So far, so good. That is what we can say of the Fiesta Señor and Sinulog festival that are underway amid inclement weather and in the shadow of the death and destruction from the disasters that visited central Philippines late last year.
The penitential foot procession or “Walk with Jesus” that opened the feast drew at least 45,000 of the faithful who carried with them their own prayers and the intentions of loved ones.
Huge crowds are flocking to the quake-damaged Basilica of the Santo Niño in downtown Cebu City, spilling onto Osmeña Boulevard and Magallanes Street for lack of space.
Many have been returning daily especially for the 7 p.m. novena Mass that culminates with a Sinulog prayer dance.
Blessing for the recovery of a nation on its knees is implored each time the faithful shout, “Pit Señor! Sa earthquake victims kini… sa Yolanda victims kini (We call on the Lord, for the earthquake and supertyphoon victims)!”
Priests, in their homilies, are emphasizing the virtue of hope. This is in line with the theme of this year’s fiesta: “Santo Niño: Hope of the people.”
It is in heeding their calls, apart from reflecting on the Mass readings that a devotee of the Holy Child can maximize the fruitfulness of devotions for personal as well as communal benefit.
Fr. Ian Narcissus Openia, the vice rector of the Basilica, for instance called for consistency in the people’s practice of charity.
In his homily Saturday, Jan. 11, he distinguished charity from philanthropy, saying the former flows out of faith in God, while the latter is purely humanitarian.
He encouraged the faithful to grow from philanthropy, which is a natural response to disasters, to everyday charity, in which neighbors help the least among them to have hope amid the thousand-and-one hardships of life.
He cited a Gallup poll which ranked Filipinos among the world’s most charitable people and encouraged listeners to be consistent in generosity.
Fr. Openia took to task those who are stone-hearted in clearing the streets of the homeless.
The priest said he verified the story of a homeless person who came to him and said government workers kick sleeping street children to wake them up and tell them off.
He said this “tyranny” has happened several times.
We recognize in this example a challenge for us all to be gentler. Homelessness needs to be solved. Streets should be cleared, but not at the cost of callously scorning the dignity of the poor.
Indeed, it is inconsistent for all of us, whether we are in the public or in the private sector, to be rendered kindhearted by disasters, only to revert to cynicism and indifference towards the marginalized on normal days.
At the art exhibit “Sinulog: An Interpretation” in a local mall, a diptych depicts two beggars, each closely resembling the Santo Niño.
The point is clear. As Fr. Openia said, devotion to the Holy Child should lead to loving service for the poor.
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