christmas remarks 2016

This is the third time this class, the first year college, submitted this program for my approval.  The first program was full of messages, 7 to be exact – an opening remarks, one message coming from each department, a message from the faculty, a message from the personnel, a message before opening the gifts and this message.  And to think that we just listened to a homily before coming down for dinner.  So I told them there should only be one message – it's either me or one of them. 

Then the in-charge of the greeting for the archbishop presented to me their program.  Again there are 4 messages including the bishop's and probably to please me they placed beside my name in parenthesis the word optional, which I understood as I may give a message or I may not.  The last time I was not given a part the bishop told me in passing, I thought you will still give a closing remarks.  It would seem that it has been standard practice which falls on the shoulders of the rector to say something before everybody disperses.  After my term here as rector I am going to publish a book and entitle it, Closing Remarks – I have so many already.

And so it would seem that we will be inundated with messages just before we leave for Christmas break – shorter versions of our Academic Convocations and Philosophical Symposiums.  It would seem that you really enjoy listening to messages or am I correct in my suspicion that you're just putting so many messages in between to act as fillers because you cannot think of a better way to do things.  And to think we have so many PRISAA contestants which the community almost always presumed very good but never had the privilege of seeing them for ourselves.  And frankly better messages, especially Christmas messages are not always said – many times they are sung, they are dramatized, they are danced, they are placed as decorations. 

Nevertheless this is supposedly the only message that should be said.  And so here it is:

Our theme I believe is a misquote from our Major Production Calle Cuartero - Christmas:  Necessity, Important, Very Important.  A misquote because as I reviewed the script the necessity, important and very important do not refer to Christmas at all, but to the much anticipated Christmas party and the need to have a date during that party.

Many times this is what happens to our Christmas and as I told you it is a problem of listening to too many messages – the messages of SM, Robinsons, Gaisano, Atria and the world which tells us every Christmas buy, buy, buy, buy.  Their definition of necessity, important, very important have little to do with the real meaning and commemoration of Christmas.  As far as I know there was only one messenger and one message on Christmas day.  It was an angel and he/she said to the shepherds: “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”  And then the angel disappeared flying to the heavens.  And then the backup singer-angels, flying to and fro in the night sky, sung: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

That's the message of Christmas.  Any other message should be a commentary to that and not a deviation.  A Blessed Christmas to all of you.