Pope Francis commented on the Sebastians’ statue of the Holy Family as he met with married couples during his weekly general audience at St. Peter’s Square. (Courtesy Maricel and Mark Sebastian)
By Maricel and Mark Sebastian
Special to the Herald
Maricel and Mark, who were married at Immaculate Conception Church in Ewa in 2016, received an apostolic blessing from Pope Francis the same year.
Maricel Sebastian: When a friend mentioned we could get a newlywed blessing from the pope, there were no other honeymoon plans but to make our way to Rome.
We were required to dress in our wedding attire and were escorted to the side of Papa Francis’ stage for his Wednesday audience. Depending on how many couples were there, you may or may not have a chance to even shake his hand.
But praise God — not only did we get to do that, but we had an actual conversation with him. Conversation meaning, I was speechless the whole time while he talked.
Papa Francis immediately noticed the Holy Family statue that Mark gave me as a wedding present and said, “Ah, the Holy Family, may it bless you and your home.”
We showcase that statue in our home altar for everyone to be blessed with. We bring it to every retreat we serve. Because when Papa said, “may the Holy Family bless you,” it means everyone in our lives.
When he said, “may the Holy Family bless the home,” to us home is everywhere we spread our faith — because we need to mirror the Holy Family in our world of broken families and misconstrued projections on what a family is.
We strive to be spouses like St. Joseph and Mary and exemplify them with guiding our son. We strive to be a home for everyone we encounter.
As Papa Francis stated in his 2016 post-synodal apostolic exhortation, “Amoris Laetitia”: “The incarnation of the Word in a human family, in Nazareth, by its very newness changed the history of the world. We need to enter into the mystery of Jesus’ birth, into that ‘yes’ given by Mary to the message of the angel, when the Word was conceived in her womb, as well as the ‘yes’ of Joseph, who gave a name to Jesus and watched over Mary…”
Marriage is definitely a mystery; family life is a mystery. All joyful, sorrowful, glorious and luminous. Let us pray that in each mystery, we enter it with our “yes” to glorify God and change the world.
Thank you, Papa, for your service, your time, your love. Your words are definitely instilled in our hearts.
Mark Sebastian: Papa, I would like to simply say “thank you.”
Being a man of God in this world that we live in is not easy. Your example of humility, service, love and simplicity has given me the faith that I must have.
From the day of my wedding and receiving the papal blessing certificate, to physically getting blessed by your hands, and today, I use your examples in my daily life as a servant, a husband, a father and a son.
As a servant to the church I constantly remind myself to practice humility; not for others to see me but to see Jesus through me.
As a husband, I strive to serve my wife as St. Joseph did for Mary — to provide, protect and pastor her.
As a father, to raise my son Micah to know that he is loved, not only by me but by Jesus.
As a son, to live a simple life as how my parents, family and community raised me — knowing that material things are not important as much as family, community and church are.
Thank you for blessing our Holy Family statue, and telling us to live our lives as they have and for blessing our marriage. Your life on earth made an amazing example for how we must live our lives to lead one another to heaven.
May eternal rest grant unto you and may you rest in peace. We are praying for you. Please continue to pray for us, for our families, for our communities and for our church.
