December 18, 1999
Saturday
Dear Christmas Diary,
Today is the 3rd day of the midnight mass novena and it is a bit surprising that there are still so many people in church. The crowd is still the same as the first night. During the first night of the novena, the parish priest said in his homily that Christmas this year is special. Well, his words seem to be coming true after all. On second thought, i think Christmas of 1999 is indeed special but the event is overshadowed by the upcoming millennium (Welcome year 2000!).
So many billboards and print ads point to the coming year 2000. My favorite is
the giant Swatch wristwatch displayed at the Swatch boutique that shows the
exact days, hours, minutes, and seconds before year 2000. I think the countdown
started right after the 1998 centennial celebration. I sometimes imagine it
would explode when the awaited time arrives.
But if New Year has its millennium and the Y2K bug, the Church has its Jubilee
year. I heard it first during the 1995 World Youth Day celebration in Manila
and never really understood what it means. Good thing, the priest talked about during
the homily. He said the jubilee marks the 2000th birthday of our
Lord and it signifies new hope, new salvation.
The priest further said that people today are
unconsciously responding to the jubilee’s call. It is because more people seem
to be going to church, seeking for spiritual renewal. He cited the increasing
number of people attending the midnight masses as an example. He states that
these days there are midnight masses during lunchtime (12pm) mostly in offices
and buildings, during late evening (7pm and 8pm) to cater to those who cannot
wake up so early in the morning. Apparently, this special schedule of midnight masses
is something that does not exist before.
It just shows that the church also has to cope with changes brought about
by the modern times.
The homily led me to realize that spirituality is somehow a luxury. Maybe it is something that only those with extra time and money to spare can enjoy to the fullest. With all things to think, do, and worry about, it may be a privilege to still profess your faith and fulfill holy obligations.
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