Why many Catholics are devoted to Sto. Niño?

Special celebrations give honor and show gratefulness. It signals something or someone so important. The story of the Sto. Niño and its celebration today, reminds us that for Filipino Catholicism, devotions take a significant role. The Sto. Niño de Cebu and Sto. Niño de Praga are two popular feasts here in the Philippines. Both point to the same child Jesus.

From the viewpoint of an ordinary youth, the following are few of the reasons why Catholics are devoted to the child Jesus:

1. Healing and miracles. The image of the Sto. Niño is believed to be miraculous. Many accounts of healing and answered prayers are attributed by asking help to the Child Jesus in their prayers. Many petitions are answered through His help.
2. Model of child-like humility. Devotion to the Sto. Niño means that one is committed to holiness like that of the Child Jesus. A child is one who shows love. A child is ignorant to sin.
3. Answered prayers. He answers prayers especially on financial matters. Devotees believe that Sto. Niño blesses those who are hardworking and diligent. Many even put coins at their altar as they seek help in their problems in business, transactions, and money matters, among others.
4. Protection. He Protects agriculture. Many devotees believe that the Holy child Jesus or Sto. Niño was roving around the farm to protect the plants and animals from pests and spare their livelihood from losses.
5. Health. He is a guardian of health. It is believed that the Sto. Niño protects the health of many from any sickness, illnesses and diseases, as long you devote yourself and with committed heart to believe that Holy Child Jesus covers and heals us from any risks in our health.
6. Deliverance. He delivers from Evil. Filipino Catholics believe that having faith in the Sto. Niño is having assurance of being protected from any works of evil. And also having a big faith in the Sto. Nino can make one stronger to resist temptation that one encounters.
7. A way to God. The Sto. Niño is the way to God the Father. A lot of devoted Catholics believe that if we pray our petitions to Sto. Niño, he will send it to His Heavenly Father who created us all because the Sto. Niño is the Child Jesus, the only Son of God.
8. The source of everything. Day by day people have a lot of needs and wants in this life. Sometimes they tend to feel lacking because of the limitations that bound us, but because the Sto. Niño is present everywhere we can easily ask his power to provide all our petitions in the aspects of financial, health, mental, physical and of course spiritual.
9. He forgives. Man commits sin, but as Catholics we feel guilty because we are convinced of God’s immense love. So we ask forgiveness. We know that the Sto. Niño has the heart to forgive the sins in the world.

(Kirby John Bandalan and Jhon Patrick Casipong | Assumption College of Davao Senior High School Immersionists)