“Devotees of the Lord Jesus the Nazarene: Chosen to serve Him”

-a simple spoken word poetry.

Ang  mga debeto raw ay “hinirang at pinili” upang maging lingcod niya.
Ngunit sa dinami-dami ng pwedeng sambahin, bakit ang pinipili ay siya?
ngayo’y Maaari na rin bang sabihin na hindi tayo ang pinili,
kundi siya an gating pinili.


Parang taun-taon ay parang kinukwestyon, 'yan ba ay tama, 'yan ba ay mahalaga – 'yung pagiging deboto,"

Chosen to serve him?
Parang Mas maganda pakinggan na “We Chose to Serve him.”
Dahil ika nga, sa dinami-dami ng pwedeng pagtuunan nang pansin,
siya ang piniling sambahin.
Marahil ito’y dulot ng pagmamahal niya sa atin
mga Milagros (miracle) na ang hirap na bilangin

"At meron pang isang salita na kanilang ginagamit, 'Hindi ba yan panatisismo?' Eh kung pareho, bakit may salitang deboto?"

At sa libo-libong deboto, marami rin ang maaring kaniyang personal na pinili
upang maglingkod at magkapagpabagahi
ng mga biyaya na para sa lahat nang nanatili

"Una, ang tunay na deboto ay nagmamahal"

Ngunit pasensya na kung ako’y nalilito
kung ito’y kwe-kwestyunin ko
Isipin mo naman kasi, iho

Deboto ka, pero sumisingit ka
Deboto ka, pero nagkakalat ka
Deboto ka, pero nanapak ka ng ibang tao,
figuratively and physically.

To genuinely unite a divided country, one must to learn to love truly – by not being judgmental of others, and by doing good to your fellow man even without being in the limelight.

Deboto ka, pero grabe ka manulak kahit hindi naman dapat.
Deboto ka, pero kapag tapos na ang enero
Hindi ka pang tao ang mga kinikilos mo.
hindi ko nilalahat ito, dahil marami namang mababait na deboto
Pero kung uminit ang ulo mo, malamang isa ka na dito.

"This is one aspect of love that we need to be united. Divisivenesss is a fruit of prejudice. ‘They’re wrong, I’m right. You’re dirty, I’m clean. We’re different,’” he told the sea of devotees, mostly clothed in maroon."

Sana sa susunod na ika’y mamanata,
hindi lang ang NAzareno ang iyong irespeto
kundi laat ng kapawa mo deboto,
hindi natatapos sa paniniwala mo rito
kaylangan samahan ng aksyon na tapat iho.

"Ang panatiko, nang-aano lang 'yan eh, kumakapit sa isang nagbibigay ng halaga sa akin. Pero ang deboto, hindi iyon ang dahilan. Devoted ka dahil mahal mo siya. 'Yan ang ipinakita ni Hesus. 'Yan din ang diwa ng debosyon."

Feast of the Black Nazarene 2019 - my first experience

Here is my vlog (but more like a short poetry) about my first time attending the Feast of Nazarene.

The Feast of the Black Nazarene is annually celebrated every January. 

          The Black Nazarene (Spanish: El Nazareno Negro, Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno, Filipino: Poóng Itím na Nazareno, Hesus Nazareno) is a life-sized image of a dark-skinned, kneeling Jesus Christ carrying the Cross enshrined in the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in the Quiapo district of the City of Manila, Philippines.

           The Black Nazarene was carved by an unknown Mexican from a dark wood in the 16th century in Mexico and then transported to the Philippines in 1606.It depicts Jesus en route to his crucifixion. Pope Innocent X granted recognition to the lay Confraternity of Santo Cristo Jesús Nazareno in 1650 for the promotion of the devotion to Jesus through the icon.It was housed in several churches near Manila in the early decades, arriving in Quiapo Church in 1787 where it has been enshrined ever since.The icon is renowned in the Philippines and is considered by many Filipino Catholics to be miraculous; its mere touch reputed to cure disease. It attracts homage by numerous devotees and major processions every year.

         The image (in recent years a composite replica) is brought out of its shrine in procession three times a year: January 9 (the anniversary of the icon's translation), Good Friday (the Nazarene's liturgical feast, commemorating the culmination of the Passion), and December 31 (New Year's Eve, the first day of its annual novena).The January 9 procession re-enacts the image's Traslación (literally "transfer") in 1787, or "solemn transfer" to the Minor Basilica from its original shrine inside Intramuros.The January 9 Traslación is the largest procession, drawing thousands of devotees thronging to touch the icon and lasting 20 hours at the most.

The Black Nazarene is venerated by Filipino devotees every Friday. Along with the Santo Niño, (Child Jesus) it is the most popular object of devotion in the Philippines. A similar image called Cristo Negro is venerated in Portobelo, Panama.