Maedelin and Aljon's Wedding

 

Ang panahon ang siyang makapagsasabi kung ano ang itinakda ng Diyos sa tao.  Ayon sa Banal na Kasulatan na mababasa sa Aklat ng Mangangaral 3:11, “Iniangkop niya ang lahat ng bagay sa tamang kapanahunan. Ang tao’y binigyan niya ng pagnanasang alamin ang bukas ngunit hindi binigyan ng pagkaunawa sa ginawa ng Diyos mula sa simula hanggang sa wakas.”

‘Di nga ba’t Maedelin at Aljon, walang makapagsasabi na maging magkasintahan kayo sapagkat limang taon ang tanda mo Aljon kay Maedelin at ni hindi mo man lang nasilayan Maedelin ang anino ni Aljon sa Camaligan National High School, na pareho ninyong Alma Mater, dahil noong tumungtong ka sa nasabing paaralan ay nasa kolehiyo na si Aljon. Di nga ba’t walang makapagsasabi na nagte-text kayo sa bawat isa sapagkat wala ka namang cellphone noong mga panahong iyon Maedelin? Ni hindi nga alam ng pamilya niyo na naging kayo na bilang magkasintahan noong August 20, 2012. Sino nga ba ang makapagsasabing magkabalikan pa kayo pagkatapos ninyong magkahiwalay at nagkanya kanya kayong tumahak sa landas ng pag-ibig ng ibang tao? Sino nga ba ang makapagsasabing may magaganap na kasalang ito sa kadahilanang ayaw mong magpakasal Maedelin habang hindi ka pa nakakapasa sa Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET). Di nga ba’t kahit na nakapasa ka na Maedelin sa LET ay napunta ka pa sa Cavite at doon nabagabag ang iyong kalooban na naiwan mo sa Aklan si Aljon. Doon mo na lamang napagtanto na ang iniisip mo palagi ay ang sarili mong pangarap habang si Aljon naman ay patuloy na nangangarap para sa inyong dalawa.

Labing dalawang taon ng pagmamahalan na ang lumipas at ngayon nga ay dumating na ang takdang panahon para sa inyo upang magkaisang dibdib. Itong ginaganap na kasalan ay maituturing na kaloob ng Diyos gaya na lamang noong nag-isip ng malalim si San Jose tungkol sa kasal nila ni Santa Maria nang biglang nagpakita ang isang anghel sa kaniya sa isang panaginip at sinabing huwag mangambang tanggapin si Santa Maria bilang kanyang asawa (Mateo 1:20).

Subalit Maedelin at Aljon, kung ang kasal na ito ay kaloob sa inyo ng Diyos, pakatandaan niyo pa rin na kailangan ninyong pangalagaan ang inyong pagsasama. Sa buhay mag-asawa, hindi puro saya ang buhay, sapagkat paminsan-minsan mararanasan ninyong masaktan ng patago. Ililihim ninyo ang pagpatak ng luha at pipiliting ngumiti kahit na nasasaktan. Sa buhay ng isang may asawa, makapagsisinungaling kayo na kahit alam ninyong nakakapagod na ang mabuhay, sasabihin niyo pa ring kaya niyo pa. Sa buhay mag-asawa, kadalasang iniiwasan ang pagtatanong kung mahal niyo pa rin ang isat-isa at minsan din nakakawalang gana ang sagutin ang ganyang uri ng tanong. Kayat Maedelin at Aljon, matuto kayong magdasal bilang mag-asawa. Kung pareho na kayong nanghihinaan ng loob, Diyos ang Siyang gagabay sa inyo. Kung hindi kayo marunong magdasal bilang mag-asawa, malamang makakalimutan ninyo ang Diyos at makapag-isip kayo ng masama ukol sa inyong kasal.

Maedelin at Aljon, sasabihin kong muli na pangalagaan ninyo ang inyong pagsasama, sapagkat sinabi mismo ng ating Panginoong HesusKristo sa Marcos 10: 9 at sa Mateo 19: 6, “Ang pinagsama ng Diyos ay huwag paghiwalayin ng sinuman.” Ibig sabihin lamang nito ay wag na wag kayong mag-isip o magtangka man lamang umisip na maghiwalay kayo. Hindi dapat pumasok sa isipan ninyo na baka nagkamali kayo ng pagpasiya na magsama bilang mag-asawa. Datapuwat magdasal kayo bilang mag-asawa.

Maedelyn, ipagdasal mo na hindi magbago ang pagtingin sa iyo ni Aljon. Bihira sa isang lalake ang manahimik na lamang habang nagmamahal ng tapat. Hindi rin lahat ng lalake ay nakakaunawa sa kilos o galaw ng isang babae. Pero si Aljon, likas na sa kanya ang pagiging matiyaga at subok na rin ang lawak ng kanyang pang-uunawa.

Aljon, ipagdasal mo rin si Maedelyn na sana ay maligaya siya sa iyo bilang kanyang kabiyak. Ngunit hindi ibig sabihin nito Aljon na ang kaligayahan lamang ni Maedelyn ang nag-iisang kanais-nais sa inyong pagsasama. Kailangan ipagpaalam mo rin sa kanya ang iyong pangangailangan at wag mo nang antayin na manghula pa si Maedelyn kung ok ka lang ba.

Aljon at Maedelyn, ipagdasal ninyo na panatilihin ng Diyos sa puso ninyo ang pag-ibig ninyo sa isat-isa at pagpalain Niya ang inyong pagsasama. Ipagdasal ninyo na makakaya ninyong panindigan ang pangakong ginawa ninyo sa isat-isa at sa Diyos na magsasama kayo bilang mag-asawa hanggang sa dumating ang kamatayan.

Sana Aljon at Maedelyn, wag ninyong iasa ang lahat sa tadhana. Ayon nga sa isang kasabihan, “Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa.” Ang kasal na ito ay biyaya ng Diyos sa inyo. Gawin ninyo ang lahat upang kayo ay maging biyaya sa isat-isa bilang mag-asawa, at ang pagsasama ninyo ay maging kalugod-lugod sa Diyos. Amen.

Sr. Sto. Niño de Kalibo 2025

 

On January 23, 1974, the headline in a local newspaper, Aklan Reporter, was about Kalibo protesting against Ati-Atihan held outside Kalibo. The protest was precipitated by the performance of a group of “ati-atis” in Ermita, Manila along the tourist belt on January 20, the same day the Ati-Atihan was held in Kalibo, Aklan. The Father of Kalibo Ati-Atihan, the late Mayor Federico O. Icamina himself said that the word “Ati-Atihan” is embodied in the copyright the municipality has acquired for exclusive right over a pageant depicting the custom and its origin, which deprives any other place to use the term “Ati-Atihan” in any celebration outside of Kalibo.

Many Kalibonhons today are not aware of this protest in 1974 to preserve Kalibonhons’s intangible cultural heritage. What some Kalibonhons thought that happened in 1974 was that “Ati-Atihan” became famous when an Ati-Atihan parade was brought to Manila by the Department of Tourism. But in our local setting, it was considered a violation of cultural rights and a misrepresentation being done without the sponsorship or permission from the Municipality of Kalibo. Yet the Department of Tourism then was just following its mandate to promote tourism since it was newly created in 1973 by virtue of a Presidential Decree (No. 189) issued by the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.

Tourism, for all its intents and purposes, creates jobs and generates income for host community. As more tourists spend their money, financial benefits redound to the host community. Sponsors, financial support and subsidies have become necessary to create and maintain a tribe or group and even to improve the way the celebration is made. This is why some decades ago, the celebration of Ati-Atihan became highly commercialized as banners, streamers and advertising flags of some products like beer, whiskey and all others could be seen in almost all places of Kalibo. But tourism is not just about money. It is also about the preservation of cultural legacy.

Thanks to the timely pastoral intervention of the then Bishop of Kalibo, Bishop Gabriel Villaruz Reyes who recommended sometime in 2002 or 2003 to the local government of Kalibo to change the name of the annual fest to Kalibo Santo Niño Ati-atihan Festival and not just Kalibo Ati-Atihan. Thus, it is officially called Kalibo Santo Niño Ati-atihan Festival. This official name of the annual feast echoes the reason for the celebration of Ati-Atihan in Kalibo, and that is the Child Jesus known to us as Sr. Sto. Niño de Kalibo. This act of the then bishop of Kalibo is actually a blessing in disguise. When the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and the National Commission on the Culture and the Arts declared that there is no Barter of Panay that ever happened between the Bornean datus and the Aeta Natives, it becomes clear that the reason for the celebration is the feast of the Sr. Sto. Niño.

Consequently, outside the Church, there has been an increasing demand for historical and cultural artefacts why we have the Ati-Atihan if not for the Sr. Sto. Niño. In fact, this is not the only concern outside the Church. Instead of inspiring other provinces, towns and cities to celebrate their feast the way Kalibonhons celebrate, Kalibonhons now imitate what is seen from the celebration in Big Cities like changing our drumbeats into that of the battle of the band; our “sadsad” is at times switched with modern dance steps; our “snake dance” seems outdated while concert at the park is well favored. Instead of preserving Kalibo’s cultural heritage, Ati-Atihan is now packaged as a product for sale. Tourists are enticed to join the Ati-Atihan to drink and dance, celebrating down the streets from dusk till dawn. If this phenomenon is not handled properly by Kalibonhons, our cultural fabric shall be disrupted by these changes. Our communal celebration as Kalibonhons shall be gone one day as we reduce ourselves into mere spectators and bystanders of the celebration.

On the part of the Church, however, we remain the same in celebrating the Kalibo Santo Niño Ati-atihan Festival -we celebrate it with the celebration of the Mass. The Mass is the source and summit of our entire Christian lives. Such is the reason why we have our nine days’ masses before the vesper’s mass and the Pilgrims’ Mass. But why do Catholics care to attend Mass on Feast days? Well, the Latin word for feast is “festes” or “festos” which means joy. Thus, we celebrate a feast to experience the joy that comes from God. We celebrate the feast of the Sr. Sto. Niño to share to others the joy that comes from the Child Jesus. We celebrate the feast with a Mass as it is through this sacrament that we receive Jesus. We receive the Body of Christ in consonance with His call to remain in His love (John 15:9-12). He further said, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” In other words, our joy is not complete without Jesus; our feast is not complete without receiving Jesus in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Moreover, as a devotee of the Sr. Santo Niño de Kalibo, do not just be contented with your attendance at Mass during feast days. Rather, join the Diocesan Confraternity of Santo Niño de Kalibo headed by Mr. Bebot Lao, and attend the monthly Mass in honor of the Santo Niño de Kalibo. There is no need to wait for the Ati-Atihan to participate in the joy that God provides us. Instead, let Jesus be your joy. Remember, in 2021 and 2022, our “sadsad” and other major activities during the Ati-Atihan were cancelled in observance of minimum health protocols to prevent coronavirus from spreading, but we Kalibonhons still went to Mass during those days. We found our joy only in Jesus. And as we received the Body of Christ during communion, we felt complete in celebrating the feast of the Sr. Sto. Niño. My dear friends, anybody, Catholics or Non-Catholics may enjoy the celebration of Ati-Atihan. But only Catholics know that the real joy in celebrating the Ati-Atihan is the Sr. Sto. Niño, and our joy shall only be complete when we receive Him in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass today and all the days of our life. May we preserve not only our cultural heritage but above all our strong religious belief on the Sr. Sto. Niño de Kalibo. Amen.   

Krystel Gayle and Christian Arvin's Wedding

Krystel and Arvin, beginning today, I ask you to remember or even memorize this Bible verse taken from 1 Peter 4:8, “Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins.” It is presumed that once a couple decides to get married, they do love each other. But not all married couples stay together in love. They separate. They are separated by sins such as adultery, concubinage, infidelity, drunkenness and gambling to mention a few. Sin interferes with the way the couple should love. It does not only hurt the offended spouse, but it even causes great harm to their marital relationship.

Krystel and Arvin, when love covers a multitude of sins, this does not mean that the offended party should ignore or condone any sin that is committed against him/her and their marital relationship. Rather, it means that the offended party is ready to forgive while the offending party repents and changes her/his ways. All these they do for the good of their marriage.  All these they can do with an intense love. An intense love is a love that is patterned after the love of Jesus. Jesus Himself said this, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” (John 13: 35).

I believe that both of you, Krystel and Arvin understand me as your Spiritual Director why I like you to keep in mind these words, “Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins.” Remember Arvin in 2015, the first time you saw Krystel in your school, you experienced the thrill of the so-called love at first sight. Though you watched her at the canteen during breaktime, you also watched her at the carinderia during lunchtime. Remember Krystel, you were a campus queen enjoying a celebrity status among your peers during those times. Aside from being famous, you still had the time to serve God being an active youth leader of the Sto. Nino Catholic Charismatic Renewal and Revival Community. It was during the Charismatic Community prayer meeting at the chapel of Saint Lawrence the Deacon that the two of you personally met.  It was at that time Arvin when you prayed to God that Krystel shall be your lifetime partner as if God destined the two of you to meet at the chapel. From then on, everything seemed to be okay between the two of you until in 2018, Arvin you committed a big mistake that could have ruined your relationship. But Krystel was kind enough to forgive you and you started all over again to win her trust. Thus, I quote to you this Bible verse, 1 Peter 4:8 that states, “Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins” to tell you to be always ready to forgive each other and change for the betterment of your relationships.

Arvin, you are now a married man. It does not matter now whether what you feel is love at first sight or not. What matters is that you stay in love at last sight or even at out of sight. Many men wanted to get Krystel’s attention, yet she has choosen you from among them. She has been faithful to you. Be faithful to her too. You can only be faithful to her when you are aware that God is watching you. So, pray every day to be mindful that God is always present in your marriage.

Krystel, you are now a married woman. Maintain your beauty, not only physically but above all spiritually. Pray to God that your husband Arvin always sees the beauty of having you as his wife. If you have to give him one reason to stay with you, that reason should be your love for God.

Arvin and Krystel, starting today, let your love for each other be intense. Amen.

Joseph and Chrisya’s Wedding

In 2016, there was this trend in social media wherein one who has liked a status of a Facebook user, would receive a message from that Facebook user. It so happened that Chrisya clicked the Like button on Joseph’s status on Facebook, and so in turn, Joseph started to send chat messages to her. This was how everything started between the two. And just like any other love stories, they started to communicate with each other as friends. Then their friendly communication led them to a deeper knowledge of themselves and became intimate. Joseph would give a hint of his feeling towards Chrisya by saying to her that she is cute and he wants to hug her. He even brought a heart-shaped cake as his gift to Chrisya on one Valentine’s Day showing his romanticism. When Chrisya met an accident, Joseph never left her. As days passed by, they learned to love each other. Now they are here in our midst and before God to testify that they do love each other for better, for worse, until death sets them apart. Joseph and Chrisya, to say this may sound easy, but when it comes to married life, love becomes more complex. It means love has many components.

Robert Sternberg, a psychologist, breaks down the components of love into three: intimacy, passion and commitment. For now, you have experienced intimacy and passion in your relationship. Intimacy speaks of your emotional attachment to each other. Passion is your experience of excitement to be with each other. With the presence of intimacy and passion in your relationship, Joseph and Chrisya, you now feel and think you are both ready for a commitment. Commitment is a choice to stay with each other no matter what you feel.

As I have said earlier, love becomes more complex in a married life because you cannot just stay in your marriage solely because you depend on what you feel; you also need to make a choice from time to time. When you feel happy or sad, shall you choose to stay with your spouse? When your spouse commits mistakes, shall you choose to forgive or hate him/her? These questions and all other similar questions may come across your minds as husband and wife, and you need to make a choice for the good of your marriage. If you cease to make a good choice, then another broken vow shall be added to the list of bad marriages.

Joseph and Chrisya, what do I mean by making a good choice? It is not a choice which appears to be good but a choice to follow the will of God for married couples; it is called God’s choice. God wills that what God has joined together, let no man put asunder (Mark 10:9). Thus, Joseph and Chrisya, you should make a choice to stay with each other no matter what you feel because this is what God wills for married couples. If you are consistent in doing good choices for the sake of your marriage, only then it can be said that you have a strong commitment in your relationship. To do this, both of you should call on God to bless you. Joseph and Chrisya, your love story may begin without mentioning God in your relationship. But your love story could not continue if you are unaware of the presence of God in your relationship. Human love has its own flaws and limits.  If you wish to love that lasts forever, then do love each other with the love of God. In 1 John 4: 7-8, it says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” Thus, Joseph and Chrisya, love each other with the love of God. Amen.