Mary's Artist

Praying the Rosary, especially in October, reminds me of my late maternal grandfather Augusto "Lolo Gusing" Samaniego Sr.  As written in a previous article ages ago, he used to be the Musical Director of a number of religious celebrations in Kawit, Cavite.  

Lolo Gusing was a devotee of Our Mother of Perpetual Help.  When he was still alive, he used to attend the Novena and Mass held at the parish church every Wednesday evenings.  When I was studying at the parochial school, I would usually attend Mass in the morning, just before going to school.  One time, I attended the evening Mass and sat next to him.  

Apart from the Novena, he was also a devotee of the Rosary.  When I lived at his house, I would pray the Rosary with him, Lola Loleng, and other relatives every evening in October.  Being used to say the Rosary in English, I gradually learned to recite it in Tagalog.  Credit goes to my Lolo for teaching me "Aba Po Santa Mariang Hari" (Hail Holy Queen). Even when his health was starting to deteriorate, he would participate in the Block Rosary devotion.

My grandfather wasn't the imposing type of person.  I liked the way he 'walked the talk: leading us not by force, but by persuasion; sowing the seeds of faith gently into our hearts; speaking the truth in love (cf. Eph 4:15).  I have never heard him raise a voice nor utter a curse. When he wants to call your attention, he will just call your name once. 

I consider him as Our Lady's musician because of the many musical services he played and led in honour of Mary. The Panunuluyan, Maytinis' main attraction, depicts Mary and Joseph's search for an inn.  The Coros Villancicos also makes reference to Mary (i.e. "Corred vuestras offrendas, llevad las a Maria"; "Lahat tayo'y mag-alay sa Diyos at kay Maria").  Ditto the Regina Caeli  that's sung during the Salubong in Easter and the Rosario Cantada.

I'm sure the Blessed Mother didn't fail to take notice of this.  Lolo Gusing received the grace to be born to eternal life in October, the month of the Holy Rosary.  Furthermore, he passed away on a Wednesday, Mother of Perpetual Help's day, and the feast of St Luke the Evangelist (Oct 18), a fellow Marian devotee and fellow artist (musicians, writers, painters are classified as artists).

Thank you, Lolo Gusing, for affirming our faith by your gentle guidance, humble witnessing, and sincere love.  May you enjoy the Beatific Vision, playing great music in praise of Heaven and Earth's Queen and our Mother.  We love you!

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My heart goes out to our kababayans in Cebu, Bohol, and other neighbouring places that were hit by an earthquake yesterday.  Apart from the lives that were lost, I also lament the destruction of several centuries-old churches such as the Basilica Minore de Sto Niño de Cebu.  We entrust to the Lord of Nature all victims of this catastrophe and ask for His mercy and guidance so that from the rubble, people and communities would rise again.  Let us hold on to Mama Mary and her Rosary!

Rehabilitation and Protection

Giving a Lenten context to the recent happenings in Japan as well as in New Zealand, the Middle East, and North Africa remind us of the need to rise up from the rubble caused by sin, by our extreme dependence on ourselves. With our integrity lost, with our souls at the brink of death, it’s about time we start to rebuild ourselves. Rebuild ourselves in a sure and strong foundation. Rebuild ourselves in Christ!

With Christ as our foundation, we see more meaning in our Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. We offer our prayers for those badly hit by these calamities. Connected with our prayer-life, we fast and abstain from meat (and other pleasures) so we could continuously seek God in our lives. Whatever we give up this Lent, we offer to those who suffer particularly the earthquake victims.

Apart from the need to rehabilitate, we also need protection. Protection from future disasters (I’ve seen a number of people sending e-mail messages or posting a shout out in Facebook asking the Lord to spare our country from such calamities.). As I prayed for Japan, I cannot really help, but pray all the more for my loved ones in nearby Philippines. (I soon realized that I also have some relatives in Japan who lived away from the epicentre, but still felt the tremors.) I’m glad that no tsunami has hit the country, but the fear of radiation is there.

Protection is two-fold. The first is in the hands of competent builders and the government. It’s high time the Philippines take a serious look at our edifices and how these could withstand earthquakes. High standards have to put in place and with it, stricter penalties for those whose buildings are not up to scratch.

The second is in God’s hands. When we have done our best in ensuring that people are safe and prepared ourselves should disasters come, we entrust the rest to God.

Rebuilding and protection are synonymous with St Joseph. During his time, he was a carpenter engaged in construction. He too was a husband and father who was there to defend his family from all harm (I have in mind the Holy Family's flight into Egypt which was actually St Joseph's sorrow and joy that I reflected upon early this morning.)

We pray that St Joseph would inspire us all to help our suffering brothers and sisters across the globe rebuild their lives.

St Joseph knew well the importance of building houses on rock. May he also intercede for all government officials, engineers, and architects that they would design and build safe structures.

We ask too St Joseph’s help that like him, we may also see the wisdom of having one’s life founded on God, of being rooted with our family (in spite being ‘uprooted’ to another country), and of putting our complete trust in His fatherly care when all things fail.

***

My heartfelt congratulations to my cousins Bianca Alcantara, Tara Mendoza, and Leia Albano who would be graduating with a BSc in Nursing on 17 March! Now that you have completed your studies, it’s time to share what you've learned - be it from the formal or the hidden curriculum - with the community. Be a channel of healing and protection to the sick and vulnerable!

Greetings too to Fidji (God-speak writer) and Von Sarmiento for their newborn baby daughter, Norina Graziella (a.k.a. Naya)! Naya is the first daughter in the Rivera-Sarmiento family (to Fidji’s delight!).

May St Joseph pray for you all!