The day before he passed away 14 year ago, in his wheelchair loaded with a mini-oxygen tank beside his seat and a portable mini-electric fan on his lap, we wheeled my Father to the Church near our house to attend Holy Mass. This had been his pledge to the Lord. A vow to hear Holy Mass everyday for as long as he lived. Earlier, when he would be sick, my Mother would complain because he would insist to go to Mass no matter how bad and weak he felt. He loved the Lord so much and had a deep devotion to HIS Sacred Heart. That evening, after the 6:00PM Mass, after receiving the body and blood of Christ, he requested to pass by a life-size Crucifix to say the Prayer before the Crucifix Prayer. Then we went back home. He handed a neatly folded Sacred Heart Scapular to my sister which he removed from his wallet and asked her to keep it for him. Little did we know that he may have given that because he was preparing for his going HOME. After a sumptuous dinner of his favorite dish of white kidney beans casserole which I lovingly cooked to his delight, he called us to pray the Holy Rosary. This, too, had been his regular devotion. He saw to it that we grew up praying the holy Rosary daily, loving god and His Blessed Mother. Added to these devotions, He used to invite a Priest yearly for a Re-Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus icon, for the Lord to shower our family with blessings. Going back to our Rosary that evening, we were taken by surprise when he spoke each mystery with a loud and clear voice, contrary to how he used to do it regularly. He had difficulty in breathing, having a lung ailment, thus he would often just mention the first words like Hail Mary, silence and mentally prays on, ending with Jesus then we answer Holy Mary....etc. We realized later on that he was given the grace to feel and and savor each word because it was his very last. Early the next morning, we heard him give out a choking sound, so I ran to get a Priest who gave him the Absolution, and when we rushed him to the Hospital, he was already clinically dead when we arrived. It was a beautiful way to go back home to the Lord. God loves our Father so much so as to give him a very wonderful preparation before He carried him HOME. I am so sure he is safely in heaven at last!!! Rest in peace, Papang. We miss you so. +++
Posted on: Wed, 22 Oct 2014 03:19:07 +0000
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