THE SANTO NIŇO: THE OBEDIENCE OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE EYES OF A CEBUANO

Christmas celebrated in the Philippines is the longest compared to other nations. However, I would like to add that particularly in Cebu, Christmas extends even up to the whole month of January. In December, the Cebuanos fill the churches for the misa de gallo. In January, they fill the Basilica Minore del Santo Nińo de Cebu for the novena and panata. Thus, in the eyes of the Cebuanos, Jesus Christ is the Holy Child, the Santo Nińo.

          The truth behind the image of the Santo Nińo is that Jesus Christ did not come into this world in an instant like a fully grown superhero who descends from the heavens with a full blast entourage. He underwent the stages of human development. He first became a child, the Santo Nińo. And if we go deeper into this child, we recognize the wonder of the mystery of the Incarnation, that moment in human history when God became human like us.

          Thus, this paper wishes to present how Cebuanos recognize God in Jesus Christ, the Santo Nińo. Then, it ventures into the Mystery of his Incarnation, public ministry, and his Paschal Mystery. Since this paper is limited, the writer presents his thesis statement: Jesus’ whole life from birth to death is a ministry of obedience.

“LET IT BE DONE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD” (Luke 1:38)

Jesus’ Obedience in His Incarnation

          Though the writer is not an exegete, reflecting on the words of Mary at the Annunciation, he dares on to say that those words of Mary are the very words of Jesus. Mary was able to utter those words because of Jesus. The obedience of Jesus in his Incarnation happened when he emptied himself and took the form not only of a man, but of a slave to the abusive Romans, to the corrupt powers that be―all manifestations of sin in the world. Despite his divinity, he assumed humanity by staying first in the womb of Mary for nine months. He was obedient to her mother, Mary and foster father, Joseph. As he grew up, he remained obedient as reflected in Luke 2:52, “And Jesus increased in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and with people.” The effect of Jesus’s obedience in his Incarnation is a homecoming between God and man. God and man became one in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. The very wide gap has been bridged by Jesus. Salvation has finally entered human history in time and space.

“I DO NOT SEEK MY OWN WILL BUT THE WILL OF THE ONE WHO SENT ME” (John 5:30)

Jesus’ Obedience in His Public Ministry

          When Jesus grew up and matured, he assumed even the daily routine of humanity: an experience of joy and sorrow, health and sickness, triumph and defeat. He was obedient to the Father, who willed that “everyone be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4) through him. As presented by Bishop Bacani in his book Jesus Goes Public, Jesus went about doing good by liberating people from the sinful condition, lifting them up to a new dignity, uniting them with one another and with God, and giving them hope for “something more.” The effect of Jesus’ obedience in his public ministry is that man’s daily endeavors have been given meaning and his battle against evil has been given victory.

“NEVERTHELESS, LET YOUR WILL BE DONE, NOT MINE” (Luke 22:42)

Jesus’ Obedience in His Paschal Mystery

          Jesus assumed our full humanity except sin. His assumption was so great even to the point of assuming our greatest fears in life: suffering and death. Philippians 2:7-8 goes on to say that “He took on the form of a slave being born in the likeness of men, obediently accepting even death, death on the cross.” It was not the killing that saved us since murder is a sin. It was Jesus’ obedience and love that pleased the Father that made his death acceptable. It was in his obedience that the voice in his baptism and transfiguration, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” was made concrete and living. The effect of Jesus’ obedience in His Paschal Mystery is that though death is inescapable, the death of Jesus gives us hope and lifts us up from despair. This is because Jesus did not die forever. His love for the Father and for those whom his Father has given him and the Father's love for him proved itself more powerful than death. Death could not quench such love. After three days in the darkness of the tomb, he resurrected. We can only resurrect with Jesus if we are made right and just before the Father by union with Jesus. The redemption of Jesus on the cross was an act of justification. What we need to do now is to cooperate with the grace of being justified by the blood of Christ.

THE WHY OF JESUS'S TOTAL OBEDIENCE

          Why then was Jesus obedient to the Father from his Incarnation up to his return in glory? Allow me to begin my reflection on this with a semantic analysis of the Cebuano word for obedience, which I believe gives us an insight into the mystery of Jesus's obedience. The Cebuano word for obedience is pagkamatinumanon. It comes from the root word, tuman. Its root word is a contraction of tuo man or mituo man, which when translated into English means “he/she believes.”  Jesus was obedient because he believed in the will of the Father. He believed that doing the Father’s will is that which is good for Him and is pleasing to his Father. What prompted the Son to believe and obey the Father even to the point of death was love. As a human person, Jesus experienced God as a loving father (through Joseph) and was keenly aware of God's fatherhood to humanity in general (as its source and Creator). His understanding of God and thus his worldview ran contrary to how the world worked. Yet he could not keep to himself his experience of God as a loving Father; he preached it and criticized the religious and political structures that make it difficult for man to experience God as a loving Father. For this, he was threatened with death by the powers that be. Yet he did not relent. He allowed himself to be killed as a final testimony to all he taught and lived for. Theological reflection on this historical event, allows us to see Jesus as truly the Son of God. He was truly one with the Father in love. His will was totally united to the will of the Father. As the Son in a loving relationship with the Father, he could not have done otherwise, although it was humanly possible. Jesus of Nazareth taught us that God is a loving Father who is concerned about the troubles of his people, a God who shares the joys, sorrows, and aspirations of every human person. He showed humanity that it is very much possible to be so totally united to God in love that not even death could quench that love. The evangelist even recalls this words of Jesus: “When I am lifted up, I shall draw all men to myself” (John 12:32). It is love that draws us to himself. His great love for the Father and the Father's great love for humanity. 

Allow me to share another source of insight into this love of God made manifest in Jesus of Nazareth that draws us unto itself. In Cebu, we always sing a gozos in honor of the Sto. Nińo. In it, we address the Holy Child as the batobalani sa gugma (the magnet of love). The Sto. Nińo, Jesus of Nazareth, draws all people to himself, rich and poor alike. Jesus became man, lived in Nazareth, went about doing good in Galilee and Judea, suffered and died under Pontius Pilate, and rose from the dead because he wants us to be drawn to the love of the Father, who has loved us first.

And so, as we venerate the image of the Sto.Nińo at the basilica or in our altars at home, our eyes see not only an innocent child but the man Jesus who shared with us his experience of the Father’s love by becoming man  and remaining obedient even until death, death on the cross. Thus we pray in the collect of the Mass in honor of the Santo Nińo: Father in heaven, may we recognize your only Son as God in the lowliness of his human nature and worship the Holy Child as the all-powerful Lord in the frailty of his childhood. Make us accept his kingship among us with the eagerness of a child and attain the reward promised to the humble. Amen!


NB. Photo courtesy of http://philippineculture.ph/filer/Video-Sinulog%20ug%20ang%20Sto%20Nino.jpg