Celebrating
Sinulog right
By Seminarian
LANCE
PATRICK ENAD, lancivspatricivs@gmail.com
January 15, 2019
Holy days, have always
been, at least on paper, sacred times. In these holy times, anything
that could be a distraction from the worship of God is to be avoided
–hence we abstain from work (although with exceptions) on Sundays so
that we can spend the day for God, with our families, and for rest.
We see in the catechisms
and in the preaching of many saints, especially St. John Mary
Vianney, the phrase “desecration of Sundays.” St. John Mary Vianney
often preached against it. Being the pastor of the village of Ars,
he lamented how people worked on Sundays and neglected to come to
Mass. On Sundays too, dances were held in the town –dances which
fostered immorality and other occasions of sin.
Obviously, Sundays and
holy days are days for our Lord. Holy days are especially set apart
for the worship of God, for doing good works, for the family.
Anything that would be an obstacle to those would be an abuse of
these sacred times. Any sinful act or vice on these days –parties,
or street parties, dances, etc. that endanger purity, that are
occasions of sin- would be a desecration of these sacred times.
It is rather lamentable to
think how Cebu City on the feast day of the Sto. Niño instead of
being filled with grace, becomes a cesspool of sin, vice, and
immorality. While we supposedly enthrone the Christ Child, the City
becomes a pit of sin –so many souls that are in the darkness of
mortal sin commit still more on this day and perhaps so many souls
on that day, lose the grace of God.
You, Christian Reader,
redeemed by Jesus Christ, would you tolerate how God is offended on
the time that should be for him? On birthdays, we always try to be
nice to the celebrant. On the day of the Lord, why is it that we
offend God all the more. It is like how those engaged in theNi
demonic mock God at 3am and how we remember the death of Our Lord at
3pm. God is offended, what is your reaction, Christian soul?
For this reason, it is
important to give some advice on how to celebrate the feast of the
Santo Niño well.
(1) Attend / assist in the
Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It is Sunday, you are obliged to assist
in the Most Holy Sacrifice. Offer this mass for the salvation of
souls, for the conversion of sinners, especially for those who will
have the misfortune of committing a mortal sin on the feast of the
Sto. Niño. Offer this mass as a reparation for each time God is
offended.
(2) Pray the Rosary. This
is a powerful weapon for our times. The Rosary is a meditation on
the life of Our Lord. If you pray it every day, Sinulog would be a
great day to pray all the mysteries. If you don’t pray it every day,
it is high time to begin. Commend your soul and the souls of your
loved ones to our Lady so that you will always be kept in the grace
of God.
(3) Holy hour. So many
graces flow from an hour of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
Spend an hour before Jesus. Offer it in reparation for the sins
committed today and in homage to the Sto. Niño.
(4) Read the Bible. Read
the Gospels. How fruitful it is for us to read the life of our Lord!
While so many people do not think of God on that day –and so many
even offend him-, you reading the Bible make it one person less.
(5) Preparation. Prepare
yourself for the feast day of the Sto. Niño. Pray the Novena and
meditate on the Childhood of Our Lord.
Sinulog, before it is a
festival, before it is a time for culture, is a time for God, a
sacred time- we ought not to forget that.