THROUGH UNTRUE Fr. Rolando V. De La Rosa OP Life is often described as a journey from the womb to the tomb, or as others put it, “from conception to resurrection.” Most people make this journey like tourists. They visit interesting places, enjoy transitory joys and pleasures, realize short-term goals, and bear the inconveniences of traveling. But they seldom develop lasting social connections, or a sense of purpose and belonging. In contrast, religious people see life as a pilgrimage. They see themselves as temporary residents of this world, like tourists do, but they consider their journey as an expedition, not outward, but inward, through prayer and contemplation, hoping to achieve self-discovery, conversion, and that final destination: union with God. A pilgrim sees beyond appearances and immediate attractions which often prove deceptive. He instead seeks in every situation the things that help him understand how best to finish the journey, according to the example of Jesus who says: “Come follow me.” When there are hassles along the way, tourists complain to their tour operator or guide. But pilgrims see difficulties and setbacks as opportunities to purify one’s heart, making them humble and more open to God. St. Thomas Aquinas writes that even the most despicable mistakes in life can make the journey worthwhile if we respond to these with true repentance and faith. Life is a pilgrimage towards Him who welcomes us with unconditional love and forgiveness. I like to see the Black Nazarene procession as a ritualized form of pilgrimage. Many Catholics and born-again Christians consider this annual religious spectacle as bordering on idolatry, superstition, fanaticism, and irrational folk religiosity. But they say this because they look at the devotion from the perspective of tourists. For the Black Nazarene followers, the procession is like an annual pilgrimage True, many devotees treat the Black Nazarene as their personal magician who will work miracles at their beck and call. Some think that the devotion promises instant healing, prosperity, and success. But most of the millions of devotees join the annual procession not because of the material benefits they hope to receive, but because they are happy to show God the depth of their gratitude for having been blessed, protected, and loved by Him. They also pray for the inner strength to make the necessary changes in their life. The Black Nazarene devotees remind me of the woman in CeCe Winans’s song “Alabaster Box.” The woman kneels before Jesus, bringing with her an alabaster box containing expensive perfume. Bystanders are scandalized, especially when she uses every drop of the expensive perfume to wash His feet. The woman explains her action thus:

I’ve come to pour My praise on Him I’m giving back to Him all the praise He’s worthy of. Don’t be angry if I wash His feet with my tears And I dry them with my hair. You weren’t there the night He found me. You did not feel what I felt When He wrapped His loving arms around me. She comes to Jesus as a sinner needing mercy and forgiveness. She emerges not only forgiven, but also renewed, transformed, and even reborn. Her tears and expensive perfume are nothing compared to being accepted and loved without any conditions. Her life journey, like a pilgrimage, culminates in that encounter with Jesus which allows her to say: “I am never the same again.”

We who are accustomed to a restrained, subdued, and often intellectualized religion will find it difficult to understand the extravagant display of devotion by many Filipinos during the Black Nazarene procession. But just like the woman with the alabaster box, faith belongs to them in a way we can only obscurely imagine.