By Teddy Brul
THE birth of Jesus in a humble manger compels us to reflect on humility, simplicity, and compassion.
Amid a season increasingly consumed by commercial excess, Christmas calls Christians back to its true foundation—the life and mission of Christ, rooted in solidarity with the poor and an uncompromising love for the marginalized.
The spirit of giving that defines Christmas flows from a core Christian belief: God’s boundless generosity revealed through the gift of Jesus. Born in a stable because there was no room at the inn, Christ entered the world not among the powerful, but among the forgotten.
God chose to dwell with those pushed to the margins. This reality confronts us with an enduring question: Are we prepared to receive Christ today? Will we welcome Him with the same humility and openness shown by the shepherds? In sharp contrast, many among today’s affluent celebrate Christmas through luxury travel, exclusive gatherings, and carefully curated experiences. While some engage in philanthropy and generous donations, the life of Jesus reminds us that charity alone is not enough.
Christ did not merely speak about the poor—He lived among them, walked with them, and identified Himself with those society rejected. He stood with sinners, the sick, and the outcasts, challenging systems that sustained inequality and exclusion. His concern for the poor went beyond material assistance; it demanded recognition of their dignity and the presence of God in their lives.
This message resonates with painful urgency today, as the nation grapples with corruption exposed by the Ghost Flood-Control Project and other fraudulent schemes involving legislators, contractors, and public officials. While those in power flaunt wealth and trade accusations, it is the poor—whose taxes are plundered—who carry the heaviest burden. In a world scarred by war, disasters, authoritarianism, greed, and relentless consumerism—especially during the holidays—our moral senses risk becoming dulled.
The question remains: Are we still vigilant? Are we still resilient? Former priest and political prisoner Edicio de la Torre once observed, “The struggle for liberation is precisely that—a struggle… difficult and protracted.”
Genuine service to the poor requires more than seasonal generosity. It demands empowerment, participation, and collective action that confronts the root causes of poverty and injustice. Our responsibility is clear: resist apathy, remain vigilant, and stand firmly with the oppressed. As Pope Leo XIV’s Delixi Te reminds us, society must make a decisive choice for its weakest members and pursue structural solutions that address inequality at its core.
This Christmas, let us welcome Christ not with extravagance, but with a renewed commitment to justice, compassion, and the liberation of the poor. This spirit was echoed recently when over 500 urban poor residents and housing advocates marched to the National Housing Authority during Panunuluyan 2025, reenacting Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter to highlight the ongoing displacement and insecurity faced by Informal Settler Families.
The 2024 People’s Enacted Budget allocated only ₱8.8 billion for “Housing and Community Amenities,” a drastic drop from ₱18.7 billion the previous year. Meanwhile, reports reveal that a single billionaire contractor secured 345 solo and joint government projects worth a staggering ₱25.2 billion.
To put this disparity into perspective, those contracts alone amount to nearly three times the ₱8.6 billion proposed for housing and community needs in the 2025 budget—an unmistakable indication of where public funds truly flow, while the poor continue to wait for decent homes.
If we truly receive Christ, decorations and feasts are not enough. We must choose justice over excess, solidarity over indifference, and the rights of the masses over the greed of the few. In the end, the question is not whether Christ was born in a manger—but whether
His message still has a place in our society. If the answer is yes, then this Christmas calls us to choose the people, not profit, as the true meaning of the season.
Note: Dilexi te” is Latin for “I have loved you,” a phrase from the Book of Revelation (3:9) that serves as the title of Pope Leo XIV’s 202g5 Apostolic Exhortation focused on the Church’s deep love and preferential option for the poor, continuing Pope Francis’s vision for the marginalized.
