A BRIEF HISTORY OF SANTACRUZAN / FLORES DE MAYO

Filipinos celebrate Flores de Mayo during the merry month of May.  Flores de Mayo is celebrated in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The celebration is believed to have started in the mid 1800's when the Vatican proclaimed doctrines regarding the Immaculate Conception. Flowers are offered to the Blessed Virgin. Flores de Mayo are also called as Flores de Maria. The Spaniards brought this tradition to the Philippines.

The Santacruzan is the highlight of Flores de Mayo. It is a religious festivity which is held in barrios and cities throughout the Philippines. It is celebrated in honor of  the finding of the relics of the True Cross by Queen Helena or St. Helena, the mother of  Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor. 

Around 300 years after the death of Jesus Christ, Queen Helena was in search for the True Cross of  Jesus. At age of 75, at the Calvary, she found 3 crosses. She asked her servants who were sick to touch each cross. After touching one of the crosses, the servants were miraculously healed. This cross was believed to be the cross of Jesus Christ. 

Santacruzan or Sara ng Krus as other calls it, starts with a novena to the Blessed Virgin Mary wherein each day,  the holy rosary prayer was offered, prior to a procession which is done every night until the ninth day, which is the highlight of the festivity.         
    
On the morning of the 9th day, which is the Santacruzan, a mass was held followed by a native Filipino games such as the Palo Sebo (greased bamboo climbing), hampas palayok (similar to piñata but instead a clay pot is used to hold the candies), marathon and the agawang buko(coconut snatching).

On the evening, selected beautiful maidens ( known as Sagalas) dressed in gowns join the religious pageant. This procession is   arranged in order, usually according to the Sagala's age, height and beauty. Sagalas usually carries a bunch of flowers while the Emperatriz carries a small wooden cross. Equally handsome Consortes (Escorts) accompanies the Sagalas during the procession. 
They were under a wooden or bamboo arc decorated with flowers. The Reyna Elena (Queen Helena) are accompanied with a young boy called the Constantino(Constantine).

The carriage of the cross were usually decorated by different flowers by townsfolk. The Cantores (singers) sings the Dios te Salve continuously. 
Usually the Santacruzan does not end with the procession. Most of the time, a street party were held to celebrate the successful and peaceful novena.

SONGS  DURING FLORES DE MAYO/SANTACRUZAN

Dios Te Salve (Hail Mary)  
Dios te salve Maria
Llena eres de gracia
El senor es contigo
Bendita tu eres
Entre todas las mujeres
Y bendito es el fruto
Y bendito es el fruto
De tu vientre Jesus.
Santa Maria Madre de Dios
Ruega por nosotros
Pecadores ahora
Y en la hora
De nuestra muerte amen. Jesus.


VIRGEN DIVINO
Virgen divino sagrario,Virgen divino sagrario,( sagrario)
vuestros gozos cantaremos
y enellos meditaremos
los misterios del rosario (los misterios del rosario)

WHAT IS A STIGMATA?

Any sores, bodily marks, sensations of pain in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus such as the hands, feet, In some cases, rope marks on the wrists have accompanied the wounds on the hands are called Stigmata( wikipedia.org). The stigmata is the spontaneous appearance or manifestations of bloody wounds on a person's body that is similar to that of  Jesus Christ. It is  the wounds made by the nail on hands and feet, the wounds made by the crown of thorns on the head, the scourge marks on the body, the wound made by the lance on the side of the body and the wounds at the wrist made by the cords. Wounds of Stigmatics varies. There are stigmatas that are not just wounds that is circular in shape because of the nails but there are also wounds that have an unusual shape such as a cross. There are cases of a Stigmatist or stigmatic person wherein there are no visible marks but feels the pain and sufferings, these occurrences are  considered as invisible stigmata.  A stigmata may be temporary, within a period of time or even permanent but usually the wounds that appear heals a few hours after its appearance and then re-appear. Stigmatics are often Catholics and are mostly women.
We know that blood have an rusty iron like or stale smell but the blood that ooze from the wounds of a stigmatist have an odor described as an heavenly smell or known as ODOUR OF SANCTITY. The most popular stigmatist of the 20th century was Padre Pio.

Other Known stigmatics were:


GIOVANNI FRANCESCO DI BERNARDONE or known as ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI - Receive his stigmata in 1224. He was the first person who manifests the wounds of the passion of Christ.
St. Catherine di Ricci                                                        
Zlatko Sudac
St. John of God
Marie Rose Ferron
Blessed Lucia Brocadelli of Narni
Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich
Saint Gemma Galgani
Saint Marie of the Incarnation
Saint Pio of Pietrelcina
Saint Rita of Cascia
Marthe Robin
St. Gertrude
St. Lidwine
St. Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi
St. Mary Frances of the Five Wounds
Bl. Angela of Foligno
Anna Maria Taïgi

There were people who said they manifest the wounds of Jesus but thorough investigations made by the Church revealed that their wounds were self inflicted and some of them were diagnosed to have been suffering from a a certain psychological disorder called Munchausen syndrome. People with Munchausen syndrome have an intense desire for attention.  A self inflicted stigmata heals naturally but a true stigmatic's wound would heal after a few hours after it has appeared. Based on the stories of those who bore stigmata, the wounds and the pains usually were present during Thursdays and Fridays. Stigmata sometimes were accompanied by other unexplainable phenomenon such as prophecy. Others can live with just a little amount of food or water such as in the case of St. Catherine of Siena and Angela of Foligno.
 
There are skeptics who  doesn't believe about the mysticism of Stigmata. Some think that there are scientific explanations on this cases such as Psychogenic Purpura. Others said that this things were work of the Evil forces but I believe these things happened miraculously and those who bore stigmata were chosen  by the Creator to be his servant, to be a living proof that God really exist.

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My blog spice up your life will be turning a year old. In Spice up your life, I wrote articles that I think would be of interest to my readers that's why it say let's talk anything and everything under the sun. Today, I am launching this new blog ( A journey beyond imagination) which is about scary articles and stories. I know many people love to read stories and articles that would send chills down their spine. To other blog authors, exchange links to your scary sites are welcome. Readers are also welcome to send their mysterious or spooky stories or any suggestions on topics that you would like to read on my blog.






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