La Muerte

In the town of Daet, Camarines Norte, the Good Friday procession is led by this image of La Muerte. I have, sadly, no further information at this point regarding the origin, age, or provenance of the image, or if its 'cultus'. Suffice to say, I am intrigued. I would venture a guess and say that this was probably a Mexican influence-- the style and iconic representation certainly reminds me of the celebration of the Dia de Los Muertos.

The Finding of the Sto. Nino

When Miguel Lopez de Legazpi arrived in Cebu on 13 February 1565, he was greeted by fear and hostility by the natives-- a fact which his companion, the explorer turned Augustinian monk Fr. Andres de Urdaneta, duly noted. Urdaneta had been a companion to Magellan on his first voyage to find the fabled Spice Islands, but who had subsequently discovered the Philippines today. Being able to speak Malayan, which evidence would show has striking similarities to Cebuano, he was able to deduce the reason for the hostility that now greeted them, whereas Magellan, when he first arrived more than forty years before, had been met favorably.

From a Muslim trader, he learned that a pack of Portuguese traders had come to Cebu, announcing themselves as the Spaniards who had befriended their forefathers years past. However, the true intent of the Portuguese party was to sow the seeds of discord among the Cebuanos and the Spaniards; they killed many people and kidnapped more, selling them in the slave markets presumably. For Legzpi, the fact that some of the Cebuano chiefs had been baptized earlier enforced a sort of moral obligation on him to see to the well-being of their faith; he also knew that he had to disabuse them of their errors.

Easter Sunday, 21 March 1565, saw Legzpi sailing to Cebu to set the record straight. Three times did they assure the Cebuanos of their peaceful intent. On the third try, Legazpi, still met with a fierce hostility, reluctantly agreed to use his cannons. The Cebuanos fleed from the superior weapon, but not before burning their settlement to the ground in an effort to starve off the Spaniards. And so one morning found the Vizcayan Juan de Camus loitering on the beach, to see what little of the burnt village he could salvage."

"While sacking, then, the Cebuano houses their owners had abandoned and had been spared from the conflagration, a sailor of the flagship-- called Juan de Camus, but by others "de Bermeo" since he came from this place in Vizcaya-- and a companion named Pedro de Alorza from the same ship, were doing the usual soldiers' thing."

"Camus entered a native chief's hut and found two bundles tied up (doubtless to bring them with their clothes on fleeing to the mountain). He opened one of them and found only a boar's tooth and a large cup. Hoping to satisfy his wats, he went farther inside the house and found another case tied with Castilian cord and abaca string. Surprised by its weight, he broke the strings, and opening the case, there inside, he found arranged in a pine box (a wood not found in these islands), a statue of the Child Jesus."

"Totally surprised, as though beside himself, he went out joyfully because of his find, in bad Castilian, since he was a Vizcayan, "For the body of God, Son of Mary, you have found!" Everyone crowded inside the house and the General, on his knees, tears in his eyes, and with acts of special devotion, venerated it. These were joined by those men from the fleet. Everyone admitted that God was rewarding the General's constant devotion to the Holy Name and his burning zeal with which he was undertaking a temporal conquest that would result in the spiritual conquest of such a multitude of souls!"

In due time, the Spaniards held a most solemn procession in honor of the Child, before celebrating the Holy Mass. They transferred the image of the Senor to a provisional shrine, the first Catholic house of worship in the entire Philippine archipelago. However, the biggest surprise came when two Cebuano chiefs and a retinue of about thirty followers were seen observing the pomp and majesty of the liturgy.

To the Spaniards' shock, upon interrogation, the Cebuanos had claimed that they had venerated the Sto. Nino since time immemorial, even calling it 'their god'. They claimed He was a powerful rain god whom they honored with feasting and dancing. And when He failed to deliver on His promises, they would take the image out of its case, and place it on a decorated altar before singing prayers and religious hymns to it. When that failed, however, and the rains still would not come, they would take the Nino by the sea, and stripping it of its garments, they would submerge Him upside down in the water and hold Him there until the rains fell. They gave Legazpi and his men the assurance that this has never been known to fail.

In Keeping With the Theme...

"Utang na Loob"

The cursory traveler will note that the common thread binding the peoples of Southeast Asia is the concept of smooth interpersonal relationships. Described as a way of maintaining harmony and conflict-avoidance, SIRs are central to the Southeast Asian understanding of community and kinship ties. In the Philippines, the concept of 'utang na loob' (debt of gratitude)is intrinsically connected to maintaining harmonious relationships. But utang na loob transcends the petty legal outlines of an ordinary debt; rather, his desire to maintain harmony will push the Filipino to view reciprocity to a favor granted him as a moral debt.

One thing I've noticed about the many flagellants and penitents who crowd the streets of Manila and its neighboring provinces during the Lenten season -- and more specifically, Holy Week -- is that they view their panata (i.e., religious vow) almost as a moral obligation. Failure to fulfill the panata almost always means bad luck and sparse blessings for the year ahead. Thus, the men and women who vow to 'serve' the Lord in some way or another are, in a way, paying a debt. But deeper than this goes the concept of utang na loob. One thing that always impressed me with the character of the penitents is that very few of them, if any, have a victim complex. They go about their rituals and penitence of their complete and utter accord, knowing full well the the dangers of the activities they are about to enter.

Contrary to popular opinion, the Philippine concept of penitence is not confined exclusively to crucifixion and flagellation (although these are probably the most prevalent, especially the latter). There is the tinunggong of Laguna, where boys as young as ten roll sideways on the barren ground on the way to church; another province has a peculiar tradition of macho men donning grass skirts and headdresses, thereby humiliating themselves by dressing up as women. But how does one explain the popularity of such an extreme practice as self-flagellation, let alone crucifixion? Is fanaticism, then, never far off from the practice of religion?

Here is where the concept of utang na loob comes into play, I think. Through their extreme, almost gruesome acts of penitence, the penitent is symbolically repaying his gratitude to the Crucified; by taking on the same sufferings as his Patron, he is reciprocating that which can never be truly reciprocated, namely, the salvific death of Christ. He thus sees his act of mortification as an act of thanksgiving, even an act of love, offered to God. In other words, the concept of mortification and penitence has been 'recast' in the Philippine context to include the dimension of thanksgiving.

But the analysis does not end here. If it is true that utang na loob is a necessary tool by which one maintains a smooth personal relationship with a kin-group, then it must be the case that extreme acts of mortification are also a way of maintaining one's favor in the eyes of God. Call it 'palakasan', which is a Tagalog concept that basically means 'a test of one's influence'. The penitent also symbolically opens up and extends his kin-group to the Divine, and thus, God and His favor are 'assimilated' into one's sphere (which is defined by the aforementioned kin-group). Thus we see how these acts of penitence can theoretically bring about blessings and graces to one who 'co-suffers' (as I once heard from a Jesuit) with the Lord, and by extension, his family.

To be honest, of the penitents who go to extreme lengths to secure God's favor, many, for the most part, are unchurched. It is not uncommon to hear of a devout 'Kristo' willing to be crucified for ten, fifteen years straight but who only goes to Mass once a year, or one who crawls on his belly to church while being beaten with sticks who keeps three to five mistresses simultaneously. Yes, they are bad Catholics, hence they make up for it, for that nagging blight on their conscience, by reciprocating the sacrifice of Christ in their own little way. It is naive thinking at best, and perhaps sloppy at worst; but spiritual progress is often slow and ponderous, and I would not be so quick to discard this ethic.

A person who keeps on receiving favors but does not reciprocate is the worst kind of person in traditional Philippine society. He does not recognize the gravity and the extent of his benefactor's favors, and thus, separates himself from his kin group. Consequently, because he is 'walang utang na loob' (absence of debt of gratitude), he cannot, should not, expect to be blessed forever. He is essentially taking on the characteristic of absolute and utter self-sufficiency-- the greatest act of pride that man can commit. There is a remarkable profundity and truth to this; for the man who does not need a kin-group is essentially saying that he does not desire to be with the whole company of the Church, whether her members still fighting the good fight, or those who now reside in eternal beatitude and glory.

The concept of utang na loob reveals the surprising level of just how incultrated the Faith has been cultivated in Philippine soil. It is virtually impossible now to think of Catholicism in these islands without the concept of penitence. But what is truly unique is how penitence itself has been redefined as an act of thanksgiving, and ultimately, an act of love. Tunay nga na nakaluluwag ng loob (It is truly enriching for the inner self).

Lord of the Poor

Friday, Jaunuary 9th -- otherwise known as the Feast of the Black Nazarene here in the Philippines -- has come and gone, but the excitement and fear and fervor of that day are still fresh with me. This year, the authorities are reporting that as much as 3.2 million people joined the five kilometer long procession, which took nearly thirteen hours to conclude. As in years past, the sheer devotion and spectacle of that day took on an earth-shattering intensity, as the never-ending sea of devotees ran to the much venerated image, jumping at the carroza and wiping the limbs, face, and cross of the Lord in the hope of securing a better future for this year.

I guess it is the greatest blessing of God that I have never had to attend a procession like the Black Nazarene's; my own life, though not perfect, is ultimately far better than the millions of the poor and destitute in this country who struggle to eke out a living amidst all the corruption and scandal. I have written enough about the procession last year to paint a picture of the devotees: they are mostly male, ranging from pre-pubescent teens to grizzled adults, and mostly poor. But one of the greatest miracles of the Nazarene is its bridging of that yawning chasm that separates wealthy and destitute in the developing world-- there are, too, wealthy devotees, politicians, businessmen, even doctors praying for a miracle of their own. They come to that throbbing, engorged artery that is Quiapo, heart of Manila, dressed in scarlets and yellows, barefoot, dirty, grimy, but animated by a divine zeal bordering on fanaticism.

The stories of the devotees' private miracles, in contrast, are mundane, boring, perhaps even considered totally ordinary by the educated; they range from being able to send sons and daughters to school, landing a rank-and-file job, even having enough food to survive on for the previous year. But poverty is often the greatest motivating force behind man's reasoning, and these people believe, even in the deepest pits of their quivering guts, that it is through the Lord's mercy and beneficence that their life hinges on. It is a sobering, humbling thought, at once deeply inspiring and offensive to our burgeoning pride. The urbane, especially, find it ludicrous that a 400 year old burnt statue could dispense miracles, grace, and blessings from merely being wiped by a towel, almost as if it were a soda machine.

But these condescensions are only possible because we have never had to suffer the thought of our children dying in our arms because we could not provide them with a meal, because we have always taken our menial jobs for granted, because we have our own rooms and homes and do not sleep in ten-to-a-bed tenements and hovels , because we have all the comforts of the middle class and suburbia. But even a cursory look outside our comfort zones will show that the world is far from perfect, a vastly different world from the postcard-perfect homes of smiling housewives and SUV-driving teens-- the real and unattainable pipe dreams of the rest of the world. It is the educated, the urbane, the pleasant who are different.

Perhaps I am being jaded, but I am no longer surprised by the number of people joining the procession of the Black Nazarene; granted, three million people is a large number anywhere in the world, and it definitely attests to the continuing faith and devotion of the Filipino people to a the God of a transplanted religion, and really its ways and culture. But with the number of the poor rising every year, and especially because of the global recession which hovers like a cloud on the mythical, indestructible cities of the First World (and by osmosis, the developing world), I can see why and how Faith is becoming more and more important-- so important, that many are at a crossroads whether one should continue persevering in it, or discard it completely. In many ways, this country is still a Catholic country, but the situation is by no means perfect. For example, there are 3,000 priests at best in the Philippines serviving 70+ million souls. That the West thinks that the Third World will be the salvation of the Church is optimistic at best, but the reality is far from ideal (something which Arturo also touches on in this post).

In the Feast of the Black Nazarene, is is said, there is neither rich nor poor, only the destitute. The housewife struggling to raise her rebellious children, the jeepney driver trying to kick his drug habit, the banker trying to break off his multiple extramarital affairs, and the policeman torn whether to to work within the framework of the law or take justice in his own hands are just some of the devotees of the Suffering Lord. In the procession, they bring to him their cares and worries, hatreds, problems, and sins, hoping they could at least earn their redemption by joining the unending, undulating sea of people who push, jostle, and shove in the hopes of attaining the same thing. But rather than scoff at the perceived hypocrisy of the sinners who make the Lord their patron, the depths of the mercy and love of God are, to me, revealed; for He too grew and lived in the same conditions, amidst the dregs of humanity and the most hardened of sinners. It is perhaps the greatest meditation on the limitless love of God, and it rightfully brings a chill down my spine just thinking about it. Sometimes, we need to remember that we are sinners in order to realize the obvious-- that God loves us, and that He died for us. It really is that simple. It is really that profound.

Evil exists in this world, whether we like it or not. We can try to avoid it by building walls of comfort and pleasantness all around us, but this only mutes, and does not eliminate, the fact that the world is awash in the filth and scum of our own doing. And as long as poverty, hunger, sin and death exist, man will always try to find a way to escape it. Perhaps the greatest sin of suburbia is that good and evil do not exist in its worldview; there is only comfort, complacency, and gratification (have you ever seen an episode of 'My Super Sweet Sixteen'?). We are the very lukewarm which Our Lord condemns in the strongest terms. Many people today condemn the failures of religion as ritual-wrapped-redemption; they sneer at it, telling the 'poor, ignorant' religionists to go on and live their lives as they please. But for most of us, survival is far more pertinent than worrying about closet space for the newest designer clothes.

Hours before the grand procession ended, the news showed a clip of a woman in her late 70s, dressed in the scarlet of the Nazarene's devotees and a gigantic white veil, hobbling toward the image in the mere hope of seeing it. Her face was scarred and pitted by years of disease, her small, gaunt frame clearly ravaged by the vicissitudes of age and countless concerns. But the woman smiled, and I saw in her smile the same gratitude of relief and thanksgiving that must have characterized the faces of the womanizers, drunkards, pimps, and criminals who seek forgiveness and redemption in the procession. And they will continue to troop to the suffering Christ, even as their souls are caked in sin, because of their immutable faith that, there is, in the end, a loving God Who understands them. I thank God for blessing me and my family with a prosperous life; I thank God, too, that He has made me see his goodness and love.

Adios, Reina del Cielo

This hymn is traditionally sung by pilgrims after a visit to an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the Philippines as in the rest of the Spanish-colonized world. This particular version is sung in honor of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary-- or as she is more popularly known in these parts, Nuestra Senora de La Naval. The Tiples de Sto, Domingo, the resident boys' choir of Sto. Domingo church, the Dominican mother church in the Philippines, is responsible for this recording. Posted after the video are the lyrics, in Spanish, largely unchanged from the original.



Adiós, Reina del Cielo, Madre, Madre del Salvador
Adiós, adiós
Adiós, dulce prenda adorada
dulce prenda adorada
de mi sincero amor
adiós, Reina del Cielo, adiós, adiós
Madre del Salvador
De tu divino rostro la belleza al dejar.
Permiteme que vuelva tus plantas a besar;
He que da do O María, abrasado en tu amor
Que da te adiós Señora, adiós, adiós
Da me tu bendición, Madre del Salvador
Dame tu bendición, Madrel del Salvador
Madre amorosa prenda de amor
Adiós, adiós

Puer Natus Est Nobis, Et Filius Datus Est Nobis

Glória in excélsis Deo
Et in terra pax homínibus bonae voluntátis!
Laudámus te,
Benedícimus te,
Adorámus te,
Glorificámus te,
Grátias ágimus tibi propter magnam glóriam tuam,
Dómine Deus, Rex cæléstis,
Deus Pater omnípotens.
Dómine Fili Unigénite, Iesu Christe,
Dómine Deus, Agnus Dei, Fílius Patris,
Qui tollis peccáta mundi, miserére nobis;
Qui tollis peccáta mundi, súscipe deprecatiónem nostram.
Qui sedes ad déxteram Patris, miserére nobis.
Quóniam tu solus Sanctus, tu solus Dóminus, tu solus Altíssimus,
Iesu Christe, cum Sancto Spíritu: in glória Dei Patris. Amen

A merry and blessed Christmas to all! May the good Lord bless you and yours in the year to come, and may the peace of the Christ Child abide in you all the days of your lives.

Himno Oficial del Primer Congreso Eucaristico de Filipinas

I borrowed this book from the library about the 1937 International Eucharistic Congress in Manila, Philippines. The event, the first in Asia, gathered personalities ecclesiastical and civil from all over the country, and also from Rome. Then Archbishop of Manila, the indefatigable Irishman His Excellency Michael J. O'Doherty, would lead the nation in giving thanks to the Almighty for this illustrious privilege. Attached to this post are scans of the score of the official hymn of that Congress, written in Spanish.

No Thanks!

I was browsing Facebook today after the longest time when a friend left me a message, telling me to visit a group so despicable and insufferably foolish that I felt my blood pressure go up a couple of notches. I will not name the group in question as I shudder to think, even now, what possessed me to go over there and check it out. This group was made doubly loathsome in my eyes as it claimed to espouse traditional Catholic values.

Now, I've made my share of mistakes in the past. I've swung from one end of the political spectrum to the other, extreme liberalism changing almost overnight to fascism. There was a time when I would read the New York Times and Stormfront simultaneously. But if there's one thing I am proud to say that has been constant in my thinking, it is being level-headed. And while I am quite proud to declare that I can be a very opinionated person, in no way would I ever seek to make my own opinion the sole, dogmatic barometer of truth. Like many extremist traditionalist cliques, this Facebook group seems to dwell in a make-believe land where everyone speaks in Victorian prose and wears three-piece suits to dinner and drinks to the damnation of the enemies of the Faith. What a diseased way of thinking about the Faith! How horribly elitist and uncharitable!

All this seems to prove my theory that traditionalism is not so much an attempt to live as Catholics of yore did, but is, rather, a frankly distorted politics of delineation and isolation. There is a story of a city in Italy where a band of lepers, en route to an important shrine, had decided to settle, in the hopes of enticing the charity of the townsfolk in aiding their plight. However, no matter how long they waited, the citizens, because they were also so poor, could not gather enough money to help the beggars on their way. It eventually came to pass that the relics of St. Martin of Tours were to pass by the city in procession; and hearing this, the beggars fled and hid from the bones of the saint, crying out that the saint was come to rob them of their livelihood.

I'd like to think that traditionalism, or indeed any kind of movement, is genuine; but groups such as this seem to give the impression that it is better to remain in isolation, for only in such gatherings of the 'righteous' can the Truth appear. This is a very warped way of thinking, one that is corrupt and not at all Christian. And while certainly book-burning and censorship are historically verifiable facets of Christian history, to define the revealed Faith of Christ in the terms of repression would be a great disservice to all. It is sick. It is malicious. Below, I have included select quotes from some of the discussions from that particular group. God help us all if this is what being traditional means to these people.

Flores de Mayo

Last video post, I promise! :p

The Flores de Mayo is a month-long Filipino tradition held in May in honor of the Blessed Virgin; on the last day is held the Santacruzan, a procession which commemorates the finding of the Cross by St. Helena (Reyna Elena) and the Emperor Constantine. This particular version is from Quezon province, and was staged in the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Nine days of prayer usually precede the procession.

Although today only St. Helena and Constantine are given prominent roles, traditionally, the processions include other characters as well, sourced from Scripture, traditions, and even the local landscape. I've taken the liberty of pasting a list of characters which form the procession from this very helpful website. The order is based on precedence.

1. Methuselah - he is bearded, bent with age, riding a cart looking preoccupied with toasting some grains of sand in a pan over a fire. This is a reminder that all that glitters will end up as dust like what he
is toasting.

2. Reyna Banderada - a young lady dressed in a long red gown carrying a yellow triangular flag. She represents the coming of Christianity.

3. Aetas - represent the state of the country before the coming of Christianity. These are the unconverted Filipino pagans.

4. Reyna Mora - represents the dominant religion before Christianity (feminine of Moro from the Moslem religion).

5. Reyna Fe - symbolizes the virtue of faith - the first of the theological virtues. She carries a cross.

6. Reyna Esperanza - symbolizes the virtue of hope - the second theological virtue. She carries an anchor.

7. Reyna Caridad - symbolizes the virtue of charity - the third theological virtue. She carries a red heart.

8. Reyna Abogada - the defender of the poor and the oppressed. She wears a black graduation cap (toga) and gown and she carries a big book.

9. Reyna Sentenciada - has her slim hands bound by a rope. She is the symbol of the innocents who have been convicted. She is accompanied by two Roman soldiers.

10. Reyna Justicia - a personification of the "mirror of justice". She carries a weighing scale and a sword.

11. Reyna Judith - representing Judith of Pethulia who saved her city from the Assyrians after she beheaded the cruel holoferns. She carries the head of the beheaded man on one hand and a sword on the other.

12. Reyna Sheba - who visited the famed King Solomon and was overwhelmed by his wisdom, power and richess. She carries a jewelry box.

13. Reyna Esther - the biblical Jewish who spared her countrymen from death and destruction through timely intervention with the King Xerxes. She carries a scepter.

14. Samaritana - the woman who Christ spoke to at the well. She carries a jug on her shoulder.

15. Veronica - the woman who wiped the face of Jesus. She carries a bandana imprinted with the three faces of Jesus.

16. Tres Marias: Mary of Magdala - she carries a bottle of perfume; Mary, Mother of Christ - she carries a handkerchief; Mary, mother of James - she carries a bottle of oil.

17. Marian - celebrating the many titles of the Virgin Mary.

a. A-v-e--M-a-r-i-a -- represented by eight (8) girls all Wearing long white dressess with wings to make them look like angels. Each one carries a letter to complete the word "AVE MARIA."

b. Divina pastora (Divine Shepherdess) - she carries a shepherdess' staff.

c. Reyna de las Estrellas (Queen of Stars) - she carries a wand with a star.

d. Rosa Mystica - she carries a bouquet of roses.

e. Reyna Paz (queen of peace) - she carries the symbol of peace.
f. Reyna de las Propetas - she carries a hour glass.

g. Reyna del Cielo (Queen of Heaven) she carries a flower. She has two (2) angels.

h. Reyna de las Virgines - she carries a rosary and is surrounded by two (2) little angels.

i. Reyna de las Flores (Queen of Flowers) - she carries a bouquet of flowers.

Altar of Johanneskirche, Riemsloh, Germany

The altar of this church was constructed in 1908 by Heinrich Seling of Osnabruck. View the rest of the photos of this gorgeous retable by clicking this link. Each of the medallions features a scene from the life of Our Lord.

¿No estoy aqui, yo, que soy tu madre?

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the secondary patroness of the Philippine Islands, having been ruled by Spain through Mexico. We are all familiar with the stories-- of the Lady appearing to Juan Diego, of the miraculous image being imprinted on the saint's tilma, of the countless miracles worked, even to this day, by La Morenita. Looking at the image of the Virgin today, still miraculously preserved after the span of centuries, she still asks us, comforts us, with her immortal words: No estoy yo aqui que soy tu madre?-- Am I not here who am your Mother? Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!

Bearers of the Cross

I am in a video posting mood lately. Here is one that attempts to explain the practice of the Good Friday crucifixions in San Fernando, Pampanga. Be warned that the video is highly graphic, and I would recommend caution in watching it.

EDIT: It seems YouTube really doesn't want this vid to be embedded. For your convenience, here is a link to the video. Again, I urge you to watch this at your own discretion due to some of the graphic scenes in it.

Procession of the Dead Christ, Lucban

Here is a video clip of the Good Friday procession of the Santo Entierro (the image of the Dead Christ) in my late paternal grandmother's birthplace of Lucban, Quezon. The image of the Senor is believed to be a powerful miracle worker in the Southern Tagalog region, and 'rivals' Manila's Black Nazarene procession in the fervor and number of its devotees. Most of the devotees are male; at one point, when the image enters the church, one sees a throng of people massing upon the calandra (processional hearse); this is because it is believed that being 'touched' by the Senor could cure one of illnesses, as well as endows one with healing powers. The strange beat one hears in the background is called, I believe, 'palakpak kawayan', that is, clapping designed to emulate the sound of bamboo crashing against each other. If I remember rightly, some of the devotees go about their panatas drunk, despite warnings by the Church.

Morten Lauridsen - O Magnum Mysterium

Sung by the UST Alumni Singers, and conducted by Allan Diona Sims. This performance is way back from November 2006, when on the occasion of the Hollywood Choir Festival. The University of Santo Tomas (UST) is a Royal and Pontificala University in the Philippines, established almost four hundred years ago by the Dominicans.

Tying up with Life Magazine's photo archives has got to be the best thing that Google has done in awhile. I have spent the last couple of hours browsing through tons of photographs from the early, middle, and late twentieth century; as a history buff, I have to admit that I am giddy as a schoolboy. Searching for some photos of Old Manila, I came across the picture now displayed above. The photo in question depicts a typical scene in Quiapo church, home of the beloved Black Nazarene of Manila. As is evident in the photo, the whole of the nave is occupied by devotees of this image, and are crawling on their knees to venerate the statue. By so doing, they believe that their prayers and petitions will be granted them by the Lord. This photo was released in 1942, on the outbreak of the Philippines' war with Japan.

I found this gem of a video while browsing on YouTube. In March of this year, the pilgrim relics of St. Therese of Lisieux visited the Philippines, touring the country and 'meeting' her devotees from all across the islands. St. Therese is a special patron of the armed forces of this country (her shrine is in close proximity to the Villamor Air Base), and as one can see in this video, they certainly turned out full force to honor their illustrious and holy helper in heaven. What is interesting is that the police and the army have 'traditionally' been tied with Freemasonry; however one does not see any trace of that at all in the video. It is certainly very moving to see such faith and devotion in action!

Santa Rita de Siquijor

The island of Siquijor here in the Philippines has long been surrounded with a mystic air. Called the 'Isla del Fuego'-- the island of fire by the Spaniards, it is whispered that this ancient land is home to countless witches, sorcerers, and a host of other supernatural beings. And it is by no accident that it was christened with such a name, for Siquijor's forests were home to great multitudes of fireflies, whose light bathed the island in an eerie glow.

Siquijor, too, is home to a controversial statue of St. Rita, which is said to be a favorite of the brujas and witch doctors of the islands. Here is a brief summary, from the now defunct My Sari-Sari Store website of photojournalist Sidney Snoeck.

Hidden inside the church of the village of Maria is the frightening statue of Sta. Rita holding a skull and an inverted crucifix. Leave before dark, some people claim she is a ghost...

The statue is out of view and you will not be able to see it without the authorization of the Parish Priest. Nobody, even the Parish Priest, could give me any clues as to the origin of the statue. The documents related to the statue disappeared mysteriously a few years ago.

According to local legend, the skull belongs to the woman’s husband whom she killed for reasons nobody in the island seems to know.

The decision to hide the statue from the public was taken by the bishop to protect the statue from theft and vandalism. The statue was already stolen in the past and was luckily recovered in the province of Bohol. It also seem that faith healers were scraping pieces of the skull to mix it in their magic potions.

According to the Patron-Saints Index, Rita was the daughter of Antonio and Amata Lotti. From her early youth, Rita visited the Augustinian nuns at Cascia, Italy, and showed interest in a religious life. However, when she was twelve, her parents betrothed her to Paolo Mancini, an ill-tempered, abusive individual who worked as town watchman. Disappointed but obedient, Rita married him when she was 18, and was the mother of twin sons.

She put up with Paolo's abuses for eighteen years before he was ambushed and stabbed to death. Her sons swore vengeance on their father's killers, but through Rita's prayers and interventions, they forgave the offenders.

Upon the deaths of her sons, Rita again felt the call to religious life. However, some of the sisters at the Augustinian monastery were relatives of her husband's assassins, and she was denied entry for fear of causing dissension. Asking for the intervention of Saint John the Baptist she managed to be admitted to the monastery at the age of 36.

Rita lived 40 years in the convent, spending her time in prayer and charity.
Rita is well-known as a patron of desperate, seemingly impossible causes and situations. This is because she has been involved in so many stages of life - wife, mother, widow, and nun, she buried her family, helped bring peace to her city, saw her dreams denied and fulfilled - and never lost her faith in God, or her desire to be with Him.

Prayer of St. Francis

I've always liked this song. The local church choir has only sung it once or twice, I think, but it was always a common fixture at the Wednesday Masses at Uni. The composer is Ryan Cayabyab, who is an esteemed figure in the Philippine music industry.

Hellmouth

"But if the Lord do a new thing, and the earth opening her mouth swallow them down, and all things that belong to them, and they go down alive into hell, you shall know that they have blasphemed the Lord." -- Numbers 16:30

Georgios Klontzas, 'Hellmouth', from the trypticon of the Last Judgment. See the whole of it here. Also, from Wikipedia, some more information about the Hellomouth, and a wonderful collection of images from the Monster Brains blog, where I found the image.