The Feast of the Black Nazarene remains one of the most powerful and contested religious phenomena in the Philippines. Every January 9, millions participate in the Traslación surrounding the image enshrined at the Black Nazarene. Theologically, the devotion is often…
Introduction Christmas, originally celebrated as the Feast of the Nativity, is one of the central liturgical celebrations in Christianity. Historically grounded in the theological affirmation that God became human in Jesus Christ, Christmas emphasized worship, humility, and charity (Kelly, 2014)…
The Aguinaldo Mass remains one of the most distinctive liturgical practices in Philippine Catholicism, symbolizing both deep incarnational devotion and the enduring interplay between faith, culture, and community life. Celebrated as a novena of dawn Masses from December 16 to…
Abstract The choice of December 25 as the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ is a complex development rooted in early Christian theology, Roman historical contexts, and evolving liturgical traditions. Although the New Testament offers no explicit date for…
Introduction The Advent season marks the beginning of the liturgical year in the Catholic Church and serves as a period of hopeful expectation for the coming of Christ—past, present, and future. Among the season’s most prominent devotional practices is the…
Abstract The Catholic practice of praying for the dead is one of the Church’s most enduring and widespread traditions. Though its biblical roots, early Christian usage, and theological development have been thoroughly studied in Western scholarship, its inculturation within local…
The calling of Peter in Lucas 5:1–11 offers a rich literary and theological moment, especially when read in Spanish. The narrative presents a movement from ordinary life to divine mission through a series of closely related terms: pescador (fisherman), pecador…
Abstract Marian apparitions have shaped Catholic spirituality, influenced cultural identities, and inspired major devotions worldwide. While deeply embedded in the life of the faithful, apparitions are classified as private revelations and therefore not part of the deposit of faith (Catechism…
Abstract Eucharistic miracles—physical manifestations in which consecrated hosts appear to transform into flesh or blood—occupy a unique space in the devotional imagination of many Catholics. However, Catholic teaching does not require belief in such phenomena, nor are they theologically necessary…