(#7) Visita Iglesia For Her

(By Cento Ron)

In as many instances that I attend Church services for what others call “Sunday obligation,” I always notice women outnumber men in attendance. In our predominantly Catholic populace, it made me ask myself if women are more pious and religious than men, or conversely, if men are less fulfilling of their “obligation” than women.

Of course, one’s commitment or sense of obligation cannot be measured according to Church attendance. This is not even a gender issue. But, aren’t complex things guaranteed by the fulfillment of simple ones?

Elders oftentimes quip this advice to younger women: "choose men, for your lifetime partner, who possess the fear of the Lord, may takot sa Diyos.”

This Holy Week provides an opportunity for women to see, feel, test or check their kind of guy. Likewise, it is a chance for single women to hunt for guys their hearts might fall for.

Why not make the most of the Visita Iglesia moments to nourish not only the spiritual transcendental relationship but also to spice up the emotional more personal tangible one? Should the holy really need to be mutually exclusive from that of the romantic? Can’t there be holy romance or romantic holiness?

The first challenge, if it is a challenge at all, is to invite your guy to attend the mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. The second challenge is to invite him further to join you for Visita Iglesia.

You can hit three birds in doing Visita Iglesia with your guy: (1.) you fulfil your religious obligation, (2.) you get to influence your guy to fulfil his religious obligation (if he’s not really into it just yet), and (3.) you can have that chance to know him more in between church trips.

The challenge of Visita Iglesia is to visit 14 churches and pray the station of the cross, one station for every church.

Does the challenge sound tough? No, not really, because this act of sacrifice becomes more bearable when shared with someone, especially with the one you intend to share your whole life with. This can happen if your guy presumes to be the right one for you. Otherwise, you might end up bearing a heavier cross. (You can thank in advance Visita Iglesia for that.)

Visita Iglesia can all be done on Holy Thursday until midnight when the Altar of Repose and the churches shall then be closed. However, this activity can spill over to Good Friday. Think two days - two days of sacrifice and mortification, or two days of fun, holy romance, and revelation.

Visita Iglesia can be more meaningful by hiking to the churches. The short and long hike can be telling if your guy can make your visita worthwhile – if his stories can make you switch to sleepwalking mode or can energize you to further proceed; if he makes any sense or he simply concerns himself with non-sense; if he is gentleman enough to take the danger side of the road or is oblivious of any care and concern to those around him; if he has concrete and achievable ambitions and plans or if what he only has is that he has no plans at all; and, the list can go on...

Visita Iglesia can bring you a lot of possibilities. However, one possibility is undeniably clear: for you to determine if your guy is strong and courageous enough, if he is man enough to be your kind of man. As many say, really strong and courageous men know how to bow their heads and bend their knees… to pray.

After everything, look at yourself in front of the mirror.