For the children
January 18, 2026 – Feast of the Sto. Niño, Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Isaiah 9:1-6; Psalm 97, R. The Lord is king; let the many isles be glad.; Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18: Gospel – Matthew 18:1-5, 10
At the launch of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund in May 1995, Nelson Mandela began his address with these words: “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” This is an appropriate context for our reflection on the Feast of the Sto. Niño, a feast very special and close to our hearts.
It is a feast that reminds us of what Nelson Mandela said, and it challenges us to ask and to reflect on our response: How do we treat our children?
What have I done for them?
I add to this what the late Cesar A. Buenaventura, one of the great captains of industry of his generation, who had a very patriotic perspective as a businessman, wrote at the very end of his autobiography.
“Let me bring this volume to a close by inviting you, the reader, to ask yourself two questions: ‘What have I done to make sure no child goes hungry? And what am I doing to help ensure that children who have enough to eat also have enough to feed their hungry minds?’
“These questions are a challenge to you, the reader, whether you are young or old, affluent or a working professional. It isn’t a political challenge, although there is a time and place for politics. It’s a national, essential challenge: to have that sense of urgency, and thus, be galvanized into action, to do something tangible for the generations who will inherit the country we all love.”
This highlights the two sins of our time that I invite you to reflect on and, as a result of these two, a third sin, which is perhaps the most “grievous” sin.
First sin: Malnutrition and stunted growth
We have heard so often about the problem of malnutrition in our country, and of particular concern is the malnutrition that leads to stunting. The first 1,000 days of a child’s life from conception are crucial for the proper development of the child physically. If they are malnourished at this stage, they are in danger of being stunted, i.e., not just in physical appearance but also more serious in the brain.
Experts say that there is a window to reverse stunting if, in the early period, a child did not receive proper nourishment. This window is the first two to three years, depending on the level of malnutrition. It becomes irreversible beyond five.
In recent statistics, close to 30 percent of Filipino children below five years old are stunted. This has been the percentage for the past 30 years, which means that while the percentage remained the same—although there is a reported decrease by two percent—the actual number has grown, given our population has doubled from 30 years ago.
Second sin: The poor quality of education
The other sin is the quality of our education. International and national surveys have consistently shown alarmingly low literacy rates among our children. This is not to mention how badly we fared in global assessments when it comes to our children’s science and math skills.
To put it bluntly, our children are not dumb. It is the poor quality of education that is the main culprit for this sin or injustice. Add to this the sin of malnutrition and stunting, and we are not treating our children well by not giving them the care and concern they need.
Third sin: Depriving them of a better life
The malnutrition and stunting, plus poor quality of education, are fertile ground for the third sin. Because of the lack of opportunities for many of our children to work for a better life, we have deprived them of the ability and opportunity to dream.
This is the greatest injustice of all. This is the greatest sin of our society, and we are collectively responsible and guilty of the sin.
We need to make our choices and act on them. We need to respond to these questions and to act on our responses.
How do we ennoble the soul of our society? Echoing Mandela once more, “What have I done to make sure no child goes hungry? And what am I doing to help ensure that children who have enough to eat also have enough to feed their hungry minds?”
Renew and reset
Today, as we celebrate the Feast of the Sto. Niño, let us renew our society’s soul.
From the time Dr. Jose P. Rizal uttered these words—“The youth is the hope of our nation.”—there have been around 10 generations to the present. The irony, perhaps, is how we are called upon to work, to reanimate our souls now so we can give hope to our youth.
“And whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.” (from today’s Gospel) The promise of the Lord in today’s Gospel must inspire us to build a better world, a more caring and compassionate society that overcomes the sins of our time.
We must work to provide our youth with the opportunities to work for a better life, which all begins with them being able to dream of such.
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