A Daddy’s Testimony of Faith

Happy Father’s Day! Here is a very touching story of a father from CFC-Global Mission and FLA-San Pablo Parish, Mr. Rolly Acuña.

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“By the faith in God, I realized that God in all His wisdom has all the reason and purpose to take my son out from his mortal life. He belongs to God being His creator, reminding us that as parents, we are merely stewards of our children.”

A year ago today, I experienced one of the darkest moments of my life as a father of 5 children. That tragic event had me so desolated, devastated and downtrodden. So bleak and black was the experience so much so that anger, hatred and revenge sipped in into my being. I even went to the extent of doubting God’s divine providence and mercy, questioning Him, ”why Lord?”

After a while however, I realized that those reactions were just impulses of a father who lost his youngest son last year, June 1, 2014.

“Bunso,” as he is fondly called was gunned-down by unknown assailants with reason until today remain a quandary. My son Emmanuel was then just 31 years old—full of life, so loaded with big dreams and plans in life. He was at the prime of his career as a lawyer, so dynamic, generous and self-giving, extending legal services to the less fortunate on a “Pro-bono” basis. During the last months of his life, he was active in Singles for Christ community where he was spiritually nurtured. These are just glimpses of Bunso’s life. His untimely death proved correct all the positive and laudable descriptions of who Bunso was. During his death, relatives and friends came to attend the wake condoling and offering prayers for his final repose. His classmates and teachers from grade school, high school and college together with the stalwarts of Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) came and attended the wake and were with us until my son was laid to rest at Davao Memorial Park. My son became an instant celebrity.

All these supports given to my family because they love my son Emmanuel, awakened and re-enkindled my faith in God. I remember what Fr. Ritsche Gamaya said in one of his homilies, “Faith is seeing the invisible, doing the impossible and believing on the unbelievable.”

By the faith in God, I was able to say during the 5th day of wake, “We forgive the perpetrators, but let the law follow its due course so that human justice can be attained. If human justice is denied, then we entrust the case to God and let Divine Justice prevail.”

By the faith in God, I accepted the answer of the Lord when I questioned Him, “why Lord?”

The answer of the Lord was clear and direct, “why not?” The Lord was telling me, “If you love your son, I love him more, if you have big dreams and plans for your son, I have bigger and more beautiful plan for him”.

By the faith in God, when our faith was tested to the limit, we cling more to God all the more and our faith was brought to greater heights especially by the words of my wife Tess when she said, “Dad with the death of our son, the more reason we should love and serve God.”

In closing, I remember the words of my son during the honoring on my 65th birthday celebration; he said “Dad, you’re someone I look up to no matter how tall I’ve grown.” We are very proud of you my son. I will not say, “Goodbye to you,” what I will say is, “See you later”. Pray for us who are part your life-world.