By Cyrus A. Natividad

The University Church is always adorned with lights during Christmas time.

Even with Covid-19, Filipinos welcome the “Ber” months. So on September 1, the longest Christmas season in the world has begun. It is still over three months to go before December 25 but many of us have filled in our calendars with notes on preparations, celebrations, and expectations for the “best to come.”

Yuletide carols have started to play on radio, TV, and social media, and then we get the feeling that Christmas is in the air! In fact, there are places in the country where children have started caroling with their rough and handy instruments like tambourines, sticks, and tin cans. They sing Christmas carols and receive coins or small paper bills from certain homeowners.

The “Ber” months have a psychological time clock effect in the minds of Filipinos; call it tradition but there is something in there that makes Filipinos optimistic and resilient. It makes the Philippines different from the rest of the world.

Christmas items or decors line up for sale on the streets already. “It is the season of sale”, said one of the sidewalk vendors who had been waiting for the holidays. “Prosperity he said comes back to those who strive and are determined to ‘switch on the lights’ for Christmas and the ‘bright new year.”

During this pandemic, the “Ber” months stir up the mind and spirits of those who want to help other people. We have to be generous to the poor, the destitute, and the sick. We are all victims of the situation brought by Covid-19. We pray that will everyone will share their blessings from up above.

As we look forward to the celebration of Christmas, let us continue to pray not only for our needs and plans but for our country and fellow Filipinos to survive these trying times. Let us hope and pray that God will be with everyone, to sustain and keep us amidst the pandemic.

Above all else, let us remember that it is God who is at the center of this celebration. Amidst the fears of uncertainty, we need to trust in His providence. We should seek Christ in every moment of our lives as we look forward to the future. As Hebrews 11:1 reminds us, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”