Efigenio A.

Lumanlan January 23, 2018

Sociology

A Reflection on the Feast of the Black Nazarene

Fr. Isidro T. Marinay’s simple and profound reflection of the annual celebration of Black Nazarene
portrays different perspective of people and their bound to earth motives why do they struggle or
in a more sophisticated word fight like a warrior just to touch or kiss the Poong Nazareno in the
feet and hug its cross.

His work entitled the “Black Nazarene Procession: Reading the Statement of the Voiceless” is a
combination of historico-politico and socio-culturo themes of the Philippines society at the same
time a touch from his background in Theology.

He simply elaborates his work from his personal experience when he himself went to the Grand
Stand and celebrate with the people this annual celebration. He describes the millions of people as
a honeybee circling in the beehive because their queen is inside. Those bees or people are
struggling to be with the queen because it is an enormous opportunity to get closer for it gives a
blessing tantamount to the packages for their whole year endeavor in life.

One of Fr. Sid’s writings the really struck me is his understanding why this masa or simple people
gathered here annually because they are tired of sermons from their bosses in their work and also
a so much sermons they also received here from the bishop who talked. For an instance, Bishop
Bacani, a prominent bishop of the Philippines talks about the creation and ecology of the world,
for some educated person this is seemed to be great because the speaker is renowned from his
achievements in life. But for those simple masa or the people who just want to visit the poon don’t
bother to listen to his talk. They are enjoying more that night if Bishop Bacani will not give a kind
of talk. Fr. Sid explanation to this is that, those folks are tired of sermons everyday. They don’t
like to be taught again because they already know their mistake. In a way those people come there
in the Poong Nazareno to be heard and be the one to demands for their wishes like: good health,
food at least three times a day, a work to sustain a family and a life that is meaningful. These are
the simple wishes of people who join and fight for their right to touch and kiss the poon. However
Fr. Sid presents a more grounded meaning on this celebration.

He said that those devotees of the Black Nazarene can’t identify the great polyglot Dr. Jose Rizal
because most of the people who join this celebration are uneducated. He describes those people as
the great plebeian, bolo-wielding Andres Bonifacio for their sheer lack of intellectual
sophistication. After I passed to this part of his work, I realized that I, myself a college 4 student
of philosophy, am not a big devotee of the Nazarene because I know that it is through an intense
prayer that the Heavenly Father from above grants the petition that I seek not in that kind of
manner. Therefore, Fr. Sid is right in saying that mostly, the people who attended the celebration
are those who are uneducated, people who don’t have the capacity like the educated like Rizal but
they are like Andres Bonifacio who fought the enemy who used guns and military equipment with
a Bolo. This kind of realization from Fr. Sid, again star struck my understanding and receive a
more grounded interpretation in this celebration of the Black Nazarene.

This annual celebration also signifies the immortal characteristics of Filipino, the Bayanihan Spirit.
Inside the sea of people during the celebration, people called each other as “Kapatid” if one asks
that he wants to touch the rope or wants to be closer to the Poon, your Kapatid will carry you in
front of the Poon. Much closer to the Poon but when they are done carrying you. You need to be
independent on the part when one is closer to the poon. You need to fight so that you can live. To
give an example, one needs to fight for his place in the rope to pull the Poon. One need to fight in
order to kiss and hug the poon. One really need to have the heart of a Spartan so that he can go
near the Poon. They say that those who has that perseverance is the only person can go near and
receive an award that will last for a year. But people like your Kapatid will not leave you behind.
They are there to guide in your first steps but on the latter part they will make you to learn how to
stand on your own. Definitely, this characteristic of those devotees is the ancient character that
Filinos had on the battle with the various conquerors of the Philippines. Filipino people fights as
one to regain this land and reign with it. The annual celebration of the Black Nazarene helps us to
be a brother’s keeper again to one another.
With regard to the theological interpretation of this celebration, it is elaborated and explained well
the context and motive in this work. At first, I just see the statue of Jesus carrying a cross but now
I understand that everything in the Nazarene has meanings. The suffering face of the Nazareno
which identifies with the various suffering of so many Filipinos every day; the beautiful flowers
symbolize the heart of the Filipino masses; hand-kerchief has roots in tradition, for it was used by
Veronica to wipe the face of Jesus, and the cross becomes the symbol of life and not death. It is
also explained here why people come like a vast atmosphere of crowd coming together to pray.
This simple apprehension of the Black Nazarene explain why Filipino people are not stopping
from coming every year just to be part of the feast. However this is also a manifestation of popular
religiosity of the ordinary people, the challenge is how to translate this devotion into virtues.

Definitely, if a non-catholic will be asked for a comment about the celebration of this feast. Perhaps
the common answers are; they venerate a wood, they like pagans idolizing a god who is not
moving. But to counter it in the perspective or in the paradigm of a devout Catholic, I will answer
them by saying “come and observe the nature and movements of the devotees. This annual
devotion to the black Nazarene is like second coming of Jesus, gathering all the people from
different parts of the Philippines telling them that they are brother’s keeper from another. As what
this work wants to convey the this like a war wherein all the warriors are celebrating from the
victory they have fight until their last breath. The life of all the devotees is warfare, the Black
Nazarene devotees, neither crucified nor risen, were victors. Their victory lies in the carrying of
the cross. A victory of their daily endeavor in life, for all day that pass, the Black Nazarene is
accompanying them up to the end part of their life.