By: Rina R. Manuel
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| LNP Day of Dedication last January 30, 2011 |
“So now I give him to the LORD.
For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD."
- 1 Samuel 1:28
Marto Francisco, whom we fondly call “Maco,” is our youngest child. Bong and I thought all along that we were already happy and contented with our three (3) children -- Ralf (11 y.o.), Nina (9 y.o.) and Kimi (7 y.o.). They were all in elementary school and we could go around without yaya’s anymore. Finally, after rearing 3 consecutive children who were born just 2 years apart, it felt like we were free to do more things for our family, our work and our community. So, it really came as a major surprise to find out that I was pregnant with our fourth child!
Maco was born exactly one week before I celebrated my 38th birthday in 2010. Unlike the first three, he came right on the dot on the 37th week and, this time, the only one via C-section. He was the smallest among my children at birth, weighing just 6 lbs 1 oz, and, according to his pediatrician, he was at the lower 15th percentile of babies at birth. Initially, I felt pity for him, seeing him all so small and fragile. I vowed to take very good care of him for two full months, even if it meant going on leave without pay for some weeks since I didn’t have maternity leave credits anymore (it was already my 5th pregnancy, having experienced a miscarriage earlier in my marriage).
We also refer to Maco as our million peso baby. Aside from the more expensive c-section hospitalization cost, we had to buy a 7-seater vehicle (the AUV mentioned by Bong in his sharing about tithing) so that we could all fit in one car on weekends. We even felt the need to expand the house to accommodate additional rooms for our growing family.
But more than all of that, I would say that, among our four children, he is quite rather special because he was the only one conceived and born after we became covenanted members of Ligaya in 2009. Even while I was pregnant with him, they would say that the baby inside my womb would be so blessed, especially after my personal sharing to the entire community during last year’s Lenten Friday recollection. And we believe he truly is. For one, his godparents are all brothers and sisters from Ligaya. We specially chose them to be Maco's second parents, who will help us guide him in his journey with the Lord. And aside from his very sunny disposition and gracious smiles that make him seem like an angel to us, we know that he is also specially blessed because we had the great opportunity to publicly dedicate him to the Lord in the presence of the entire community last January 30.
Indeed, Maco is very special to us because of all of these things. But, so is each one of our three children. Each of them has his or her own special characteristics and circumstances because they were all uniquely made and given to us by God. Though we notice some similarities among the four children, they are all uniquely different and beautiful. They also have their own share of weaknesses but, that’s what makes them strive to become holier children of God.
Thus, on the Day of Dedication at Ateneo last January 30, Bong and I dedicated not only our youngest child, Maco, but, also his older brother and sisters. We rejoiced for the wonderful gift of children… their unique personalities, talents and abilities… and offered them back to the Lord, entrusting that He would always take care of all them.
Despite a frightening world obsessed with vanity, riches, power, sex and violence, I am confident and at peace with myself that, by God’s grace, they would turn out alright… that they would grow to be holy sons and daughters, seeking always to know Him and do His will. Looking back at my youth, I saw how the Lord guided and protected me through all those growing-up years, even with all the evil and dangers surrounding me. And I know that, with my children, He will do the same. Though I know that there may be times that they may fall and falter along the way, I have faith that the Lord will always make good come out of difficult situations.
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| Kimi, Nina and Ralf on their bikes |
I remembered the time when we were desperately looking for a good school for Ralf, given his ADHD condition (which was just recently diagnosed at that time) and his several failed entrance tests. The Lord quietly led us to a traditional yet very supportive Catholic school, the one where I spent my primary elementary grades. Now, he is able to study well on his own, is much-commended by all his teachers for his class standing and behavior, and gets to enjoy friendships in school, just like any other child. He hopes to study and live in New York some day.
I also remembered the time when Nina got into one of her many accidents -- from a broken index finger trapped by a door to a deep cut in the head after hitting the headboard of her bed. The Lord made her brave enough to withstand the pain and go home with the same sense of adventure as before. Now, she runs as fast as she could in every race that she joins in, she swims fast, as well, and has started to enjoy biking around the village. She also loves dogs and horses. She hopes to be an athlete and veterinarian someday.
And who would forget the time when Kimi got her earlobe infected by a deeply-embedded earring and needed to be operated on? The Lord was there to make sure that she wakes up after the operation and be fully healed afterwards without infection. Now, she swims, runs and bikes, just like her Ate Nina. She also loves to sing and dance and hopes to learn the keyboards this summer. Though she still has to tell us what she’d like to be someday, her charm, will-power and clever reasoning could well make her a good lawyer.
And it is only our children we dedicated last January 30. On the Day of Dedication, Bong and I also re-dedicated ourselves to the Lord. As Fr. Herb said, how could we dedicate our children to Him if we don’t dedicate ourselves first? We surely could not give to our children what we do not have. So, as suggested by Fr. Herb in his homily, we promised to look deeper into Matthew’s Gospel on the Beatitudes when we do our annual day of prayer with the Lord and planning as a couple, which usually coincides with our wedding anniversary celebration. Maybe we could share with you the results of our annual planning session with the Lord next time.
In the meantime, I am filled with great hope for the plans that the Lord has for my four children. In a world filled with fear, darkness and gloom, the Lord promises to us a life of peace, light and abundance for our children, especially those whom we dedicate to Him.
Here’s looking forward to another great year with my family and the rest of the community this 2011!
About the Author:
Rina Manuel is married to Bong Manuel. By day, she works full-time as a tax accountant for the biggest corporate taxpayer in the country while, she acts as full-time wife, mother, and tutor at home by night. On the side, she helped found the Smart Employees Roster of Volunteers for the Eucharist (SERVE) in her workplace and served as its Head Coordinator from 2009-2010. She is currently serving as editor-in-chief of "The E-vangelist," the official publication of Central District E of the Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon Community.
