Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Today I attended the funeral mass and cremation of my grandma's godfather, Uncle Victor. He and his wife Aunty Margaret walked with my grandma every step of the way during her conversion period from a staunch Taoist to a woman who firmly believes in Christ today. And my grandma, a 2.5 year old Catholic, is so close to God now. All this is attributed to her wonderful godparents, who took time from their busy schedule and willingly went to my granny's place every week without fail to give her catechism classes. It did not matter to him that my granny only speaks in teochew & cantonese, and conversation between them was not through lips, but through hearts. And of course, with some translation from Aunty Margaret. (Uncle Victor is indian, & Aunty Margaret a chinese)
This nice man, who on Valentine's Day visited my granny, sat with her, reaffirmed her faith, and wrote her a beautiful prayer in his cursive manuscript, went home to the Lord on 17th February, Friday. This is ironic, for my grandma had thought that she was the one that would go home with the Lord instead, because his purpose in visiting her was to prepare her spiritually for a broncoscopy on the 17th. During the hour that my granny was recuperating after her bronco in the recovery room, my mum and aunty prayed the Divine Mercy outside her hospital room at around 3pm. The Lord's Hour. And it was at this time too, that Uncle Victor suffered a heart attack and passed on.
His funeral mass today was so well-attended - much more crowded than a weekday mass. The hall at the crematorium was so filled with friends & family that some had to stand on the aisles and sides. The viewing gallery was so packed that people were shoulder-to-shoulder, all trying to catch a last glimpse of their beloved friend as they bade him goodbye. All 180 of them.
For a man who did so much on earth, he has indeed gotten his eternal rest. And we cry not for his death, but for the world's loss of a good man.
God bless you, Uncle Victor. And Thank You.
lying among the petals 10:57 AM
