I saw the Holy Scripture come to life during the Fiesta of the Black Nazarene.
Each time during January, I used to read the reports on
the tremendous procession of the Black Nazarene. At times there would also be
tv news reports on the event and never did I imagined that in my life time I
would be witnessing the event or even participate in it. Since coming to the
Philippines in May 2012, I have made it a point to go and pray at the Minor Basilica
of the Black Nazarene and now I can be considered a devotee to the Black
Nazarene too. (Here they say; “Hijos del Senor Nazareno” – ‘Sons of the Lord
Nazarene’. Very often (at most times monthly),
I would make my own pilgrimage to the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene,
Quipo, Manila, bringing with me all the prayer intentions of the people I know,
who have asked me to pray for them. In 1880 Pope Pius VII gave the statue his
Apostolic Blessing which granted plenary indulgence to those who piously pray
before it.
On January 08-09, 2014, I had the opportunity to be
participating in the event. The best part of this is that, I would be very
close to the altar where the Mass would take place and where the statue of the
Black Nazarene would be. As a seminarian I was given the privilege to serve as an
extraordinary minister of communion. It was a meaningful task for me, and I
would elaborate further on this later. The mass was held at the Quirino
Grandstand, Luneta, at the very same place 19 years before, I had participated
in the great gathering of 5 million youths with Pope John Paul II, i.e. The
1995 World Youth Day.
As I mentioned earlier, I was given the task to serve as
an extra-ordinary minister of communion for the mass in the evening of January
08. I was directed to distribute the communion at a far corner where devotees were
gathered for the Mass. At that place, I could also smell strong stench of
urine. Not that the toilets were nearby, but it was due to the huge crowd and
long wait that some people might have relieved themselves there. If you had been to slums or to any areas or
even on people who do not care for hygiene or not able to clean themselves,
this stench would be very familiar!!
While standing with the ciborium waiting to distribute Holy
Communion, I reflected that the Lord who is now present in the Holy Eucharist
that I was holding came down as a human to be among them. It was indeed an
‘Emmanuel’ experience; God ‘pitching his tent among His people’ (Is. 7:14 / Mt.
1:23). My heart was then soften, that instead of feeling uncomfortable due to
the strong smell, I was now joyfully ‘distributing the Lord through the Holy
Eucharist to His people’. For as we see
in the Gospels, Jesus came to the world to serve all people especially the
poor, the broken hearted, those ostracize and the sick (Lk.4:18-19). So with a loud proclamation, I profess to the
people ‘The Body of Christ’ (Lk. 22:19) as I distribute the Holy Communion and
the people with conviction that ‘It is the Lord’ (Jn 21:7) who came as man and
died to save them all and He is now present in the Holy Eucharist; replies
‘Amen’.
I stayed over at the Quirino Grandstand after the evening
Mass. Even though there was place for us seminarians who stayed over to rest or
lay the head a little while, I just could not. Seeing the ‘church’ (the lay
faithful) awake and in vigil with the Lord, how can I rest! I then watched some
performance by the youths, listened to the parish priest and a Jesuit priest
who has a great devotion to the Black Nazarene share their experiences and
stories of miracles attributed to the Black Nazarene. When my companions were
tired and wanted to rest a while, I then decided to go on my own to the back of
the stage to look at the flow of the crowd going to touch the statue with
utmost reverence. I was moved, just by looking at those devotees expressing
themselves. I shared in their feelings. When I saw tears, I too shed my tears.
When I saw faces of joy and accomplishment for having being able to persevere
and braving the long queue and now finally being able to venerate the statue, I
too was happy and shared in their joy. I just could not leave the place where I
was standing watching all this, for it was a sight to behold. It was a sacred
moment for me especially in that sacred place. The Holy Scripture came alive.
All of them wanting to touch the cloak of the statue and this reminded me of
the incident in the bible where a woman touched the cloak of Jesus and she was
healed because of her faith in Him (Mk.5: 25-34). I also saw mothers and
fathers, interceding for their children and this reminded me of the incident in
Mk 7:24-30. I saw two men carrying a lame man up the many steps so that he may be
able to venerate the Black Nazarene, something very similar we see in Lk 5:
17-26. Watching all this, I could not
hold myself but to cry with them and join them in their prayers. I then moved
away to another angle to behold the face of Jesus the Black Nazarene. I cried
even more and asked the Lord to bless us all including my family and friends
who have asked me to pray for them and also to give thanksgiving to the Lord
for the healing and successful operation of my aunt who months earlier was
diagnosed with cancer. I had offered her up to Black Nazarene during my monthly
pilgrimage to the Minor Basilica at Quipo and the Lord had answered that
prayers together with the many prayers that I was asked to pray for. I had recently bought her a statue of the Black Nazarene as a
Christmas gift. Now looking at the face of Jesus carrying the cross, I could
see LOVE. Jesus has so much love for each and every one of us that he willingly
took up the cross, suffered and died for us (Jn.10:18). He is ‘the lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world’ (Jn.1:29). I also prayed that I may persevere
and be faithful in this journey towards the priesthood and one day soon be a
priest after the heart of Jesus who is filled with love for all people. 
I know many people including priests and seminarians were not happy that the
mass were interrupted and had to be concluded in the sacristy due to the
massive crowd breaking through the barricade so as to be nearer to the statue’s
carriage known as ‘andas’ or ‘carosa’
so that during the procession they can be near to the statue of the Black
Nazarene. I too wished that it could be avoided but what I saw there was as
mentioned in John 6:14-15; ‘When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is
truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off
to make him king…’ Yes, clearly there should be more catechesis for the
people and it is the responsibility of the very ones (priest and seminarians
included) who had shook the head when the ‘mob took charge’! Since
now this situation seems to be an yearly occurrence and the crowds are
increasing every year, so I would like to offer a suggestion that instead of having
the procession (traslación)
immediately after the mass, there could just be a ‘para-liturgy’ or a service
to begin the procession instead. The mass can be in the evening the day before
or hours before the procession, anyway there are masses taking place hourly at
the basilica at the same time, so I feel a liturgical service to begin the
procession should be sufficient and can be meaningful and then can conclude with a
thanksgiving high-mass when the statue arrives at the Minor Basilica.
I
praise and thank God for giving me this opportunity to experience this largest
procession in the Philippines and I believe in the world; the annual
commemoration of the ‘Traslacion’ of the image of the Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno
(aka Black Nazarene). For more information on the Minor Basilica of the Black
Nazarene click here.
The hymn Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno was composed by Lucio San Pedro to honour the Black Nazarene. It is used by the Minor Basilica as the official anthem of the devotion and its associated rites.
Literal English translation of the hymn
- Our Father Jesus Nazarene
- We worship Thee
- We admire Thee
- Thy teachings are our life
- and salvation.
- Our Father Jesus Nazarene,
- Save us from sin.
- The Cross Thou hadst died upon is
- Emblem of our salvation.
- CHORUS:
- Our Father Jesus Nazarene,
- We honour Thee!
- Our Father Jesus Nazarene,
- We glorify Thee! ||
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