THE ULTIMATE goals of the Traslación of the image of the Black Nazarene are to see Jesus, be found by the Son, and manifest the Savior toward others, Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula told devotees during the Misa Mayor at midnight on Tuesday, Jan. 9, at Quirino Grandstand.
Anchored on the theme “Ibig namin makita si Hesus (We want to see Jesus),” the mammoth procession is an opportunity for the faithful to look at Jesus to live an everlasting life, the archbishop said.
“Gusto niyang makita natin Siya,” Advincula said in his homily, adding, “Kaya’t manalig tayo sa Kaniya.”
In seeking out Jesus, the faithful should be assured that the Lord watches over them as they go through the different hardships of life – sickness, exhaustion, loneliness – the archbishop said.
“Walang karanasan ng tao na hindi nakikita at nauunawaan ng Poong Hesus Nazareno,” he said. “‘Pag nakita tayo ni Hesus, tatangkilikin niya tayo, tutulungan niya tayo, sasamahan niya tayo at bibiyayaan niya tayo.”
Advincula reminded devotees that as they push each other to come closer to the centuries-old image of the Black Nazarene, they should still manifest Jesus through the practices attached to the traditional Traslación.
“Sa pagtukod natin sa galaw ng prusisyon, ipakita natin si Hesus na nagliligtas sa atin upang hindi tayo mahulog sa kamalian at kapahamakan,” he said. “Sa pagtimon natin sa galaw ng andas, ipakita natin si Hesus na gumagabay sa atin sa tamang landas.”
“Ipakita natin si Hesus na inaakay tayo sa pagbabagong-buhay. Katulad ng ginagawa natin tuwing Traslasyon, magtulungan tayo upang lahat tayo ay makakita sa Mahal na Señor at makaranas sa pagmamahal ng Mahal na Señor,” he added.
Quiapo Church officials estimated that over 175,000 people attended the Misa Mayor.
The carriage or andas of the Black Nazarene, enclosed in a glass case, departed Quirino Grandstand at 4:45 a.m. after the solemn lauds or morning prayer.
As of 10 a.m., more than one million barefoot devotees have joined the Traslación, according to figures from the Quiapo Church Command Post.
Some followers reportedly still climbed the carriage despite being prohibited from doing so.
The Traslación is expected to end earlier than in previous years because of the new rules. In 2020, the Black Nazarene returned to its home after 16 hours on the road, a record. Ammiel B. Maestrado
