General Admission
Finding Padre Pio
By Al S. Mendoza
MAYOR Rey Velasco of Sta. Barbara and I see each other mostly on a Friday. Not a planned date, though.
Just heeding a vow: Love God with all our heart.
In fact, to Rey and I, TGIF does not only stand for “Thank God, It’s Friday.” To us, TGIF is also the acronym of “To Gift If Friday.”
That’s because Rey and I gift ourselves almost every Friday with being with God by celebrating the Eucharist with Padre Pio.
To Rey and I, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, Italy, has been our friend since we found the Capuchin priest a while back.
Rey and I- with our family members in tow-celebrate Mass if we can every Friday at the Padre Pio Center along Rodriguez Ave. in Libis, Quezon City.
Ramon Rodriguez had founded the Padre Pio Center as his personal crusade after a miracle directly attributed to Padre Pio cured Ramon of an acute illness some years back.
Many more Padre Pio devotees, who were touched one way or the other by the saint’s kindness, are our “Mass Mates” almost every Friday.
They include, among others, Alice Andrada, Aton Atilano, former Mayor Ismael Mathay of Quezon City, Chito “Elvis” Bertol and Gen. Mitch Templo.
Our grandson, Mayo, was cured of his Kawasaki Disease (KD) through our devotion to Padre Pio. Kawasaki Disease has no known cause. KD’s absolute cure remains undiscovered to this day.
To us, Padre Pio was Mayo’s cure.
And while we are at it, let me take this opportunity once more to express our gratitude to those who prayed for and extended assistance to our Mayo.
They include my fellow Punchers – my kumpadre Jun Velasco and his brother, Dante, the hard-hitting Gonz Duque and, of course, our Publisher-Editor, Ermin F. Garcia Jr.
Mayo is back in school almost fully recovered from his ailment. He still undergoes a monthly check-up, though, mainly for heart monitoring and blood tests.
Mayo was a valedictorian before KD knocked him down. He struggled to get back to school rhythm and is still struggling.
He was exempted from P.E., was not allowed to climb school stairs and was excused from attending classes if he woke up not feeling well.
Mayo’s grades suffered and he would soon be out of the Top 10 in his class.
But that’s all right.
We have with us again a Mayo in one whole piece. That’s what matters most. Thanks to Padre Pio. We know Mayo, with Padre Pio’s help again, would regain his full bearings soon.
And thanks to Padre Pio too for helping Rey score that stunning mayoral victory last May 14.
One cannot help but think that a good child of God is destined to mostly win his battles.
Knowing Rey, I’m sure he believes that Padre Pio will continue to help him chart a new Sta. Barbara for the common good of his people.
To find Padre Pio is to find the goodness of God.
(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/general-admission/)
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
