The beauty in faith is that it is deeply personal. Devotion, especially in the context of the Feast of the Black Nazarene that draws a great number of Filipinos every January, takes multiple shapes and has a number of faces. Many take the risk and brave the millions-thick crowd of the Traslacion. Some prioritize attending the pahalik a day before the carriage is journeyed around Manila on January 9 while others are content watching a livestream from the convenience of their homes. 

For 74-year-old Corazon Ordoñez, a retired teacher from Cavite City, hers is forged from a close relationship with a devotee father, taken after the latter’s effervescent belief that the dark-skinned Jesus carrying the True Cross has healing powers more effective than anything in this world, and wielded by a life of habitual sacrifices and granted prayers. 

In an online interview with Miss Ordoñez, as she is called by her students and co-teachers, she shares her faith’s beginnings, how she strengthens it, and her fervent commitment to the Black Nazarene despite only attending the Traslacion once. 

On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how would you rate your devotion and faith to the Black Nazarene?

A: Ay, 100! Ako, sa kanya (Black Nazarene) talaga, walang iba.

100! I really believe in Him (Black Nazarene).

When did this devotion start?

A: Magmula 1970s, sinasama ako ng Papang sa Quiapo. Nagsimula ito noong magkasakit ako ng psoriasis. Kung kani-kanino na ako dinala ng Papang - may doktor, may tawas, pero walang nangyari. Sabi ng doktor, wala na raw pag-asa gumaling dahil psoriasis nung time na iyon ay hindi alam ang cause at di na gumagaling. 

Sabi ng Papang ko, walang imposible dyan, ako ang magdadala sayo dahil doktor niya raw ang Nazareno. 

Sa awa ang Nuestro Jesus Nazareno, gumaling ako. Dinadala pa nga ako ng Papang sa likod ng simbahan tapos aakyat kami para humalik sa paanan ng Nazareno, kailangan pa pumila.

Ang sabi niya, kapag hindi na niya kaya, ituloy ko lang daw. Kaya ayun, bandang 1980s, nagtuturo na ako sa Las Piñas, patuloy pa rin ako. Naglilinis na ako lagi sa Quiapo. 

My father would bring me to Quiapo during the 1970s. I had a condition called psoriasis that time, and I wasn’t getting better even after multiple attempts with doctors and healers. My doctor told me that there’s no chance my condition would get better. But my father had so much belief in the Black Nazarene - he even would bring me to the back of the Basilica. In His mercy, I got healed. My faith and commitment continued even when I was already teaching, especially upon my father’s request for me to continue the devotion.

Why do you believe in the Black Nazarene?

A: Wala pa akong hiniling sa Kanya na hindi niya ibinigay - sa mga apo at pamangkin ko, na bigyan ng trabaho, maging masaya sila, makapag asawa sila - lahat binigay. 

I haven’t had a prayer that He did not grant. My prayers for my grandchildren, nephews, and nieces - for their careers, their happiness, their relationships - everything was granted.

Do you attend the yearly Feast of The Black Nazarene every 9th of January?

A: Isang beses lang ako sumama sa January 9 Traslacion, noon pa, pero nakaupo lang kami ng kasama ko dun sa isang mall. Ang Papang ko every year iyon nagpupunta, pero hindi rin siya talaga sumasama sa mismong Traslacion, doon lang siya naghihintay sa simbahan na.

I attended Traslacion only once, but that was way back and I just stayed at a mall in Quiapo and waited for the carriage to arrive. That’s also how my father would do it when he attended regularly the procession.

If you are not one to regularly join the yearly Traslacion, how does your faith and devotion manifest, then?

A: Simula noon, naglilinis ako sa Quiapo Church tuwing Sabado - natigil lang iyon kasi may time na kumuha na sila ng sarili nilang taga-linis. Dati nga naglalakad pa ako nang paluhod sa gitnang aisle.

Yung paglilinis ko, tuwing Sabado, hindi ako nakaka-miss noon, may dala na akong sarili kong basahan tapos mayroon akong pamalit na blouse, tapos walis-walis din ako. Nagsisimba rin ako everyday, ang pinapanood ko ay yung online mass ng Quiapo Church sa Youtube.

Ang Papang naman, hindi kami dinadala sa doktor noon pag may sakit kaming magkakapatid. Pag mayroon kaming karamdaman, nawawala nalang siya bigla, nasa Quiapo Church na pala. Kasi para sa kanya pagpasok niya sa isang pinto ng Simbahan at paglabas niya sa kabila, gagaling na agad kami. Ganun ka-strong ang faith niya sa Poong Nazareno. At totoo, pagdating nga niya wala na kaming sakit.

I would go to the Church religiously every Saturday and clean its premises until they got their own cleaning volunteers. I would even use to walk on my knees during my prayer. I would also sweep. Now, I have resorted to watching all the online masses of Quiapo Church every single day. 

My father passionately believed that visiting the Black Nazarene would heal us from all our sicknesses, so he rarely brought us to the hospital. He had such strong faith in Him, and I can testify that we really did get better whenever he would pay the Church a visit.

At 74, how do you maintain and continuously strengthen your faith in and commitment to the Black Nazarene?

A: Ang nagpapatibay ng relationship ko with Him, ay yung sinasagot niya lahat ng hinihingi ko sa Kanya. Pero naniniwala rin ako na pag hindi Niya binigay, hindi iyon para sa akin. Pero wala pa akong naramdaman o hiningi na hindi Niya binigay. 

I always end my prayer na lagi kong sinasabi - not my will but Your will be done. Sinasagot naman niya palagi eh.  

The Black Nazarene has answered my prayers ever since. At the same time, I believe that if He doesnt give it to me, then it’s not for me. I always end my prayers with “not my will but your will be done.”

So many devotees attend the Feast every January 9, but you embody and exhibit your devotion a bit differently. 

A: Para sa akin, bakit mo kailangan makipag-siksikan at hintayin ang Pista kung pwede naman na anytime na available ka. Kung ang faith mo talaga nasa Kanya, pwede ka pumunta every Saturday, dasalan mo siya. 

Ako pumupunta ako kung kailan ako makakapasok ng simbahan, yung mahahawakan ko siya, yung walang distraction. At the end of the day, ang faith sa Diyos, personal iyan. 

In my opinion, you do not have to huddle yourself in a huge crowd during the January 9 Feast, when you can always go there anytime you are available. If you really have faith in Him, you can go every Saturday and pray on your own. I go there on days where I can spend time inside and touch the Black Nazarene without any distraction. At the end of the day, faith in the Lord highly personal.

Is there anything that you are praying particularly for this year?

A: Ngayon, itong hinihingi ko, itong sakit ko na pagalingin. Na parang unti-unti ngang natutupad. Kasi hindi naman niya yan ibibigay agad-agad eh, always in God’s time. Hindi yung “pagalingin niyo ako” tapos ngayon na agad. Naka-depende sa Kanya. 

Ngayon, meron akong rectal cancer. Hinihiling ko kung pwede lang, Lord, gabayan po ninyo ako, na hindi na ako i-IV chemo, dahil hindi ko kaya, ikamamatay ko yan. Ayun lang, at pumayag ang doktor ko na oral chemo na lang - yun lang magandang sign na na pinagbigyan na naman Niya ako.

Kahit binigay ni Lord o hindi, hindi mawawala yung tiwala ko sa Kanya. Baka yung iba kapag naibigay, titigil na. Pero ako, hindi ako titigil Lord, hindi. 

God answers prayers in His time. It always depends on Him. Right now, I have rectal cancer, and I pray that He heals me throughout my chemo treatment. I feel like, slowly, He is granting my prayers again because my doctor just recently updated me on my chemo therapy’s intensity. But even if He won’t give it to me, my faith will not waver. Others’ devotion might decline over time, but not mine. I will not stop believing in the power of Jesus Nazarene.