If there's one song that can easily bring me to tears, it's Manuel Bernabé’s "Al Sagrado Corazón de Jesús" (To the Sacred Heart of Jesus), also known as "No Más Amor Que El Tuyo" (No Greater Love Than Yours). The lyrics are the most moving I've ever encountered in a song, blending patriotism with spirituality.
"No Más Amor Que El Tuyo" served as the theme song for the 33rd International Eucharistic Congress, held at Rizal Park from February 3 to 7, 1937. This event was the first of its kind in Asia and in our country. The song quickly became a staple in churches throughout the archipelago, sung during town fiestas, processions, and various religious activities, including those at San Beda College.
The phrase "Mulâ Aparrí hangáng Joló" comes from "Tú reinarás sin mengua de Aparrí hasta Joló," meaning "You will reign without cease."
The song features an eight-line chorus and two twelve-line stanzas, expertly crafted in heptasyllables and employing synalepha to seamlessly fit its emotive lines within this metric scheme. The lyrics eloquently express our nation's deep faith and love for Christ, offering up our collective heart to Him. One notable line in the chorus, "te invoque nuestra lengua," highlights how Filipinos invoke God in their language, a clear reference to Spanish. Interestingly, Bernabé used the subjunctive form of invocar instead of the infinitive, perhaps as a subtle hint of forewarning.
If it were up to me, "No Más Amor Que El Tuyo" would be our national anthem. Without disrespect to the current anthem (a modified version of the Spanish original), "No Más Amor Que El Tuyo" is equally patriotic, yet its patriotism is enriched by ardent love rather than mere courage and valor, uniting love for Christ, country, and fellow citizens.
June, the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, is the perfect time to celebrate "Al Sagrado Corazón de Jesús / No Más Amor Que El Tuyo." ¡Reinará en Filipinas! ¡Viva Cristo Rey!