I love
Holy Week. It’s quite possibly my favorite week of the whole year.
The art depicting the death of Jesus Christ attracts people inside the gallery archive at the Getty Center.
Since we are observing the most sacred week of the year, I’m sharing to all Bared readers, I am Thine, O Lord, one
of my favorite hymns, written by blind poet and hymnist Fanny Crosby.
You can read alongside the passion accounts in the Gospels. (On this
page and next are pictures taken in USA and in Philippines " to feel"
the spirit of the Holy Week.)
I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the power of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.
O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend with friend!
There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.
The
Getty Center in Los Angeles, California houses the largest archive of
Christian arts in the world. People visit the center to appreciate the
arts and its meaning.
According to cyberhymnal.org, Fanny Crosby was visiting Mr. W. H. Doane, in his home in Cincinnati,
Ohio. They were talking together about the nearness of God, as the
sun was setting and evening shadows were gathering around them. The
subject so impressed the well-known hymn-writer, that before
retiring she had written the words to this hymn, which has become one
of the most useful she has ever written. The music by Mr. Doane so
well fitted the words that the hymn has become a special favorite
wherever the Gospel Hymns are known.
***
Thanks for your letters, all
will be answered. Comments welcome atleoudtohan@yahoo.com, follow leoudtohan at Twitter /Facebook.
Last Wednesday, yours truly
with fellow Boholanos (l-r) JunJun Karaan, Cindy Gonzaga and Liezel
Gonzaga-Bingas
visited the famous Divine Mercy Shrine in El Salvador, Misamis
Oriental. The Divine Mercy stands 50 feet tall on top of hill
surrounded by flower garden with a total land area of 11.8 hectares.
"It's a solemn place to pray and meditate," said JunJun. This is a
project of archdiocese of Cagayan De Oro City (CDO) which cost around 65
million pesos. Half of its amount is donated by Adaza family and half
is from befecators in Poland and archdiocese of CDO. Courtesy: Rammel Sumatra
When she appeared on TV years ago, she was an instant object of ridicule. Everyone who saw her laughed at her as, they made fun of her “fashion”—colorful gown with Biblical messages, necklaces and other stuff—even if she is not really that bad looking though—but people treated as if she is a nutcase.
And so Princess Analiza of Tubigon town, her so-called kingdom has become a byword to many of having different personas: a woman with esoteric wisdom and a person having a supernatural power.
Her kingdom is actually at the top of the Ilijan Hill in Ilijan Norte, five kilometers from the Poblacion, a protected municipal park for flora and fauna.
Her journey
We met the princess in August 2002 when we asked her to feature her for national TV networks.
Her domain Ilijan Hill was chosen to become her niche for her to practice her hermit passion.
Halilie Laylah Demeras Analiza, whose real name Lucrecia “Nene” Duterte Aplacador had an epiphany in the late 70s and started to become what she is today. She led a group known as “Subano Group catholic Holy God Spirit (SGHGS)” which had followed her to the hill and has stayed on top since. She and her followers have grown accustomed to the life on top of the hill that her group has yet to return to the lowland for 20 years now.
Ilijan Hill in Tubigon, Bohol, Philippines
Princess Analiza before she became the leader of the esoteric group married Isaac Aplacador who is with her o n top of hill. They got married before the epiphany that came to a simple lass that changed her life forever.
The couple was blessed with three children: Arcadio, Jose Baniecito and Laoro, all born on top of the hill. However, Laoro died at an early age due to unknown illness. After the incident, Nene who was very frustrated sought God’s help, instantly a divine force helped her to overcome her sufferings in life.
Months later, she related the God Holy Spirit gave a “mission” to her and she became Princess Analiza.
Her mission: to pray while walking, inside the church, sea, cemetery and forest. She was also told to live in a small nipa hut and give birth to a baby girl.
She gave birth to the girl by herself without any aid or help of a midwife. The baby turned out to be Prinsesita Mier Ve Batong Orange Nonon Luningning or Batong Orange.
Different belief
It is not easy to enter her kingdom although they welcome other people visiting them. They said though the
Princess only entertains people with pure hearts. At least 17 families are members of the group, which includes people from all walks of life.
The group considers the hill as sacred that is why they are choosy on the kind of people they receive in their domain.
The lijan people speak their own language and only them could understand it. Our interpreter-member Mawin told us that the spirit taught them the language they are using.
The Princess would give out blessings good enough for two years and hand out spiritual names to her followers. A pattern though could be observed in the names of the members where the word WIN will be added to your name while the word MAR will be added if you are a female. So, if your name for example is Leo, you would be called Leowin subject to the approval of the Princess since she is the only one authorized by their group to give out spiritual names.
The group maintains they are no cult, contrary to the perception of other people unfamiliar to their ways. The Princess said that they are not doing magic rituals, spells or use symbols that are identified with the underworld or to Satanic cults. To prove that their group adhered to the Being up above, the group adopted the catholic Church’s teachings as they are also have statues of saints and use of Catholic songs and prayer books where hey also attended mass in their chapel. The Sunday mass is officiated by an elder since the Princess does not mingle with the group during this time as she is contended by giving out instructions.
The "Holy Family"
The history, mission and practices of the group has been edified so that their members and the next generation would be able to practice and keep their belief alive.
But what strange is the singing of the last part of the national anthem, they sing “ang MABUHAY nang dahil sa iyo,” instead of the original “ang mamatay nang dahil sa iyo.” They believe that their vision tends to bring in ponderous logic and believed to have mysterious healing powers. However, the Princess said, “it means to show unity.”
Princess Analiza believes every human being is completely responsible for his own actions. To her evil is a choice that is made by man and should expect punishment as a result, while blessings will come and go when you are good.
She also holds the ancient belief on reincarnation—the after-life.
Healing powers
Princess Analiza is said to have ability to bring fortune to those who believe in her, foretell calamities and heal the sick.
There were stories from the members that the Princess healed them. The late barangay captain of Ilijan Norte Rogelio Lamalinao testified that the people in the hill once cured a man who had a severe gangrenous wound. Since the man has no resources to pay for an operation, he opted to seek healing from Princess Analiza’s group. During the healing, Princess Analiza raised both her hands as if asking for a divine intercession, when witnesses attested they saw as if an expert’s hand massaging the patient.
In other instance, the village head said while he was still a policeman, he had to climb the steep hill to see for himself and examine a dead baby who was not buried because their leader told them that the dead baby will not undergo decomposition. True enough, he found the boy’s body placed inside an urn in squatting position with clear eyes opened, without any sign of decomposition, even after over a year.
There was no way they could embalm him or introduce preservatives to the body, considering the place is bereft of science and technology.
No regrets
The Princess expresses no regrets of living a life on top of the hill. Despite the supernatural power she possesses which keep people to wonder with awe and respect, she still has the heart of a mother and she is a Princess in her own rights. (March 27, 2005)
Trivia:
The Solid Rock, the Ilijan Hill in old times was known as wizard's place. It is the Kingdom of King Antipone and Queen Fairystil. Long time ago, people borrowed things and wedding gowns from this place.
In Year 1952, people from neighboring towns were panic for they saw a wondrous Virgin at Ilijan Hill and when they came nearer nothing could be seen. They could only feel and smell the fragrance. The people from Dauis, Bohol also arrived in Ilijan Hill following a wondrous Virgin on top of the rainbow going to Ilijan Hill.
Update: Princess Analiza and Batong Orange are still at Ilijan Hill. The members are growing in numbers and in faith.
