Black Nazarene

The Feast of the Black Nazarene is a celebration attended by thousands of devotees at Quiapo Church. Those who can’t stand the heat and traffic and a likely stampede, prefer to stay at home and watched the proceedings on their TV sets. For the first time, I experienced it first hand at Quiapo Church in an early evening mass. Though the devotees have mellowed since the frenzy happened during the daytime, I still felt the vibe. The people’s faith is so thick and palpable, you can almost touch it. There was one man who carried an image of the Black Nazarene close to his forehead the entire time. He was closing his eyes while silently murmuring a prayer. I thought his devotion was complete. I nodded and smiled at some of the devotees when it was time to “give each other peace”. I was wet with Holy Water when it rained on us. And when the final blessing was given, and the people erupted in jubilation, tirelessly clapping their hands, I thought that was the end of it. But the final blessing is yet to come.

People milled about on the street, which was closed for vehicular traffic for the occasion. I was eating street food and casually walked around with the others. Then it came, slowly, silently. I saw people throwing handkerchiefs, and shawls and shirts and had them rubbed on the image. Right in front of me was the Black Nazarene! In the daytime, it is almost impossible to touch it, and devotees would have to wrestle and shove their way just to get near it. But there it was, he came to me. I felt blessed, and honored, and that strange feeling of being chosen, as if The Black Nazartene was saying, Yes you, you’re the one!