Homily on my Mom's Funeral

Ours is not a story of a fatherless family. Our story is about a wife and a mother whose life reflects these words of Proverbs 31: 28-29: Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband, too, praises her: “Many are the women of proven worth, but you have excelled them all.”

We, the six children of Mary Jane Yu Acevedo Rebaldo, call her blessed; this does not mean that she should be declared a saint. Rather, she is called blessed because she received God’s favor. The first favor she always prayed for is that her children remain one and united. What a curse for a mother to see her children fighting against each other? But a mother is called blessed when her children love one another. Why blessed? Well, in our oneness and unity, we are likened to a jigsaw puzzle that when we put ourselves together, people can see the image of our mother. But when we cannot connect to each other, when we are divided, there will be no reminder for people who our mother is.

Mommy believed that the greatest blessing a family can receive from God is the gift of priesthood. She believed that a priest can save all his family members both living and dead by praying and saying mass for them. This is the second favor mommy prayed for –to have a priest in the family.

She started hoping to receive this God’s favor through Nong Regnier ag Nong Boyet. Ro daywa nanging sakristan anay ni Msgr. Jose Iturralde ag nagasunod-sunod man si Nong Regnier kay Fr. Jeoffry Jimenez sa anang milisahan. Tag magasueod eon kunta si Nong Regnier sa seminaryo, ginhawiran imaw ni Mama ro nanay ni mommy. Hambae nana hay abu ro eaki sa mga unga ni mommy para magpari pero ipaiway guid ro kamagueangan hay imaw ro katimbang it ginikanan sa pagbantay it pamilya. Si mommy nagpasugot but she continued to ask for God’s gift of the priesthood para sa pamilya. Ro pangamuyo ni mommy istan lang ginpamatian it Dios. Si Nong Ruben nakaasawa it unga it Diakono (deacon) it Iglesia ni Kristo. Samtang si Nong Randy nakaasawa it gumankon it pari nga si Msgr. Mesina.

Mommy’s fantastic four hay ginbunyagan ag ginpangaeanan nga Anthony Regnier, Anthony Raymar, Ruben Anthony ag Randy Anthony. Ro andang ngaean hay gintuead ni mommy sa pinalangga na nga magueang nga si Atty. Anthony Acevedo ag sa anda nga santos nga sangay nga si San Antonio de Padua. Para sa kasayuran it tanan, si San Antonio de Padua hay patron it kada Martes. Si mommy nagtaliwan ku July 30, 2019 adlaw guid nga martes, ro adlaw nga gintaeana para kay San Antonio de Padua.

These fantastic four hay kon magtawag sa among ginikanan hay Nanay ag Tatay pero kami ni Neneng Myra, Mommy ag Papa mat-a. Si Neneng Myra hay sambilog eamang nga baye sa magmanghud. Pinakapalangga imaw ni papa. Palangga man imaw ni Mommy bangud imaw eamang ro ginhawiran ni mommy nga magpabilin kana sa baeay. Ro bilin ni Nanay, si Neneng Myra sa baeay. Dugang nga handum ni mommy hay ro unga ni Neneng Myra nga si Baby Jesus hay manging pari man.

Si mommy hay atat na atat, sabik na sabik, gigil na gigil, nga may magpari sa pamilya. Pero hambae na kang wa ako sa plano na nga magaabot sa anang kabuhi. Bangud una eon kuno ako sa anang tiyan, nangamuyo imaw nga mangin pari guid ako sa pag-ampo ni St. Jude Thaddeus. Ginbunyagan ako nga Jude Isidro, ro ngaean nga wa gaumpisa sa letrang R ag wa man eon it Anthony. Ginbunyagan man ako nga pari ro akon nga ninong, si Fr. Pabs Rentino. Kon ro mga inunga kato hay nagakabisar it “A-B-C”, ako mat-a hay ginapauman-uman nga maghambae “gapari ako”. Tag ginsampok ako sa dahi sang igkampod it dust pan nga himo sa lata nga Baguio Oil, imbes magbaeos ako, si mommy gahambae nga magpasensya bangud kon gapari ako hay ro pari kinahangean mapinasensyahon ag mapinatawaron. Tag gintuli ako, owa it inugpotos ro manugtuli ngani maong ro gingamit na kang. Abaw tag adlaw nga ginapaeos eon ro maong hay indi ana bangud nagadukot sa panit. Kasakit ag ngani gatinangis ako. Si mommy samtang amat amat na ginabadbad ro maong nagahambae kang, nano eot-a ra, di ka eon pwede mag-asawa kon mawra. Kato eon nagtanum sa akong isip nga gapari lang guid ako.

Bangud ako magapari, gintur-an ako ni mommy magpangamuyo. Palapangamuyo abi imaw eabi eon kon makabati imaw nga may mga namatyan, maduaw guid maw para mangamuyo. Nadumduman ko tag si papa hay masakiton sa ospital, adlaw-gabii kami gapangamuyo ag ako ro gapamatbat. Si Papa namatay hay grade 3 ako. Ro tatay ni Mommy namatay hay grade 3 si mommy. Si Papa namatay sa edad nga 47 ag si mommy kato hay 43. Si mommy namatay sa edad nga 77 ag ang edad kara hay 43. Like mother, like son guid kaming daywa.

Tag magasueod eon ako sa seminaryo, gindaea ako nanday Mommy, Mama ag Lola Mary kay Uncle Tony ag Aunty Taty para magpabulig sa galastusan sa sueod it 13 anyos sa seminaryo. Tag gahayskol ako sa seminaryo, masakiton ako. Ginhana ako nga paguwaon bangud abo eon ako nga absences. Ro ginhimo ni Mommy hay gindaea na si Ninang Liezel sa seminaryo para himoong ninong ko sa kumpirma si Fr. Vic Martelino. Si Fr. Vic hay rector kato sa seminaryo ag si Ninang Liezel ana nga sister. Ngani owa guid ako hasipa paguwa sa seminaryo hay ninong ko eon abi ro rector. Tag sa college eon ako hay si Fr. Alex Acevedo Meñez man ro amon nanging rector. Kaistrikto guid kana ag ngani gaguwa eon lang ako sa seminaryo bangud indi ako katakod. Pagkasayud ni Fr. Alex nga maguwa ako hay ana ako minueay. Kahuya huya kuno ako nga manging unga ni Nang Jane na. Bilang kaeapit baeay ag igkampod, kilaea na si mommy nga maisog it boot ag wa gapaeagyo sa mga kabudlayan. Ano kuno ako agi nga sangkere nga problema hay maeagyo. Nachallenge ako. Gintapos ko ro college para pamatud-an kay Fr. Alex nga eaki guid ako. Nagpadayon ako sa Iloilo magtoon pero pag-abot it 1998, nag-eaong eon ako kay mommy nga indi eon ako magpari bangud nabudlayan ako. Ginpasueang eon gani ako kato ni Mama ag ni La Mary kanday Nong Regnier ag Nong Boyet sa Barotac Viejo. Pero owa ako kanda nagsunod pauli hay hambae ko kanda gusto ko lang taposon anay ro school year. Wa ako kasayod nga sa andang pagsueang kang nag-umpisa ro sigedas nga pagpinangamuyo ag sakripisyo ni mommy. Nakaabot imaw kon siin-siin sa pagpangamuyo ag maghaead it kandila ag itlog para eang ako magpari. Nakibot eang ro tanan nga ako paga-ordinahan sa pagkapari. Ako man gani nakibot. Si Fr. Kenn Estocado ro akon classmate halin sa kinder asta nagpari sayod na nga milagro kun bukon it himala nga ako magapari. Para kakon nadaea ni Mommy sa pangamuyo ro pagpari ko. Bago ako ordinahan hambae ko kana, “Mommy, nahadlok ako basi di ko kaya.” Ana eang ako ginsabat nga mangamuyo lang. Hambae na indi na ako pag-aywanan bisan ano matabo. Gintindugan guid ni mommy ro ana nga promisa kang hasta nga umabot ro adlaw nga gauli imaw pagkatapos na magklase hay tinama imaw it bola nga volleyball sa ueo ag tumumba imaw ag nalipong guid. Umpisa kato hay wa pahuway nga ginabalik balik imaw sa ospital sa pagpabueong. 

Ku July 28, ginbadlisan imaw ni Fr. Jesse Pandongon sa bulig ni Fr. Ike Temporaza nga taga Tangalan. Nadumduman ko nga si papa ginbadlisan kato ni Fr. Frederick Malacas sa bulig ni nang Nelfa Tungala nga taga Tangalan man. Ro Tangalan hay hometown ku amon nga tatay ag kon siin sanday Nong Regnier ag Nong Boyet nagserbisyo bilang Kabataang Barangay Chairman ag Kagawad. Sanday Nong Regnier ag Nong Boyet ro gintugyanan ni papa nga proteksyunan si mommy ag kami nga andang mga manghud.

Para sa kasayuran man it tanan, sanday Fr. Pandongon ag Msgr. Malacas hay nanging kibahan ko sa St. Jude Parish anay ag si St. Jude Thaddeus ro natuonan nga pinakapaborito nga santo ni mommy. Dugang pa kara, ro gamisa makaron hay si Msgr. Nestor Nalangan, igkampod ni mommy ag imaw guid ra ro nagturo kang maghiwat it primero ko nga misa cantada pagka-ordin. Sa primero ko nga misa cantada, soksok ko ro stola nga ginbasbasan ni Bishop Gabriel Reyes. Ro stola ngato hay makaron sa alima eon ni mommy. Indi Philippine Flag o Santo Rosario ro ginpadaea ko kana kundi ang stola. Mommy will not face God empty-handed but will bring my blessed stole with her to present it to God humbly saying: “Lord God, salamat may pari ako nga unga. I am blessed and now I have come to take my rest.” God will surely tell her this, “Mary Jane, many are the women of proven worth, but you have excelled them all. Come and rest with me. Amen.”

Roland and Mary's Wedding

Roland and Mary, you both experienced how to love and be loved. You also experienced getting hurt in the name of love. You were hurt because even if you desire to love forever, situations such as the loss of one’s passion or the death of a beloved, have left you all alone, broken and empty.

It is good to love. But once you have lost the one you love, you become afraid to love anymore. You are afraid to get hurt in the name of love. But Roland and Mary, you cannot escape from the fact that God who created you is love; and because He is love, time will come and has come for you to realize that you are meant to be with someone to live in love.

Roland and Mary, you have found your special someone when you started to love each other for being who you are. No matter what you have been through over the past years or what kind of person you are in the mind of others, as long as you love each other, it is enough to open your hearts again before God. Do not be afraid to love again. Do not fear. 1 John 4: 18 states, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.”

Roland and Mary, embrace the fact that this time everything will be different. Somehow, you will find it difficult not to compare your present relationship with your previous relationships. This is ok. But it is still better to thank God for all the past hurts in the past relationships. You see, despite your sad experiences, you still have the chance to love again and be happy to celebrate love again. 

Roland, thank God for giving you Mary –she is a very loving woman and she loves you the way other women cannot do. Mary, thank God for giving you Roland –not only because he is handsome but also he is very supportive in all your endeavors. Roland and Mary, thank God for giving both of you your second chance to live with someone in love. Amen.

Rey Jenald and Maecel Joy's Wedding

Is it possible for a young couple to truly be in love? Many in our society raise their doubts on young couples like you, Rey Jenald and Maecel Joy, to celebrate true love. They believe that true love comes only for those who reach the age of maturity. But how can you believe this if you can find some adults or older people who said theirs is true love yet their marriage ends in divorce or separation? Moreover, there are couples who got married at a young age and still they remain in their marriage because they love each other until one or both of them die.   

Rey Jenald and Maecel Joy, the truth is, both the young ones and the once young, hardly delineate what true love is. Yet, all may agree that when couples love each other until death, theirs is indeed true love. In saying this, all may concur that love is true when  it lasts for a lifetime. And if you, Rey Jenald and Maecel Joy , believe in a fairy tale love story, the two of you share such faith and hope that true love does not just last for a lifetime; rather it lasts forever. Nevertheless, whether love shall last for a lifetime or it should be forever, what matters most is that what you Rey Jenald and Maecel Joy feel for each other is love. Love is what all you need. Love leads you to each other, and that same love shall lead both of you to God because He is the source of love. 1 John 4: 7 states, "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God." 

Rey Jenald and Maecel Joy, look at how love has led you to each other. The first time you met during the celebration of the feast of our dear Sto. Nino, you were sixteen or seventeen then yet you were able to start a good relationship with each other. Despite the advices from your elders to focus on your studies, you were able to give time to your studies as well as to your relationship. You did not want to disobey and disappoint your elders but you did not want to lose each other either. So, you tried to make your relationship discreet.The biggest challenge of your secret relationship was how to keep it secret all the time. There were even trials in your relationship created by physical distance as Rey Jenald went to Manila while you were left here in Aklan, Maecel Joy. But look how far you have come! As your love has led you to each other, it has also led both of you to God. Yesterday, you celebrated your last anniversary as boyfriend and girlfriend , but today you are here before the altar of God to ask for His blessings to begin your life as husband and wife. 

Rey Jenald and Maecel Joy, you have shown us that it is possible for a young couple like you to truly be in love. Your Church wedding today indicates that you are both truly in love. Now that you are married, remain in love. You have your lifetime to stay together and love each other. Trials and tribulations may still come your way. Bigger challenges may at once disturb your relationship. But as long as you love each other, you have what you need as husband and wife to keep your relationship sacred. Whether or not others would say yours is true love or puppy love, or any kind of love, as long as both of you believe that it is love and you act upon such belief, you will not falter to live as husband and wife. Remain in love and you have what you necessarily need to accomplish what you have started in a relationship. Ephesians 4:2 states, "With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love." Thus,  Rey Jenald and Maecel Joy, love each other until death. Amen.

Mia and Frank's Wedding

Life is beautiful. Regardless of circumstances, life is beautiful. There are many times however that unpleasant circumstances beat a person down that he/she fails to see its beauty.  Life then becomes a struggle for survival. One merely exists and hardly remembers that life is beautiful.  Even Job, one of the famous Bible figures, shared the same sentiment as he said, "Man born of woman is short-lived and full of trouble" (Job 14:1). The Book of Psalms (90:10)  also states, "Seventy is the sum of our years, or eighty, if we are strong; Most of them are toil and sorrow; they pass quickly, and we are gone." 

Eventually, with all its struggles and troubles, life is reduced as a matter of existence. But we are not here on earth just to exist. We are here to live because life is beautiful. God Himself assures us this when He said, "For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope" (Jeremiah 29:11). If we put our hope in His words, God can make a  beautiful life rise from any unpleasant circumstances. "And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts" (Romans 5:5). 

Dear Mia and Frank, life is beautiful because of the love of God for us. It is the love of God, and not our past, which determines our future. God said, "Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; See, I am doing something new!" (Isaiah 43:18-19). Because God loves us, He makes our unpleasant circumstances a blessing in disguise -to start anew. At first, we may not understand what is happening in our life. But later we shall realize God makes all things come right. So that at the end, we can say, life is indeed beautiful. 

Mia and Frank,  look how far you have come and you have become. I believe you see your life as somewhat beautiful being with each other.  It is written on your invitation letter, "It is with great joy that we invite you to share in our happiness." You will never say this if your life is not beautiful despite both of you experienced a kind of heartache caused by someone's broken vow. But let me tell you this, your life is beautiful as it is God who has led you to each other. Because God loves you, He makes your life beautiful. Because God loves you, He chooses you for each other -to love and be loved. Because God loves you, love has been poured out in your hearts. As an act of your gratitude to God, Mia and Frank, always love God first as a couple. Romans 8: 28 has this to say, "We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." This means that those who love God may expect that their life is and will always be beautiful regardless of their circumstances. Though they may not understand why some things have to happen, they just have to believe that God has a purpose i.e., to make life beautiful. 

Mia and Frank, your wedding tonight is an expression of your love for God. Though you can be together without the benefit of a Church's wedding, still you choose to ask for His blessing to live as husband and wife. Truly, there is no better way to show your love for God but to let Him continue His work which He started prior to your wedding.  To end, Mia and Frank, have no fear to live together because God is with you. Just remember the marriage of St. Joseph and Mary. God brought them together and He never abandoned them. So shall it be for you, Frank "Joseph" and "Maria" Melissa, God has brought you together in front of His altar. He would not bring you this far just to abandon you later. Rather, He will see to it that at the end of your long and well-spent life, you can say with confidence: Thank God for the gift of life, for another chance to live and love, which is beautiful. Amen.