Merciful and gracious is the Lord,slow to anger, abounding in kindness – Psalms 103:8
Biology defines the heart as a chunk of flesh which pumps blood to the whole body; but is this the only definition of the human heart? Actually it’s not merely an organ but a big bag which overflows with goodness. It may be as big as the person’s fist but its true size is measured by the kindness it possesses and shares. The true size of the heart is not seen but felt.
A young boy possesses a huge heart of this kind. He’s from a craft shop in Belgium and survived several tragedies including a great fire that turned his skin into black. He’s a little boy who stands a couple of inches tall. He is Sr. Santo Niño. He’s a small kid who helps his people conquer their fear, inspires them to unite and provides them an undying hope for a better tomorrow. Although he’s literally small, the size of his heart is immeasurable. Truly, the Santo Niño is a little kid, who despite his small stature has helped his people in numerous ways.
Apprehensions are normal for us humans. One display of Sr. Santo Niño’s great heart is his ability to rid us of doubts. His believers possess great faith that everything will be in order in his name. They turn for him for the assurance of their travels, safety from calamities and healing of maladies. These heartfelt prayers are granted in exchange for the faith they offer. This is evident as his old believers remain devoted and their number has multiplied over the years. His believers feel secure in their daily lives because of his presence. Their great faith in him gives them the strength to face all their fears.In our struggles today unity is the key for our success. Another display of Santo Niño’s grate heart is its compelling gift that drives us to unite. Every year a festival is offered in his name, the Sinulog. This festival not only shows choreographic grace but a great deal of coordination as well. A successful performance requires coordination. This is true to our lives too. If we attain coordination which is unity, we can achieve grace which is progress. The Sinulog festival does not only provide entertainment but an inspiration as well. When unity is apparent, his mercy will surely be granted and success will be achieved in any field. Through the Sinulog festival, Santo Niño inspires his people to unite.
Today people are bombarded by various problems. The best showing of Santo Niño’s immensely great heart is the hope he provides his people in times of these problems. With the emergence of various economic and political problems, it’s a puzzle how people survive. Some may find other reasons but it’s in him where his believers find shelter and hope. Their faith keeps them going on even with all the problems they face. They make sacrifices because they know that mercy will be granted for doing so. It is what gives them hope, the hope to go on. With Santo Niño’s presence, his people find the hope to keep living their lives even with all its miseries.
Sr. Santo Niño de Cebu plays a big role in Cebuano culture. He deserves this importance not only for what he has done but because of the fact that he is the child version of the savior Jesus Christ; this importance, however, is not visible in his small physique. If a stranger, who doesn’t know anything abut him, happens to see the small child, he would probably ignore the little boy. But if he’s told of his story, the stranger would be amazed by everything he has done. With this, one can really say that Sr. Santo Niño truly has a big heart. After all, the true size of the heart is not measured by what is seen but felt. 
This speculative essay is written by one of my male student writers Manfred D. It pays homage to Sr. Sto Niño whose fiesta we celebrate every January. The accompanying pictures are Dalaguete's Utanon (Vegetable) Festival, a take-off of the Sinulog Festival.
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