Feast of the Black Nazarene: filled with commitment

Today, January 9 is the feast of the Black Nazarene. If you gauge the extent devotees manifest their commitment to the Black Nazarene on the number of people who join the procession you see on tv -  then there is no question as to how alive the devotion is. Year in and year out,  Quiapo Church does its role to celebrate the feast for it houses the statue of the Black Nazarene.  It has been reported that many dioceses have requested for replicas of the statue and use this during  their own procession. Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines Media Office reported that it has already donated life size images of the Black Nazarene to the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro City, Dioceses of Iligan  and Ipil.  

Elderly Blues and Blows finds it very meaningful that Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City have been indicated as the recipients for since Typhoon Sendong, these two cities are now going through the suffering and the pain that Jesus went though as He carried the Cross i our behalf to Calvary. Many stories have been shared about the harrowing ordeals of the families that to this day, they are still hanging on to their faith, to their God, to their Black Nazarene - to go on living. In fact Mindanaoan, One Happy Story and their friends went on their volunteer work yesterday, January 8 and found out for themselves additional dead body (bodies?) under a bridge just when weeks have passed and it seemed nobody is going a mile more to make sure no dead body is left floating (aggh!) Where are all the concerned agencies? 

It is precisely the side of Jesus, the Suffering Servant that is most apt for most Filipinos and most of the people in the world. Try sitting down in front of your television set and go through the channels: CNN, BBC, NBC's Talk, RT News and other major channels and in one gigantic moment you see the world and its struggles - and once in a while the laughter and joy some are experiencing.

Thus the Feast of the Black Nazarene is commitment in action not so much during the procession but every time you go through your suffering and you accept it as part of christian life -  part of human living.   Then Resurrection comes in the form of starting all over again, standing up no matter what and moving on for life goes on.