Feast of Black Nazarene - 2

Another reason for the strong appeal of the feast stems from the Filipinos’ special devotion to the suffering Christ.

The devotees, who come mostly from the masses and underprivileged, identify their sufferings with that of a pathetic Christ struggling to carry His heavy cross.

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The phenomenal devotion to the Black Nazarene shows the strong, vibrant piety of Filipinos.
What bears examining, however, is that such pious acts should have a deeper internal effect on daily life, meaning, they should be translated in deeds, otherwise they are merely external ritual.

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What I mean is that if afterwards devotees go home and continue to be unkind, harsh and unjust to their fellowmen or are engaged in corrupt practices and vices, their pious acts are defective, inconsistent and self-centered indeed.

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There’s a story about an official working in a lucrative government agency whose virtue was definitely not honesty.

Kneeling before the miraculous Black Nazarene in Quiapo Church, the official said: "Lord, nagpapasalamat ako sa mga maraming biyayang ipinagkaloob mo sa akin" (Lord, thank you for all the many blessings you’ve granted me).

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"I have just closed a multi-million peso deal. I’ve acquired a second house in Tagaytay and two Mercedes Benz...(obviously all ill-gotten).

Lord, sobrang biyayang ibinigay mo sa akin (Lord, you’ve lavished me so many blessings).

Ref: manilabulletin