Eulogy: My mom’s incredible Catholic journey
I am a writer who happens to be Catholic. I hope you won’t mind if I share this personal story from a Catholic perspective. My mom was a very private person who shunned publicity. However, I think she won’t mind if I will talk about the Divine Mercy whom she adored and had complete devotion until the end.
More than anything, this story is intended to give thanks and give glory to the Good Lord who has blessed me with such a compassionate and loving mother.
Towards the end of her life, we were both spiritual sisters sharing the same Faith, and we would talk endlessly about God, sacraments, and why she had no plans of returning to her Protestant roots. Before she was hospitalized, she told me that she would never leave the Church because it was instituted by Christ.
I am going ahead of my story. My mother was not born a Catholic.
She grew up Protestant. In yesteryears, my grandfather was an auditor of the Philippine government and his signature can be found in some of the old paper bills. He was also a Mason to the highest degree, I was told.
In any case, her Catholic journey will not be complete without mentioning my deceased father who brought her to the Faith. As a child, I seem to remember hearing about the UP Student Catholic Action and Father Delaney who was chaplain in UP. I think he was involved in those things. It was upon marriage that my mom converted to Catholicism.
The marriage of my parents was an almost perfect one. It was generally peaceful and we were brought up in the same faith. The only thing that changed the equilibrium was the sudden death of my father.
As a result, my mom pursued a new life abroad. It was this drastic move that caused a big rift between us and there was a time we were not on speaking terms. She also absorbed the culture of the new life abroad and I felt we were not on the same wave length.
Thus, it came unexpectedly during her retirement years that she became increasingly more prayerful. One time, she invited me to join her Divine Mercy prayer group. I felt she was more drawn to having a direct conversation with God, rather than maybe through Mama Mary, presumably a remnant of her early life. A priest clarified that praying to the Divine Mercy or saying the Rosary are both good Catholic practices.
With her apparent preference of praying directly to God, it came as a surprise when she told me that she also prayed the rosary after watching the daily mass at EWTN.
At the end of her life, I can say that my mom lived a full Catholic existence. She had three cancer diagnoses. She survived two of them and died on the third one, at a ripe old age. She told me that she was very grateful for everything God has given her. She was happy and at peace.
Before she was hospitalized, my mom also received the sacrament Anointing of the Sick. She told me that she went to Confession.
My mother was able to complete many things and stayed sharp until her health declined. She is well-loved by many people around her who feel her deep loss.
Before her passing, it was beautiful to witness her loved ones (Catholic or otherwise) gather online around her hospital bedside to accompany her in uttering her favorite Divine Mercy Chaplet.
It is a consolation to know that she departed full of joy. Mama, we love you. See you in eternity…
