Eulogy to My Lola: Grata Sotto Sevilla

DONI'S RESPONSE ON THE OCCASION OF LOLA GRATA'S FUNERAL MASS AT THE DELA STRADA CHURCH

JUNE 10, 2001

Magandang hapon po sa inyong lahat. Ako po ay si Doni Sevilla, anak ng kaisa-isang anak ni Lola Grata, na si Rene "Budging" Sevilla at isa sa apat na apo na mapalad na pinalaki sa kanlungan ni Lola. Mayroon na po akong asawa (isa pa lang) ang kabiyak ko po na maganda at very charming na si Rox. Kami po'y may isang anak, si Kokoy, that handsome young gentleman, na mahal na mahal namin, at isang malusog na batang nakikita niyong tumatakbo sa paligid-ligid natin.

Please allow me to say a few words about Lola and our Eucharistic celebration today on behalf of my family.

Siguro tulad ko, lahat tayo dito, mga kapamilya, kamag-anak o kaibigan ni Lola, ay may kanya-kanyang mga masasayang karanasan o nakakatuwang kuwento tungkol kay Lola. Si Lola 'yung unang PR consultant ko. Nung pinanganak pa lang nga ako sinabi na ni Lola na maitim daw ako, in contrast to Princess, dahil nasunog ang balat ko sa incubator, mangyari tatlong buwan ako doon after my premature birth. Underneath, tisoy talaga ako.

I'm sure, many of us, especially my cousins here, can also remember summers we'd spent with Lola in Marinduque.

Every summer, mayroon si Lolang kinokonduct na special activities for the youth, first-aid training o kaya bible study classes at kasama kami ni Princess, wala pa noon si Paolo at si Cris. Siempre, lagi kami ang "valedictorian" nung mga klaseng iyon.

Every summer, binibigyan din ako ni Lola ng isang pet, yung hayop para aalagaan ko. Una, isang tandang. Inalagaan ko iyon hanggang ipinasabong ko doon sa kapit-bahay na si Dr. Do kaya't namatay at naging fried-chicken. Susunod naman, binigyan ako ni Lola ng biik. Pinapaliguan ko iyon araw-araw. Di rin nagtagal, naging lechon de leche naman iyon. At ang huli, binigyan ako ni Lola ng igod, yung coconut crab. Aba, alam nyo ba na ginawa kong parang aso iyon - tinalian ko tapos pinapalakad ko doon sa taas sa sala. Pinapakain ko rin yon ng niyog at tapos pinapaliguan ko rin. Siempre, yun, ako na ang nagsabi kay Lola na kainin namin. Nung nakatira pa kami sa old San Juan naman, yung labahan namin sa likod ng bahay, ipina-convert ni Lola para maging isang malaking fish pond na pinuno namin ni Princess ng mga goldfish. Nung namatay na yung mga isda, naging swimming pool na namin yon.

Lola was always the quintessential grandmother, full of love, always giving, always caring - - traits she wanted to build up in us, her grandchildren which is why she always gave us something or someone to care for. Did you know that aside from our cousins, meron pa kaming "assigned" playmates. Oo, yung anak ng caretaker ng bahay sa Gasan, sina Tio Tomo at Tia Thelma, ang anak nilang babae at lalake ang mga designated na kalaro namin ni Princess.

As we were growing up in old San Juan, Lola and Daddy (as we called Lolo Cesar), were a part of many firsts in our lives: our first go-carts, first bicycles, first roller skates, first pasyal sa Fiesta Carnival, first pasyal sa Luneta, and first dates, boyfriends and girlfriends.

Flash forward to our adolescent years. Pasensiya na Princess, bibistuhin ko yung love life mo. Lola was always one of, if not the first "line of defense" sa bahay. Siempre, siya ang unang mangingilatis, magpipisil-pisil, kukurot-kurot. When Princess would have dates, Lola would talk to them and even tell them how she always wanted Princess to marry and have a family. Kaya siguro medyo natakot lahat, eh, akala nila ina-arrange na ni Lola ang marriage. Si Paolo, laging pinagdadasal ni Lola na maging pari. At si Cris naman, mahal na mahal din niya dahil sila ay naging roommates and bedmates until Cris was in high school.

Sa amin naman ni Rox, nung single pa kami, si Lola parati ang financier ko sa mga dates ko with Rox. Siempre, bilang financier, tinatanong niya at kinakamusta rin niya sa driver kung saan kami nagda-date ni Rox. Meron pa si Lolang mga "secret tests". Minsan, pinakita ni Lola kay Rox ang kanyang tsinelas na pudpod na pudpod na pero wala naman siyang sinabi. Eh, the following day, hindi ko alam, binili pala ni Rox si Lola ng tsinelas at ipinabigay sa akin kay Lola. Aba, pasado. Kinuwento niya ito sa amin nung kasal na kami. So, masayang-masaya si Lola when I married Rox. And when Rox was pregnant, si Lola ang kanyang whole-day companion sa bahay sa Greenhills. Of course, when Kokoy was born, yung legendary love and care ni Lola ay lalong ipinamalas niya. Hindi nga puwedeng pagsabihan si Kokoy. Kahit kaming magulang, hindi dapat pagalitan si Kokoy.

Such was Lola's presence in our lives that now we are so deeply saddened by her passing away not just for us but also for Lola, herself, because she was so good a grandmother, so good a mother, wife, tiya, kamag-anak, teacher, friend to us all. Limitless and without consolation would have been our sorrow, if the Lord had not given us eternal life. Our life would be pointless, as Lola's life would be pointless, if it ended with death. What benefit would there then be from virtue and good deed?

That reminds me, when we were still living in old San Juan and even in Greenhills, on several occasions we'd find Lola with perfect strangers in her room. Tinatawagan niya yung mga nasa TV, Tele-Aralan or sa mga Dept. of Agriculture yata iyon, to bring her books or educational materials. Siempre, kami, panick kami nang makita namin ang ibang mga tao sa kuwarto ni Lola.

But now I believe Lola was not naïve. I believe she was not gullible or innocent of the ways of the world. On the contrary, I believe she was, in truth, filled with the Holy Spirit and was living in God's perfection so much that her trust, love and compassion was on a higher level. Lola was not left behind by the world. It was the world that needed to catch up with Lola. We are taught in Scripture that, "ang mga taong di nagtataglay ng Espiritu ay ayaw tumanggap ng mga kaloob mula sa Espiritu ng Diyos. Para sa kanila, kahangalan ang mga iyon at di nila nauunawaan, sapagkat ang mga bagay na espiritual ay mauunawaan lamang sa paraang espiritual".

And so it is that we should all aspire to be filled with the Holy Spirit as I believe Lola was. For then, we will realize that our earthly life is a preparation for the future life, and this preparation ends with our death. "It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment" (Heb 9:27). Then a man leaves all his earthly cares; the body disintegrates, in order to rise anew at the Resurrection. Often this spiritual vision begins in the dying even before death, and while still seeing those around them and even speaking with them, they see what others do not see.

That was Lola. We should all be so blessed as Lola, na masasabi natin nang buong katapatan na hindi tayo bihag ng mundo. That we are not caught by earthly trappings, material wealth, power, ambition, human pride. That we may say to the Lord that we have been obedient and good stewards of His creation, His blessings bestowed on us and most of all, of His gift of Life and Love.

Through our prayers and remembrance today, we incorporate and affirm our dearly departed Lola Grata in the death and resurrection of Christ. We celebrate the tragedy of the physical death of Lola as being the very sign and victory of Christ's death and resurrection. And that is our unique vision of death - and life - as Christians, our vision that calls on the rest of the community to persevere more deeply and zealously in the baptismal way of dying and rising in Christ, so that in our last breaths we can become witnesses to the "glory of the Father".

So please join me and my family today, in this moment of celebration for Lola's oneness with god, and join us in this moment of gratitude and thankfulness for Lola Grata and the love she has left with all of us.

To all who grieved, no, celebrated, with us these past days up until today, we thank you sincerely. For all of you have offered prayers and Holy Masses for Lola, maraming salamat. And for all of you who have made Lola a part of your lives, you are and will always be a part of ours, too. We pray that God will always shine His light and shower His love and blessings in your lives. God bless you all and Good afternoon.