to cross over and find each one, showing everyone that we are all brothers and sisters,” said Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Archbishop Socrates Villegas in a recent video message.
CBCP president Archbishop Socrates Villegas stresses reaching out to others in charity, especially this Christmas. (Photo: James Benedict Malabanana)
According to the prelate, who also heads the Archdiocese of Lingayen – Dagupan, the Advent season calls the faithful to go where God “wants us to be…with our brothers and sisters.”
Explaining the meaning of Pasko or “pesach”, Villegas said it means “passover” or to “cross over.”
“The meaning of Christmas is God has crossed over..The challenge of Christmas is that we, too, cross over,” he explained.
Villegas, who is also part of the Central Committee for Papal Visit 2015, also delved on the amazing reality of Christ’s Incarnation.
“From heaven, God crossed over to where we are. God has crossed over to our side and lived among us, and became like us..and ate our food and walked on our earth…That is how much God loves us,” he stressed.
Making a similar plea to Catholics as Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle did with his request to the clergy to share their noche buena dinner with poor families, Villegas asked the faithful to “make a meaningful Christmas, by crossing over by reaching out.”
“…(A) reaching hand is also a sharing hand and a sharing hand is the hand of Jesus for us,” he said. (CBCP News)
