Thursday, January 17, 2008

Wake Day 3 (Last Night of Wake)

WAKE - DAY 3

Dear All,

Many of Albert's colleagues from NYP including his boss came down at lunch-time today.

When I reached there at 7:20pm, 2 of Albert's colleagues, James & Leslie, were there.

The prayer group from St Joseph Dead Aid Association were a little late. We started around 8:15pm. My dear old friends from NETs days, Vera & Augustine, came in time to join in the prayers. In spite of my forgetting to inform them till only this afternoon, they still managed to make time for us midst their busy schedule.

My brother, Edmund & Chris came later. A most unexpected but pleasant visit was from Florence & Steven - they are the communion ministers for my dad who is home-bound now, and whom I had called on the day Albert's mum went into ICU, for contact numbers of priests, either from Holy Cross or Holy Trinity Churches. They are truly God sent...angels from heaven!

Steven & Florence gave us, or least me, great consolation tonight. They shared with us a recent miraculous healing of a man with 4th stage cancer of the intestines. He went through all the treatments required and all his catholic friends and friends' friends were activated to pray for him. He was so worried when his appointment for his next checkup was brought forward to 8 Jan instead of 17 Jan. Steven told him to have faith and to walk in faith that God would heal him. When he saw the doc, he was told all his cancer cells were gone! He and his family members literally leapt for joy! Steven highlighted to us that when Jesus healed the leper, He told him that his faith had saved him. What we need to do is to pray and walk in faith that God would provide. When we don't get what we WANT, it's because God has given us only what we truly NEED. We need to listen to what He is saying to us.

He also reminded us to do for Albert's mum things that would help her to reduce her time in purgatory. That is to offer 7 Masses over the next 7 days after the funeral, or at the weekend Mass over 7 weeks. The dead needs prayers, and what better way than to offer the prayers of thousands of people made at a single Mass!! Very practical advice. Indeed, I strongly believe they were sent to us by the angels. To see us listening so intently and lapping up their words, Florence exclaimed that indeed God must have truly sent them here tonight. My thoughts exactly!

When the family (Law, his wife, Bert and I) were discussing about how to place mum's rosaries and prayer book in the coffin and the closing of the coffin, I noticed how Bert looked so longingly at her. (He shared with me how he stroked her head and her hands in the ICU after her death when he was alone with her, waiting for the staff from the mort to take her body down). It would be the last time we would be able to cast our eyes on her physical face! I told Albert and Law to say their last good-byes to mum. I couldn't help tearing. Tiffany came over and I told her to say good-bye to ah ma. She too teared a little. Albert gave that longing look at his mum. I could see it in his eyes.

We left a little past the 11pm closing time. The care-takers were wonderful, silent people...non-intrusive and so sweet & helpful to us.

Tomorrow is the funeral. It'll be the final good-bye. The Mass would be at 2:15pm at the Nativity Church of the Blessed Virgin. A bus has been hired to bring all to Mandai Cremation Rm3 at 3:45pm for the cremation and back to the church. The ashes would be collected on Friday at 10am and installed at the columbarium at St Anne's Church.

I don't know what tomorrow would bring, or how Bert nor I or the children would be like emotionally. I hope to be strong for Albert, but I am a most emotional person..I'm afraid I would not be of much help to Albert.

Albert is also very sad about returning to Jurong house. It brings back too much memories of his mum. We shall have to take things 1 step at a time. I hope time would heal.

Am tired now. It's almost 2am on Thur. Just to record my feelings tonight.

Love Theresa

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