Best birthday gift

I wondered why God took my father away on my birthday two years ago today. But then I realized that God, in fact, had given me the most perfect gift – eternal life for my dad. In His perfect wisdom, God had given my father a far better healing, something that will last forever.

My father had been far from the Lord when I was growing up. But towards the end of his life, the Lord used cancer to heal him. It was not a physical healing but a spiritual one. In those few months, I saw him humbly receive Communion from the minister who would visit him. He also received the sacrament of anointing of the sick. All my life, it seemed I have prayed for the healing of our relationship. Before he died, the Lord healed us.

I am reminded of the repentant thief at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion. He had been far away from the Lord all his life, but God saved him up to the last moment. As I prayed the Divine Mercy prayer at the morgue, I asked Jesus to have mercy on my father’s soul. It was my birthday wish. When I saw his face, I found a peaceful, contented smile. I know God has forgiven my dad completely, totally and perfectly.

Marjorie Ann Duterte