By Leslie Ann Aquino
Some people resort to the use of love potions in the hope of finding true love. But a Catholic priest said love potions won’t bring you your Mr. or Ms. Right, rather prayers will.
“Choosing the right person means praying for and waiting for the right person,” Father Melvin Castro, former executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Episcopal Commission on Family and Life, said in an interview.
Fr. Melvin Castro
(CBCP / MANILA BULLETIN)
He also explained that the use of love potions is contrary to the very nature of love as love should be freely given and received.
In the past, retired Lingayen Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said prayers are definitely more effective than any love potion.
“Remember, there’s no human venture not covered by the relevance of prayer,” he said.
Archbishop Cruz said although the novena to St. Jude is popular to Filipino Catholics, praying to any saint or even to the Blessed Virgin Mary is also effective.
“St. Jude is the saint of the impossible or the hopeless, but any novena to anybody is also good. The important thing is prayer. All prayers ultimately end up on the lap of God,” he said.
Fr. Castro, on the hand, said a number of couples admitted to him that they prayed for their lifetime partner.
“That’s especially true for women,” he said.
“It’s good to pray for somebody who is right for you,” he added.
But, Cruz also reminded the faithful that sometimes they don’t get what they prayed for because they are meant to be single
“There are prayers wherein the answer is ‘No.’ For example, somebody is not meant for marriage,” he said.
The nation observed Valentine’s Day on February 14. It is traditionally a day where lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards.