“CHRIST is the reason and the center of everything why we celebrate Christmas.”
This was the message of the Philippine Army Monstrance-inspired Belen entry in the Grand Non-Municipal Category of the 11thBelenismo sa Tarlac, an annual Belen-making competition in the province of Tarlac organized by Tarlac Heritage Foundation.
“Every Belen tells a story. People’s dreams, their aspirations, their beliefs, their traditions, their customs. It’s the whole community that comes alive,” Tarlac Heritage Foundation co-founder Isa Cojuangco Suntay said.
The Army makes use of a monstrance to draw attention to the importance of the meaning of Christmas, the birth of the child Jesus in a manger.
It is a vessel used in Roman Catholic and Angelican Churches as a convenient receipt for the exhibition of an object of piety. This was often used as a cradle of the Blessed Sacrament.
In order to make this Belen vivid and inspiring without spending too much money, the Philippine Army used their simple and available resources which include recycled nativity set statues and costumes, old wooden platforms, used lights, discarded tarpaulins, left over sequins, paints and plywood.
“The men and women behind this Belen and also the whole Philippine Army want to convey the message of sacrifice, sharing, service to others, compassion to our fellowmen,” MID Commander Major General Gilbert Gapay shared. (PR)