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January 2002

Your children around your table
(Ps 128:3)

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God is good! This Christmas and New Year was our happiest ever with all our children and grandchildren celebrating with us.

Our eldest son, Joubert, and his wife, Cyril, were the first to arrive from Manila on Saturday, the 22^nd of December. Then our son, Jenner, arrived from London on Wednesday, the 26^th of December. Finally, our daughter, Joyce, her husband, Mickey, and their children, who live in Jakarta, arrived on Saturday, the 29^th of December. With our youngest son, Jon, who lives with us in Bangkok, the entire family was in Bangkok for the New Year. Anticipating their arrival, we delayed the opening of gifts, the noche buena and the treasure hunt to coincide with New Year’s eve – a sort of a combined Christmas and New Year celebration.

Our eldest daughter, Joyce, is 32 years old, married and has three children, Miko, 9, Mita, 5, and Mari, one year old. She works for the ASEAN Foundation in Jakarta, Indonesia, a good-paying position that carries diplomatic status. Her husband, Mickey, works for Johnson & Johnson. They are now household leaders in Couples for Christ in Jakarta. Gifted with a bright mind and keen intellect, Joyce is the most independent and toughest-minded among our children. As our only daughter, she is very special to us.

Joubert is 30 years old, married, and works for Sun Microsystems in the Philippines. A graduate of La Salle, he is married to Cyril, who shares his passion for computer systems and information technology. They were in CFC Singles for Christ before they were married. Now they are members of Couples for Christ. Joubert is the most open and affectionate among our children. He has been gifted with a sharp analytical mind and the ability to explain clearly even the most complex subjects. He is the most handsome in the family.

Jenner is 22 years old and he has just completed his studies at the IHMES, an international hotel and restaurant management school at the Isle of Man, in the United Kingdom. He looks forward to working as a chef in one of the international chain of hotels, and then later, to open his own restaurant. Jenner is the friendliest and most kind-hearted among our children. He likes to play hero and to help and defend other people. He prepares the best gambas in the world and is physically the strongest in the family.

Jon is now 15 years old and studying at the International School Bangkok where he excels as a grade 10 student, getting four A’s during his first semester at a new school. He is the most intelligent and has the sharpest mind among our children. He has great ambitions and sees himself as a successful and famous person in the future. After high school, he wants to attend the university in the United States. He is the tallest in the family.

Joel would have been 24 years old had the Lord not taken him into His heavenly kingdom last May. We knew that he came to join us from heaven. Joel was a victim of the Rubella virus. Born autistic, deaf, mute, blind and with tetralogy of fallot, God gave him the special grace to be incapable of committing any sin. Thus, we know that he is now among the saints and angels in heaven where, next to the Blessed Mother, he is our most powerful intercessor.

When we attended Mass on the 30^th of December, the feast of the Holy Family, we felt that the responsorial psalm, taken from Psalm 128, was God’s message for us:

Happy are all who fear the Lord,
who walk in the ways of God,
What your hands provide you will enjoy;
you will be happy and prosper.
Like a fruitful vine
your wife within your home,
Like olive plants
your children around your table.
Just so will they be blessed
who fear the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion,
all the days of your life,
That you may share Jerusalem’s joy
and live to see your children’s children.
Peace upon Israel!

We began our Christmas-New Year’s eve with a prayer following the usual CFC prayer meeting format. I led the prayer while Jean played the keyboard. After two praise songs and a worship song, we offered prayers of thanksgiving and petition. We were all so touched by the Holy Spirit that when Joubert cried while saying his petition everyone was teary-eyed. For our discussion and sharing, we chose Psalm 127:

Unless the Lord build the house,
they labor in vain who build.
Unless the Lord guard the city,
in vain does the guard keep watch.
It is vain for you to rise early
and put off your rest at night.
To eat bread earned by hard toil –
all this God gives to his beloved in sleep.
Children too are a gift from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb, a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children born in one’s youth.
Blessed are they whose quivers are full,
They will never be shamed
contending with foes at the gate.

We were pleasantly surprised when our youngest son, Jon, offered to share first. He related his reflection on the psalm and how it applied to his life as a student. Jenner shared his experience in the UK and described how lonely he felt living far from his family. Joubert shared his struggles in trying to develop the ability to reach out to other people. Joyce and Mickey gave a very touching sharing about their life that brought everybody to tears.

After the family prayer, we had our traditional Christmas-New Year’s eve dinner. This was followed by the much-awaited treasure hunt. The children always looked forward to this activity, which we started many years ago. We would hide clues around the house and the children would look for them. This year, as in last, we used verses from the Bible as clues. There were three teams: Joyce and Mickey, Joubert and Cyril, and Jenner and Jon. The final clue, which was to lead them to the treasure, was from Proverbs 2:1-8:

My son, if you receive my words and treasure my commands,
Turning your ear to wisdom, inclining your heart to understanding;
Yes, if you call to intelligence, and to understanding raise your voice;
If you seek her like silver, and like hidden treasures search her out: Then will you understand the fear of the Lord;  the knowledge of God you will find; For the Lord gives wisdom, from his mouth  come knowledge and understanding; He has counsel in store for the upright, he is the shield of those who walk honestly, Guarding the paths of justice, protecting the way of his pious ones.

We expected them to think of my Bible after reading these verses. And we were very delighted when they all did! Inserted in my Bible was the “treasure” – a piece of paper on which was written: “God’s word is the greatest treasure of all.” (Get $100 from Mom).

After the treasure hunt I put on the Santa Claus hat for the distribution and opening of gifts. As we watched our children open their gifts, this thought crossed my mind – God’s greatest gift to us: Our children around our table.