Gospel: Feast of the Sto. Niño

Today is the Feast of the Sto. Niño in the Philippines, and the Gospel reading for this occasion will be lifted from the account of St Matthew (18:1-5).

At that time, the disciples approached Jesus and said, "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?" He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

The Feast of the Sto. Niño is one of the biggest celebrations or feasts in the country, which is unique and only in the Philippines. The Holy See granted it permission to be celebrated every third Sunday of the month of January.

This devotion is as old as Christianity in the Philippines, the icon being brought by Ferdinand Magellan himself when he arrived in 1521. The image of the child Jesus was later known as Sto. Niño de Cebu, which is now currently enshrined in its own Basilica Minore. It was granted canonical coronation by Pope Paul VI through his papal bull Ounabula Religionis dated February 27, 1964.

In the Gospel, there is a quality of the child that Jesus wants us to follow and emulate. A Faithful carrying the nature of a child has total trust and total dependence on God. In doing so, we recognize our weaknesses, our shortcomings, our nothingness, and our need for God, and that we are indeed in need of God. 

The Feast is celebrated mainly in Cebu, which is known as Sinulog, in Iloilo, which is known as Dinagyang, and in Aklan, which is celebrated as Ati-Atihan. The celebration involves mostly cultural dances of participating groups done in colorful costumes that matches traditional Filipino norms.

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The Gospel is sponsored by Zara.