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Almost 1,000 Black Nazarene devotees were injured during the procession in Manila Monday,(1/09/12), as millions of devotees gathered to celebrate the feast despite a terrorism threat.

Latest reports said emergency volunteers treated at least 921 people after devotees pushed and shoved to get near the sculpture of the Black Nazarene during the traditional procession.

1000's of people gathered in Feast of the Black Nazarene

The Philippine Red Cross has treated 421 injured devotees, while the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and other rescue and first aid units have treated around 500 people.

big crowd in the Black Nazarene procession

News footage of the procession showed a steel railing being toppled right after the Mass celebrated by newly installed Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Tagle at the Quirino grandstand. An elderly woman

Popular Christmas stories portray the star as a good sign from heaven. Was it really?

The peculiar nature of the star caught the eye of “wise men” from the East, eventually leading them to young Jesus, relates the Bible writer Matthew. (Matthew 2:1-12, King James Version) Popular Christmas stories portray the star as a good sign from heaven. One reference work refers to the star as part of a “divine pre-arrangement whereby . . . the child Jesus was honored and acknowledged by the Father as his beloved Son.” Even Christmas carols honor that star. What was this star?

Some have suggested that it was a natural celestial phenomenon. A number of scholars have proposed that it was a conjunction of planets. However, as The New Bible Dictionary points out, “such a phenomenon could not naturally be referred to as ‘a star.’” Multiple planets passing close to each other would still appear

“OBSERVE intently the birds of heaven, because they do not sow seed or reap or gather into storehouses; still your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth more than they are?” (Matthew 6:26) Jesus Christ said these words in a famous sermon given on a mountainside near the Sea of Galilee. His audience was not limited to his followers. A great crowd of potential disciples from all parts of the land were present. Many of them were poor people who had brought the sick for Jesus to cure.—Matthew 4:23–5:2; Luke 6:17-20.

Having cured all the ailing ones, Jesus gave attention to the more important spiritual needs. Among the lessons he taught was the one mentioned above.

The birds of heaven have been in existence for a long time. Some of them feed on insects, others on fruit and seeds. If God has made available such abundant provisions for

“YOU always have the poor with you,” said Jesus Christ in the first century C.E. (Matthew 26:11) From Jesus’ time down to the present, there has always been a large number of impoverished people. However, why does poverty afflict so many in a world of such great wealth?

Some believe that people become poor because they make bad decisions. That may be true in some cases. Those who choose to indulge cravings for alcohol, drugs, and gambling may easily lose their material assets. However, not all poor people are poor as a consequence of their own bad judgment.

Many have lost jobs because of changes in industry. Many working people have seen their life savings consumed by skyrocketing medical costs. And of the hundreds of millions of impoverished people in the developing world, most are poor through no fault of their own. The causes of poverty are often beyond the control of

“MONEY is indeed the most important thing in the world.” So claimed British playwright George Bernard Shaw. Do you agree with him? Perhaps you feel more like 17-year-old Tanya, who says: “I don’t want to be rich, just comfortably secure.” Young Avian likewise sees money, not as the most important thing in the world, but as a useful means to an end. He says: “Money is necessary for my needs, such as clothes and transportation.”

Did you know that the Bible makes a similar point? At Ecclesiastes 7:12, it says that “money is for a protection.” Poverty has been described as “a great enemy to human happiness.” And having adequate money can protect you at least to some extent—from the problems that poverty often brings. Money can also cushion you from unexpected disasters. “The Bible says that ‘time and unforeseen occurrence befall us all,’” says young Phyllis. “We never know when

“FEASTING makes you happy and wine cheers you up, but you can’t have either without money.”—Ecclesiastes 10:19, Good News Bible.

Money is a major concern in every land. One reason is inflation. Every day it costs more to live. Many persons cannot even afford to buy the food they need. A growing number of men have to work at two jobs, and more wives go off to work. Families suffer. Health suffers. The money problems are usually compounded when credit buying comes into the picture. Relying on credit, many persons who are deeply in debt keep on spending for items they really do not need. This is true not only in advanced lands but also in areas where people have few resources.

What practical help does the Bible offer? Can it aid you to find or hold a job? Can it ease your family’s worry about money, leading to a happier life?

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