Silence

I woke up last Sunday without my voice. I don't why or how it happened.  I struggled to talk. I couldn't sing during the Mass. During our night prayers, it was only Chiara singing the Salve Regina. When I went to work the following day, our team leader wondered why I was silent.  Someone called and I have to pick up the phone. Luckily, the conversation wasn't that complicated. I didn't go to work for three days.

I slowly gained my voice as the days go although it's still husky (and couldn't sing!) as I write this. In a way, I accepted my 'silence' as a Lenten penance.  As a member of the Apostleship of Prayer, I offered it for the Sacred Heart of Jesus' intentions and those of the Holy Father. On the bright side, silence meant that I could focus on what I am doing be it at home or at work.  It also meant to listen attentively to the one you communicate with, otherwise you'll end up asking (read: talking) for more. Silence also provided a way for me to be careful with the words I say, to speak with tact. 

But there is more than these to silence.  Hidalgo Del Arrabal, one of our contributors in the web, wrote this last year:

Tanging sa katahimikan

Diyos nakikipagtalastasan;

Tanging sa mapagkumbaba

Poon nagbibigay-biyaya.

Purihin ka, O San Jose

Pinakinggan mo ang mensahe

Mag-inang sa Ama nagbuhat

Pinangalagaan mong tapat!

(Only through silence

Does God communicate;

Only to the humble

Does He give grace.

Praise you, O Saint Joseph

You listened to the message

Mary and her Child who came from the Father

You faithfully looked after!)

It's nearly the feast of St Joseph. This humble carpenter from Nazareth was known as a silent worker, someone who would prefer to work in the background.  Both the poor in the Philippines and the religious worldwide (2015 is a special year for both groups of people) can draw inspiration from St Joseph. 

For the poor whose abject condition has silenced them to the whims of the powers-that-be, this great saint comes as an example of complete trust in the Lord and working diligently. St Joseph lived in poverty too, but didn't buy into any shortcuts or 'instants' (instant rich, instant ginhawa, etc.).  

For the religious, St Joseph is a very good example of following the evangelical counsels - poverty, chastity, and obedience. Through their faithful witness to these three vows, they offer the world something different, something of more value, something that isn't just a fad, but has lasting character.

May St Joseph's silence inspire us in our Lenten journey to become more attentive to that message which God is conveying us. May his silence transform us into faithful stewards looking after those who were entrusted to us - family, community, environment, the poor and needy.

Mabuhay si San Jose!

***

It's Mother's Day (or Mothering Sunday) here in the UK tomorrow. My fervent prayers and best wishes to all moms, especially to my wife and to my mother, on their special day.  May St Joseph watch over you. May his silence encourage you to keep up the good work and become more open to God's grace. Happy Mother's Day!

Lost Mittens

These past few days I have seen misplaced winter gloves - in the lift at work, in the pavement, etc.  At this time when it's still cold in this part of the globe, I couldn't help but pity their owners, kids especially who could easily feel cold. I once lost my scarf; luckily it happened at work and was quickly located, thanks to our Security Team.

Losing an important gear this winter can be likened to losing grace at an unfriendly, chaotic, and crucial moment in our lives. Rembrandt's celebrated painting "The Return of the Prodigal Son" depicted the lost son as having a worn out pair of shoes. Having worn out shoes (as well as a shaved head), Rembrandt tells us how this son lost his dignity (as the son of the rich father) after squandering his part of the estate.

Looking carefully at the painting, we see the father as a blind man - someone whose love is greater than his son's sins put together - and whose hands are that of a man and a woman - someone whose justice (as symbolized  by the man's left hand) is tempered by his gentleness (as symbolized by the woman's right hand).

We are that prodigal child who left God, our Father, and went on our own "merry way", following the dictates of our own whims. In the long run, we have lost His grace; we have lost our dignity as His children.

Lent offers us the hope and opportunity to regain what we lost. If you haven't been to confession for ages, perhaps this is the best time to avail of this often neglected and avoided sacrament. If you haven't spoken to those who hurt you (or those you have hurt), this could be the right time to do so. By being reconciled, we regain our spiritual gloves, shoes, etc. We regain grace!

Otherwise, we are no different to the older brother on the far righthand side of the painting - so full of himself, so distant, so self-righteous.  Better to be the 'lost and found' son than to be the 'missed out' son!

***

Last week, my family and I visited Ms Eliza "Ate Liza" Manzano in Dublin, Ireland.  An old-time friend and parish colleague in Manila, Ate Liza has been working in a children's hospital in Dublin for a decade or so.  We also met Paul, her Irish boyfriend, who drove us to a number of places in the city. It was a wonderful reunion and a memorable one for Nidz who celebrated her 40th birthday there. We look forward to see her again soon.

Ate Liza has been ill these past few months and just had her first chemotherapy last week. In spite of that, she appeared to be in high spirits and have shown a strong faith in God.  I felt I was the one blessed in that visit.  Let's include her in our prayers.

***

This coming Sunday, it will be Mother's Day in the UK.  I'm taking this opportunity to thank my mother and all mothers out there for the love and care they have showered us through the years.  I'm grateful especially to Nidz for faithfully and lovingly taking good care of our family. We love you, Mommy!

Mothering Sunday

It's Mothers' Day in the UK on the 22nd of March. Unlike America and the Philippines, UK honours mothers every Fourth Sunday of Lent. Reading through sources, I came upon two traditional events held during Mothers' Day in the UK (more known as 'Mothering Sunday'). It has been said that hundreds of years ago people would visit the Mother Church in their locality (i.e. the cathedral) on the Fourth Sunday of Lent (a.k.a. Laetare Sunday).

Another event was that servants are only allowed to visit their families once a year and that was usually on Mothering Sunday. No one knows the exact origin of this annual celebration though.

Having spent almost six years in England, our Mass in the parish has been made more special with school children taking active part in the liturgy from readings to collections, from offering daffodils to Our Lady to reading poems to honour their moms (spelt as mums in the UK).

Motherhood has often baffled me. It's no joke that women have to experience the pains of growing up - menstruation, cramps, etc - in preparation for their likely role as mothers. And when they do become moms, the pains of being pregnant, giving birth, looking after the baby, etc come to the fore. Not to mention taking care of the household (and putting up with their other halfs and child/ren).

I was like a Jew when I often said before: "Thank God I became a man, not a woman!". However, looking at how my wife and our daughter interact with each other I feel being 'edged out'.(An old man whom I met in hospital elevator when Chiara was born 'prophesied' that.) My frustration gets even further when I couldn't put the child to sleep or stop her from crying. Everytime I leave for work, I could see Chiara so peacefully asleep next to her Mom and I feel envious of it. 'How I wish I were a mother' I quipped.

I changed my prayer: "Thank God I became a man! May I love the woman He gave me and the child that she bore us!"

***

Happy Mothers' Day to my wife who has taken really good care of me and Chiara, to my mom who looked after me and my siblings singlehandedly during our tender years, and to all mothers out there...in the UK and elsewhere!