THE Christmas season is upon us. And for most bishops and archbishops all over the Philippines, it is time, according to Fr. Zenon Guanzon, “to be seen and heard in as many parishes as possible.”
To achieve this, it is customary for them to preside at the Misa de Gallo in different parishes in their jurisdiction in each of the novena days. It is a custom followed by Cebu Archbishop Jose S. Palma who will officiate the dawn mass at the San Pedro Calungsod Shrine along D. Jakosalem St. on Dec. 16.
The Archbishop will then be out of town for two days but will resume the parish visits on Dec. 19. He will be at the San Pedro Calungsod Quasi Parish in Mohon, Sogod and the following day at Cebu Catholic Television Network (CCTN). He will then be at the Archdiocesan Shrine of San Roque in Parish in Mambaling, and then at the San Isidro Labrador Parish in Garing, Consolacion. On Dec. 23, he will be at the San Pedro Calungsod Parish in Pulangbato, Cebu City, and on Christmas Eve, at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral where he will be back in the evening for the Christmas Eve Mass at 9 p.m. He will be back at the Metropolitan Cathedral on Dec. 31, 9 p.m. for the New Year’s Eve Mass.
Archbishop Palma has been the Cebu archbishop since 2010. He is from Iloilo, so he has had to learn Cebuano which he now speaks fluently. He will be delivering his homily and message in Cebuano. Here is an English translation:
“My brothers and sisters in Christ, Merry Christmas to you all.
“In the past month, we ended the observation of the Holy Year of God’s Mercy. But the celebration of Christmas reminds us also of God’s great mercy, He who brought to the world His only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. When He was born in Bethlehem, we saw the face of God’s mercy. And when He was hanging on the cross, we saw God’s great love for us. So, we can truly say that Jesus is truly ‘Emmanuel,’ the God who is with us in the past, the present and all the days to come.
“My beloved in Christ, the observance of the Holy Year of God’s Mercy has ended, but we now have the task of continuing to be merciful because when we do this, we become ‘Emmanuel’ to others. Through our works of mercy, we assure others of the living presence of God in this world. We ought to remember that the real celebration of Christmas can happen only if we know how to share with the poor and the abandoned in the same way God shared his Son with us sinners.
“Therefore, as your father in faith, I humbly share with you my prayers in this celebration for the happiness of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ-God. Thank you and a bountiful Christmas to you.”
This is the message of Archbishop Palma, but not just to the parishes where he will preside in the dawn masses.
It is meant for everyone in Cebu.