Attending Mass in Blantyre and Remembering Mama

I feel grateful today since I was finally able to go to Mass.  In my past deployments, there hardly was any Catholic Church around. So it was quite difficult.  In Iraq,it was only on my last year and when I moved to Erbil that I finally got a chance to attend the weekly Masses (on Friday).

Today's gospel has been on Mary and Martha and how the latter was bemoaning the fact that Mary was not helping her in the kitchen, preparing food for Jesus and the other guest.  Mary was instead right where Jesus was listening to his talk.  In the Homily, the priest mentioned about balance.  I thought the stress would be on prayer as usually is the case when this was the gospel. The priest instead talked of the importance of creating a balance in our lives -- for prayer and for apostolic life.

The Mass ended a bit early.  There were less songs.  /t's pretty much like the noon time Masses back home.  Still, it was a blessing to have been able to go.  When I went out of the church, it was chilly.  Freezing even.  I was so desperate to get out of the cold that I went down right away when I car similar to the office taxi arrived.  It was embarrassing to find out later on that it wasn't the car at all. So I went right back tnside.

I missed you so much today, Mama. Days had been great. Working hours were long but you know how happy my work makes me. But yes, sometimes grief has a way of sneaking up on you. I saw some video of a celebrity couple moving into their new home. They made a trip down memory lane, reminiscing the time when they first lived in a small, rented condo unit up until this point that they are moving into a house of their dreams.

I resonated. I remember those times when we would crowd in our bedroom watching funny DVDs. We would all sit on the big bed --you, the children and myself, having the time of our lives. Loreto would be on the floor or would crowd next to us. So I searched through our family pictures and came acroos this. It speas of so much volume. It speaks of how much love you have given to us all.

I'm just grateful that God had given me the many opportunities to give back to you what you have given me... us.. the children. But they were not even half of what you have given me, us. I love you, Mama. I miss you.