Christmas, for the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, is not only a season of prayer but a call to presence.
In Sitio Camachile, Floridablanca, Pampanga, in the northern part of the Philippines, where Ayta children live with limited access to basic needs, the congregation marked the season not simply by giving toys and food, but by sharing time, attention, and a sense of belonging.
Rooted in a health ministry, the work gradually unfolded into a deeper relationship, one that understands Christmas as a moment when contemplation moves naturally into concrete acts of love.
The Ayta (Aeta) people are one of the Indigenous groups of the Philippines.
“When we started our health ministry with the Ayta community, we saw other needs and felt part of their community,” said Sr. Flor Montoja Manga, the congregation’s mission coordinator in the Philippines. “Since Christmas is a special time for us, we see it as a moment for gift-giving, something we have done since we began.”
Aside from the Ayta children, the congregation also organized Christmas gift-giving activities for elderly residents and fire victims.
“But we give more attention to the Ayta children because we want them to experience the joy of Christmas,” Manga said.
Among the most pressing needs of the Ayta children are food, clothing, slippers, school supplies, and toys, she noted.
Yet beyond toys and food, the congregation hopes the children receive something deeper through the activity.
“The joy of sharing and being together,” Manga said.
For religious communities, moving beyond prayer into concrete action is essential, she added.
“Contemplation moves us into action and vice versa,” she said. “It is in prayer that we see the needs of others, and we become restless until we respond to some of them. We cannot help all, but in our own small ways, we can express love and care to some.”
The congregation conducts medical missions in the Ayta community seven times a year. Each visit, Manga said, includes not only medicines but other forms of support. Even birthdays, she added, can become moments of sharing with those in need.
The congregation also welcomes donations for its outreach to the Ayta community, Manga said, noting that support helps sustain their health ministry and seasonal activities.
The Ayta people worship Apo Nalamyari, whom they believed inhabit Mt. Pinatubo, an active volcano in Central Luzon. Today, many Ayta communities have long embraced Christianity, with most identifying as Catholics, while continuing to honor aspects of their indigenous culture.
