PRAYERS OFFERED to Jesus Nazareno mean nothing if one gives in to temptations and vices, the archbishop of Manila said, as he reminded devotees that obedience to God’s will is more important than offerings.
In his homily during the misa mayor for this year’s Traslacion, Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula said loving God means obeying Him and remaining hopeful in the face of adversaries.
He noted that obedience is a vital aspect of true devotion as it reveals what one truly hopes for.
“If we are true devotees, if we really love Jesus Nazareno, we will follow Him, we will emulate Him by remaining obedient to the Father until death,” Advincula said at the Quirino Grandstand.
“If we offer something to the Señor (Nazareno), but we follow the dictates of money, that means we are really after the money. If we have a devotion to the Señor, but we follow ba people, that means we are putting our hope on bad people. If we have a devotion to the Señor, but we succumb to vices, that means we are hopeful on vices.”
Devotees who yield to money, evil people, vices or material things would experience disappointments and are bound to fail, the prelate added.
Advincula reminded devotees that only Jesus Nazareno brings hope that never fails so they should follow His example and embrace His lessons.
He also urged the faithful to regard hope as the guiding force and the lifeblood of their existence in a world where despair could overshadow belief.
“May mas magandang turo ang mahal na Señor sa halip na habang may buhay, may pag-asa, ang turo Niya sa atin ay ‘habang may pag-asa, may buhay.’ Hanggat meron tayong pag-asa, meron tayong buhay. Hindi natin kayang mabuhay kung wala tayong pag-asa sa buhay dahil ang taong walang pag-asa sa buhay ay taong papatay-patay,” Advincula said.
(There is a better teaching from the beloved Lord: instead of ‘while there is life, there is hope,’ His teaching is ‘while there is hope, there is life.’ As long as we have hope, we have life. We cannot live if we have no hope in life because a person who has no hope in life is a person who can’t thrive.)
According to Advincula, many devotees participate in the Traslacion as it is a lifelong practice that fosters a spirit of optimism and resilience in their faith journey.
“Every time we shout ‘Viva Nazareno’ to our dear Lord, we are saying that the Lord is alive, our hope is alive because the Lord is alive. He lives in our hearts, He lives around us, He lives with us. Let’s stop being despondent; while there is hope, there is life. So let’s live in hope in Jesus,” the cardinal said.
Traslacion, which honors the 400-year-old wooden image of the cross-carrying Christ, commemorates the transfer of Jesus Nazareno from Intramuros to Quiapo Church in 1787.
The much-anticipated procession is held every Jan. 9 and runs from Quirino Grandstand to Quiapo Church. F — Samantha Crisha Garcia
