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Monday, July 25, 2005
A Filipino Chinese Story
By Chic Nery Fortich
WHEN I called her up on the phone, I thought I'd get some stories about San Lorenzo Ruiz, the patron of most Catholic Filipino Chinese.
"He's (referring to San Lorenzo) always in our prayers," she said. "But when you pray to God, He seems to be the only one in your mind."
Thus, the woman who had just had a double operation on her reproductive organs, colon, and rectum began her story. Those operations, topped by a frequent chemotherapy before and after the surgery, her own cancer, the cancer that her husband died of only two years before (non-Hodgeskin's lymphoma, like Jackie O's disease), her own father's death, and the sudden death of her surrogate mother, everything was just one trial after another. After she learned about her own disease on the same day her surrogate mother died, she was very much devastated and depressed. Yet, in a few days, she got over the depression--and went directly to the beauty parlor to have herself beautified
But let us begin right from the start, when she and her husband knew that he was having cancer.
"That was in 1999," she recalled. "My husband had a very positive attitude, for we could not let our children know about his cancer. They were still too young."
Her husband kept his positive attitude, and that lifted her up so she could go on with her life, having a happy disposition. "It was only about 2002, when he was already having boils, when he started being uncooperative. I could no longer get him to follow the doctor's orders. He seemed to think that it was of no use. That he was going to die, anyway."
So, in 2003, he died. Yet, he still had his positive attitude, and looked very well when he died.
Her father died, too--on a Happy Valentine's Day!
Then, in January this year, she discovered her disease--on the same day that her surrogate mother died.
She was traumatized for a while, but soon recovered. On the day she went to Cebu City to have her chemotherapy before going to the Chinese General Hospital in Manila for her operation, her late husband had his second death anniversary--which only her children celebrated here by having mass and going to the Oro Gardens to visit his grave.
While in Manila before her operation, she went to a healing mass in Lukban, Quezon. It was conducted by Father Paller. During his healing practice, she felt that God was in her, and she fell on the floor.
"My prayers had been, 'Lord, please do not let me have a colostomy', 'Lord, please do not let me have another chemo'."
"But, none of these happened. I still had my colo-rectal, and I still am going to have more chemo," she said. "I thought that the Lord must have a different purpose for me, so I accepted it."
I must stop here for a while, because I want to focus on her word, accepted.
She herself explained it in her talk to me.
"If you do not really love your God, it will be difficult for you to accept the trials He gives you," she said.
She told me that she had once been a Chinese Buddhist. The ones who believe the Confucianist theory that, "Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you".
"For me, that theory expressed the Chinese Buddhists' (or Taoist's) indifference. You do not care what others are doing, because you also do not care what you do."
"My training in the Catholic faith had taught me to "'throw bread at someone who throws stones at you.' I could not accept that Buddhist Theory."
When God gives you trials, how can you throw back another trial at Him? It's impossible!
Or, when God gives you trials, how can you insult Him by crying, or making mahay, or rebelling against Him? Again, you'd become laughable!
There's a favorite story of mine about St. Therese of Avila. She had just fallen down the stairs, and as soon as she reached the lower floor, she looked up, and saw a laughing Jesus in front of her.
The only thing she could say to Him was, 'No wonder you have very few friends.!'
A grumble like that would make Jesus laugh even more. Especially because it is true. He does have only a few friends.
This is why we must make very sure that we show Him the truest of our loves.
(Incidentally, to answer your unspoken question: Yes, St. Therese was also psychic!)
(July 25, 2005 issue)
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