The Catechism of the
Catholic Church listed down 12 Fruits of
the Holy Spirit (CCC 1832) while the Letter of St. Paul to the Galatians
has 9 (Gal 5:22-23). Patience is one among these Fruits.
We must be aware that there
are conditions how and when God answers what we petition in prayer. God’s outright positive response certainly
increases our faith in Him. Not giving
what we are asking means that we are not worth it. We need to discern what is best for us
according to His will and plan. A
delayed response is testing us our patience to wait.
Perseverance, endurance,
steadfastness, persistence, consistency and sustainability are terms synonymous
to patience. The poet Henry Wadswoth Longfellow
must be inspired by the Acts of the Apostles to “pray in faith…it is necessary
for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22) and
the Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians, “persevere in prayer that God may
open the door” (Col 4:2). He claimed, “perseverance is a great element of
success. If you only knock long and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to
wake up somebody”.
Last August 27, 2015 on the
occasion of my persevering wife Judy’s 58th birthday and the first
founding anniversary of Rhodora Inn, we celebrated a Holy Mass in thanksgiving
and house blessing officiated by Rev. Fr. Clyde Salitrero, OCarm. We are reminded of “St. Monica’s patience
with her husband, her long years of prayer coupled with a strong,
well-disciplined character finally led to the conversion of her hot-tempered
husband and her once wayward son, now St. Augustine. She is a model wife and
mother. St. Monica is our model of
patience” (Sabbath 2015. p. 246).
In the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP) Consolacion Chapter,
we experience and are witnesses to manifestations of God’s grace through
patience and persevering intercessory prayer as a Community. The birth of Sis Girlie & Bro. Wilbert
Ang’s daughter after 17 years is one among the many answered prayers.
Kuya Joe Caminade is patient but not a patient. The noun
patient means a person is undergoing treatment while the adjective patient means a person
tolerates affliction with calmness. Pati is the Latin word which means to
endure.
When asked by a BCBP sister
now residing in Canada through the facebook, how we are?, I readily responded,
“We are what you see!”.
Our September 2015 picture after the BCBP Consolacion joint breakfast fellowship @ Siknoy, Insular Square, Mandaue City
Kuya Joe and I with our
respective wives are pioneering members of BCBP Mactan Chapter since 1994. Together, we were moved to Mandaue Chapter and
now, we are with the Consolacion Chapter.
That span of time is a measure of our endurance and perseverance
tempered with patience, the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Kuya Joe is a self-made man
who is diligent. After his retirement
from money-making activities associated with financial setbacks due to
bankruptcy in his business, he occupied himself
with his skill and passion for carpentry that brought him to an uncalled for
accident at home. The electric drill he used dropped and injured his foot. The
serious bacterial infection prompted the attending physician to recommend for
immediate amputation. However, through
the prayers of brothers and sisters in the BCBP Community, he was “saved by the
bell”. After more than a week hospitalization, he was bed-ridden for 2 months
and 6 months more for physical therapy.
During this period, brothers and sisters took turns in praying-over him
in their home during our visits to console him.
It was during his periodical
laboratory examinations that he was found out to be inflicted with the third
stage of lung cancer. It was “shocking”
to him. Like anyone who is diseased, he underwent the 5 stages of denial,
anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance (Life Lessons by
Kubler-Ross & Kessler. pp. 78-79).
Feeling that his earthly life is over, the Caminade couple anticipated a
celebration and renewal of marriage vows
on their 45th wedding anniversary at home well-attended by brothers
and sisters in the BCBP.
After a financially draining
chemo-therapy and radiation excluding the free professional fee of an
oncologist BCBP brother, he gave-up and turned to proper nutrition and
self-medication with the aid of the internet being an active “netizen”. He has “an able body” although his mobility
is limited. He has “an open-mind”
keeping himself occupied with gathering knowledge and information on proper
nutrition through the internet. He has
still a mission to comply. Through their
nightly couple prayer, he is “sanctifying his spirit”. The cheerful and
sociable Ate Norms is his persevering care-giver loving him “forever more”. Indeed,
Kuya Joe is in “perfect health” brought about by an able body, an open-mind and
a sanctified spirit. Instead of self-pity, he makes himself available in almost
all BCBP activities specially the regular Saturday breakfast fellowships. He is
passionately engaged in home-baking and preparation of “finger foods”. In fact,
during some of our intercessory prayer times when their action group is
assigned, he used to share with us food for snacks. The BCBP Consolacion
brethren regularly intercede for his healing.
With expectant faith, he
looks forward to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in 2016.
Kuya Joe is blessed to be an
epitome, our model, idol and inspiration of calmness and patience amidst
adversity. “Obedience and submission to God’s will being better than sacrifice”
(1 Sam 15:22) is his guiding post that “everything is going to be fine developing
our faith that God has a plan” for all of us.
In 2010 before his papacy,
Pope Francis pondered on the theme of patience.
“There are times when our lives do not call so much for doing as far as
our ‘enduring’, for bearing up with our own limitations as well as those of
others”. nmg
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