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INA
NIN SAMUYANG MGA PUSO Homiliya
sa Kafiestahan ni Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia Togoti
nindo akong po’nan ang sakuyang pagheras ngonyan na hapon sa pagbasa kan
mga enot na parafo o paragraph
sa libro na sinurat nin Fr. Gorospe asin Javellana manongod ki Ina.
An titulo: Virgin of Peñafrancia,
Mother of Bicol. “Ina.
They call her Ina. There is
no word more intimate, more cherished or more meaningful to the Bicolano
devotee than Ina, mother. Not
the regal term “Señora,”
the theologically significant “Virgen”
but Ina. Before a mother from
the barrio lights a candle or waves a handkerchief for the child she
cradles in one arm, while pointing to the image of the Peñafrancia riding
high over the murky waters of the Bicol River, she whispers, “Oya
na, Nonoy, si Ina.” Or
on the eve of the fiesta, set on the Saturday nearest the feast of the
Holy Name of Mary, a little girl led by the hand to kiss the manto
of the image in the Cathedral hears thus explanation, “Mahadok
kita ki Ina.” If it
is only with a term of endearment that the Bicolano can refer to the
Virgin Mary under her title Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia, the reasons
we might divine in these stories.” Dangan
minapadagos an libro sa pag-estorya nin nagkakapirang testimonio nin mga
devotos manongod sa mga biyaya na saindang inako huli ki Ina. Minatubod
ako na an lambang saro sato na uya digdi ngonyan igwa nin saro-sadiring
estorya manongod sa satuyang mga eksperyensiya ki Ina asin sa saiyang
kafiestahan. Asin an mga
eksperyensiyang ini iyo an nagbobogkos sato bilang mga aki nin Ina, na
siyang inaapod pasiring sa saiyang Aki.
An mga estoryang ini iyo an nagdara satuya gabos digdi ngonyan
tanganing giraray na ipagrokyaw an kafiestahan ni Ina. Haros
sampolong taon na akong dai nakakaatendir kan fiesta sa Naga, poon kan
maglaog ako sa prenovitiate kan
mga Heswita sagkod ngonyan. Kaya
kung minaabot an bulan ini, napapano nin kapungawan asin paghidaw an
sakong puso, kaiba an pagkaara sa mga puwedeng makauli kun fiesta.
Nin huli ta iba man giraray an fiesta sa Naga: siyempre makakadalan
ka kan parada, makakatao ka nin suporta sa mga kadete kan Ateneo,
makakadalan ka kan Traslacion asin Fluvial, makakaharong harong ka sa
Lerma, Misericordia, Dayangdang asin Francia tanganing makifiesta asin
makakaparticipar ka sa manlaen laen pang mga aktibidades na nakakapagayon
asin nakakapaogma kan pagrokyaw kan kafiestahan ni Ina. Alagad
maski ngani dai ako nakakapuli lambang fiesta, maski ngani garo baga
harayo ako ki Ina mantang isini-celebrar an saiyang kafiestahan,
namamatean ko man giraray na siya pirming harani sakuya, na primi ko
siyang kaibahan, na pirmi siyang yaon sa sakuya, igdi sa sakuyang puso,
maski sain man ako magduman: sa Manila o sa Nueva Ecija, sa Baguio o
Mindoro, Ifugao o Davao, si Ina pirmi kong kaibahan.
Siya an sakuyang inaapodan sa panahon nin kaogmahan asin kamondoan,
kasakitan asin pag-alaman. Asin
minatubod ako na an lambang saro saindo makakasabi nin siring man, siring
na an lambang Bikolano, saen man siya na lugar sa kinaban magduman, sa
Asia o Europa, sa Canada o California, anuman na estado sa buhay an
saiyang kaabtan: CEO o OFW, driver o manager, siya
makakasabi na pirmi niyang dara dara sa saiyang puso si Ina, an saiyang
pag-ampon, an saiyang pag-ataman, an saiyang pagkamoot. Huli
kaini, an awit na Inang Mamomoton,
pano nin malodok na katotoohan: Inang
mamomoton, ika an buhay. Ako
rangahon mo sa kamondoan. Ako
dalawon mo sa kasakitan. Ina
sa taed mo kaginhawahan. Kaya
ngani kung puwedeng makauli kun fiesta, minapuli.
Agosto pa sana, fully booked
na an mga bus asin eroplano. Alagad
kung dai puwede, saenman na parte kan Pilipinas o kan kinaban, minatiripon
an mga Bikolano, arog kan satuyang ginigibo ngonyan, tanganing tawan nin
pag-omaw si Maria, bako bilang Reyna o Señora, Mediadora o Katabang na
Redentora, kundi bilang Ina, kan saiyang mga aki. Sa
katapusan kan saindang libro, sinasabi ni Fr. Gorospe asin Javellana,
“The 275 year old image was stolen on 18 August 1981.
For more than a year, no news was heard.
In spite of this, the devotion continued with greater fervor.
Evidence that the religious commitment of the Bicolanos is not to
the dark wooden image in the Basilica of Our Lady of Peñafrancia.
Rather, it is to Mary, who as Mother of Bicol, calls her children
to their spiritual home, assuring them of her universal and timeless
message which echoes the words of Isaiah: “Can a mother forget the child
of her womb? Even should she
forget, I will never forget you.” (Is. 45:15)
The response of her Bicolano children to such a message has always
been enthusiastic, exuberant and unequivocal: “Viva
la Virgen! Viva Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia!” Kaya
mga tugang, sa pagpadagos kan satuyang Santa Misa, magpasalamat kita sa
Diyos Ama, huli ta itinao niya satuya si Maria tanganing magin satuyang
Ina, bilang satuyang karokaibahan asin katabang.
Hagadon man niyato na matawan niyato nin tunay na pag-omaw si Ina,
sa paagi kan pag-arog sa saiyang halimbawa nin odok sa boot na pag-otob sa
kabotan nin Diyos, siring kan nadangog niyato sa ebanghelyo ngonyan na
aldaw: “Maotob logod sako sosog sa saimong itinaram.” Sa katoninongan nin satuyang puso, mamibi kita, “Ina, salamat sa saimong pagsorog, sa saimong pagpadangat samuya. Ama niyamo sa langit, salamat sa pagtao mo samuya ki Maria tanganing magin samuyang karokaibahan asin katabang. Kami man logod, siring saiya, magin andam sa pag-otob sa saimong kabotan sa samuyang buhay ngonyan asin sagkod pa man. Amen.” Norlan H. Julia, SJ9 Septiembre 2001Ateneo
de Manila College Chapel
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NUESTRA SEÑORA DE
PEÑAFRANCIA
PATRONNESS OF
BICOLANDIA
A.
Origin in Europe
The
legend of the Original Image.
The devotion to
Our Lady of Peñafrancia in Bicol is as beautiful as its legend. It goes
as far back to the middle ages. On September 4, 1404, a child was born in
Paris and was christened Simon. Simon grew up in an atmosphere of
religiosity. He was not interested in the things of the world and had
developed the habit of prayer before the image of the Blessed Mother. The
parents, noticing the unique character of their child and being a family
of means, sent Simon to school hoping to prepare him for the priesthood.
However Simon did not make it for lack of intellectual capacity.
When his parents and only sister died, Simon was left alone with
all the property of the family. But then he was a man of no interest in
these things, and so he sold it all, gave the proceeds to the poor, and
entered as a chamber boy of a Franciscan church in Paris. In the
simplicity of his life and in the solitude of his living in this
Franciscan church, he would often pray to the Blessed Virgin for guidance
to make the best of his life in the service of God through her. One day
while soundly asleep, he was awakened by a clear voice saying to him:
“Simon, wake up. Be on watch. From now on, your name is Simon Vela. Go
to Peña de Francia, west of this country, and there you will find the
shrine of the Blessed Mother.
The poor Simon was not sure of the reality of the message. For this
he consulted privately a certain Fr. Ortuno who dismissed it as a figment
of his imagination. But then days later, the same message came again:
“Go the Peña de Francia and you will find what you have been longing
for.” The urgency of the message gave Simon the final push. He provided
himself with a pilgrim’s grab, sought the blessing of Fr. Ortuno and
left in search of the end of the proverbial rainbow.
Five years went by as the pilgrim Simon tirelessly traveled far and
wide looking for Peña de Francia west of his country. One day he became
tired and when he was about to reach the end of his rope, he decided to
stop his quest to return to Paris to continue his life as servant boy. In
his sleep came again the same voice with the same message: “Simon, do
not give up. Persevere and your labors will be recompensed.” He woke up
freshed. Encouraged, he went to follow the call. Finally, after a hundred
and more obstacles and disappointments, he came across a man who pointed
out to him that the Peña de Francia he was looking for is on top of a
steep and rocky hill between Salamanca and Caceres in Spain. By this time,
his provisions had dwindled to nothing and he was weak and hungry, but his
faith in God was giving him strength to carry on. Along a deserted road he
found a loaf of bread and a piece of meat. This he ate and laid himself
down to sleep. After a while, again refreshed and well-rested, he knelt
and prayed for more strength and courage. Then the same voice came to him:
“Simon, wake up. Do not sleep.” Simon pulled himself up and continued
his way to nowhere. As he was trudging along, his attention was suddenly
caught by a dazzling light ahead. Frightened but curious, he approached it
to find out what it was. He was transfixed as he suddenly found himself
before the Blessed Virgin with the Infant Jesus in her arms. The lady was
seated on a golden throne. Coming to consciousness and self-possession, he
threw himself to his knees and addressed the Blessed Mother. “Oh, Lady,
you have been the dream of my soul. You are the inspiration of men and
women. Now my search has ended. You know how I traveled far and wide in
search of you. Don’t forsake me. Do protect me.”
The Lady in answer said to him: “Simon, be happy. Your quest has
ended. Take heed and keep in your heart what I want you to do. Dig in this
spot and take what you will find. And place it on the summit of this rocky
hill. Build on this hill a beautiful dwelling. You are to begin it, and
others will come to finish it. This must come to pass as it has been the
will of my Child.” Then the Lady suddenly disappeared and Simon was
again alone.
Putting this message in his mind, one early morning of May in 1434,
he started to dig on the spot as requested by the Lady. But the same voice
came to him again. “ Simon, do not attempt to undertake this task alone.
Do it in the presence of two, three or more persons.” Obedient to this
new command, Simon went down to San Martin de Castanar for help. He
succeeded in recruiting five men to assist him. All with physical defects:
Antonio Fernandez, Pascual and Juan Fernandez, Pascual and Benito Sanchez.
Benito was a parish scribe. They continuously dug on to the spot, uncertain of what they were looking for. All they knew was the fact that the Lady requested it. The progress must have been slow as the rock was hard but they were there for years in patience and perseverance. The reward was long in coming, but in the end, it did come – they stumbled upon an image of the Blessed Virgin with the child in her arms. It was strongly embedded in the rocks. With great care, they cleaned it out of the dirt with all their simplicity. And all of a sudden the first miracles happened. Simon’s head wound was instantly cured; Pascual’s eye defect disappeared; Juan got relieved of a ten-year stomach disorder; Antonio could now hear; Benito’s abnormality in his fingers since birth was cured. This incident was properly documented and officially signed at the archives of San Martin de Castanar. B.
LA Nuestra Señora de Francia of Bicol
Nueva
Caceres. Here
in the Philippines, the only true replica and original devotion to our
Lady of Peña de Francia or simply INA, is in the Bicol region. It is
enshrined in the Basilica Minore dedicated to her name – La Nuestra Señora
de Penafrancia. According to history, Christianity was introduced to the
Bicol region by the Augustinian Friars in 1569. Formal and systematic work
of evangelization was started when the Franciscans arrived in the place.
The Bicol region belongs to the Archdiocese of Nueva Caceres which was
created diocese on August 14, 1595 by Pope Clement VIII. It became
Archdiocese on June 29, 1951 under Pope Pius XII. The Nueva Caceres
Archdiocese includes the civil province of Camarines Sur (Districts II,
III, & IV). Suffragan dioceses are: Legaspi, Sorsogon, Masbate, Virac,
Daet, and the Prelature of Libmanan. Peñafrancia
Origin. In the 17th
century, a Spanish family (de Cobarrubias) from San Martin de Castanar
migrated to the Philippines and settled in Cavite. One of their children
desired to become a priest and went to study at the Universidad de Santo
Tomas which was founded in 1611. This boy was a devotee of the Blessed
Virgin. And he had a book on the history of Our Lady of Peña de Francia
which he always carried with him, He was a sickly boy and he often had
bouts with illnesses that could not be explained. One day when the pains
he had were so excruciating, he thought of the Blessed Mother who
certainly would help him if he, with all faith. Would invoke her. He got
his book of Peña de Francia with Mary on its cover, pressed it on himself
as he prayed for help from the Mpther of the Savior. He was given what he
was asking for – a total cure! As an act of gratitude for the favor, he
promised that if he became a priest, he would erect a stone church in
honor of the Lady of Peña de Francia along the Pasig River. Incidentally
however, for lack of priests in the Bicol area, he was sent to Naga where
he was ordained by Bishop Andres Gonzales for the Diocese of Nueva Caceres.
In 1710, R.P. Miguel Robles de Cobarrubias, who promised to build a stone
church near the Pasig for the Lady of Peña de Francia when he was yet a
seminarian, now initiated the construction of a chapel made of bamboo and
nipa in honor of the Lady of Peñafrancia for the “cimarones” of the
place. The
First Miracle. Fr.
Miguel Robles de Cobarrubias had an image of the Virgin curved of santol
wood and patterned from the picture on the cover of his book. It was the
custom of the day to use dog’s blood as ingredient to the paint and wood
preservative. So a dog was caught and was used for the purposes; they then
carried it to be thrown into the river nearby. Fr. Miguel remarked: “Now
the Blessed Mother will perform her first miracle through the dog.”
People around were amused and laughed at what they thought to be some
joke. When the dog hit the water, it sank a bit, but in a short while it
came out alive, swam to the bank and ran to his master’s home. There
were some Dominican priests, visitors of Bishop Gonzales, who had
witnessed the happening. The news of this dog who was revived spread far
wide like wild fire. And people started coming from far and near, bringing
the sick with all types of illnesses, expecting a miracle. The Lady of Peñafrancia
did not disappoint them. Shortly thereafter, the people acclaimed her
“Patroness of Bicolandia.” The official coronation of Our Lady of Peñafrancia
as Patroness of Bicolandia was not made until September 20, 1924. It was
officiated by Msgr. Guillermo Piani, Apostolic Delegate to the
Philippines.
On August 17, 1981 a very villainous incident happened to the
miraculous image of the Lady of Peñafrancia. Being 275 years old, she was
so attractive to antique collectors that one morning, the faithful found
out that their treasured miraculous image had been stolen from her shrine.
A massive hunt was launched, but to no avail. The image could not be
found. For the impending fiesta celebration, a substitute image had to be
carved.
A liitle over a year later, news flashed that the stolen image was
returned to Msgr. Florancio Yllana in Manila. He used to be the chaplain
of the Peñafrancia Shrine in Bicol. So on September 8, 1982, the birthday
of the Blessed Virgin, the lost image was finally returned as scheduled.
While typhoon Ruping was lashing things along its path, the devotees of
the Virgin of Peñafrancia barved this with a long motorcade that
accompanied their “INA” back to her shrine. After this sacrilegious happening, the devotees thought of making a more worthy shrine, a bigger one but still close to the river. Contributions poured in not only from Bicolandia but from other places, even as far as the U.S. and Germany. When the shrine was finished, by a decree of the Vatican Scared Congregation for Divine Worship dated May 2, 1985, the simple shrine of Our Lady of Peñafrancia was elevated to Basilica Minore. SOURCE: Companion. A Catholic Scripture Diary. Vol. 8 No. 3. 2001 contributed by: U-Nichols
Manalo 11 September 2001
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