‘Godparents’ blessing more important than gifts’

MANILA, Philippines — A godparent’s blessing is the only gift that children need this Christmas, a Catholic prelate said yesterday.

Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David said children may receive material gifts from godparents, but what is more important is to receive blessing.

“On Christmas day, the real aguinaldo that you ask for is your ninongs and ninangs’ blessing (mano po),” the prelate said in a Facebook post.

“If they give you anything else,?say ’thank you po,’ but don’t forget to tell them that their blessing is more than enough. Iyun ang tunay na diwa ng pamamasko,” David advised the youth on the true meaning of the season.

Fr. Carmelo Arada of the Manila Archdiocese’s Commission on Liturgy shared this opinion.

He stressed the best gift that godparents can give to their godchildren this Christmas is not a material thing but guidance.

“They are second parents to their godchildren, so the real role and the real and lasting gift to their godchildren is to guide them in their lives,” Arada said.

“That’s also the reason why many godchildren go to their godparents to seek advice. That is the best gift that they can give,” he added.

The priest said the belief that godchildren should seek their godparents during Christmas to ask for gifts should be corrected.

“It is as if the essense of the relationship with a godparent and a godchild is gift-giving only during Christmas. The godparent must journey with their godchild for that person to be a good Christian, a good person,” he said.

Arada explained that Christmas is a season not just about giving gifts, but more importantly a time to reconnect with loved ones.

“We have to correct, through formation, that idea that you go to a person to gain something from the individual,” the priest said.

“It’s a way of reconnecting ties, rekindling relationships... I hope our primary reason for visiting them (godparents) is not to ask for gifts but to rekindle the relationship,” he added.