Palma: Open hearts to Jesus

CEBU, Philippines - This Christmas, people should not only be up to attending the Midnight Mass and singing songs of joy to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

This was what Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma emphasized in his homily when he celebrated the Midnight Mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.

The church was filled with mass-goers where others had no choice but to stand, which pleased Palma, who spent Christmas here in Cebu for the first time since he assumed as Archbishop.

“Para nako nindot gyud ni na pagpakita sa importance of God in our life, but ang akong punto, di lang ta kutob sa pagsimba. Unta, we enthrone Jesus in our hearts, that indeed He is our ruler and our God,” Palma said before thousand of church goers.

Palma said the people should include the child Jesus as part of their Christmas celebration.

“Human sa mga pabuto-pabuto ug daghang mga awit, unta we have time to face the child Jesus especially ang Niño diha sa Belen, kining bata sa pasungan. Unta mahimo siyang bahin sa atong Christmas, sa atong pamalandong sa batang natawo,” the Archbishop said.

Palma said that from the President to the Emperor, to farmers and laborers, everybody bows their heads and bends their knees to worship Jesus.

“Unta, we should not be full of ourselves, so that God will have a space in our hearts and so that God will have a space in our life,” Palma said.

Palma explained that Jesus may be born in a manger and mingled with the animals but Jesus should not remain in the manger.

“Tungod kay mas gusto niya magpuyo sa atong banay ug sa atong kasingkasing. If we only open our hearts to Jesus, that’s where Jesus likes to live,” he said.

Christmas also shows the season of gift-giving, which Palma said, follows the gift-giving of God through Jesus.

“Let’s count our blessings, labi na sa Diyosnong gasa, our spiritual blessing,” the Archbishop said.

Palma hoped that with the birth of Jesus, the people may not consider themselves poor.

Palma also announced to mass-goers about Blessed Pedro Calungsod’s nearing sainthood, which he said, is another blessing for the Cebuano flock.  (FREEMAN)