There is no greater pain than losing loved ones especially in this time of pandemic. Three beautiful and kind souls were taken from us. On August 14 on their funeral day even the priest said it was not an ordinary funeral for a family having three members buried at the same time. This must be very sad and painful to the family.
I had never imagined this scene in my whole life. They were separated by circumstances because of this pandemic when they were still alive, but reunited during their wakes and funerals. How painful it was.
The priest said we may not understand by now why all these things need to happen losing three family members at a time because we are still in the state of grief, but sooner or later we will come to understand God’s plan. I truly agree with the priest there is an alloted time for everything, a time to hurt and time to heal, a time to grieve and time to rejoice.
The next day after the burial, since it was my mother’s first birthday in heaven I decided to attend the Sunday Mass in a nearby town with my husband to offer prayer for her soul and for her eternal rest and peace with our Creator.
I could not hold back my tears when the presiding priest started his homily by saying it was his first appearance after two months since he was discharged from hospital. He said he was getting better and that he wanted to celebrate the Mass on the feast of Assumption of Mary because he wanted to thank God for he was alive. He has survived Covid-19.
He said he struggled in his ward in hospital in isolation with no one to talk to but God alone. In silence my heart was bleeding inside with tears rolling down my cheeks as my face mask caught them. I said to myself, “Father, I understand you. I know the feeling. We went through what you have gone through.” My case was worse as Covid-19 claimed my mother’s life. We are also victims of this virus. And this is never a joke.
I could not hold back my tears when the presiding priest started his homily by saying it was his first appearance after two months since he was discharged from hospital. He said he was getting better and that he wanted to celebrate the Mass on the feast of Assumption of Mary because he wanted to thank God for he was alive. He has survived Covid-19.
The priest said that as the Covid-19 virus has claimed the lives of many priests and religious. The sufferings caused by Covid-19 are so real everywhere.
Our recovery was never easy. We still needed to go through rough roads and it was never a smooth sailing. No matter how hard we tried to be strong, from time to time our fresh wounds were still hurting. We were scattered and separated by this pandemic because of this quarantine and isolation imposed. We were like sheep without shepherd. But then, we are humbled by life’s trials and our bruises remind us that we are human in need of God all our life.
We pray for all the victims of Covid-19 and of its new variants all over the world. We pray that God may touch and heal them, and comfort those who lost loved ones. We hope that nothing can ever harm our homes, family and the whole world as we heal as one.
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
https://www.Facebook.com/CFM-Gifted-to-give-101039001847033
Lynn Salinas-Batoliño
The Philippines
