Hello 2021!

          Thank God! It is the first day of the year 2021. Last year has really been a tough and trying time for all of us!

We thank God for we reached this safe and healthy, despite of the pandemic. Covid-19 has affected, disrupted and even suddenly claimed the lives of many. We have lived in fear. These times has taught, and shown us that everything is temporary. In the years that have gone by, we have immersed ourselves in merry-making, we gave importance to affluence, and socializing especially during the Christmas season. We remember Santa Claus, and have put our Lord Jesus away from the limelight. In reality, our Lord Jesus is the reason for the season!

Today, we are celebrating the Solemnity of the Motherhood of Mary. What can we learn from Mary? Her humility, obedience, and submission to the will of God is what we should imbibe and imitate. As Catholics, we really look up to Mary as our Spiritual Mother. Others will point fingers on us, saying we are worshipping her. We are only honoring her, and giving due to her as the Mother of Our Lord Jesus. Through our devotion to her, we have grown closer to our Lord Jesus and to our Almighty Father. 

These times, also has taught us to be more prayerful and to always trust in God. We may never know what is ahead of us, but we must not be afraid of tomorrows, for our Lord told us not to worry about it! Our Lord God holds tomorrow, and so we should put our trust in Him. Like Mary, who has faith in our Lord God.

Road to Forever: Pre-Cana

        Praise God! Last week we successfully finished our Pre-Cana seminar, but before that we had our Canonical interview. Our interviewer was Fr. Kali Llamado of Manila Cathedral. We learned a lot from our speakers, Bro. Egay and Sis. Vivian Cabuello, and Bro. Rene and Sis. Lily Perez, from the Commission on Life and Family.

We talked about lots of topics. Love languages of couples, financial matters, family planning, plans after the wedding, etc. Due to pandemic we had to do video conferencing. There were seven couples, including us who attended. We also practiced the marriage ceremony, we had a role-play. We also learned about the things that is used in weddings like the cord, veil and arrhae. It is good to have a talk like this before the wedding because, this is really helpful to every couple. 

I also love it that the speakers encouraged us to compose and make our own couple prayer. My fiance and I are saying our prayers every night. He edited the couple prayer that I composed before. I think it's good that couples are spiritually inclined, and it's a must that they put God in the center of their relationship. I'm counting the days to our wedding. May God watch over us always! To God be the glory!

My Boaz, My Other Half.

     “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Genesis 2:24

 “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?" Ecclesiastes 4:9

"For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her." Ephesians 5:25

   Yes! I have found Mi Media Naranja, that is a sweet Spanish term for my husband, my wife. In English, it means my other half. I have been long contemplating when is the right time to write about the most important person in my life, and I've decided now is the right time! Since, I'm off from work now due to MECQ, more strict quarantine measures are implemented now. I'm pretty sure that now is a good time to write about this. Most of the closest people I know, knew that it has been a decade since my last relationship. In between those years, I met a few guys but its either I like them, and obviously they are not interested in me, like the way I am interested in them. They just see me as a friend, or just a girl who likes them and nothing more. I even confessed my feelings before, and I've been friendzoned a lot of times. When I got brokenhearted from my first relationship, I even had bitterness towards God. That's why I met a lot of Protestant people, and pastors. Most of them are good people, and even if their beliefs aren't the same as ours. I thought I would find the right man for me in that place, but the answer is still "no!".

Then in 2018, I decided to withdraw from the Protestant church that I attend to, and return to the Roman Catholic church. I spoke to a priest (Fr. Matt, a foreigner priest probably from India), and made a confession, I told him of my long absence in the Roman Catholic church, and my desire to return again. I was forgiven, and welcomed again. Like I said, I felt like I was the prodigal daughter.

Those who are close to me know how long I have been praying for the right man to come to my life.  There was even a time when I asked myself if I will find the right guy for me, and there were so many nights that I've cried myself to sleep out of frustration. I really didn't expect that the love of my life now, would be the one for me. Yes, when we first met, we somehow started on the wrong foot. Firstly, I wasn't that attracted to him physically, and I hate it when people would make a joke, and pair me everytime with a single guy in our office. I was different back then. I was even sort of rude to him. As they say, I was like a regular cranky office employee. But I was changed by love. I was changed by him. I thought that it only happens in movies. I woke up one day, and I just realized that I like him!

I thank God for my love. For sending him, and giving him to me. Even before the time when he and I, are not in a serious relationship, before we became a couple, I promised our Lord, that I will love, and care for him deeply. He is the gift that I have been waiting, and praying for my whole life! I am now engaged, and we will get married hopefully this year.

My love, Mahal, if you are reading this I promise (I know some people make their promises but break it soon after, that's why I will write this entry as a reminder, lest I forget) to be faithful, to you and love you as long as I exist here on earth. Thank you for coming into my life, for giving me the chance to love you, for accepting me, for wanting me to be a part of your life. I promise, to be a loving and dutiful wife to you, as well as to be always your best friend, and confidant, to whom you can always tell and disclose all your cares, and concerns, and I promise to be here for you no matter what. We will be a good team, and I know we will be good partners who support each other, together for life, through ups and downs, in joy and in sorrow, through sickness and health, that's for sure! Like how faithful is Ruth to Boaz, I will be the same with you. Let me quote a Bible verse from the book of Ruth. "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and you lodge, I will lodge." Ruth 1:15

     Yes, it took a long time for me to find the one, but I know it has been worth the wait. It is not really about finding the right one, but it is learning to love the one you've found. Like what our parish priest said in one of his homilies, Love is a decision! Yes, I agree that love is not just a feeling, but a decision, and a commitment. Never give up on love, pray always, and keep the faith!

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." 1 Corinthians 13:4