O, Maria

Ave Maria :-)

tis the month of hearts... many people  fuss about Valentine.. I'd like to believe that for those who are in Christ, it is a perpetual Valentine.. a sunrise always in our heart even if there be this incomprehensible mixture of joys/sorrows/highs and lows in life... the sun rises because indeed the Son Christ Jesus has risen from the dead and conquered satan, sin death and disease. How I love to keep saying-- proclaiming this... but others will be quick to point out...Well if Jesus has won why is your friend cancer stricken.. oh and I forgot ... your friend by the way did not survive the cancer.

These critics miss the point of it all.

When we say Jesus has triumphed over sin ,satan death and disease.. it means  that all four no matter how intense these be thrown at us will not overcome us. Yes we may suffer...and how! But for as long as we are in Jesus  , victory is ours in the end. We have been promised eternal life and an intimate relationship with God right here and now, and that cannot be taken away from us. Amen!

It is not so much whether we got afflicted by these terrible diseases or got troubled by various hardships...it is whether we patiently endure till the end, holding onto our faith... allowing the sufferings to mold us more like our Saviour... confounding the enemy the devil as we resolve to still choose life, goodness, truth as revealed by our Lord,  choosing Christ until the Very End.Now that indeed kills the enemy.

It is whether we are able to draw good from the bad / painful or ugliness that besets us for this is the ever present challenge for each and every Christian. We rise to the occasion with God's grace enfolding us!

tis the season of comings and goings... reunions with dear old friends... classmates..relatives... as it is also the season that we must say good-bye to loved ones.

Let me share with you our dear Mary.

She passed  away just a few days after Valentine's Day.. stricken with liver ailment ..for the longest time she did not complain.. that is her character.. strong woman that she is to not complain or grumble for as long as she can bear it...until it became clear she was truly seriously ill.

Sis. or Mama Mary as we lovingly call her is a designer and costurera by profession.. oh how many women have sparkled and joyously celebrated their special anniversaries with Mama Mary "fixin them up" ... that would include yours truly. Dress designers are similar to hairdressers , make-up stylists in the sense that theirs is not just to beautify the client..but they too have that special connection to be confidante, confessor, true-blue friend. Mama Mary was all of that and more.

Married to her Rox for the longest time, they were able to celebrate a lovely silver wedding anniv..one of the happiest silver we've attended.. such an outpouring of joy and happiness , laughter  and merriment that evening... and would have gone on to aim for a Golden Anniv. had Sis. Mary lived longer. Their union was blessed with one beloved son, Paolo - an architect by profession - a dutiful, obedient son.

Sis. Mary was the first one to be member of the Mother Butler's Guild  but in time she was able to convince Bro. Roz to be a Lay Eucharistic Minister..and then of late... Paolo was inducted as a Lector/Commentator ..with Paolo offering his services for construction in the parish buildings.

A family who serves the Lord stays together, eh? right

I'm sure many will miss the following :

- her naughty laughter... we'd tease her to be a bit maldita because she wouldn't blink an eye whenever she had to do sisterly correction

- the love she poured when hosting parties big or small... twas more of cooking for us really, she was a great cook.... Dilbert my Kapampangan husband becomes meek as a lamb when Maria cooks pinakbet and ladles it on his plate.

- she has a way of making customers so very pleased and happy.. allowing us to make suggestions no matter how undoable they may be.. in the end , we let her "do it" becuase she knows best.

- a member of our small couple bible sharing group, the St. Peter's Cell... she and Bro. Rox have religiously attended the Tuesday weekly cell meetings -- many a time, I'd catch her falling asleep  in the middle of the bible sharing -so exhausted from the day's work, or nursing a head-ache -- truthfully --- I'd be fast to plead "Absent muna ako..so pagoddd or sakit ulo" but would think twice becoz I know Sis. Mary  ( and another sis. dear Ethel would still attend ...grahbe... what powers do these women have? ) Later on I recognized it as plain pure commitment and love for the cell members and for the Word of God shared.  

- She did not have a Coca Cola Body  but wow Mama Mary was a Fashionista..dapat lang  whenever she had time she'd coif her hair.. maayos make-up and all... she loved dressing up for occasions.

- many times she and husband would extend a helping hand .. whether this be for nieces's tuition fees, pang pamasahe abroad ... or for brothers and sisters ( in the parish)  in need - napaka matulungin.

-MABAIT SIYA. TUNAY NA MABAIT.

Sis. Mary would be so fast to be with friends whose loved ones had died -- so that she could assist in dressing up the deceased...how many friends are there willing to sit thru embalming and all... just to provide comfort?

Many pass thru life not quite knowing what their purpose was.. not realizing the amount of gifts loaned by GOD...sis. Mary was well aware of her unique gifts and blessings given her and her family -- she was a good steward, generous to a fault.

If friends like us miss and feel that void she will leave... we can imagine how it must be for her immediate family..they who benefitted the most from her love and friendship.  Mama Mary...  it's strange how I'll miss the little sweetest things you do... pag timpla mo ng kape ... cup per cup (for each cell member) grinding the coffee,sugar and cream with gusto..just so we understand the full flavor of coffee.. thank you for helping me  thru my crazy ballroom years..when I foolishly thought dressing up and dancing was the end-all and be-all and my drug ... when  I'd sometimes throw caution to the winds , the h--k with convention , I want to dress this way ... kesehodang anong isipin nila... I'd be surprised during fitting time to see how you fixed the hemlines, the design so that I wouldn't show more than was needed hahaha, a guardian angel that's what you were... We have different ways of expressing love and you were so sucessful in making us feel how much you loved us . In the end... how loyal you were to your namesake the Blessed Virgin Mary , because the Holy Spirit gave you too many of the virtues our Blessed Mother has.

Paolo your son has a lot on his hands.. that's how it is especially for children who survive such wonderful parents.

how to continue sharing what love you have given him in your lifetime. Paolo, we join you and Bro. Rox in sharing the gifts Sis. Mary has lavished on us. May the peace of Jesus be with us all...may our Lord and His holy Mother  this very moment be holding sweet conversations with Sis.Mary in heaven!!!.............................................................sincerely.... ta mye