Last week, I had a
great surprise in my life. I witnessed a marriage vows that went viral in
Social Media. As to this writing, it had more than 375 thousand views and
counting. It was never intended though. I was just at the right place, at the
right time. It began with Daylinda Cuyos, a catechist from Sitio Arca, Punta
Princesa, who asked me to anoint a sick neighbor. As I interviewed the couple
Arce and Salome, I realized they were co-habitating for fourteen years because
of lack of documents. Arce, who hails from Misamis Oriental, confirmed that his
parish records got burned. But they welcomed with delight receiving the
sacrament of matrimony.
After securing
their Cenomar, I gave Arce conditional baptism and confirmation; Salome made
her confession. Their marriage was set on June 19 in their small shanty because
of Arce’s precarious health. When I got to their home for the marriage, I was
surprised to see the ABS CBN News Team headed by Jude Torres already inside
their home. I was later told that the neighbors called the station to cover the
event. To mark the couples’ milestone, the neighbors even prepared a little
reception.
I was touched by
Arce and Salome’s sincerity. In their hearts, they believed in each other and
in the sacrament of marriage that would give stability and indissolubility to
their relationship. As they held hands and declared “till death do us part,” I
was inspired by the depth of their commitment. As they exchanged rings, they
publicly proclaimed that it would be the lifetime sign of their love and
loyalty. Indeed, their unconditional commitment and generous service to each
other and their children also becomes the living sign of their being followers
of Christ.
Today’s gospel
challenges us to persevere in following Jesus. As Christians, our basic
commitment is our baptismal vows. Through it, we made a promise to reject sin
and to love God by making Him the center of our existence. To follow Jesus
means to honor our promises and be faithful to it in our daily journey of life.
Prayer: Lord, give me the grace to be true to my baptismal commitment and follow you joyfully.
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