Song of praises have been part of our devotion as a Catholic. This is one way to communicate, express our faith and apprise our petitions. As part of the celebration for the upcoming Canonical Coronation of Our Lady of Aranzazu, some songs are necessary to commemorate her.
Birhen ng Bayang San Mateo is one of the songs dedicated to Our Lady of Aranzazu. Words derived from Sa Mahal Na Birhen by Jose Rizal and original text by Mark Anthony Arista. Music and Arrangement are by Krina Cayabyab.
“Ikaw na ina ko Mariang matimtiman, ikaw ang buhay ko at aking sandigan. Sa maalong dagat, ikaw ang patnubay; sa masukal na gubat, ikay aming gabay”
This is an excerpt from the song that shows how significant Mary to our Catholic life. A mother to everyone, ready to help her children regardless of how big or small one’s trouble is. It portrays how Mary keeps us under her mantle of motherly love that we, as residents of San Mateo, are truly blessed with.
The song was written last June, way before the Canonical Coronation of Our Lady of Aranzazu.
The Servant Singer: Mark Anthony Arista
Aside from writing songs, M. A. Arista is also part of Avant Garde Singers, an active member of Temporalities Ministry, and Knights of Our Lady of Aranzazu. These organizations led him to strengthen his faith and become closer to Our Lady of Aranzazu.
Since then, he is a devotee of Aranzazu and has continuously practiced praying the rosary. Being a knight of OLAR has paved the way for him to serve the Blessed Virgin and help fulfill its task to promote devotion to our Lady through exhibits and processions.
According to M. A. Arista, no one told him to do this song. It came out of nowhere that he was able to write it in a day. It really just popped out of his mind one day as a poem and he decided to have someone place notes over it. This is the first song he has ever written. His co-singers in AGS and other member of Knights of OLAR pushed his inner self to create this piece, integrated by a long memorized poem during his Rizal class.
“Every preparation for this moment as well as every triumph on my personal struggle is a miracle through her intercession, though I personally feel that she interceded for me last December when I got promoted at work,” Arista said. As a return, he is now busy being the head of technical and physical arrangement for the Canonical Coronation of Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu.
Lastly, he said that he feels so blessed that through that song, he can venerate and promote Aranzazu.
This is just one of the songs that give honor to Our Lady of Aranzazu. Truly, we all have different ways to serve and give the glory back to the Blessed Virgin of San Mateo: Our Lady of Aranzazu, through skills and talents given to us by the Almighty Father.
