Holy Hour, Novena & Benediction
Holy Hour and Benediction
Besides the daily celebration of the Holy Eucharist and administering the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the other Sacraments, The Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, or Quiapo church, also performs the rites of the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament accompanied by Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction.
A true and ever present sign of the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord in the Holy Eucharist which manifests His great love for us. It became a practice for devotees of the Black Nazarene to participate in the Holy Hour. After the last mass during Fridays and Sundays. It is somehow a simple way of staying with the Lord for an hour, praying for forgiveness of one’s sin, for conversion of those who don’t believe, for those who are sick, the gaoled, and for peace and God’s mercy. It is usually a vigil in front of the exposed Holy Eucharist, a collection of prayers, readings, reflections and petitions is said during the Holy Hour. It ends with the benediction, the lifting of the Blessed Sacrament and in a slow phase blessing the people.
Novena
Another act of pious devotion of the people who goes to Quiapo Church is the Novena to the Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno, The practice of praying novenas was practiced in the early Christian period, a novena is a series of prayers accompanied with petitions done either individually and by groups for nine consecutive days. The Novena to the Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno is said during Fridays of the week by devotees when they visit the church or in homes at their altars and work place. The novena is prayed at the church after the noon mass and at the Eucharistic Adoration at evening during Fridays of the week. During the Christmas octave, the novena masses for the Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno is celebrated. Novena prayer is said before the start of each mass, it starts at the 31st of December and ends during the 8th of January before the Traslacion (Celebration of its transfer from Intramuros to Quiapo, usually celebrated by procession of the Image from Quirino Grand Stand to the Church during January 9). Many undocumented miracles had been stated, from financial problems, relationships, health, spiritual healing and others were experienced by devotees who prayed the novena. novena devotions such as Novenas to the Sacred Heart, Our Mother of Perpetual Help, Divine Mercy Chaplet and Novena to its Parish Patron St. John the Baptist is also being prayed in a scheduled manner in Quiapo.
