Feb.17, 2013 - Sunday Mass and My Prayer "

Today, February 17, 2013, the entire family- Brian, Cielo, Joshua, Tiffany Anne, Melanie Mary and I attended Mass at our parish church here in Sacramento. A whole family together for Sunday worship! What a beautiful image! A remembrance of my childhood family togetherness at Mass added to the joy in my heart. The fleeting thought that some families do not enjoy such Sunday togetherness due to unrecognized/discarded values or circumstances beyond their control, somehow crossed my mind.

Fr. Soane Kaniseli, pastor of Divine Mercy Catholic Church, officiated at Mass. It was a most soul-stirring celebration of the Eucharist since his well-prepared homily and wonderful singing voice added much "grandeur" to the sacrament. I was so moved by it and appreciated the fact that since the introduction of the New Missal, many parts of the Mass are now sung much like the chanting in the Orthodox Church. I smiled when I recalled, "When we sing, we pray twice," attributed to St. Augustine. After the Mass, we prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy as is the established practice in that church.

Another "routine" of our family after Mass has been to enjoy lunch in a restaurant which can be any of the cuisine offered by the Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese or American establishments in the area. Today, we relished the Salad Bar and crispy shrimps at Sizzler's. With a heart filled with joy and a stomach full to the "brim," I spent some time of the afternoon in prayer of thanksgiving and a much-needed nap.

What could have been a perfect scenario of peace and contentment was marred by the glaring news report of a singer, Mindy Mcgready, having committed suicide at age 37 leaving two kids aged 9 and 6 years. My immediate reaction was of disbelief and deep sympathy for two innocent kids whose lives would be traumatically affected by the tragedy. What is this world coming to? Several reasons behind the incident can be mentioned or exposed, but to me, the root cause is the absence of God in so many people of this era.

This made me scribble these lines:

                   Let Me Be, O Lord

Let me be, O Lord, your kind caring hands
Stretched out to render aid to the needy and forlorn
To extend your soft healing touch and unbind
The grip of fear, pain and shameless scorn.

Let me be, O Lord, your strong steady feet
To walk with those in bondage and affliction
With courage borne from your protective sheet
Strengthen them to rise, break the chain of addiction.

Let me be, O Lord, your loving searching eyes
That see a friend's pain and sorrow beneath the mask
Which often show mirth on the surface, but, alas
There lies a wounded heart crying for help to rush.

Let me be, O Lord, your soothing voice that counsels
The young, the indifferent, sophisticated wards
Who are ensnared by worldly pleasures and vice
Unmindful of Eternity's justice and rewards twice.

Let me be, O Lord, your keen ears that listen
To the plea of the poor for daily needs so common
Muted by disillusion, shame and false pride unspoken
Beneath stone-faced mien of despair and abandon.

Let me be, O Lord, the face that radiates your love
Through my wrinkles, blotches, disfigured state
Shield me from the fear of ridicule which matches
My intense desire to be an "apostle" of my faith.

So help me, Lord, in my commitment to leave
A Legacy of Faith to family, friends and all
Be aware of God's presence always and to give
Time, talent and treasure in response to your call.


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