How cancer made Christmas more meaningful

Do you still remember the time when you looked forward to Christmas? When it meant presents on top of presents in direct proportion to the number of relatives in your extended family? When it didn’t mean enduring hours of traffic and the mad shopping rush in malls and bazaars? Christmas has become so stressful lately that an aunt jokingly exclaimed to our family that she will be forsaking the holiday to avoid the obligatory gift-giving to relatives.

When did Christmas get to be such a source of stress? It was probably when we were old enough to buy friends and family members Christmas presents. As early as October, we browse newspapers and web articles for bazaars just to find unique gifts for our loved ones.

Last year, our family got a reprieve from this cultural and self-inflicted burden when my sister was diagnosed with Stage 2 colon cancer.

Fortunately for her, she is based in Singapore and living in a newly industrialized country comes with access to quality medical care. Her doctors were confident that they could remove the cancer growth. And just before the Christmas season, the family received the best gift ever: the operation was successful and Ate is now cancer-free.

Having lost two aunts already to cancer, we knew this was a miracle. That consciousness of our blessing led to my brother coming up with a wonderful idea. In our family’s Viber thread, he suggested that instead of buying Christmas gifts for each other, we should show our gratitude to God by giving instead to charity.

And so, last year was the most relaxing and meaningful Christmas for our family. Instead of wasting time for hours at bazaars and malls thinking and re-thinking if this item would be appreciated by a loved one, the only kind of shopping we had to do was to choose which charity organization was best to help. Last year, we donated to Caritas Manila, an Opus Dei center for scholars, and to a Jesuit priest based in Bukidnon who was looking for donations to rebuild decent shelters for his parishioners. 

This year, we have decided to make this a tradition. For my sister’s birthday last September, she asked all of us to donate to Bahay Aruga, an outpatient pediatric center for cancer patients. On my part, in lieu of my Christmas gift, I asked my brother to give instead to our retired family helper who fractured her hip when she slipped in the bathroom a couple of months ago. My brother’s gift, which was almost the price of a new iPhone, was instead used by our helper to buy a wheelchair.

Even the best and most expensive material gifts end up losing their value sooner rather than later. It takes only a matter of months before clothes become worn-out and gadgets become outdated. However, a gift that makes someone’s life better lasts for a lifetime in the memory of the person who has received such kindness.

This year, the country has been fortunate enough to be spared from major calamities and disasters. But this blessing should not stop us from feeling the pain felt by other countries. And no other people have suffered more this year than the refugees of war-torn countries in the Middle East.

I’m sure reading news about Syria and Iraq made us want to help but without knowing how. Fortunately, just last year, a reputable pontifical charity organization opened its fund-raising office in Manila. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), an organization managed by the Office of the Pope in the Vatican, supports persecuted Christians in countries where freedom of religion is not a given. This year, ACN will devote its fund-raising efforts to refugees of all faiths in the Middle East. ACN Philippines can receive your peso donations for refugees in the Middle East through Metrobank account number 6327632026699 (account name: ACN Philippines). It is the best birthday gift to the Infant Jesus whom we should not forget was born in the same region that is now being devastated by conflict and terrorism. To give to ACN is to aid the persecuted church of our Redeemer.

Last Christmas, our family’s crisis helped us understand the pain of others. Why not save the gift giving for the little ones? For us who are more mature, our faith invites us to offer a more meaningful gift. Let Christ take back Christmas. It’s His birthday, after all. A blessed Christmas to all!