Greeting the New Year with Hope

A few days from now, 2006 comes to a close, and 2007 comes in. It's difficult to feel optimistic and excited when we know that it is election year in the country (May 2007), when the Charter Change campaign will be resurrected again, when the Bikolanos suffering terribly from the destruction of supertyphoon Reming have hardly recovered from the traumatic tragedy.

But perhaps this is precisely the meaning of hope, which differentiates it from optimism and excitement. Hope springs from a deeper source than optimism. While optimism simply looks forward to a situation better than the present, hope is that, but more. It is hoping "IN SOMEONE", rather than just waiting "for something".

And we know that this someone is not one who has not come. He is one who has already come, who has been with us all these years, in our sufferings and pains, experiencing the same helplessness and vulnerability as we do, as He was born amidst the poverty and misery of the manger. He is with us, for He is Emmanuel, God-with-us.

And thus, even though we are facing another chaotic election season, we are not afraid to what we can to make this country a little better, and move it a step forward, for we are not doing it alone. We are doing it with Jesus, the Son of God, the Son of Mary.

May we, like Mary, ponder these things in our hearts, and greet the New Year with A NEW HOPE IN HIM.