THE circumstances, consequences, and services of my father’s death and all the gatherings and prayers of families and friends are still vividly present in my mind. I’m sure that it’s the same for every member of my family. Although the wounds of our hearts are still tender with grief, our hearts are full of gratitude to God and to everyone who consoled us and shared with us in celebrating the life our deceased father, Ruben B. Balagtas, Sr.
Despite the pain and struggle, my father’s death has caused so much joy, healing, and transformation. Personally, it has brought about a profound realization of the beauty of my family. The love and unity that exist among my family members, captured by the video presentation on the tribute to my father, have made me appreciate more the value of family, faith, tradition, and service to God and country.
Absolutely, the life, sickness, and death of my father have touched and have transformed the life of each of my siblings. They have deepened our Catholic faith and have allowed us to give more of ourselves to serve to God, our country, our family, and others.
It’s amazing to think of the marvels that God can do to our lives even in periods of pain struggle, and loss. At first, anguish and despair over the sickness or death of a loved one may envelope our minds, but when we endure in faith, we realize that God has a plan for everything that we experience in our lives. We just have to trust Him completely.
My family’s witnessing of faith, love, and unity during a period of hardship and pain is a gift to the Church and the society. In this time and age, when other people can be cynical about marriage, family, and faith, seeing so much warmth and faith in a family such as ours can bring greater hope and appreciation for these traditional values.
There is no doubt that my family feels the depth of God’s love and fidelity to us. In the words of the Prophet Isaiah in this Sunday’s Scripture Readings, we feel that God has not “forsaken” us or has made our lives “desolate”, but has “espoused” us and has called us his “delight”.
As what Jesus did for the newly married couple in the story of the Wedding at Cana, in which he miraculously changed water into wine, God can transform each of our lives as long as we believe and remain in him. In fact, he can make us the “best of wines”, the finest version of ourselves. He can let our lives shine before others so that they can become instruments of delight and transformation.
Let us never despair when sickness or death comes into our lives; rather, let us remain strong in faith and always bonded in love and care for one another. After all, our faith is a gift not only for our family and ourselves but also for others who see its strength, goodness, and beauty.
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Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas attended St. John Seminary in Camarillo, California and earned his Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri. For twenty years, he has been in the parish ministry of large multi-cultural communities. Since 2002, he has been the pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Los Angeles. Please email Fr. Rodel at [email protected].
