The Art of Marriage in the Queen City (September 23, 2018)

​The Art of Marriage formation was held in Cebu City (the Queen City of the Philippines) on September 23, 2018. It was attended by a diverse audience of couples ranging from young/starting couples to “old timers”. The activity began with a mass celebrated by Fr. Lucio. Following the Eucharistic celebration, the ten couples were treated by Jess & Mau Baja to a session that revealed the six reasons why God created marriage. During the group sharing, everyone expressed appreciation for what they felt was a revelation for them: a discovery of the real purpose of marriage, which is not exclusively focused on procreation alone.

The afternoon session started with an ice breaker that displayed the dancing prowess of most of the participants, but which was definitely a struggle for some (who have two left feet), myself included.

The topic in the afternoon centered on the characteristics & definitions of love with particular reference to the encyclical of Pope Francis, “Amoris Laetitia” (The Joy of Loving). In chapter four of Amoris Laetitia, the Pope cites some practical guidelines on how love should be lived out in the marriage and in the family in the middle of its various challenges.

Rey & Tina Bagares also opened up some aspects of their married life – the struggles, the challenges and also the victories, which helped add a realistic tone to the afternoon reflection.

To wrap up, we asked each couple to express the fruits of the day in an artwork that they each shared. We ended the day with a simple get-together snack of fried banana.

The final stop in this series of formations is on October 13 at Verbum Dei Apostolate Center in Pasig City, Philippines!
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Hope to see you there!

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With thanks to Rey Bagares and the WordNews team