The Marriage Vocation Program for the Engaged

Two weekends ago, Mox and I attended the Marriage Vocation Program for the Engaged at Christ the King Church. This two-day workshop serves as our pre-cana seminar, which is a requirement for our wedding.

So why do I call it a workshop? Because it is  more interactive than the usual lecture-type seminars. First, the speakers will give a short talk and then share their experiences as connected to the topic. Then, the couples will be given questionnaires that they must answer individually, after which they will discuss their answers to their partners. Frankly, I thought that the 15 minutes given for the couple's dialogue weren't enough! Ang dami ko pang gustong idiscuss kay Mox. Haha!

At first, I was irritated because I thought the seminar was too long, but in the end, I was very happy that Mox and I took the time off our busy schedules to attend this workshop. We were able to touch on topics that we haven't really discussed thoroughly during our three-year relationship. We talked about our opinions on love, communication, religious expectations, children and even sex! Mox and I have similar views on some topics, but we also discuss those where we have different opinions.It's really refreshing to know Mox's take on the things that are undeniably important for our marriage. :)

Aside from the couple's sharing, there were also small group discussions where we had to share our opinions to other couples in our group. It's nice to hear their views on the topics discussed because it opened our minds on the different challenges that we may face once we get married. We also made some new friends too! :)

The seminar fee is P2,500 per couple, which is already inclusive of lunch and AM and PM snacks for two days. There was even an official photographer who took our couple photo and group photo, which were our souvenirs from the seminar. After a thanksgiving mass, we had a short "graduation" ceremony where we were given our certificate. Yey!

There are other similar workshops like Discovery Weekend and CEFAM that are accepted as pre-cana seminars for Christ the King. But for those who cannot afford the fees for those seminars, the Marriage Vocation Program is the perfect alternative. :)

Attending the Pre-Marriage Counseling

Early Monday morning, Mox and I headed to the Marikina Health Office to attend our pre-marriage counseling, which is a prerequisite to claim our marriage license. We only had a half-day session, so there were some topics that weren't discussed in detail, but we still learned a lot from our speaker.

Honestly, I was so sleepy during the first half of the talk that I couldn't really remember much on the topic that was discussed. But I was awake during the most important part of the counseling: the family planning seminar! Haha! Everyone knows that Mox and I want to have a baby as soon as we get married, so all the ideas that we could get about family planning will be very helpful.

We learned about the different methods of contraception, from the natural method to the condoms, IUDs and injectables. The speaker even helped us calculate our possible "fertile" days, which can depend on the length of our menstrual cycle.

But one important tidbit that we learned was how to have a baby boy or baby girl. Yes, apparently you can have a say on your baby's sex, if based on this scientific explanation.  You see, the male carries the chromosomes that can determine the sex of the baby. The female chromosome swims slowly but can live for three to five days, while the male chromosome swims faster, but can die after only 24 hours. Now the female egg also lives for only 24 hours, so if you want to have a baby girl, you may have intercourse a few days before your ovulation period. If you have intercourse a day before your ovulation, then the chances of having a baby boy are higher. Ang galing diba? Of course, we're not entirely sure if this is reliable information, but there's no harm in trying right?

After the counseling, we were finally handed our pre-marriage counseling certificate. So now, we just have to wait for February 3 to get our license. Yey!

Our Pre-Marriage Counseling Certificate

Canonical Interview: Done!

Mox and I took a whole day leave from work yesterday to do more wedding preps. The first thing on our agenda was our canonical interview at Christ the King Church, which was done by one of their resident priests.

I was actually a bit nervous about this interview because I didn''t know what to expect. Some couples say that they were asked to recite the seven Sacraments or the 10 Commandments, while others say they were merely asked personal questions about their relationship. I was really hoping that our interview would be like the latter as I could not recall any lessons that I have learned from my Christian Living Education classes. Baka ibagsak nila kami pag di namin ma-recite ang "Our Father." Katakot lang.

So after submitting our church documents to the parish office, we were both given questionnaires to answer for the interview. The form was four pages long, with multiple-choice questions and some essay questions too! Daig pa ang entrance exam! Haha!

We took quite some time in answering the form. Some questions were easy to answer, but the others were actually thought-provoking. Mox and I had to discuss some of the items to make sure we were on the same page. Fine, nagkopyahan kami, pero ang hihirap naman kasi ng mga tanong eh!

Here are some of the more memorable questions:

1. "If your partner is not in the mood for sex, you will:"

              a) get angry
              b) go to sleep
              c) watch TV
              d) try to seduce him/her
              e) others: ______________ 
  
      2. "The husband should:"

              a) keep a "secret" account
              b) keep a separate account
              c) give all his salary to his wife
              d) give enough to pay for the household expenses
              e) others: _______________

Oh diba, ang hirap sagutin? But honestly, this gave us the opportunity to learn more about each other's opinions on sex, finance, religion and other important topics.

After finishing our questionnaires, we gave them to the parish coordinator again and waited for our turn to be called. I was called first into the counseling room, where this young priest asked me to swear by the Bible that I will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. He then asked me a few simple questions like my age, Mox's age and if we will be getting married on our own free will. The questions became a bit more personal afterwards; he asked me how Mox and I met, how long our courtship was, and how did I know that I was ready to get married and that Mox was "the one". I was actually getting a bit teary-eyed while answering; I guess the questions really made me think on why I decided to say "yes" to Mox's proposal. And I'm happy to know that I have definitely made the right decision. :)

Then it was Mox's turn, and afterwards, we were both called in together. I thought the priest was going to ask us more questions about our relationships, but he just asked us if we wanted to say something to each other before we get married. Sort of like saying our pre-wedding vows to each other. Then, the priest congratulated us on our upcoming wedding and gave us his blessing. The whole interview was done in less than 15 minutes! Mas matagal pa paghihintay namin at pagsagot namin ng questionnaires.

Whew! Finally, we can finally check another church requirement off our list. All we had to do now was to attend the pre-cana seminar in February, submit our remaining church requirements, and we're done!

Some tips to remember:
1. Bring a pen to fill up the forms. Also, stretch your fingers and prepare to do some heavy-duty writing. Ang sakit sa kamay promise.
2. Bring snacks to munch on while waiting. 
3. Just be honest. :)