Precious Lessons On Life and Living From My Spiritual Director In the 90s

Sometime ago in the years 1997-1998, when I was yet taking my masteral studies in Philosophy, I faced a rough sailing life because that was the time when I got sick with severe anaemia, that I had to take plenty of strong medications that made me groggy and nauseated on-and-off. Adding up to my stress were the academic demands of graduate student’s life—constant daily readings from philosophical texts, weekly written reviews of philosophical treatises and term papers for all Philosophy subjects that I took at the time. Every time I feel that the demand of life is taking its toll on me, I would right away pay a visit to a venerable septuagenarian nun in Lucena City, Quezon Province. Leaving behind all the pressures I had in my studies, I would then ride on a bus and travelled for four (4) straight hours from Quezon City to Sacred Heart College convent of the Daughters of Charity at Lucena City to visit the Rev. Sr. Concepcion Mabunay, DC, whom I considered as my spiritual director at the time. Sor Concepcion was 77 years old when I met her in Lucena City Cathedral at a forum on Vatican II spirituality which we both attended. She was like a doting grandmother to me—and in time she became my spiritual director. She would then advise and counsel me regarding some of my life predicaments; then we often ended our conversations with a short spontaneous prayer capped with her favorite supplication, the “Memorare to the Blessed Virgin Mary”—which happens to be my favorite Marian prayer, by the way.

What was very soothing, comforting and touching in our conversations was her listening presence. Sor Concepcion, DC, was such a genuine listener. It is so easy for me to pour open my heart to her and it was as if she seeped-away all my sadness and pain by her simply listening to me in perfect silence and complete absorption during the course of our conversations. After listening to me, she would then encourage me with words from the Holy Scriptures and from the lives of the saints. There was just this beautiful conversation I had with her which I was able to record in my September 13, 1997 journal. I would like to share her words to all of you readers of my post tonight, hoping that her words (as noted in my 1997 journal) will somehow touch your heart and speak to you in whatever situation and circumstances you are facing through right at this very moment. Here are her words to me that 13th of September, more than 17 years have passed: “God is going to use all experiences we have here in life for His own glory and honor. All our sufferings, our tears, our laughter, our pains and our joys, if offered to Him will be used by Him to mature our souls for His purpose in our life. All your experiences, all sorts of people you meet, all situations that come your way are the various designs in that beautiful carpet that He is weaving right now—and that carpet He is now weaving is you, Henry. He will use all the different colors of your life to make that unique carpet beautiful—and that carpet is you. Ultimately, nothing is ever wasted because everything works out the way He wants to—and everything will eventually be fine in your life” (September 13, 1997 entry in my journal).

Looking back, I can only tearfully nod in agreement to her encouraging words to me that sunny day of September in 1997. Sor Concepcion, DC was so right—all our so-called insurmountable problems are not really insurmountable the very moment we will be able to surmount it! Looking back all the years of my life in this earthly plane, I can say with utmost faith and trust that God is indeed a God of appointment in the midst of our most distressing and heartbreaking disappointments. Even our weakness is God’s divine appointment for our own emotional and spiritual maturity. In the lovely words of St. Paul the Apostle: “God said to me; ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (II Corinthians 12:9). Readers of this my present essay, know very well that God saves all our most bitter tears in a precious vial to make of it a rose perfume that will eventually make our life a pleasing scent to Him; and everything in our life is never really wasted, even our own wasted years, even our own broken selves, our own weaknesses, our own pains and sorrows, our own inadequacies, our own mistakes, our own limitations, our own imperfections will soften our very being so that we will be available to the needs of others, so that we may be able to become God’s outflows and channels of God’s healing love to the whole world. God only needs broken people—never whole impenetrable ones! Only broken vessels can be effective channels to bring God’s love and mercy to others…

…Year 2000 was the last time I saw Sor Concepcion, DC. This was the year when my wife Belinda and me relocated to Cebu City after finishing our respective masteral degrees in UP Diliman. The above vintage photo of me with my dear spiritual director at the time, Sor Concepcion Mabunay, DC was taken sometime in the year 1997 right after the Holy Mass in the sanctuary of the Sacred Heart College Chapel, Lucena City, Quezon Province. It is indeed very nostalgic for me to see and post this memorable photo today. God richly bless Sor Concepcion, DC wherever she may be right now. Amen, a thousand times Amen!