May 16 - 31 , 2018 PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY 25
Ilocos Norte prepares for pontifical coronation of La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc
A huge number of devotees are expected to flock to the St . John the Baptist Church in Badoc , Ilocos Norte for the pontifical coronation of La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc .
Mass will be held at the St . John the Baptist Parish at 9 a . m . on May 31 , after which the image of La Virgen Milagrosa will be displayed through a procession for her coronation .
The image of the Blessed Virgin Mary will be the second Marian image to be hailed “ coronada ” this year .
On December 6 , 2017 , the Congregation of Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments approved the petition by the issuance of a Papal Decree for her pontifical coronation .
The coronation was approved after it passed the requisites such as the image ’ s antiquity and authenticity , and the miracles attributed to her that were duly recorded .
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle will be the crowning
Pope Francis said Wednesday that confirmation is the sacrament in which Catholics are marked with a seal that solidifies their belonging to Christ through the Holy Spirit , who he said is God ’ s invisible gift to each person who receives the sacrament .
Referring to how candidates for confirmation are told to “ receive the seal of the Holy Spirit given to you as a gift ,” Pope Francis said May 30 that the Holy Spirit “ is the invisible gift bestowed ” on candidates , and the holy oil they are anointed with , called “ chrism ,” is the “ visible seal ” of this gift .
“ In the image of Christ who bears on himself the seal of the Father , Christians are also marked with a seal that says to whom they belong ,” he said , adding that “ it is God himself who confirms us in Christ and who has given us the anointing , he has impressed us with a seal and has given us the deposit of the Spirit in prelate for the Pontifical Coronation .
It is only now that the province welcomes again another Archbishop of Manila . The first was in 1963 when a minor seminary was blessed by Cardinal Rufino Santos .
Ilocos Norte tourism officer Aian Raquel said that this is an important event in terms of “ faith tourism .”
“ In many cases , this has opened so many good opportunities for people . There will be a high demand for food , for transformation , for accommodation . So the effect of it will become a very real miracle for a lot people in Ilocos Norte ,” Raquel said . FOLK TALE La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc is believed to have arrived between the shores of Barangay Paguetpet , Badoc , and Barangay Dadalaquiten , Sinait , together with the image of the Santo Cristo Milagroso de Sinait .
Only fishermen from Badoc were able to carry the image of La Milagrosa , while those from Sinait could move only the image of Cristo Milagroso .
For them , this indicated that the Crucified Christ wanted to be enshrined in Sinait while the Lady is for Badoc .
A story is told from 1776 of Moro Pirates raiding and burning the town of Badoc , including the church .
The invaders had attempted and failed to behead the image of La Virgen Milagrosa . While unsuccessful , this left a scar over her left eye . In rage , they toppled the wooden image onto flames but were shocked to see the fire extinguished . Taken aback , they scampered away and left the town .
Inspired by the La Virgen Milagrosa folk tale , the provincial
Holy Spirit is the invisible gift of God
our hearts .”
Pope Francis spoke to pilgrims gathered in St . Peter ’ s Square for his weekly general audience , which this week focused on the sacrament of confirmation as a part of the process of Christian initiation in the Catholic Church .
Confirmation , he said , “ shines in the light of baptism ” and is fulfilled in the reception of the Eucharist .
He noted how candidates , at one point during the confirmation Mass , are asked to renew the promises made by their parents and godparents at their baptism . With confirmation , “ now it is they themselves who profess faith in the Church , ready to respond ‘ I believe ’ to the questions asked by the bishop .”
The coming of the Holy Spirit requires that hearts be gathered in prayer , he said , noting that this is why after a moment of silence among the congregation , the bishop extends his hands toward the candidates and “ asks God to infuse in them the Holy Spirit , the Paraclete .”
While the Holy Spirit is the biggest gift given during the sacrament , he brings a variety of others with him , Francis said , and listed the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit spoken of by the prophet Isaiah and the fruits of the Holy Spirit referred to by St . Paul .
The seven gifts mentioned by Isaiah – wisdom , understanding , knowledge , counsel , fortitude , fear of the Lord and piety – are bestowed in a special way on candidates during the sacrament of confirmation and are the virtues “ poured out onto the Messiah in order to fulfill his mission ,” Francis said .
“ The one Spirit distributes the many gifts which enrich the one Church : he is the author of diversity , but at the same time the creator of unity ,” the pope said , adding that while
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government inaugurated an annual event in 2012 called “ The La Milagrosa Provincial Fiesta ”, in honor of the provincial patroness .
Thousands of devotees and pilgrims flock to Ilocos Norte for the yearly fiesta celebrating both classic and contemporary Ilocano culture in supplication for all of blessings of La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc to the province .( D . Agcaoili , abs-cbn )
different people receive different gifts , “ at the same time there is harmony and unity ” among them all .
Francis then turned to the moment when the bishop lays his hands on the heads of the candidates , saying this gesture is biblical , having been spoken about in the Acts of the Apostles , and is how the Holy Spirit is communicated to the person receiving the sacrament .
This gesture is done “ to better express the outpouring of the Spirit who pervades those who receive it ,” he said , noting that soon after the laying on of hands , the candidates are anointed with holy oil , called “ chrism .”
The Spirit , he said , is a gift “ to be preserved with care , to be indulged with docility , allowing oneself to be molded like wax by its fiery charity in order to reflect Jesus Christ in today ’ s world .”( E . Harris , CNA )