We
don our church organization uniform – white, collared tee-shirt with logos
front and back. We forgo taking light dinner. We brush our teeth, put on
cologne, and head to Church on our sturdy SUV.
The
Church is still half-full; we find other members of our group neatly seated in
pews at the left side of the main altar.
Our
congregation is readying itself to mimic the translacion which is happening at the moment at the heart of
Manila.
Translacion is the yearly
procession that re-enacts the original procession which brought the image of
the Black Nazarene from its original location (now Rizal Park or Luneta) to the
Quiapo Church in Manila, now known as the Basilica Minore of the Black
Nazarene.
Today,
there are about 5 million Filipino men and women, most of them barefoot,
inching their way along the narrow streets of downtown Manila – jostling to get
nearer the Andas (the carriage that carries the Black Nazarene)
– many of them being pushed and shoved forward by bodies unknown to them. In
fact, one member of the Hijos de Nazareno died this morning, from exhaustion
and a heart attack.
Our
translacion in our Parish is no match to the one taking
place in Quiapo. Last year, the first year our church’s version of translacion took place, there were more
people, and after the procession, the owner of the Black Nazarene hosted a
thanksgiving dinner at the church’s Social Action Center.
In
the Quiapo area, rich and ordinary families provide food and refreshment to the
devotees. The atmosphere is that of a fiesta. Some individuals throw in money
as thanksgiving for answered prayers.
Our
local priest, Fr. Vic, answers the question many people ask: why are the Filipinos so
devoted to the Black Nazarene, and in a fanatical way, at that?
He
refers to the Gospel reading of the day where a man diseased with leprosy, an
outcast of society, forced his way near the Jesus of Nazareth and declared, “
Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.” And Jesus said, “ I do choose. Be made clean.”
The
devotees of the Black Nazarene, like the Leper, force their way to get near the
Image, or throw their towels to be wiped onto the Nuestro Senor Nazareno, because
their faith and devotion tell them that they, too, will be healed by Jesus, no
matter what their station in life is. It is all about “pananampalataya,” (faith), the priest says.
We
light our candles and move with the other devotees. Our church’s own version
of translacion is unique in its own way : low key, no
fanfare, less candles, shorter route.
But
all that matters is in the heart of the faithful.
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