BALANGA CITY — Bishop Ruperto C. Santos of the Diocese of Balanga on Thursday asked for love for seafarers because of their important and delicate role in bringing gifts of love and most of the things we have this Christmas.
Santos, also Bishop Promoter of Stella Maris–Philippines, wanted everyone to ponder and ask themselves who brought those items under the Christmas trees, food on the table for Noche Buena, clothes worn, and even gifts to family and friends.
“Have you asked yourself? Where do they come from? And how come they have reached our shores, to our stores and at home?” the Bataan prelate said. “Looking at their labels, and so being imported or exported to and from different countries around the globe, our hardworking and honest seafarers brought them to us. It is truly what we said ‘no shipping, no shopping’.”
The bishop asked everyone to be grateful to our seafarers for making our Christmas merry, to appreciate their services and sacrifices that we have food to partake, gifts to give, items to use, to wear and to share.
To seafarers who are with their families in the Philippines, Santos requested them to make this Christmas a grace-filled occasion to connect and re-connect, to renew and to reconcile with God and their families.
“To our dear seafarers who are still on board, please rest assured of our prayers and Holy Masses for your safety, sound health, and with Jesus our true Light of the world would truly bring you prosperity and peace back home,” Santos said.
“Christmas is Jesus. With His coming, Jesus brings hope and healing. With His sacrificial love on the cross Jesus grants peace and pardon. Christmas is love. Christmas is life,” he added.
Santos thanked the Stella Maris-Philippines family for being love and life this Christmas. “Jesus comes to us through our Blessed Mother Mary whom we lovingly and trustingly invoke as our Stella Maris. With her maternal protection and embrace she will bring Jesus to us, lead us to Jesus.”
“We, your chaplains and pastoral workers, wish and pray for you all there on land and on the sea a blessed Christmas and peaceful New Year!” the bishop said.
