These are very difficult times for the family of Private Citizen Cory Aquino, who has been diagnosed with colon cancer. There has been an overwhelming outpouring of love, support, and prayers for her and the family as well as tons of unsolicited advice on medical matters, miracle juices and drugs, and alternative medicines. Masses offered by friends have been held at the Ateneo in Rockwell and St. Scholastica’s College. Abroad, Filipino communities are planning healing masses too.

Take it from someone who has traveled that difficult CA road: the best things we can offer are prayers and more prayers. And let us give her and the family the privacy she needs to go through the treatments and so she can recover faster.

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The Tagaytay community of the Focolare Movement will have mass tomorrow in thanksgiving for the life of their founder, Chiara Lubich who died at 6 p.m. on March 14 in Rome at the age of 88. The mass will be at the Our Lady of Lourdes parish church at 6 p.m. with Bishop Chito Tagle presiding.

Chiara was in the country in January l982, and again in January, l997. If I remember correctly, it was from here in Tagaytay that she held one of her weekly "broadcasts to the world" on the Word of Life, her commentaries on the Gospels. She also called on Cory Aquino during her second visit.

Lubich founded the lay movement Focolare (literally, "the warmth around the fireplace") on May 14, 1944 in the Italian city of Trent as the world around her lay in ruins because of the world war. As with all great leaders and visionaries, she began with a conversion, a complete surrendering of herself to God .

God was to be her life’s Ideal; she was going to live a life fully committed to that Ideal and one that would lead to religious unity, peace, love, and devotion.

She was "only" a lay woman but she lived this Ideal and began to attract, by her lifestyle, other young women, and soon she had a community. Men followed her path, as well as married couples, and today, the

Focolare has more than 200,000 committed members (called "Focolarina" for the women and "Focolarino" for the men) and some four million supporters worldwide, including Vatican officials, Pope Benedict, and the late Popes Pius XII and John Paul II. The two pontiffs encouraged the movement despite misperceptions about Chiara’s motivations and suspicions of Focolare’s ways and goals.

Since she espoused unity and the study of the Bible, she was accused of being a communist and leading young people astray. You see, dear readers, at that time, it was not yet acceptable for lay people to study the Bible by themselves.

Chiara went through several investigations and several councils of church leaders found her "a woman’s way" (in reference to Mary’s way) "good for the Church" as Pope Pius XII told her at a private audience. After he died, they discovered a note he had written to the council of bishops that it was his wish that they approve of Focolare. His successor, Pope John Paul II, formed a commission to fully integrate the movement into the structures of the Church, so that on March 23, l962, he formally approved the movement Focolare.

Chiara has been honored by prime ministers, heads of state, religious leaders, industrial and business titans, academicians, and professionals for the clarity and purity of her Christian goals. She was one lay Christian leader who could move the hearts and souls of people who came in contact with her or the Focolare movement.

My beloved Sonny was very attracted to the Focolare way of life and would sit listening to Frs. Vic, Rory, and George for hours in front of our fireplace. We made it a point to hear mass at their little chapel and we really felt like part of the community. The world is poorer by her death.

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The Contemplative Convent of the Good Shepherd sisters in Tagaytay was my spiritual refuge last Maundy Thursday (Sonny’s birthday) and Black Saturday. While the mass of the Last Supper was simple and no reenactment of the Washing of the Feet was done, it was solemn and conducive to reflection.

A new priest from the Focolare movement down the road was the celebrant, and he touched us with his stories of his simple boyhood days and his very poor parish in Palawan.

His main point was being of service to others, just as Jesus was of service to us. By washing the feet of his disciples, Jesus, he pointed out, was showing us how to serve with love. How wonderful life would be if people in authority served in Jesus’ way. Employers to their employees; mistresses to their household help; teachers to their students; and so on. Well, this is Easter and hope is in the air!

The Easter Vigil mass was a beautiful liturgical feast and for us gathered in the small chapel, it was really a joyful experience of welcoming the Light in the midst of darkness. I could not help but reflect on the many years that Hubby and our family participated in similar liturgical activities in that little chapel. My apo Amanda was with me during Holy Week and she voluntarily gave up playing her Nintendo DS Lite for the whole day of Good Friday. "Lola, this is my sacrifice for Jesus," she said. And true to her word, she didn’t touch the electronic game until the next day. And then, after listening to the Seven Last Words emanating from the Christ the King (SVD) church, she asked, "Lola, why do they call today Good Friday when Jesus died on the cross?" Hmmmnnn…I have to ask Fr. Jerry Orbos for a good answer to that one!

This, I also learned with Amanda: it’s never too early to teach the basic tenets of our Faith to our children or grandchildren! So don’t be hesitant to impart your beliefs to the young folks in your circle when the opportunity arises.