Christmas in September?

We cannot deny this annual tradition among us. Christmas is the joyous season of the year.

By tradition, Christians celebrate Christmas in December. Their houses are well-decorated with colorful Yuletide decors, toys, lights, and gifts. Christmas songs filled the air. Children and adults sing traditional carols like Silent Night, Jingle Bells, among others.

This is the common scenario I may see or experience during December. Children in school have their Christmas party, gift-giving (exchanging gifts), Christmas tableau. Adults have their own separate party. They have it with lots of drinks, singing, and merry-making.

Midnight mass culminates the Christmas celebration. People in all walks of life go to the Church and stay in the Church until midnight. They wait until the Christmas eve. They go home after greeting each other. At home, they eat the food they prepared for their "Media Noche".

Family Week: What It Should Be?

My Family of Six from the eldest, Dondon to the youngest, Toto Jun.

My wife and I have been living in a happy marriage for 44 faithful years. We have six children, four of which have families of their own. Two daughters are unmarried. We have eight grandchildren. With such a big family, we want to provide them with the spirituality they need. I have had the privilege and the authority to bring them down to the water of baptism when they were yet kids. We belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We have been nurtured in that faith for 35 years now.

It is a great family activity we have when we reunite on the fourth Sunday of September. It is the most momentous day of the year for us as a family. The former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos issued a proclamation on the 28th of August 1996, giving families the big opportune time to get together on the 4th Sunday of each September.

Proclamation on Family

Our Church issued "The Family: A Proclamation to the world". The late President of the Church, Gordon B. Hinckley, read it before the Relief Society members of the Church in September 1995. We believe that a husband and wife are the procreators of our Heavenly Father. We have to nurture and rear up His Spirit in our children and we should greatly honour and value our respective family.

Last year we had a lot of fun. We had a short program. We listened to the local government dignitaries giving their uplifting speeches about family. Our Church leader did inspire us with their spiritual thoughts about taking care of our family. They had pointed out to us that family could be together forever. We have a strong testimony for that; that it could be done.

We avail ourselves of such great privilege to be sealed in the temple of the Lord for all time and eternity as a family. In 1986 I brought my family to the Manila Philippines Temple. We performed the sacred ordinances in the temple led by the authorised Priesthood holder. That's a great covenant we had made in the temple. We are spiritually prepared to stay together forever. We should be faithful to the covenant we have made.

It may sound confusing but we do believe that it is true. It is our unwavering faith that makes us believe. How happy we are living together as a family in this life and in the afterlife! So be it!

'Making Every Endeavor a Channel of Peace'

Let's give peace a chance by making every endeavor a channel of peace suggested La Carlota City Councilor Jacky Jalandoni in his message in a simple rites conducted recently by the city government of La Carlota to celebrate the 8th national peace month of September.

Photo Credits: www.gov.ph

The ceremony dubbed as "Lighting a candle for peace" is solemnly done to truthfully reveal how the Mangkasanon, the legendary inhabitants of La Carlota upheld peace, which eventually has made the city, "a peaceful place to live in."

This was one the activities of the city government of La Carlota to celebrate the peace month that reminds everyone the importance of peace especially there's ongoing "peace process" between the rebel group and the government. 

September is chosen by the PH government as the peace month for there were several significant milestone in the history of pursuing the peace process in the country as stated in Proclamation No. 675, declaring the month of September 2004 and every year thereafter as "National Peace Consciousness Month".