Showing posts with label Black Nazarene. Show all posts

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Suggestions para sa Pista ng Nazareno

Posted on Friday, 6 January 2017

SUGGESTIONS PARA SA PISTA NG NAZARENO….
Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Dahil pinaniniwalaan ng mga debotong Katoliko na may milagrong mangyayari sa kanila kapag nakahawak man lang sila sa lubid, lalo na sa estatwa ng itim ng Kristo, nakikipagbalyahan sila upang makasampa sa karo at maipahid  ang face towel nila sa mukha nito, o di kaya ay nagkakandaipit sa pagpilit na makasama sa paghila ng lubid….resulta: ang iba ay nadadaganan ng kapwa deboto….kung hindi man mapilay, pag-goodbye sa mundo ang inaabot nila….dahil lang sa…….?

UPANG WALANG GULO, DAPAT AY TALIAN ANG BANDANG LIKURAN NG KARO NG ISANG KILOMETRONG LUBID UPANG MAHAWAKAN NG MGA DEBOTO, AT NANG HINDI SILA NAKIKIPAG-AGAWAN SA LUBID NA NASA HARAPAN. KAPAG NANGYARI YAN, SIGURADONG ANG DADAGSAIN AY ANG LIKURAN NG KARO KAYA MAPAPABILIS ANG PAG-USAD NG PROSESYON O TRANSLACION PABALIK SA QUIAPO CHURCH. NANINIWALA DIN LANG SILA SA MILAGRO, EH DI LUBUSIN NA NILA! ANG PALIWANAG KO SA SUGGESTION NA YAN AY “HINIHILA SILA NG NAZARENO PATUNGO SA PAGBABAGONG BUHAY”. KUNG NAKIKIHILA NAMAN SILA, PARA NILANG PINAPALABAS NA NAHIHIRAPAN SI HESUS NA MAKATULOY SA KANYANG PATUTUNGUHAN KAYA TINUTULUNGAN NILA, GANOONG PANAY NAMAN ANG HINGI NILA DITO NG BIYAYA, AT ANG IBA AY NAKAKALIMUTAN PA ANG MAGPASALAMAT!

UPANG WALA NAMANG PROBLEMA SA FACE TOWEL NA GUSTONG IPAHID SA MUKHA NG NAZARENO, DAPAT, SA LUNETA PA LANG AY MAGPAHID NA SA ESTATWA NG LIBU-LIBONG FACE TOWEL UPANG IPAMIGAY SA MGA TAO BAGO MAGPRUSISYON….MAGAGAMIT PA NILA KAPAG PINAWISAN HABANG NAKIKI-PRUSISYON. NAPAPANSIN KASI NA MAY IBANG SUMASAMPA NA SA ULO NG IBANG DEBOTO UPANG MAKAAKYAT LANG SA KARO AT MAGPAHID NG FACE TOWEL NILA SA MUKHA NG ESTATWA.

ANG HINDI MAINTINDIHAN AY KUNG BAKIT HIHINTAYIN PA  ANG ARAW NA PISTA NG NAZARENO GANOONG ITO AY NASA SIMBAHAN LANG NG QUIAPO 24/7 BUONG TAON. HUWAG SABIHING SA ARAW LANG NG PISTA INILALABAS ANG “TUNAY” KUNONG ESTATWA NG NAZARENO KAYA PAGKAKATAON NANG MAKITA ITO. KAPAG ANG DAHILANG YAN ANG IPAGPIPILITAN, LALABAS NA WALANG EPEK ANG PANANAMPALATAYA NG MGA DEBOTO DITO KUNG HINDI NAKIKITA O NAHAHAWAKAN ANG “TUNAY” NA ESTATWA, GANOONG ANG TUNAY NA PANANAMPALATAYA AY WALANG PINIPILING ORAS, PANAHON, AT LUGAR....YAN ANG DAPAT IPALIWANAG NG SIMBAHANG KATOLIKO UPANG MABAWASAN ANG KAMANGMANGAN NG ILANG SUNOD LANG NG SUNOD SA MGA SINASABI NG MGA PARI NA ANG ILAN NAMAN AY MAY KADUDA-DUDA NAMANG PAGKATAO….KAYA PAANONG PANINIWALAAN?


HINDI AKO GALIT O KUMUKONTRA SA MGA GAWAIN NG SIMBAHANG KATOLIKO, PERO DAHIL SA CURIOSITY AY NAGTATANONG LANG AKO. CONCERNED DIN AKO SA MGA NAMAMATAY AT NASASAKTAN TUWING PISTA NG NAZARENO LALO NA ANG MGA SUMASAMA SA PRUSISYON. KARAPATAN KO YAN BILANG ISANG NAG-IISIP NA PILIPINO. DAPAT PANG UNAWAIN NA ANG MGA NAGLILINIS NG KALSADA AT MGA PULIS NA NAGMIMINTINA NG KAAYUSAN TUWING SASAPIT ANG PISTA NG NAZARENO AY SINUSUWELDUHAN NG TAONG BAYAN MULA SA BUWIS NA BINABAYAD NILA….KASAMA NA AKO DIYAN.


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The Overzealous Devotion to the Black Nazarene

Posted on Friday, 9 January 2015




The Overzealous Devotion to the Black Nazarene
By Apolinario Villalobos

Every year, I partially witness the transfer of the image of the Black Nazarene from Luneta to Quiapo Church. Partial because I just stay along Taft Avenue and follow until the procession reaches the Jones Bridge, then I go the other way towards the direction of Quiapo Church where a multitude of devotees are waiting.

As during the previous years, the Quiapo church authorities try their best to rectify the belief of the devotees that the January 9 is the fiesta of Quiapo which is wrong. The fiesta of Quiapo is June 24, as the district’s patron saint is St. John the Baptist. January 9 is the commemoration of the transfer of the image of the Black Nazarene from Intramuros to Quiapo, and not a fiesta.

Observable as usual, is the overzealous praying to the image which the church authorities are trying to discourage by explaining that it is not Jesus, but just his representation, hence, an image, so that such act is idolatrous. Devotees are also advised not to bring their children to the occasion. Also, those living along the route of the procession should refrain from holding drinking sprees on the street, thinking that the occasion is a “fiesta”. And worse, they also hold piῆata games using earthen pots, resulting to the scattering of potsherds all over the streets which are along the route of the procession of barefooted devotees. Unfortunately, all those calls are unheeded.

The kissing ritual and wiping of the image with hand towels on which is printed the face of the Black Nazarene are also among the overzealous acts of the devotees. The kissing ritual is held at the Luneta Grandstand and the wiping of the image is done along the route of the procession during which many wonder how the towels can be thrown back to their owners afterwards by members of the Hijos de Nazareno who are protecting the image which is firmly perched on the “andas”.

This year, a “miracle” can eventually bolster the faith of the devotees to the Black Nazarene. A long- distressed mother is reunited with his mentally-handicapped son, after so many years of separation. It is as if her son is pushed to her side during the melee that ensued. The mother almost failed to recognize her son whose features are slightly changed. But her maternal instinct told her that it is her son. Radio field reporters eagerly picked up the story with eagerness, and which overshadowed the death of a member of the “Hijos” due to a stroke that resulted from over exhaustion.

The Black Nazarene is among the most popular images with millions of devotees in the Philippines, most of whom are concentrated in Manila and its suburbs. What distract the high-strung devotion are those who act as if possessed if they notice cameras focused to them, as well as, the Jesus personifiers, complete with crown of “thorns”, and who meld themselves in the sea of ardent devotees.

Before I left the procession, I asked one “devotee” whose breath strongly smells of liquor, the reason for his devotion. To my question, he answered that he is asking the Black Nazarene to give him a chance in winning the lottery, even just for once….