Tuning in to news programs for the past few weeks, you would hear news on the TV and radio that would crash your heart. Just a week before Christmas, our fellowmen in Visayas and Mindanao were simultaneously struck by tropical storm Urduja and typohoon Vinta. 50 people were reportedly found dead and around 1.24 billion of agricultural worth was lost.
Aside from experiencing the typhoon, some families in Davao City in Mindanao were also suffering from the grief of losing their loved ones. A fire broke out at the NCCC Mall on December 23, a day before the Christmas Eve. The 32-hour fire killed 38 people, trapping them inside the NCCC Mall.
On Christmas morning, the headlines included a jeepney and a bus collision in La Union. 20 people were reported dead and 24 were injured.
These are just some of the tragedies that occured during the holiday season. These incidents remind us that despite the festivities and the merrymaking, some people are sufferring deeply. They cannot afford to be merry, nor prepare a feast for the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us offer a prayer to those who have been greatly affected by these tragedies.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the many years of mysteries you have unfolded in our lives. Your love has defined how you moved in our daily living, in all the meaningful moments we were not able to fully comprehend, in all the afflictions, sorrows, rejections, hardships and loneliness brought by our struggle to survive this earthly life. You were there not just to witness it all but to be one with us to the point that You have sent your only Son to embrace our frailty and our very own humanity. May we be able to see through and feel the love amidst all these uncertainties and be strengthened by it in the year that we are about to begin. In all that will be, bless and guide us, o Lord. In Jesus’ name we pray… Amen..
Though the past year may not be a good one for everyone, let us all pray that God will be at our side to strengthen us during our toughest days.Let us leave 2017 with a thoughtful heart and welcome 2018 with a renewed faith in Him. Amen.
Kristine Tuting
Senior Writer, Website Team - Media Ministry
Kristine Tuting knows she has developed a love-hate relationship when it comes to writing. She obtained her bachelor's degree in BA Communication Arts at the University of Santo Tomas and her high school diploma at Nuestra Senora De Aranzazu Parochial School. When she's not working, Kristine treats the writing process as learning, especially when it comes to religious terminologies.
