THE rector of the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño reminded parents to encourage their children to attend mass on Sundays as more kids turn to social media and other forms of entertainment instead of honoring their faith.
In his homily during the reenactment of the First Mass, Baptism and Wedding on Saturday, Fr. Pacifico “Jun” Nohara, OSA, lamented that a lot of young people are slowly losing interest in going to church and are more focused on things that takes their attention away from their faith.
“Sa panahon karon, hapit na mawad-an og interes ang mga kabatan-onan sa pagsimba sa matag Dominggo sulod sa simbahan. Ang uban adto na musimba sa mga mall kay bugnaw ug para dili na sila mahasol ug mangita pa'g iplite sa ilang kasuruyan. Ang simbahan mao ang balaang balay nga alampuanan mao na nga nanay, tatay, sa pagtisok sa Krus, inyo sab untang' itisok sa huna-huna ug kasing-kasing sa mga bata ang importansiya sa pagsimba matag Dominggo sa simbahan, ug dili internetan ug Facebook, ang kanunayng giatubang,” Nohara said.
The priest also called upon the youth to be obedient to their parents.
“Children, don’t ignore the advice of your parents. Focus first on your education and don’t hurry when it comes to love. Love is pure and is willing to wait for the right time. When the time will come that you will get married, don’t focus on the expenses but on becoming one with Christ,” he added.
After the re-enactment, the blessed images of the Santo Niño and of Our Lady of Guadalupe were paraded inside the pilgrim center.
Some of the devotees, including a woman carrying her small statue of the Child Jesus, were seen crying as the priests who concelebrated the mass blessed them with holy water.
The Cofradia del Sto. Niño de Cebu Sinulog dancers and the Mabolo Sinulog contingents offered their Sinulog dance presentations to the child Jesus.
Josephine Saldon, 68, a devotee who hails from Laguna, said she purposely attended the re-enactment mass, hoping that her prayers to the Child Jesus will be granted.
“My only prayer is that may the Santo Niño grant what I ask of him. That He will bless my youngest son with a child of his own. He and his wife just celebrated their first anniversary as a married couple, but until now, they are not blessed with a child. May the Child Jesus shower his blessings upon my daughter-in-law,” Saldon said in Tagalog.
The re-enactment was based on the events that occurred in 1521 when Cebu's Rajah Humabon, Hara Humamay, and about 800 Cebuano natives were converted into Christianity by Father Pedro Valderama.
Humabon received his Christian name Carlos while Humamay was baptized as Juana.
Juana received, as a gift, an image of the Santo Niño and the natives received an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The mass also featured the re-enactment of the first wedding of Don Andres de Calapata and Princess Isabel, the first couple married in Christian rites in the country. (Wenelyn Sabalo, USJ-R Intern/JKV)