Mary, Mother of God of Bayanan - The Serene Mother of Bayanan, Muntinlupa City
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| Maria, Ina ng Diyos of Bayanan, Muntinlupa City |
In this special devotion to Mary in her greatest role as the Mother of God, she became the source of peace and tranquility of the people of Bayanan, Muntinlupa City.
The Image
The unique image of Mary, Mother of God (or Maria, Ina ng Diyos to the locals) of Bayanan is that of an image of Our Lady, very serene, sitting on a rock nursing the Child Jesus in a Filipina native attire which is one of the most unique in the country. There were two versions of this image that are venerated by the faithful of Bayanan, the original painting and it's statue version that is used for Processions.
Mary as the Mother of God
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| The statue version of Maria, Ina ng Diyos of Bayanan, Muntinlupa City |
The Church, ever associating the Blessed Virgin very closely with the work of redemption, has always the divine maternity of Mary in high esteem. During the 4th century, Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey), contested her Greek title Theotokos, insisting that Mary was mother of the man-Jesus, not of God. In 431, the Council of Ephesus solemnly affirmed that Mary, being the Mother of Jesus, who was God, was also to be called as Mother of God and became the first of the Four Marian dogmas. After the Council, the people carried the bishops in triumph throughout the city and Pope Sixtus III, as a memorial of that event, built in Rome the spledid Basilica of Sancta Maria Maggiore.
In 1931, on the fifteenth centenary of this great Council, Pope Pius XI formally instituted this feast first on October 11 then it was later moved to January 1 after the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.
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| Mary, Mother of God Parish of Bayanan, Muntinlupa City |
The special devotion of the people of Bayanan to Mary, as Mother of God began in the early part of the 1970's. During those early years, the faithful of Bayanan are looking for a permanent place of worship due to the proximity of the barangay to San Roque Parish in Alabang, Muntinlupa City. It was in 1976 that the Samahang Katoliko ng Bayanan was forced to take in charge to development and formation of the faith of the area. In August 1, 1977, the Samahan made an appointment with the late Archbishop of Manila, Jaime Cardinal Sin to open up the plan to buy a lot for a proposed parish for the area. Cardinal Sin, upon learning the growing population of Bayanan, Muntinlupa City, he immediately agreed on the plan and the deed of land donation was executed on September 5, 1979 and the parish was formally founded on September 5, 1980.
The newly found parish was dedicated to Mary, Mother of God and the unique painting of the Virgin as the Theotokos was painted in 1983 by an artist named R. Tipagan and was enthroned on the same year of the establishment of the parish.
The devotion
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| Fiesta procession of Maria, Ina ng Diyos of Muntinlupa City |
The devotion to Mary, Mother of God developed since the early years of the parish and this was further enhanced through the help of Rev. Fr. Yulito Ignacio (then parish priest from 1989 to 1991). Saturday devotion to Mary, Mother of God is held regularly with a perpetual novena. Her feast day is celebrated every January 1 yet her annual procession took place on the eve of the feast day. Miracles soon were reported through the years from cures, financial stability, vocations, peace and unity of families and communities. Old folks would recall that there were times that during typhoon season, they would see a woman carrying her child roaming around the area and helping the people who were ravaged with the disaster. Then when the people would go the parish, they would see that the woman looks exactly like that of the painting.
Continually, Our Lady repeats her admiration and wonder at the mystery of the Incarnation which was effected in her and her joy for the message of salvation that she brought into the world by giving us her Son. The Church in thus causing us to venerate the Mother of our Savior, desires to arouse in our souls filial love for her who has become, in the life of grace, our own mother, by giving us the Author of life. "All of us who are united to Jesus Christ and are members of His Body were born of Mary, as a body is joined to its head. She is Mother of us all, spiritually but truly Mother of the members of Christ." (Pius XI, Encyclical Ad diem illum).
References:
Mary Mother of God Parish: 35th Year anniversary souvenir program, Mary, Mother of God Parish, Bayanan, Muntinlupa City, 2015.
Pirlo, Paolo, SHMI, A Year with the Saints, 3rd Edition, Quality Catholic Publications, Isabella de Rosis St., Multinational Village, Parañaque City, 2001.
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