Honoring our Promises
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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