This year, after everything we have gone through — the earthquake in the north, the typhoon and flooding that affected so many families, the destruction of homes, chapels, and livelihoods — I am inviting all of us to celebrate Christmas in 2025 with greater simplicity, deeper compassion, and more intentional solidarity with the poor.
A Call to a Simple and Meaningful Christmas
Christmas is not about extravagance. It is not about noise, fireworks, or lavish food.
I ask all our parishes, religious communities, families, and institutions to:
- Avoid extravagant decorations and celebrations.
- Avoid fireworks, loud noises, and unnecessary expenses.
- Keep your Christmas party or gathering modest. Keep the food simple and avoid wastefulness.
- Set aside extravagant shopping.
- Celebrate with gratitude, prayer, and togetherness. Let our homes shine not with lights but with love. Let our parishes be filled not with noise but with prayer. Let our celebrations focus not on abundance but on presence-God’s presence and each other’s presence.
Let Christmas Be About Family, Prayer, and Faith
- Attend Misa de Gallo with your family.
- Celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Mass with grateful hearts. Spend quality time with loved ones.
- Tell your children what Christmas really means.
- Reconcile with a family member or with a neighbor.
- Visit the sick or those in prison.
Let Our Simplicity Bring Hope to Others
Whatever we save from avoiding extravagance, I encourage you to share it with someone who needs it more:
- A poor family in your barangay,
- An elderly neighbor,
- Children who have nothing to eat,
- A family still recovering from the earthquake,
- Typhoon survivors still rebuilding their homes,
- Someone who will have no Christmas unless you share yours.
This Christmas Will Make the Baby Jesus Smile
The Baby in the manger—the Child who owned nothing, the Child who was given only love— will be happiest when we celebrate His birthday with simplicity, sincerity, compassion, and solidarity with the poor.
My dear brothers and sisters, let us give Jesus the gift He desires most this Christmas: a humble heart, a peaceful family, a generous hand.
The world does not need a noisy Christmas.
The world needs a compassionate one.
The world needs a hopeful one.
The world needs a Christ-centered one.
May our simple celebration this year bring deep joy to our homes, healing to our land, and true honor to the newborn King.