Today, instead of the usual article for this column, let me share with you my beloved readers this short yet encouraging Christmas message. It is the day before Christmas, the day which many people believe and honor as the day Christ our Savior was born, and who by His suffering and death, has redeemed all of humanity from the fatal effect of sin which is separation from God.

The message of Christmas is fundamentally spiritual. But most would think it is about the excitement of parties and reunions, the traditional exchanging of gifts, as well as the much-anticipated release of bonuses and 13th-month pay. And expectedly, that is why commercial stores are extremely busy during the season which for some would mean starting to buy gifts as early as September so as not to burden their pocketbooks a tremendous lot and to of course avoid weaving through heavy traffic.

Thinking about Christmas this way, however, is good as long as the focus is still centered on the joy and the cheers imparted by our gift-giving, especially the joy we give to those who could not afford to give and worse to those who cannot even celebrate this season. It is heartbreaking to see that behind those colorful lights and deafening festive sounds in some areas, there are still many in our midst who never have enough either for others or even for themselves with which to continue with normal life.

Some exceptional people I know focus their efforts on sharing their blessings with the less fortunate and needy during Christmas, that is, their entire gift-giving tradition during the season is confined to giving to the poor or other worthy causes. This means that they just give gifts to friends during the latter's birthdays, anniversaries, or other special days in the year. But when Christmas comes, they tell these friends that all gifts otherwise allotted to them are now purposefully meant to be distributed to others who are less blessed than them.

It may be an innovative idea for companies and other offices to start a practice, if they do not have it yet, of holding an annual gift-giving party for the poor after their own office parties are over. In this way, the poor can experience the smiles and feeling of belongingness that the company's employees receive during Christmas. Indeed, that would be an admirable corporate social responsibility inspired by the true essence of the birth of Christ. After all, Christmas is for everyone.

Nothing of course should prevent government officials from doing the same. Needless to stress, they are here to serve and partake in the promotion of social justice.

As I said above, the message of Christmas is spiritual. Behind the material things we give and receive, it is about showing our love and compassion for one another. Loving one another is an express command of Jesus to all those who follow Him, and this is because, in a reality hidden to many of us, we are siblings one unto another.

This may be startling to some of us. But the fact is that all of us have only one Father and we are all His children. Again, the season is not about celebrating alone or enjoying your blessings by yourself. It is about sharing with others the blessings one has received. The season's message of sharing and spreading love should be manifested by all regardless of country, race, belief or gender. Truly this is the season to be grateful and generous.

MERRY CHRISTMAS & GOD BLESS YOU ALL!