Last weekend, our young family was able to attend the annual Couples for Christ (CFC) Mission Core Weekend Retreat at Camp John Hay in Baguio. It was another inspiring event for me, much like the CFC Leaders Conference at the Araneta Coliseum last January 14, which I wrote about in a previous post. The theme for this year was “The Magnificat,” based on the Canticle of Mary.
The stage at the CFC Magnificat Weekend Retreat (photo courtesy of Tito Art Del Rio)
It’s funny how God really makes a way for His plans to fall into place. You see, we (little Therese [or Rysse, as she is more commonly known to other people] and I) almost didn’t make it to the retreat, as she fell ill a few days before we were set to leave. We were to join her Papa and Kuya Timothy there, who were already in Baguio by Wednesday to help prepare for the event (hubby works fulltime for CFC, on the Events Team).
So when Rysse woke up with a fever and vomited early Wednesday morning (around midnight actually), just as hubby and Tim were about to leave for Baguio, I started having doubts about going on with our plans. I asked everyone I knew to pray for her healing; our immediate family members, our brothers and sisters in CFC, my co-workers at Shepherd’s Voice and our fellow Catholic homeschoolers. I posted prayer requests on Facebook and Twitter and texted a whole bunch of people too.
Despite this, I was still quite worried. However, God spoke to me through the Wednesday Mass readings, which also happened to be the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. He also reminded me, through a CFC Tito, that I should seek Mama Mary’s intercession. Praying the Holy Rosary while massaging Rysse’s feverish body became a way for me to relax and lift my fears and worries to the Lord.
Pray the Rosary – it works! (photo from here.)
Come Thursday, I brought Rysse to her pediatrician, who prescribed antibiotics and lagundi syrup, and cleared her to go to Baguio, as long as we brought her medicine and nebulizer with us. Needless to say, I was ecstatic and grateful to God for His goodness!
We got to Baguio early Saturday morning, with Rysse coughing profusely most of the trip. She and I and her Lola were not able to sleep much before we had to wake up to leave for the retreat venue. On the way there, I was telling myself what a bad mother I was for having pushed through with the trip, only to have Rysse’s cough seemingly worsen.
However, God used the people in the venue, my brothers and sisters in Christ through CFC, to dispel these thoughts. Although I wasn’t able to listen to all the speakers and sharers, as Rysse and I were outside the retreat hall a lot, the parts I was blessed to listen to almost consistently left me in tears.
I spent most of my time outside the retreat venue with the kids and their friends, who are also members of Kids for Christ. Here, we’re with Don, one of our close friends, and the dad of two of the kids in the group. He was teaching the kids to play chess.
The highlight was most probably during the last session, when I heard CFC’s Executive Director, Tito Melo Villaroman’s son, Dave, share about how the Lord blessed him and showed that “God is faithful to all generations.” You see, I was part of the mission team to Singapore when Dave had his Youth for Christ Youth Camp there, ages ago. Hearing Dave speak, I felt like a proud mother, hearing her little boy speak so maturely and confidently about God’s goodness and grace. I remember praying, “Lord, may my own kids also grow up to proclaim Your greatness, just like Dave.”
Dave sharing about God’s faithfulness in his life
I also had to keep myself from bawling when Tito Melo led us in prayer for our families, especially for our children. I realized again that our children truly are great blessings from the Lord, and that we should cherish them and raise them up in His love, ways and grace. I realized, too, that I was powerless to protect my kids from sickness and calamity and even death – only God could do so. All I can do is surrender them to His loving hands, and to the hands of Mary, our dear Mother.
Indeed, just like Mama Mary, the state of my heart now is one of great rejoicing. Because I have realized once again that God is truly faithful to all generations. With Him, nothing is impossible.
The Magnificat of Mary (photo from here.)
The Canticle of Mary. 46v And Mary said:*
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;w
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.x
For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;
behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.y
The Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.z
His mercy is from age to age
to those who fear him.a
He has shown might with his arm,
dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.b
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones
but lifted up the lowly.c
The hungry he has filled with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.d
He has helped Israel his servant,
remembering his mercy,e
according to his promise to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”f
(Luke 1: 46-55, New American Bible version)