NAKED ALL THE WAY

MT 18: 1-5, 10

MESSAGE

For Filipinos, Christmas does not truly end when the liturgical calendar says it should. Our fascination with the Baby Jesus lingers, and we seem unable to close the season without celebrating the Child Jesus once more, this time through the beloved image of the Santo Niño.

In the popular imagination, the Child Jesus is often robed in regal splendor, dressed as a king or emperor, bearing a crown, scepter, and orb. This is evident in the world-famous image in Cebu and in the nationally revered images in Pandacan, Tondo, and Ternate. These images present the Santo Niño as sovereign, majestic, and triumphant. Yet in Cebu, after the grand festivities, there is a striking ritual known as “Hubo” (Stripping Naked). In this ritual, the Child Jesus is divested of his majestic garments and ornaments and shown to the people in the simplicity of his nakedness, his barrenness, his ordinariness. He is then ritually washed, cleansed, and once more vested before being placed upon his altar.

This ritual is deeply meaningful. It reminds us of the continuity of Jesus’ earthly life, a life that began in a manger, where his naked body was exposed to the cold night air and the rough walls of a cave. His naked body was again immersed in the cold waters of the Jordan when he humbly stepped forward to be baptized. Finally, his naked, wounded, and helpless body was raised upon the cross, bearing the cruelty and violence of those who rejected him.

At the heart of the Santo Niño is a God who chose to come to us naked and vulnerable, weak among the weak, suffering and exposed. He embraced our fragility in order to heal our brokenness, forgive our sins, and restore us to the dignity of being sons and daughters of the Father.

REFLECT

Do not be dazzled merely by the splendor of the images of the Child Jesus that we venerate today. Neither should we dismiss him because of his meekness and innocence. Instead, contemplate the true message of his life, a life given, broken, shared, and offered for our salvation. May the honor we give to the Christ Child remind us of the great lengths God was willing to go to reveal his love. Today, pause and thank him for this love.

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