Palma cheers devotees to rise up, go forward

CEBU, Philippines —  Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma has reminded that even if the 2022 Sinulog celebration was less festive in the absence of street dancing but “our perseverance and dedication can still become our Sinulog when difficulties push us to take one step back, we go forward by making two”.

In this year’s Sinulog message posted via the Facebook page of the Archdiocese of Cebu, Palma recalled that 500 years ago the image of Señor Santo Niño arrived in Cebu as a baptism gift, an image and icon of Christian faith that was planted in this island.

“Since then, even with the disappearance with the colonizers people always looked and lovingly to the Holy Child as King and Protector through good times and bad,” Palma said in his 3-minute message.

Palma added that now 500 years later, we find ourselves in the aftermath of calamity.

He said that Super Typhoon Odette has brought our people on its knees and in the dangers of the pandemic continue to threaten our health.

Many lost their homes, many lost their livelihoods and some even the lives of their loved ones.

“My dear brothers and sisters, in this time of great adversity we turn even more to the Señor Sto. Niño. This year our celebration is somber, our activities are less festive but though we may not have dancing on our streets our perseverance and dedication can still become our Sinulog when difficulties push us to take one step back, we go forward by making two,” Palm said adding “this is the rhythm of our devotion, this is the dance of our life in faith”.

He hopes that our devotion to the Señor Sto. Niño helps us to rise up and to rebuild not just the houses and structures but our homes, our communities and communion as a people.

“As the ‘Bato Balani sa Gugma’ draws and unite our hearts to his love, we may also share this love to our brothers and sisters especially those whose affected by these present difficulties,” Palma further said. — GMR (FREEMAN)