PHOTO BY: CHRISTIAN MANINGO
CEBU CITY- While the 453rd Fiesta Señor is over, devotees of are called to continue making God known to others, and to become His true disciples.
“Usually, when the feast is done, we usually forget everything, including the good things we learned and ought to practice,” said Fr. Pacifico “Jun” Nohara Jr. in his homily during the 4 a.m. “Hubo” Mass.
The mass capped the religious activities in honor of the Holy Child Jesus.
“Let us set a good example of a true devotee, inspired by the Sto. Niño, not only in words, but most importantly in what we do,” he added.
On Friday dawn, Nohara, the rector of the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño, led the annual “Hubo,” a Cebuano word for undress.
A replica of the original Sto. Niño image was stripped of its fiesta clothes, given a ritual bath, and fitted with simpler garments.
About 4,000 devotees packed the courtyard of the basilica’s outdoor Pilgrim Center, many of them bringing their own icons of the Sto. Niño to be blessed.
The traditional Hubo, Nohara emphasized, highlights the message of renewal and spiritual transformation as means to prepare oneself for evangelization.
“The Hubo is not merely a ceremony of divesting the image of his fiesta vestments. Rather, it also reminds us to strip ourselves of the robes of sin especially pride, self-centeredness, hatred, corruption, and indifference,” Nohara explained.
Concelebrating with Nohara were about 40 priests from the Archdiocese of Cebu and different religious congregations.
A replica of the image of the Sto. Niño given by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan to Cebu’s Queen Juana in 1521 was used in the “Hubo” ceremony.
The original Sto. Niño image, which was given by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan as baptismal gift to Cebu’s Queen Juana in 1521, remains in the marble chapel inside the basilica where pilgrims line up to pay homage.
The changing of the dress of the original image was made in a private ceremony before the feast last Sunday.