Becoming like Nazareno

Millions of Filipinos gathered last week for one of the country’s most powerful religious events—the Traslacion of the revered Mahal na Poong Jesus Nazareno. This year, the Black Nazarene was carried from Luneta Grandstand to Quiapo Church, a journey marked by sweat, tears, prayers, and a deep, unexplainable devotion.

Lasting nearly 31 hours and joined by an estimated 9 million devotees, Traslacion 2026 became the longest and largest procession in history. Filipinos from all walks of life, along with even foreign observers filled the streets. The crowd never thinned. Despite four reported casualties and at least 1,000 devotees seeking medical assistance, the faith of the people did not waver. Instead, it grew stronger and more intense.

Such unwavering devotion raises a powerful question: what drives millions to risk everything just to walk with the Nazareno?

Christ’s Passion: The Ironic Parallel

For those who have witnessed the Traslacion closely, simply notice its striking parallel to the Passion of Christ, but reversed.

During the Passion, crowds followed Jesus to mock Him, condemn Him, and ultimately crucify Him. Few offered help. Fewer still recognized His divinity. In contrast, during the Traslacion, people follow the Black Nazarene not to ridicule, but to cling to Him—to ask for mercy, healing, justice, and hope.

This irony reveals something deeply human and profoundly Filipino. In a nation burdened by poverty, inequality, and systemic neglect, people walk with the Nazareno because they see themselves in Him. His suffering mirrors their own. His wounds look like theirs.

For non-believers, this devotion may raise questions about faith and the existence of God. Yet for many, it is precisely this that reveals both the beauty and the pain of belief. The Traslacion becomes a living testimony of people shaped by hardship but refusing to surrender to despair.

Despite injustice and neglect, devotion to the Nazareno endures: not merely as religious practice, but as a collective cry for justice, healing, and redemption. For many Filipinos, faith is not a luxury…It is the last thing left to hold on to.

The People’s Passion

Across the country, countless Filipinos wake up every day carrying burdens heavier than they deserve. 

Jeepney drivers spend endless hours on the road, barely earning enough to bring food home. Medical workers exhaust themselves in overcrowded hospitals, underpaid and undervalued. Teachers that shape the future of the nation struggle to survive on salaries that barely meet their needs.

Parents work day and night, sacrificing rest, dignity, and health just to ensure their children can eat and stay in school. Children in rural areas, in turn, learn too early how to ask for mercy—not for toys or comfort, but for the simple chance to study. Many families pray for children of their own while facing inadequate maternal care and an overburdened healthcare system.

Yet despite everything, faith remains innate to the Filipino people. It is not an escape from hardship, but a force that keeps them standing. Devotion becomes a grounding act, a reminder to give thanks, to hold on to dignity, and to demand meaning in a system that often denies it. 

With burdens heavier than they deserve, the people press on, with a hope that no system can silence. This is the people’s passion, faith that endures and calls for justice.

Neglected by government, sustained by faith

Sometimes, ‘panata’ isn’t just a religious promise, but also a journey to one’s safe place. Every step towards Quiapo is a step closer to newfound hope and healing. Upon reaching the church doors, just a sight can transform into understanding without judgment, presence without abandonment. When the government fails, when systems collapse, when hope feels distant, devotion becomes a way to survive.

The love of the Nazareno is not about instant miracles. It is about endurance. It is about finding the strength to wake up again tomorrow, to keep going despite injustice and fear. Many devotees speak of miracles not as dramatic interventions, but as quiet moments of peace, courage, and clarity—the ability to keep moving forward.

People long for the love of the Nazareno because it offers comfort in a world that often feels cruel. It becomes a shelter for the weary soul, a reminder that suffering is seen, and that no one walks alone.

Comfort to collective struggles

Faith does not exist in isolation. Faith-based communities play a vital role in calling for social change and confronting systemic injustice. They remind society of compassion, dignity, and equality. They serve as a moral compass in times when values seem easily compromised.

Yet this power of faith also carries responsibility. Religion must never be used as an excuse to ignore accountability. There are moments when the name of the Lord is misused to shield those in power from responsibility, allowing injustice to persist unchallenged.

Faith should never replace governance. Prayer should never excuse neglect. While belief inspires hope and unity, leaders must still fulfill their duty to serve the people. Genuine social change demands policies, action, and concern for the marginalized.

A Timeless Testament

People want Nazareno’s love because when we believe in something bigger than ourselves, it helps us face hard times. It’s like having a strong anchor in a stormy sea. 

“And He has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” 

True devotion is shown through love for others, especially those who suffer; and Faith is not only a personal belief but a call to empathy, kindness, and solidarity. The love of the Nazareno inspires believers to turn faith into action: caring for one another, standing for justice, and defending the dignity of the poor. 

To follow Christ today means choosing service over comfort, standing beside the marginalized, speaking when others are silenced, and making sacrifices for the greater good. It may not be an easy path, but it is a meaningful one. It is a life rooted in purpose, that guided Jesus in His ministry.

If we can bring the Nazareno home into our streets, our systems, and our daily lives; maybe we can make this country a home for all of us too. 

And that is what Jesus has always fought for.