‘Gift of self better than material gifts’

MANILA, Philippines — More than material things, there may be times when the gift of self to loved ones this Christmas season is better, an official of the Archdiocese of Manila said yesterday.

For Catholics, Christmas is a spiritual experience, according to Archdiocese of Manila Office of Communications director Fr. Roy Bellen.

“But what is saddening is that we become too consumeristic, that sometimes we think of Christmas as something consumeristic, such as gift giving. But you could always give more to people. Actually, nowadays, there are a lot of material things that you could give to other people, but how many of them are being used, or maybe they are handed over to someone else, or just kept inside the cabinet,” Bellen said.

“There is more to life, more to Christmas than just giving material things, (and that is) of course your presence,” he added.

The prelate explained that offering the gift of self is the act of giving one’s time, attention and care to another person – the kind of gift that could be given by those who might be short of cash.

“There may be people who desire for material things, believing that this would be the solution to their problems. But the Lord will tell you that that is not the answer to your loneliness. For your loneliness, I will give you friends, I will give you family. Spend time with your family,” Bellen said.

“God has a different way of answering the needs in our lives… (Your) presence is a gift,” he added.

The archdiocese official reminded people that the Christmas season is also an opportunity for families to hold reunions, to catch up and reconnect.