MANILA, Philippines – Beth and Joselito Muyon trace 20 years of married bliss to their devotion to the Black Nazarene.

The Muyons have been attending the Feast of the Black Nazarene since 1994, and they believe their annual participation in the ritual is behind the blessings they have been enjoying.

 Beth says her husband became a devotee first, and encouraged her to join him.

“Sumama ako isang beses tapos naramdaman ko iyong biyaya kaya talagang dapat tatagan na ang panata na ito (I went with him once and I felt the blessing, so I decided to be a devotee),” she says.

They have been married for 20 years and for the same duration, have been blessed with a close family with enough resources. 

Every January, Beth and Joselito travel from Balintawak and camp overnight at wherever the procession will start to hear mass and be the first to touch the image.

Despite the big crowd that seem to grow as each year passes, Beth thinks it is all worth the sacrifice. 

“Sakripisyo talaga ito pa lang na siksikan sa Luneta na makasama sa misa. Pero pag-uwi naman ng bahay, mawawala iyong pagod mo na bigla eh (It is really a sacrifice especially when it gets too crowded  in Luneta during the mass. But when you go home, the exhaustion goes away),” she tells Rappler.  

Planning

Since 1994, the Muyons have followed a plan on how to go about the procession. According to Beth, they have not encountered any problems so far, apparently due Joselito’s careful planning to ensure his wife’s safety.

During the mass, Beth and Joselito will be together but when the procession starts, the husband will join the crowd eager to get hold of the rope to pull the carriage bearing the Black Nazarene. 

Beth will then retreat to a safer place to pray and to wait for her husband.

 For 20 years, a pillar inside the Quiapo Church has served as the couple’s designated meeting place after the procession.  

“Sabi niya kasi, iyong blessing na matatanggap niya sa paghihila eh maaambonan rin naman ako. Gusto niya kasi hindi na ako mahirapan (He said that I’ll benefit from the blessing he’ll get from pulling the carriage. He wants me to not suffer),” Beth says.

There are a lot of years ahead for the Muyon couple – a lot of years to continue their devotion to the Black Nazarene. (Beth is 40; Joselito, 43.)

They don’t plan to stop attending the annual ritual, but when they have to they have their children to continue the tradition and in return, bring blessings to the family.  

Two of their 5 children, aged 17 and 14 – their third and fourth children – started to join their parents in 2012. 

“Sasali pa rin kami kung hanggang saan kakayanin, hanggang saan aabutin. Kung hindi na kaya talaga, ipapasa na namin sa mga anak namin  (We will continue to join as long as our bodies allow us. If not, we have our children to carry on the tradition),” Beth says.  – Rappler.com