Ferolino, Ayra Paulynn V.

Philo104 (M); BSAT IV

January 5, 2015

Christmas is the season for us people to give love, share a smile, forgive our
enemies, unite with our friends and be with our families. But above all that, Christmas
is the season or us to remember Jesus Christ. It is the season that Christ is born
through mother Mary together with saint Joseph to bring us salvation. Putting Jesus
Christ in the center of our hearts and our lives during this season is the true meaning
of Christmas. Having religious experience during the season of Christmas is different
from any other types of human experiences. It is something more than being caught
up in beauty with beautiful sights and sounds, having the sense of moral obligation or
being practical with life's problems. Accordingly, when religious experience is
present, it gives our lives a special character. There is something more than what we
normally experience.

One of the religious experiences I had was when we had our love drive program
at Saint Francis Orphanage at Pasonanca. For me, being a part of that program is just
simply feeling the moral obligation to those kids and just being generous. It is just
primarily knowing that if there is something we can donate to the less fortunate, then
we should give it or share it to them. But when I come to think of it, there is
something more than that. There is something more than just giving things. And that
is having deep care and concern for them. We really want them to be happy and make
them feel loved. During the preparations, we sacrificed the time that we should be
spending for ourselves, we exert so much effort to look for sponsors to add the foods
and things that we will be giving and did so many things to raise funds for the
children. But all of those are rooted from our willingness to serve them. I consider it
as a religious experience because in those things that we did, we come to be aware of
the totality of one's life and the absolute value of one's life, that it is not about the

material things that we give but in the happiness, joy and love that we share. In spite
the hardships in life that those children are experiencing, they can still manage to
smile, laugh and giggle with us and that makes us feel inspired and value more the life
that we have today. Sacrificing for those kids, caring for them and all the efforts just
to make them happy and feel loved is already recognition of the existence of Christ,
the spirit of Christmas.

Another religious experience I had was when I and my family went to Fort Pilar. I
have noticed that the shrine was fully decorated. Christmas lanterns which were star
in shape were lighted and hung on the walls. The belen was well set-up and the altar
was so bright with all those lights and music that was so soothing to the ears. The
place was so beautiful and magical that night. But more than the appreciation and
admiration of its physical look, I felt that my spirit was so uplifted. I was so
enlightened of the presence of Jesus Christ on that place. For a short period of time, I
was able to forget about my school requirements, obligations and problems in life. I
was able to feel what life is really all about. According to John Smith, we can also
have religious experience even in the crucial moments of human life. The crucial
moments of human life reveal that we human beings are not in complete control of
our lives. I also had a crucial moment during the Christmas season. My parents fought
over a certain thing which caused them not to talk with each other for the whole day. I
was really filled with disappointment and depression that very day. I was filled with
anxiety because I don't know what to do to make them okay. In that crucial moment, I
came to realize that Jesus Christ is more present in me than any ordinary day. It is not
because I was really praying for things to be fine but it was because on that crucial
moment, I remembered all the happy things that happened to our family in the past. I
consider it as a religious experience because crucial moments are religious moments
that last for a lifetime.