Last Tuesday, five female cousins of my late father and some of their family members visited me. They drove all the way from Wildomar, California, in Riverside County, where they decided to live together in their retirement —a good two-hour drive to Los Angeles.
As distant relatives, I would call each tita (aunt), a very endearing word in Tagalog.
What struck me about their visit was their tenacity, faith, and joy in living in their senior years. Three of them are now in their 80s and are still determined to live a zestful life. The middle sister takes pride in still being able to drive her siblings on the busy freeways of Southern California.
I asked them what they usually do during their retirement. Besides taking care of three puppies, plants, and fruit trees, they said they watch programs on ETWN—a Catholic television network. The first thing they do in the morning, as soon as they wake up and freshen up, is to gather in the living room, prepare an altar, and attend Mass on EWTN.
It was delightful and inspiring to hear my titas’ life stories, living together happily in their later years despite health challenges and old age. It filled my heart with joy and hope.
These are women of strong faith in God—not just a show of piety but love and care for others and our church. They are still active in the Focolare Movement. This international organization promotes the ideals of unity and universal brotherhood and sisterhood. They also support their relatives in the Philippines by sending them goods and tuition fees money for younger relatives’ education. And they show their love for us, priests, through their visits, prayers, and support.
I think of them when I reflect on the Scripture Readings this Sunday. The Second Reading from the Letter to the Hebrews talks about the faith of ancestral figures of the Old Testament like Abraham: their unwavering confidence in the Lord’s promises; their tenacity and hope; and their alertness, courage, and prayer.
The Reading describes well the faith these ancestors had: “a realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen." It’s faith that generates life and never dies, and when put to the test, keeps on becoming more steadfast.
Roland J. Finley, in Footprints on the Mountain, describes these ancestors’ faith as “yearning for an eternal homeland, even though it was perceived as a far distant reality. The proof of this is the fact that they lived a nomadic existence, never taking up ‘permanent residence.’”
I believe that my titas have this kind of faith. Like them and our ancestors in faith, I, too, am determined to show it in my older years.
Your loving pastor,
Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas