CEBU CITY (Updated) -- Blood reportedly flowed from the eyes of an icon of the our Lady of Fatima which drew attention from residents in Sitio Kanhai, Barangay Tisa, Cebu City Tuesday morning.
“Milagro gyud ni (This is a miracle),” said Efren Cabrera, 61.
But neighbors who flocked to see the foot-long porcelain statue owned by the family of Victor Jude Rayla, 42, mocked Cabrera and other believers.
A man drinking beer with friends shouted: “Pagbag-o namo (Mend your ways)!” His words apparently fell on deaf ears for other people proceeded to take pictures of the Virgin Mary and wipe the statue with their handkerchiefs.
Photo of the weeping statue of the Virgin Mary in Barangay Tisa, Cebu City (Sunnex photo)
Msgr. Esteban Binghay, in a phone interview, said the Church will investigate the incident before issuing any statement.
“Ang unang lakang mao ang pagsusi kon milagro ba gyud o katingalahan lang ang nahitabo (The first step is to look into the incident if it is really a miracle or just a mysterious occurrence),” he said. “Careful ang simbahan (the Church is careful in its action).”
Believe
Barangay Tisa Chief Teresita Cabulao and Msgr. Antonio Medida of San Lorenzo Parish visited Rayla’s house.
“Walay mawala kon motuo ta (We don’t lose anything if we believe),” said Cabulao, as quoted by Victor Jude’s father, Ruperto.
The Rayla family planned to enclose the image in glass to protect it and hold a vigil.
For Ruperto, 64, he said the Virgin Mary is sending a message for the people to their ways.
Last Monday night, Joy, Victor Jude’s wife, was told by her youngest son, Jaythro, that the icon they brought three years ago was crying blood since Good Friday.
Her 14-year-old son was changing clothes when he saw the blood on the statue’s face last March 29. He wiped it with his underwear.
“Puwa kaayo to (The blood was red),” he said.
But the boy said he did not feel anxious about what he saw and he just forgot about it.
Joyful mystery
Days later, he saw blood again streaming down the icon’s eyes. He decided to tell his mother about it last Monday night.
Joy, 49, said she did not believe her son right away. She said she was praying the first joyful mystery of the rosary when she noticed the tears.
“Pagkahuman og rosary, akong gisuling-suling (After my rosary, I examined it),” she said.
When she was convinced the tears were blood, she informed her mother, Esther, and her husband, who was gambling that time. Ruperto, a tailor and lay minister, was also awakened from his sleep.
For Victor Jude, he said he was shocked to see the blood. He even rubbed it and held the icon.
“Naglibog ko sa akong hunahuna ato (I was confused that time),” he said.
Last year, he was awakened from his sleep when he noticed a small icon of Mary fell on his side. He said the image was not damaged.
“Basig pabalikon nako niya (Maybe she wants me to go back serving the Church),” he said.
Ruperto said he prayed for his eldest son’s conversion and he is glad that his eldest son decided to be a catechist again.
Victor Jude had organized a Marian devotion group in his neighborhood during his teens, after he dreamed of Mary stretching her arms towards him.
Due to personal problems, he lost faith in God and he indulged in vices.
Ruperto said he will continue to believe until his dying days that Mary cried because she was yearning for his son and other immoral persons to change.
“Ang pagtuo di malalis basta gikan sa kasingkasing (Faith will stand if it comes from the heart),” he said.(Sun.Star Cebu)
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