By Louise P. Abesa
This year’s May 18th, the birthday of St. Pope John Paul II, was a great day for Pope Leo XIV to formally start his office as the head of the Roman Catholic Church. I wasn’t able to catch the live telecast. I’m so glad, though, that there’s an uploaded video of the occasion. I was able to belatedly experience the joy of seeing the Philippines’ own Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle put the fisherman’s ring on the finger of our new Pontiff.
As I watched the ceremony and was taken by the dignity of the Mass, I spontaneously remembered the movie, Ben-Hur (1959 edition with Charlton Heston). It was while watching the film in a big theater when I was in second grade that I got to appreciate the infinite dignity of Jesus Christ. I was moved and quietly cried when Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince, found his mom, Miriam, and sister, Tirzah, turned into lepers because they were kept in a common prison by the bad guy, Messala. My Mommy wasn’t so moved by the scene though, but she quietly cried when Jesus was being nailed on the cross. The Ben Hur family belonged to Jewish royalty. Jesus was a son of a carpenter. It was a very powerful visual for me. My three brothers must have been with us in the theater. I’m not sure now if my Dad was with us or was in Germany at the time training to be an non-life insurance underwriting expert for FGU, an Ayala insurance company. I was oblivious of the other people in the Theater. My world then was reduced to me, my Mom and the Ben-Hur family and Jesus Christ on the big screen. That little occasion later on was an impetus to expand my heart and mind as regards the meaning of our earthly life and why Jesus Christ had to die on the Cross to save us, and the infinite value of the Holy Mass. My Mom’s consequent conversations with my brothers and me, whether individually or as a group, became more impressive and meaningful especially when she told me (I guess she also told my brothers this important lesson) that Jesus died for our sins and that every sin we commit refreshes His wounds because it is an affront to the Triune God’s infinite dignity.
In religion class, I have learned that with our freedom, we can choose to separate ourselves from Jesus and voluntarily kill our own soul and lose the inheritance of heaven.
In Theology class, in the Gospel of St. John, and in Revelation, I’ve learned that Jesus has infinite dignity because He is the only begotten Son of God, the Creator of heaven and earth and all that exist. Jesus is not only a prince of Judaea, Israel like Judah Ben-Hur but He is the King of the Universe. He is the answer to every question the human mind can conceive because through Him, all things were made (John 1:3). Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega (Revelation 22:13).
I’m now in remission from cancer. I have had four 21-day chemo cycles (in March, April, May, and June this year 2025). Each cycle consisted of a 5-hour chemo session, a 10-day post chemo medication -usually consisting of four types of medicine- to counter the chemo’s side effects, and the standard procedural blood chemistry check and subsequent Filgrastim shots to normalize white blood cells count.
I have thanked my Father God for the gift of cancer when I was diagnosed to have lymphoma in October last year. Since a series of destructive typhoons have passed through the Bicol region during the last quarter of 2024, it was only on 29 December 2024, that it has been confirmed, through the complete set of immunohistochemical tests, that the specific type of Lymphoma that I have is Mantle Cell Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
They first considered me to undergo radiation treatment but the PET (Positron Emission Tomography) Scan and CT (Computed Tomography) Scan results showed tiny nodules on the left lung area aside from the mass on the left lateral neck. The Bicol Medical Center Regional Cancer Center team of oncologists finally gave thumbs up to chemotherapy.
I have offered my first chemo (March) cycle, which coincided with the season of Lent, for the universal Church (especially for the baptized Catholics turned agnostics). I was so happy to have been given the privilege to closely share in the redeeming passion of Christ.
The second chemo (April)cycle was offered for the midterm national and local elections in the Philippines. I was so glad that many of the sensible sincere candidates won the national and local seats and the losers were magnanimous in their defeat.
The third chemo (May) cycle was offered for the new Roman Pontiff. It was providential that the 5-hour chemo session itself (where four types of very potent medicines have to pass through your veins) was done a day before the May 8 election in Rome.
The fourth (June) chemo cycle was a big challenge because my veins were already swollen. I could already identify with Jesus’ cry, Eli, Eli, Lama Sabacthani (My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?). I was questioning the Triune God’s fairness. It was June 5.
Jesus had to suffer the wounds (from head to toe) and the humiliation from taunts for just a day, on Good Friday. But for Lymphoma cancer patients, it’s for 2-3 weeks in a month. That’s when the great lesson from my Mom came like a soothing balm: “Every sin committed by a member of the Church (the Mystical Body of Christ) refreshes the wounds of Jesus.” I was again thankful for sharing in Jesus’ pain.
Lo and behold! We got the Vexillum Legionis of Our Holy Mary Handmaid of the Lord praesidium of the Legion of Mary on June 28.
Love is repaid by Love (Amor con amor se paga).
