Friday, December 25, 2020
God Is With Us!
The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father. John 1:14
And before you hear from my dad, this is Bonnie Sala, president of Guidelines, wishing you Merry Christmas! Today my dad shares what is my all-time favorite Guidelines Christmas devotional. It's the story of two missionaries, Rudolph Bosshardt and Arnolis Hayman, who were left behind, when the communists took over China in 1949.
The two were arrested and thrown into prison. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. China is a vast country, but what many do not realize is that in the northern part of China it gets very cold as the Siberian winds come whistling from the north.
As the months began to drag by, the two soon realized that they would spend Christmas alone and without their families. Forbidden to speak to each other, the two men sat in the cold, unheated prison cell as Christmas day dawned. Shivering from the cold, their thoughts were filled with memories of past Christmases, the warmth of families together, to say nothing of thoughts of Christmas dinner, which would not be their good fortune on that Christmas.
As they sat there, a feeling of hopelessness seemed to settle over them. Arnolis reached down and began playing with pieces of straw on the prison floor. He began making letters--IMMANUEL. The two looked at it‑‑"IMMANUEL," one of the names given to Christ meaning, "God is with us!" And gradually, by their own statement, the reality of what Arnolis had just written began to sink in‑‑GOD IS WITH US. The gloom of a prison was driven back, and the reality of what Christmas really is, sank in.
Seven centuries before Jesus was born, the Lord gave a sign to Ahaz, saying, "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14). Matthew 1:23 quotes the passage from Isaiah, citing the birth of Jesus as fulfillment of Isaiah's words. But what does it all mean in our world? When the Apostle John took pen and parchment to record the birth of Jesus, he wrote, "The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father" (John 1:14). Theologians have called it "the Incarnation," but it simply means God became flesh and lived among us.
Watching the world with its misery and conflict, we desperately need to discover the meaning of the Incarnation. Many today are imprisoned; but instead of the steel bars of a jail, they are captured by human suffering, the guilt of a troubled conscience, their inadequacies and failures. Bound by ignorance, fear, superstition or just plain sin, they feel that no one cares, no one understands. The Incarnation means that God understands and cares.
On one occasion, a Christian was sharing his faith with a Hindu who just could not grasp the fact that God became man. As the two were talking, the Christian looked down and noticed an ant crawling on the sidewalk. Stooping over he said, "Suppose that I could compress myself to the size of an ant and could put aside my human strength and could live in the body of an ant. Only then could I really understand an ant's world, and that is exactly what Jesus did." "Yes," replied the Hindu, "to understand, one must be one."
And that is exactly what the Incarnation really means‑‑God cared enough to allow His Son to take upon Himself a robe of human flesh, to suffer as we suffer, to experience what we experience, and finally, to give His life in our stead that for all eternity we may dwell in His presence. Yes, the Word, Jesus Christ, became flesh and dwelt among us.
Resource reading: Romans 8:38-9
Behind the Music: 'Pasko Na, Sinta Ko' by Gary Valenciano
Not every popular OPM Christmas song weaves a love story. However, Gary Valenciano’s “Pasko Na, Sinta Ko” started that way.
This sentimental Yuletide ballad that has been crooned by Filipinos for more than three decades, has an interesting romantic story.
Back in 1986, when Valenciano had just joined WEA Records, the company immediately planned to release a Christmas album for him. “Take Me Out of the Dark,” a song Valenciano penned that year, was readily included in the line-up of tracks.
Yet, Valenciano’s wife and manager, Angeli Pangilinan-Valenciano, insisted that her husband include a Christmas song that her Sigma Delta Phi sorority sisters at the University of the Philippines (UP) would render during caroling nights.
The song was written by someone who was also from UP (Francis Dandan) and his professor (Aurelio Estanislao).
“I told Angeli, ‘No one knows the song’!” Valenciano told ABS-CBN News. “But Angeli insisted that it had to be part of my Christmas album. She kept on singing the chorus to me and bits and pieces of the song.
“Then, Louie Ocampo told me he knew the song, so we asked him to arrange it and it became such a huge hit. The rest is history.”
Dandan collaborated with UP professor, baritone Aurelio Estanislao, who wrote the lyrics of “Pasko Na, Sinta Ko” before the song landed on Valenciano’s lap.
“The story’s background is supposedly about a young member of the UP Concert Chorus, Fred Gutierrez, whose love of his life, Melba, was leaving for the USA before Christmas in the late ‘70s,” Valenciano added. “But she passed away."
“Meantime, Francis’ story is tragic as he took his life in 2001 due to undisclosed reasons and that was so sad for us.”
Through the years, “Pasko Na, Sinta Ko” has become one of the most iconic Christmas ballads ever recorded and Valenciano cannot be any happier about that fact. The popular song has undoubtedly become Valenciano’s signature anthem during Christmas. It was the carrier track of his first holiday album, “From Gary, Merry Christmas.”
“Having a song that hits is one thing, but having been given a chance to record a song that eventually becomes a classic is different feeling,” Valenciano said. “Somehow, it takes longer for it to sink in.
“Most of the time, it really tugs at my heart when I hear ‘Pasko Na, Sinta Ko’ being played after all these years. What a blessing to have been given this song. I count it an honor to have been the first to record the song, but we were very sad that we couldn’t do more for Francis Dandan as we were unaware of his mental condition.”
At about the same time Valenciano and Ocampo were trying to record the song then, they found out that young singer, Keno, wanted to do the same thing. “But we beat Keno to it,” Valenciano said. “And his manager then, Arsi Baltazar, and Angeli had such a fun time arguing about what happened.”
“Pasko Na, Sinta Ko” has been in the roster of Christmas songs every Yuletide season. It has become a sentimental favorite by many. It always warms Valenciano’s heart when people come up to him to say how they have embraced the song.
“I’ve had many who have come up to me either just laying their hand over their chest, like to signify how much they’ve been affected by my song, as others have that look on their faces like they want to cry,” Valenciano disclosed.
“Both of those actions are done in a light and almost joking kind of way. It is easy to tell though that the song is something. That they relate to quite well.
“Pasko Na, Sinta Ko” was not the first original Christmas song recorded for the album, “From Gary, Merry Christmas.” Valenciano also did another Tagalog Christmas ditty, “Himig ng Pasko,” by Levi Celerio and other well-known traditional Christmas classics like “Joy To the World,” “Little Drummer Boy,” “Silent Night," and "O Holy Night.”
“Pasko Na, Sinta Ko’ may not have been the first, but the album would never have been complete without it,” Valenciano said. “Of course, there is the ‘Hele ni Inay,’ composed by Roy and Lissa del Valle.
“I composed ‘Once Again It’s Christmas’ for Kiana 20 years ago, which won for her Best Christmas Recording and Best Performance by a Child Recording Artist at the Awit Awards of 2000 when she was only seven.”
Through the years, “Pasko Na, Sinta Ko” has been re-imagined and rendered onstage several other artists, like Martin Nievera, Sharon Cuneta, Tim Pavino and even the Philippine Madrigal Singers.
Behind the Music: 'Tuloy Na Tuloy Pa Rin ang Pasko' by Apo Hiking Society
If there is perhaps an apt OPM Christmas song at this time of the pandemic, it is the Apo Hiking Society’s “Tuloy Na Tuloy Pa Rin ang Pasko.”
While many are wary about celebrating Christmas this year, Filipinos will find every reason to still enjoy the holidays however they can, in whatever way they can.
It was back in 1991 when the Apo Hiking Society trio of Jim Paredes, Danny Javier and Buboy Garovillo recorded their first Christmas album, “Pasko nApo,” that contained 11 original Christmas tunes.
Among the tracks in Apo’s 12th studio album was “Tuloy Na Tuloy Pa Rin ang Pasko,” one of the well-loved OPM Christmas tunes ever recorded. The song has been embraced by both young and old through the years.
“I loved the song the moment I heard it,” Apo member Jim Paredes told ABS-CBN News. “It was a great song. We had Eddie Munji III arrange it. He was the same guy who arranged ‘Panalangin.’ He made ‘Tuloy Na Tuloy Pa Rin ang Pasko’ a big winner.”
Through the years, “Tuloy Na Tuloy Pa Rin ang Pasko” has been constantly included the roster of Christmas songs every Yuletide season. It has become a sentimental favorite of many Filipinos.
The OPM Christmas tune is a familiar piece for carolers, students, choirs and pop groups who never fail to render it for their celebrations. The upbeat tune has become a staple in Christmas get-togethers or presentations annually.
Back in 2006, Orange and Lemons recorded a re-imagined version of “Tuloy Na Tuloy Pa Rin ang Pasko” that was used in that year’s Christmas station ID of ABS-CBN. After more than a decade, the song was given a new feel and Paredes couldn’t be any prouder when he heard it.
“It is always a good feeling when another artist does a take on a song that we previously made a hit,” Paredes maintains.
The trio’s “Pasko nApo” Christmas is full of great songs and Paredes immediately went on a trip down memory lane when asked to talk about the album.
“I especially like ‘Lata ang Aming Tambol,’ ‘12 Days of Pinoy Christmas,’ ‘Sanggol na Mahiwaga’ and our ‘Pasko na Sinta Ko-Miss Kita Kung Christmas’ medley,” he said.
The album contains other tracks including “Paskong Walang Pera,” “Himig ng Pasko,” “Pasko Na sa Mundo” and “Panahon ng Pag-ibig,” “Pasko Na” and “Ang Pasko.”
Fifteen years after “Pasko nApo” was recorded, the 11-track album was digitally remastered and a new cover was created with the CD release.