Faith – Living: Our faith and love for God must be shown in our daily deeds. We cannot claim that we love God unless we really care for others e.g. a troubled child, a difficult relative. Deep love for God is more evident in selfless sacrifices made out of love for God.
MY MOTHER THE FERVENT BELIEVER.
I have yet to meet someone who believes in God as fervently as my mother. My father a non believer was not keen with her having anything to do with the church or having talks about God.
In fact she had to sneak behind his back to attend mass. She had to ask the priest for a concession, for her to attend mass any day once a week but not on a Sunday, because he was at home and he’ll know where she’s going!
I’ll always remember her kneeling in front of the little alter in my sister’s room, so fervently praying, 3 times a day. She prayed for peace of mind, for the family, for my father who loves gallivanting, to change his ways. All her prayers were to Mother Mary, many of her prayers were answered. Thanks be to God.
But the hardest, most horrible thing to happen to her, was the most difficult to comprehend. One so gentle, so loving and God fearing had to be tested by God, or was it God testing us?
She used to complain a lot about having head aches and how cold air is coming from the top of her head, saying it’s cold up the top. My father took her to doctors, but found nothing was wrong.
One day after a few years she said she couldn’t sleep, so my father brought her to my house thinking maybe she’ll sleep in a different bed, but she was up the whole night.
The next day she was walking around with a daze look in her eyes, the next few days of not eating not sleeping was bad. She said funny things, sometimes, swearing, cursing , laughing and crying, it was frightening to see. Was she losing her mind? What was wrong with her, only God knows.
The day we all dreaded was here, that morning the police came, my father had to sign the papers, they were taking her to the mental asylum. I saw her curled up on the floor, too shocked and stunned to say or do anything, she was taken away in a van.
Why, why, why, what was happening? Why her, why this misery, where was God? Why this pain, this suffering she’s going through? Questions, questions but no answers. The only prayer I could ask God was, ‘help her through this, get her well’ the rest was a blank.
While she was in the asylum, the only treatment given were electric shocks to her head. After a few months she was allowed to come home, but nothing was the same again.
She was always quiet, always at her alter praying, more so, never forgetting her prayers to Mary.
My father took her overseas for a tour but half way , she was sick, even overseas Drs. couldn’t find anything wrong with her. When she came back , she could hardly walk , every illness , diseases went through our minds. What was wrong with her?
She couldn’t eat, or sleep, the headaches came back stronger and more often, still having that dazed look in her eyes. Every now and then she’ll call to Mary. She was send to the hospital for more tests. All of us took turns to sit with her and feed her. She lost a lot of weight not eating or sleeping.
The day she died was a surprise, my brother and I were with her that mid morning. She was quiet laying down, then she sat up and said, ‘Mary, why are you standing at the door? Come in and take me with you” I could feel the hairs on my neck crawling. I turn to look at the door hoping to see something. Then she lay back down and I could see her lips turning blue, the Dr. was called, they tried to revive her.
20.mins later she was dead. At the hour of her death her faith, prayers and believe were so strong, she knew Mary would come for her, to take her to a peaceful place, to heaven. God bless her soul.
It was much later that we learned she had a brain tumor!
How could the Drs. be so wrong? How could she have suffered all the headaches and torment of being mental?
Could this be a lesson for us? The day she was baptized and said “I belive”, she was a fervent believer , she believed with her heart and soul. We consoled ourselves that God loved her more and took her home at 46 years old.
I too learned a lot from my mother’s faith, “ ask and you’ll be given” said the Lord.
I believe very much in God, Jesus, Mary and Joseph. In my hour of need, praying does help me through the dark moments. Thanks be to God.
We all pray that in our finial calling we can see God.
