A eulogy for my brother Romy

We interred our eldest brother Romeo’s ashes at the family mausoleum in our hometown of San Jose, Nueva Ecija yesterday, Saturday 19 July 2008. He died from complications of organ failure the other Saturday, July 12, 2008 at the age of 73. He is our second brother who died in less than two years leaving me now as the eldest boy among the remaining siblings of four boys and one girl.

There were eight priests from the Dioceses of San Jose and Cabanatuan who came to concelebrate the mass at the San Jose Cathedral yesterday. After communion, I being the oldest living boy (my only sister is older that I) among the siblings, expressed our thanks to all who were there.

Actually, I prepared some sort of a eulogy and farewell for him, but I became shy and decided at the last minute just to convey my gratitude to all in behalf of the family.

This is what I prepared to say:

“During the last few months or so before he died, Kuyang (that is what we called him) and I spent many hours together just talking about a lot of things: his life as a young boy in Pulilan, the war years, his going back home to San Jose, his seminary days and his priestly ministry. He loves talking about the past and our family, but whenever I ask him what he misses most of all, his answer would always be the same: he misses saying Mass, celebrating the Eucharist. That is how much he loves the Eucharist.

And so today, if you ask me how I would summarize Kuyang’s life, I can only think of summarizing it in relation to the Eucharist.

In St. John’s Gospel where Christ is depicted to have instituted the Eucharist, we can find four significant things that Jesus did: He took bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to His disciples and friends. Taken, Blessed, Broken, and Given – these words too can be used to describe Kuyang’s life.

Christ took him away from us his family, chose him among others and brought him to the seminary despite the many hardships it entailed for all of us. Christ then blessed him when he was ordained to the priesthood and sent him to the people of Nueva Ecija. But then Kuyang was also broken when he left the priesthood after serving for 16 long years. He was broken some more when he suffered a stroke and confined to a wheelchair and his bed for many years – the once very active and sociable person that he was must have suffered a thousand deaths as he patiently and with courage accepted his lot. But without knowing it, Christ actually had given him already to the people he ministered to in Cabanatuan, Jaen, Calaba and Licab. And now He is sharing and giving him again to his family and friends as a life worthy to be emulated.

Taken, blessed, broken and then given – that is the Eucharist and that also summarizes Kuyang’s life.

Today, as we gather here with his eight priest-friends and colleagues to celebrate the Eucharist, I am sure Kuyang could not have wanted more. Thank you dear Reverend Fathers and thank you dear friends. We could not have given him a better send-off celebration.”