A very Merry Christmas to one and all on this joyful and happy day as the whole of Christianity celebrate the birth of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ!

But hold on. What does this particular birthday really mean? Why do we celebrate it so much? Of course, each of us have our own ideas on what Christmas is all about, but please indulge me as I share with you my personal reflections on what Christmas means to me.

As a child, I recall Christmas as the time when I would excitedly look forward to the piles of gifts I would receive from Santa Claus. I will never forget being so happy with the cowboy boots, hat and toy pistols that “Santa” left for me on our window ledge. As I outgrew Santa and got a bit older, but not necessarily wiser, my images of Christmas were endless rounds of parties, too much food and booze, fueled by the much anticipated year-end bonus when I was already gainfully employed, which would usually mean huge hangovers and being several pounds overweight after the holiday-making is over.

After several more decades of the usual banalities of the holiday season, my heart ached for a way to pay back to the Being I sincerely believed was responsible for the extraordinary gifts my family and I were showered with. After all, I was raised in a simple family with modest means by my hardworking father who would always remind me that all he can leave me in this world is a good education. And indeed, this education, coupled with hard work, a lot of luck and, I now believe, God’s blessings enabled me to provide my family a decent and comfortable life.

To my great fortune, sometime in the late 1980s, my spirituality was boosted when I was introduced to Opus Dei by my late boss, Manny Bengson, to whom I will be eternally grateful. For those who may not be familiar, Opus Dei is a personal prelature and is part of the Catholic Church. This Latin name stands for the “Work of God” and was founded by a Spanish priest, St. Josemaria Escriva. Its mission is to spread the message that “every person is called to holiness and that every honest work can be sanctified.” Simply put, if you sanctify or offer your work to God, no matter how simple your work is, whether as an employee, as a boss, as a husband or as a father, you are on the road to holiness. For a career-oriented fellow like me, Opus Dei was a perfect fit — just do your job well and it becomes an offering, a gift to God for all the blessings He has showered on me. Opus Dei completely changed my life. I am far from being a good man but my perspective changed. Aiming for holiness is and will always be a struggle for the rest of my life. But now I have the “Work” to watch my back, to provide the lift when I am down and to redirect me when I inevitably stray. And on this Christmas Day, I thank Opus Dei for the invaluable gift it has given me and my family.

Today, when I think of Christmas, I savor the gift of love that I receive from Him, which in turn I do my best to share with my loved ones, my family, my friends and even with strangers who may be in need of even just a friendly smile. When the Christmas season begins, which is as early as the onset of the ”ber” months, like most Filipinos, I start to celebrate in my mind, and I begin to imagine the great fun my wife and I will have when our children and grandchildren start arriving, when they start decorating the Christmas tree as familiar Christmas songs are played over and over again. Why, even my steps are slightly bouncier when I trudge to the john during the night!

But as my family celebrates Christmas this year, we celebrate it with a special meaning because today marks the one-year anniversary of when my beloved wife Liza was given a new lease on life with the gift of a new kidney. And I take this occasion to again thank her A-team led by Drs. Brian and Mitos Cabral, Dr. Dennis Serrano, Dr. Don Ejercito and Dr. Gene Tiongco, critical care Nurse Tin de la Rosa and Caregiver Liezel Carreon, for successfully mending, medicating, nursing and watching over Liza in her path to a better quality of life, a fantastic gift that we can never repay!

But Christmas has different meanings for each of us. In this regard, I would like to end my article with some excerpts of a note written by my 13-year-old granddaughter, Mayumi, when I recently asked her what Christmas means to her.

Here is what Mayumi Matoto-Desanto wrote.

“Every year, we have the beloved traditions of exchanging gifts with our loved ones. We also have the tradition of displaying our Christmas trees. But have you ever thought about why we celebrate these traditions during the holidays? Or where it came from? There are many beliefs… why we exchange gifts. One belief is that the gifts we give to one another, the greatest gift Jesus gave to us — freedom. When Jesus resurrected from the dead, He told everyone that if you believed in Him… then you would be granted eternal life… removing the fear of death… giving us the freedom to live for eternity as long as we believe in Him. Another belief why we exchange gifts is that it reminds us of the gifts Jesus received when he was born — gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold is associated with kings; Jesus is the King of Kings. Frankincense is used in worship; people worship Jesus. Myrrh… perfume… on dead bodies… to smell nice; Jesus would suffer and die. The biggest symbol of Christmas is the Christmas tree symbolizes different things for different religions. For pagans, branches to decorate their homes during winter solstice made them think of spring. Romans, to decorate temples at Saturnalia festivals. Christians use it as a sign of their life with God… a symbol of Christ — triangular-shaped — represents the Trinity — Father, Son and Holy Spirit… the start of new life. We have the tradition of exchanging gifts with our loved ones, and displaying our Christmas trees. Each religion believes different things regarding these beautiful traditions. Some believe presents represent freedom. Others believe Christmas trees represent life. But for me, I believe I should exchange gifts with my loved ones, because, well, I love them. I put up my Christmas tree because I believe it represents my family.”

Well, there you have it, folks. We may have so many reasons why we celebrate Christmas, but unquestionably it is all about life, love and family!

Until next week… a very Merry Christmas to all, and may peace and goodwill reign all over the world on this blessed day!