GIVE IN

Whenever I think of the circumstances that surround the life of Tobit, I just can't ignore or deny the somehow parallel events and happenings that took place in my very own life that I am being reminded of constantly and persistently and always and keeps on crossing my mind and never seem to stop due to the succession of the readings being taken from the book of Tobit these past few days and which I have been sharing in my reflections too. In 2009 and even before I was assigned to attend to the Bereavement Ministry of LOJC, a lot of people may have noticed my special calling to this mission to pray for the faithful departed and poor souls in purgatory which I have personally taken upon myself and all started with the extraordinary experience I had in the Philippines way back in Oct 2006, Friday the 13th. I just graduated from Nursing and was on my way to a hospital in Caloocan to get the signatures of the nurses who supervised one of my clinical cases (minor operation D & C) to comply with the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) nurse licensure (RN) requirements. It was all over the news then, what happened to a man who was hit by a bus along EDSA in between Ortigas and Starmall in Crossing at Mandaluyong City at early dawn (maybe 4-5am) but I still saw the man's body still slumped on the road when I passed by at around 7am. He was just left lying there, don't know why it took a long time before his body was removed. I overheard the bus driver said to one of the passengers that he witnessed the accident when he was on his way to Alabang and wasn't expecting to still see his body. He thought that by that time somebody must have recovered the body already. He said he got hit because he was in a hurry to catch a provincial bus.  I was moved with pity for the man and was prompted to say the rosary for him. I specifically prayed for the man's soul having met an untimely and unexpected death. I also prayed for his family who maybe waiting for his return at that time. After finishing the rosary I noticed that I have already reached my destination so I got off the bus and rode the jeepney bound for Diosdado Hospital. When I reached the place I immediately looked for my classmate but was surprised not to find  her there since she had been calling and texting me to hurry up because she was informed that beyond 7am students obtaining signatures for their PRC cases will no longer be accepted and I arrived at around half past 8am already. Despite of this I still decided to proceed to the chief nurse since I was there already I might as well give it a try. I wasn't only past the allotted time because when she leafed through my documents she discovered that I placed the nick name of the scrub nurse and even misspelled it. After explaining to her that we were not informed properly of the real name, I just assured her that I will just patch it with the correct name. In short I was able to have my papers signed and was about to leave when my classmate came and was so surprised to find out that I was able to obtain their signatures. She told me that she was already there earlier and right on time but was declined and needed to look for a computer shop in order to correct the mistaken name and reprint the document. Worst of it all was that she had to go back to the hospitals where she had previously obtained the signatures of other nurses included in that document. Due to that I wasn't even sure if she was able to make it to the deadline if not she must wait for the next one which is in June since the local RN exams are only given twice a year, June and December. The October batch of graduates have a shorter time of preparation if they intend to take the Local RN exam right away which is in December, in my case Dec 2-3, 2006. Those graduating in March have a longer time to prepare before the June exams. I was very thankful that I was able to accomplish all the signatures for Diosdado Hospital on that day and was still able to attend the local board nurse licensure exam review scheduled on that day. The following day my next destination was at Phil. Children's Medical Center and Tondo General Hospital and just the same I was able to get the signatures of the nurses who handled my cases and was very blessed that all the nurses were present and were all on duty.The same thing happened at Ospital ng Sampaloc, and the best thing was when the chief nurse was very considerate and knew of the diverse schedule of the nurses so she agreed to sign even if the scrub nurse hadn't signed yet. For those nurses who graduated in the Philippines, they know exactly what I mean. Everytime I think of those unbelievably lucky turn of events which immediately followed that Friday the 13th incident that were all to my favor and were all very badly needed in the very hectic and short span of time for the RN requirements, I simply just can't deny anymore the special assistance and intercession of that poor soul I have prayed for. It was even reinforced when at that same time I  got an e mail from Tita Nats about the poor souls in purgatory which helped explain about this belief and I learned more of, the following week in our Catholicism study since the topic is about purgatory. As always, everything seemed to just fall into place as planned and intended by our Master and Creator. Another thing that is noteworthy is the month when this happened was October 2006 and the same month in the year following that which is Oct 2007, was when I also got a rose petal with an image of an angel in a healing service in Glendale headed by Bro. Carmelo in Oct 21, 2007 also my mother's birthday. This angel in my rose petal has become a source of inspiration for me especially because it was at that same time too when I was having a lot of problems and dilemmas and also received this message in Oct 7, 2007 from Book of Habakkuk 2:2-4.

Then the LORD answered me and said:

Write down the vision Clearly upon the

tablets, so that one can read it readily.

For the vision still has its time,

presses on to fulfillment, and will not

disappoint; If it delays, wait for it,

it will surely come, it will not be late.

Recalling and reflecting on all of these things which happened way back Oct 2006 and was further interconnected by today's 1st reading to what happened in Oct 2007, I just have to give in and be compelled to write down (as said in Habakkuk and Tobit) what have happened in order to make known with due honor God's awesome power and grace. Amen. Hallelujah!

Tobit 12:1. 5-15. 20

...“I will now tell you the whole truth; I will conceal nothing at all from you. I have already said to you, ‘A king’s secret it is prudent to keep, but the works of God are to be made known with due honor.’ 12 I can now tell you that when you, Tobit, and Sarah prayed, it was I who presented and read the record of your prayer before the Glory of the Lord; and I did the same thing when you used to bury the dead. 13 When you did not hesitate to get up and leave your dinner in order to go and bury the dead, 14 I was sent to put you to the test. At the same time, however, God commissioned me to heal you and your daughter-in-law Sarah. 15 I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who enter and serve before the Glory of the Lord.” 20 “So now get up from the ground and praise God. Behold, I am about to ascend to Him who sent me; write down all these things that have happened to you.”

I am just so amazed at how in those previous years after recounting all the things that happened I would be realizing, patching every piece of it and proclaiming about it now. Most of all, I never planned or even thought about these things that I am doing right now.  What makes this even more surprising and also has a big impact on me is finding myself doing these activities for the Lord and what the Lord God said in today's psalm reading.

P S A L M

Tobit 13:2. 6efgh. 7. 8

R: Blessed be God, who lives for ever.

...In the land of my exile I praise Him, and show His power and majesty to a sinful nation...

Sometimes we come to a point when we can not fully understand the things that are happening in our lives but what matters most is to always follow the example of our Blessed Mother. She is one woman whom we can surely rely, depend and follow if we truly want to be closer to Jesus and be able to do what God wants us to do. Who should come to our mind whenever we speak of Mary? Jesus. If it's not the case then we are misled and on the wrong path. Mary brings us closer to Jesus who tells us what to do as we keep all these things in our heart. After all it was in the Blessed Mother's womb that God became man. Literally speaking it was in her womb that He took on the form of a human being and had a feeling, pumping, viable and bloody heart. This is a revealed God who had manifested Himself. Our Blessed Mother carried Him in her womb. We know she pondered the mysteries in her life which is in today's gospel. Poetically speaking even in cross cultures, the human heart has always been seemed as a profound symbol of love, faithfulness, steadfastness, commitment, passion, loyalty, diligence, and the very anchor of the feelings, passions and emotions. When Mary was a teenager we know that she said to Angel Gabriel, "Let it be done unto me according to your word." If we may analyze this very closely, the word "it" in her response made her the Mother of God. At the same time it meant execution during 1st century Palestine if a woman gets pregnant outside wedlock. Her "it" meant that and yet she was willing to take that because of her love, faithfulness, steadfastness, commitment, passion, loyalty, diligence and the very anchor of her balanced feelings, passions and emotions. Then her "it" meant having her baby in a stable, soon her "it" meant her flee to Egypt with Joseph and her baby in the middle of the night. Twelve years later meant losing Jesus in the Passover in Jerusalem as narrated in today's gospel which prefigures about 20 years later, Jesus slain as the Passover Lamb when she witnessed her Son slain while she was standing at the foot of the cross. Eventually her "it" led her to Pentecost with the Apostles, her assumption into heaven and ultimately her coronation as Queen of Heaven and Earth.  Her "it" to Gabriel meant the seemingly negative events in her life before her crowning. But how did she endure all of these elements of sorrow involved in the life of her Son? The answer is her Immaculate Heart, that's how and why she sustained her being a perfect Christian disciple and example. She is a model for our own hearts believing in the words of the Archangel Gabriel, Mary maintained or retained all these things that the profound human heart speaks of and symbolizes. The passion which is the love that is willing to suffer for the other. Think of the Pieta, steadfast at the foot of the cross, or the Stabat Mater (Standing Mother) Traditionally speaking, Mary remained steadfast, she was sorrowful no doubt but never did she fainted nor swooned. She was the standing mother at the foot of the cross. This is an example for us in a time of sorrow. We can also live our "it" whenever our "it" may seem like what Mary endured.  She is an example to us of a heart with a strong balanced emotion. All of us modeled after Mary should be able to say with Mary, "I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to Thy word." When we find out the details of this total commitment and what it truly means, we must accept God's grace to be like Mary and to be faithful to our "it" or unconditional commitment to the Lord our God. We have to consecrate our lives to the Holy Family then never ever turn back. Pope Benedict XVI gave an insight with regards to the proper, sincere, authentic and true devotion to popular piety in the Catholic Church especially to Mary, he said that Mary's womb is the place where God was able to gain access into humanity.  We celebrate our personal relationship with Mary because it has fostered so profoundly the ultimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If we have fallen in love with the bridegroom, Jesus we appreciate and honor His mother Mary immensely. Indeed, Mary helps us to love Jesus, to yield to the Spirit and to let "it" be done to us according to God's word. Mary tells us to do whatever Jesus tells us from the wedding feast in Cana in John 2. Mary will never rest until we rest in her Son.  Our relationship with Mary and Joseph focuses us on Jesus because of this we value our relationship with the Holy Family. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 2:41-52

...“Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus advanced [in] wisdom and age and favor before God and man.