Drowned by Despair, Saved by Hope

Drowned by Despair, Saved by Hope

Composed by: Angelo Saniel Gomos

On a cold and dark December night,

When people were asleep and humbly in peace,

No trouble was found in sight,

While the wind blew its freezing breeze.

Then all of a sudden, rain came pouring,

Stronger by the second, while the wind started howling.

The trees were uprooted and the houses destroyed,

As the river waters started raging and flooding.

The people were awakened in fright and fear,

Praying for God’s almighty mercy for all to hear.

The disastrous calamity came strikingly unexpected,

Leaving numerous injured and multiple dead.

The people cried their wails of agony,

Hopeless and destroyed, they still kept their morality.

Clinging to God with their faith and loyalty,

In order for them to find light in this major adversity.

The almighty God never fails to listen,

For His love to the faithful always abides.

With ultimate kindness and compassionate mercy,

He sends His omnipotent hand to those who are weary.

In this difficult time, the people learned compassion,

With love for each other and sacrificial cooperation.

Drowned by despair yet saved by hope,

The people gained courage and pious devotion.

The Peak of the Mountain

The Peak of the Mountain

Composed by: Angelo Saniel Gomos

The peak of the mountain stands firmly high,

Brilliantly shining with the sun’s blazing light.

With my keen and curious eye,

I have never seen such wondrous sight.

I decided without a doubt,

To reach the mountain’s peak.

And no matter how difficult the road is ahead,

I must follow and find for what I seek.

On the mountain’s peak I may find triumph and glory,

That I could live by endlessly beyond my days.

To God, I pray to help me fulfill my destiny,

And find joy and happiness in all my ways.

Before the break of dawn and the rise of day,

I started to venture on my way.

My destination lies far beyond me,

And my journey could take an eternity.

On the path of danger and darkness I trod,

Full of hopes and vigor along the way.

Facing obstacles that could lead me astray,

I am still patient and determined to traverse and climb if I may.

My journey might take too long,

But I have a compelling hope to reach the top.

On the peak of the mountain with all its vicinity,

                                              I am able to attain my greatest victory.

Christ, the Sole Purpose of the Season

Christ, the Sole Purpose of the Season

     Christmas is one of the greatest celebrations and annual holiday we have in our world. People from all over the globe celebrate it depending on their cultures and traditions. It is often celebrated with glee and love, thanksgiving and generosity, and devotion and gratitude. We celebrate Christmas when we are together with our family and loved ones. We celebrate Christmas because we want to reflect upon all the things, whether they were good or bad, we have experienced during the whole year that has passed. We celebrate Christmas to cherish all the good and happy memories that we had undergone during the months in the year. We celebrate Christmas to renew our relationships with one another and prepare ourselves for the incoming year that will eventually arrive.

     Nowadays, Christmas is often associated with gifts, bountiful feasts, money, and all forms of merry-making. People tend to forget even more what the true meaning and the focal point of Christmas is. Because of the fast-changing and transient cultures and temporary traditions our world has offered based on temporary and passing beliefs, people become more and more forgetful of how and why Christmas, as a celebration, started. The true meaning of the Christmas season is not about the gifts we receive from our family or give to the needy, the love that we share to each other, and the gratitude we offer. The true meaning of Christmas is the remembrance of the arrival of our Savior, Jesus Christ into this world. All the love that we share, all the gifts that we give, all the devotion we show, and all the traditions we practice are just effects of what happened more than two thousand years ago. Jesus, as the promised Messiah and the only begotten Son of God, came into this world for but two purposes: to show us the truth and lead us the way and to save all of us from our sins and give us life.

     Jesus humbly sacrificed Himself on the cross to liberate humanity and redeem us from eternal destruction so that we can be together with God and will gain the possibility to attain salvation through Him. Salvation is found in none other but Christ alone if we accept Him as our personal Lord and Savior. Salvation is the free gift from God through Christ to us. Christ came into this world and saved us all from our sins. This is the true meaning of Christmas – to remember and commemorate the arrival of the Messiah in this world for the salvation and hope of mankind.

     Christmas will always continue as the world’s greatest celebration. But it should not be just focused more on the gifts and the abundance of feasts; it should be celebrated with commemorating love and endless piety to Jesus Christ and to God our Father. It should be celebrated for Him and in Him alone through our greatest thanksgiving for the free gift that He had freely and lovingly given us. Christ should be the center of the celebration. In order for us to celebrate it in adoration towards Him, we must also be more generous, kind, loving, and grateful to our fellow brethren. We must love each other as much as we love ourselves because it is one of Christ’s greatest commandments that we must love our fellow brethren as we love ourselves and as we love God. Loving our neighbors is one way to honor Christ during this meaningful, peaceful, joyful, and gratifying celebration. We ought not to forget that Christ is the sole purpose of this season above all else.