Today, January 9 is the Feast of Black Nazarene. The annual event see millions of pious devotees expected to flock the procession of the image from the beginning and within the route of the procession. The veneration of the people to the Black Nazarene is such that a massive crowd of passionate devotees around the image slows down the procession to Quiapo Church which usually last for 18 - 24 hours. The Black Nazarene is said to be miraculous and a countless number of miracles to the people from sicknesses being healed to success in life to regaining a relationship that was lost and even complete transformation of the people is attributed to praying and unwavering faith to the Nazarene or the Christ passionately carrying the cross. On his feast day the people believes that by just grappling and gripping the cord which carry the carriage of the image or struggling to get close to the statue just to wipe its face, cross or any parts of the statue and kiss it will answer all their prayers which testified to be true by a lot of its devotees and followers. I am also fervently praying to the Black Nazarene that it will grant my prayers and also by spreading the devotion to the Black Nazarene through any means including this article feature in this blog will grant me something that I have been praying for quite sometime.
Anyway to tell more about the Black Nazarene, here are some of the trivia about the deeply revered Christ:
1. It is called El Nazareno Negro, Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno in Spanish while it is called Poong Itim Na Nazareno or Señor Nazareno in Filipino.
2. The statue derives its name from "Nazarene", which is a title of Christ identifying him as being of Nazareth in Galilee.
3. Traslacion (Spanish word for passage or movement) commemorates the 1787 solemn transfer of the image to its minor basilica in Quiapo from its original location in what is now Rizal Park.
4. The image was created by an anonymous Mexican sculptor and was brought to Manila from Acapulco, Mexico through the galleon trade on May 31, 1606. It was widely believed that during its voyage the ship carrying the image caught fire and charred the statue thus its present day color.
5. Monsignor Sabino A. Vengco, Jr. from Loyola School of Theology however validated that the statue is not charred but actually really dark to its core due to the mesquite wood used to carve out the image which actually is a popular medium in the period the statue was carved.
6. Pope Innocent X approved veneration of the statue in 1650 as a sacramental, and authorised the establishment of the Confraternity of the Most Holy Jesus Nazarene.
7. Pope Pius VII gave the statue his Apostolic Blessing in 1880, which granted plenary indulgence to those who piously pray before it.
8. St. John Paul II recognized the church as the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene because of its role in strengthening a deep popular devotion to Jesus Christ and because of its cultural contribution to the religiosity of the Filipino people.
9. Devotees walk and follow the procession in barefoot as a symbol of humility.
10. The traslacion procession attracted millions of faithfuls annually and increasing in number every year.
Photo Source:
www.mtxtremist.blogspot.com
www.demotix.com
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