Charity for All Seasons

As Christmas season is fast approaching and the cool breeze of December is slowly being experienced, many people started preparing for the season of giving. Some goes to department stores, grocery stores, and other similar shops and started collecting some stuff to be wrapped as gifts to their love ones and relatives. This is a very good culture and practice because it expresses love for one another. It brings reconciliation as well as it forges closer and intimate relationship.
 
We do such practice because of the great love our Father Almighty has for us by sending His only begotten Son. We rejoice because of the very One we celebrate - Jesus Christ, the Messiah and Savior of mankind. Finally, He was born for our salvation. He too modeled the value of charity. He willingly gave and offered His life as a sacrifice for the redemption of the whole world. He gave all and without reservation. He did not withhold any. It was not meagerly but lavishly because it took the shedding of His blood to save us even when we are far from Him because of our sins.
 
The question is – do we do gift giving only during Christmas season and only to our love ones and relatives? How about those whom we do not know? Charity must be a constant practice to all of us. It is not determined by time and season but a lifestyle. It is a value or attitude that every time somebody is in need, we must be ready to help to any extent possible. We must have a helping hand especially in times of crisis.
 
For the past pandemic, we have exemplified this value. We gathered our resources and gave to any member of the community. There is a drive inside us to extend assistance because of love and compassion. Somebody started a spark and everybody got stirred to do the same. All of a sudden, community pantries were held in different parts of the Philippines. We considered others as part of our lives because they are our fellow countrymen.
 
This attitude must go on and it should not cease even if we are now in our new normal. Simply because our nation oftentimes struck, not only by pandemic or epidemic, but other types of crisis and disasters. Typhoons pass through our country and recently, there were families who lost their homes and properties due to the recent 7.3 earthquake that shook the province of Abra and the neighboring provinces. Our generosity should continue to manifest that others may at least be relieved from their desperate situation.
 
Consequently, we should stop every sort of greed and selfishness. We should not let our fellowmen continue to suffer due to wrongful transactions at the expense of the government to the destruction of lives of the future generation. Such is not being a true Filipino. Let us not lose sight of our culture and heritage – the “bayanihan” system where we voluntarily give our time, efforts, and talents in order to help our fellow citizens when we are needed the most. The practice of sharing to our neighbors what we have cooked at home and other good practices that depict the value of charity should be enriched and perpetuated.