Kleptocratic charity

Christmas, indeed, is a special season for giving and receiving. In other words, for sharing our blessings, not problems. It blesses he who gives and he who receives. It is inspired by Jesus Christ Himself who shared His divinity with humanity by becoming man Himself.

He was born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger. It is interesting to note that “Bethlehem” is a Hebrew word for “House of Bread” and a manger is an open box or receptacle where feeds are placed for the sheep to eat. Is this scenario not being repeated every day during Holy Mass on an open altar, a table of sacrifice, where Jesus Christ Himself is being offered as the Bread of Life? Was not the first miracle performed by Christ during His public ministry, the conversion of water into wine to go with the bread in a wedding banquet? Did He not also multiply five loaves of bread to feed the crowd of thousands of people? And during the last supper with His apostles, did He not offer His body as the Bread of Life?

In view of the above, as an afterthought, I often wonder and now seem to understand the special significance of bread, as food, as the best medium and symbol of sharing—it feeds, enriches and becomes part of us. It can indeed and should in fact unite us as we break bread together at the table. A lesson for us to always remember: United we stand, provided we eat. And as many concerned preachers realize from experience: You cannot preach to a man with an empty stomach.

However, nemo dat quod non habet (no one gives what he does not have). Yes, indeed, we cannot give what we do not have, except perhaps for some or many of our politicians or public officials who can give or actually give and continue to give what they don’t have or own, by using other people’s money or public funds rechanneled to their pockets in forms of commissions and kickbacks. This is not an example of a genuine Christmas spirit of sharing. It is political machination and chicanery employed to prop up a kleptocratic form of government, where only the most undesirable, incompetent and corrupt leaders—supported by a sycophant and mendicant, relatively poor and ignorant, majority—share the loot among themselves and manage to stay in power from generation to generation by keeping the people poor and ignorant and inadequately fed.
—AMAY P. ONG VA—O,
[email protected]