QUEZON City, Jan. 21, 2012—In a much-welcomed surprise, a little less than 14,000 Couples for Christ (CFC) leaders from all over the world renewed their vows in the Smart Araneta Coliseum after a Pinoy priest based in Canada exhorted them to renew their marriage vows every year.
Love renewed
Thousands of couples took some minutes to repeat the same promises they made to each other on their wedding day.
“Tayong mga Filipinos mahilig (We, Filipinos, are used) to save money for a big 25th anniversary, a big golden anniversary, but that’s the future. What you have is the present,” Fr. Carlos Macatangga, SVD said before leading the entire assembly, who were gathered for the annual CFC Leaders’ Conference, to renew their marriage vows.
Commenting on CFC’s theme for the year, ‘Obey and Witness’, based on the Scripture passage describing Jesus’ first miracle, turning water to wine at the wedding at Cana, Fr. Macatangga said the theme was probably calling on the CFC leaders to renew their marital love and life.
Couples who flew in from as far as Mindanao, others farther still—like Ghana, U.S. and Myanmar—were visibly touched by the short but meaningful ceremony.
Unscripted
It led CFC International Director Ricky Cuenca to remark right after, “Nakita mo ‘yung blessing natin? Wala naman sa script na magkaroon ng renewal of vows! (Do you see the blessing we just got? The renewal of vows is not even in the script!)”
Serving as a parish priest in the Cristo Rei parish in Mississauga, Ontario, Fr. Macatangga also shared his experience serving with CFC in his parish.
“They serve the parish with gladness. That’s how they became effective witnesses of the faith,” he said, describing how much he values CFC’s presence in his parish.
Based on ticket sales, 14,000 people attended the conference, including singles, youth and kids, which would leave the actual number of couples to a little less than 7,000. [Nirva’ana Ella Delacruz/CBCPNews]
