The pandemic may have stopped us from doing our daily activities but not in expressing our faith. Today, COVID will make another celebration different as the authorities cancelled the famous traslacion which has been a century tradition during the Feast of the Black Nazarene.
Are you a devotee of the Black Nazarene? How much do you know about it? Whether you’re a devotee or just curious, here are facts about the Black Nazarene.
Why is the Black Nazarene Black?
According to its history, a group of Augustinian missionaries who travelled from Mexico to Manila by Galleon were the ones who brought the Black Nazarene to Manila. There are two theories on why the Nazarene was black. First and most likely the reason is that it was originally black because an unknown sculptor from Mexico used dark timber in curving the Nazarene. This wood is likened to the Philippine Kamagong. The other reason is that it is believed to have survived a fire while on its way to Manila.
The First Traslacion
It is said that before even arriving to the Philippines with the Black Nazarene, the friars were worried that the growing devotees of the image would destroy it so they ordered to make replica image from Mexico and had it sent to Manila. This image was said to be dubbed as the Nazareno ng mahihirap. The other one was called Nazareno ng mayayaman because it was enshrined in Intramuros and can only be accessed by the privileged during that time.
In spite of this, it is said that both images were kept together in Intramuros until Archbishop Basilio Sancho de Santa Justa y Rufina ordered the transfer of Nazareno ng Mahirap to Quiapo church on January 9, 1787. From then on, the church made it a habit to annually commemorate its transfer by parading the Black Nazarene on the streets, hence, the Traslacion.
Why is the Black Nazarene most venerated?
At the beginning of every year, we look forward to witnessing thousands of people gathering for the celebration of the Feast of the Black Nazarene, while other believers find this insane, devotees have a deep reason behind their veneration to the Black Nazarene.
Some say that devotees find solidarity in the hardship of Jesus carrying the cross which they relate to their own hardships in life since the image was believed to survive a fire as well as the war. While many devotees attribute the miracles in their life to the Nazarene.
As we celebrate the Feast of the Black Nazarene this year, I believe we can all relate to him because we are all experiencing our own different hardships brought by the pandemic. Let us pray that He will continuously be with us during this difficult time and that may He heal us from all that we need to heal from. After all, Jesus died on the cross for us to be saved from sins and the consequences of it. May we live our lives without forgetting His hardships and avoid all forms of sins that made Jesus suffer.
The new normal has forced us to also express our faith in ways we haven’t considered doing before – attending the mass online, sitting on the pew distanced with others while wearing masks, not touching or kissing images of the saints, however it is, as long as it is done with a whole heart, the Lord hears and listens to all of our prayers.
