Submitted by Vox Bikol on
Viva la Virgen! Viva!
Viva la Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia! Viva!
These are the words we all proclaim as we celebrate Ina's feast every September of the year.
Yes, Viva!
But even as this "nakakagirabong" cry of the crowds has become part of our cherished traditions, we might as well examine what it really means. Or else, we end up like clanging cymbals-making loud noises, but empty in between.
Viva generally means a cheer. Hurray! Long live! We wish the subject of our praise constant admirableness. We recognize the greatness of a person or his good works. Popular examples include "Viva el Rey" (Long live the King) or "Viva il Papa" (Long live the Pope). Viva may also be used for an object of acclaim like a city, region or country. For example, there's "Viva México!" For that matter, we can start with Viva Naga or Viva Bikol, too.
But for us in Naga and the entire Bikol region, Viva has acquired a special meaning as a prayer. We say Amen to God for Mary who is truly most deserving of all our rejoicing for her example and motherly care for our well being. Indeed, countless are her miracles, from the littlest favors like passing a test to the biggest intercessions to be freed of sickness or to be kept from harm.
More importantly, Viva is a challenge. It should be a strong resolve not for the subject of our acclamation, but for each one of us who makes that cry. Every time we say Viva to Ina, we cheer Mary, we pray to her, and we also make it our firm commitment to be like her. Indeed, we may want to ask ourselves how much of our daily existence have we really lived closely to the witness that Mary did for her Son Jesus. With more reason should we look into this challenge at this time that we are celebrating the tercentenary of our devotion to Ina. And it is precisely this challenge aspect of Viva that makes each of us a pilgrim, that is, a traveler to hallowed ground or holy site to become renewed in faith.
On this note, we hope that in our continuing re-examination of our 300 years of devotion to Ina, we could make her home, Naga, as a "Pilgrim City" for a faith reinvigorated for action, and not just a simple mundane "Maogmang Lugar" for merriment and recreation only. In this respect, we certainly welcome the recent agreement the Church of Caceres and the City of Naga have reached to help ensure that September is reserved as a Pilgrim month for the thousands of people who visit Ina on her feast even if such endeavor is interwoven with our "fiesta" culture for reunions, parades, and other secular pursuits-for which we say "Enjoy!", not Viva. There is time for everything even if every Pilgrim remains body and soul.
Viva!