The Heavens Are Brighter, Fr. Alexander...

The heavens are brighter tonight, Fr. Alexander. There is an extra star shining brightly over us, and I am sure that is you. You left so soon and so unexpectedly, we cannot help but ache inside. There is emptiness in our hearts because we already miss you, although it has only been a couple of days since you left us.

My sister calls you a rock star. You smiled shyly when I told you that and in your humility you said you're not so. But then again, not every priest can claim that people looked forward to their homily. Come to think of it, everyone I know who know you eagerly await hearing your thoughts on the Gospel and how they apply to their daily lives. I have yet to meet anyone who had an encounter with you who did not feel the warmth of your affection and the radiance of your presence. Rock star, that, you are.

I did not belong to your parish but whenever I would come to Our Lady of Peace for any service, I had hoped you would be the presider. For years I have watched you from a distance and had been very impressed with how you made me undestand the Gospel better. Your mastery - no - your deep understanding and apparent love for the Scriptures made me hunger for the same comprehension and affection for the Word. My sister - she did not call you a rock star for nothing. She found solace with you in the sanctuary. She found comfort in your words. I am sure she is not alone.

It was a joyful happenstance when we finally met. At St. Genevieve's All Volunteers Day that we both attended, you asked people who could teach you Tagalog. Every person you asked pointed towards my direction somehow and we were introduced. You wanted to learn the language of my people. You wanted to celebrate Mass using sweet words from homeland. How could I say no?

I was amazed with your intelligence; impressed with your candor; and touched by your lack of pretensions. We were kindred spirits, you and I. We shared our thoughts, we shared our lives. You have your questions and your doubts - a sign of your genuine quest for God. The more I got to know you, the more I loved and respected you.

As we spent more time together, I found a soul who truly sought to do what is good and what is right. I saw a priest who loved his vocation. I saw a man giving his all.

You love with all you've got, Fr. Alexander. You had a comfortable assignment before you came to this parish, but comfort does not make one's heart full. In your desire to truly live Christ, you sought to be assigned to a parish where you could serve more - and so it came to pass. At Our Lady of Peace, you did your best with your limited resources to lead the faithful of diverse origins and ethnicities to come together as one true Catholic community, and they did. But that was not enough. The temporal needs of the parish were gnawing at you. There were so much more that needed attention and it caused you great sorrow that you could not do everything you had hoped to accomplish. And the pressure affected you.

I was in your office in January before I left for my own search, to seek answers to my own questions. We spoke of our own journeys. We prayed, we shared our hopes and dreams, and yes, we cried. We both looked forward to my return so we could work together on a special project for your parish, for the people that you love - God's people - for whom you were willing to sacrifice your health and well-being. You wrote me a letter I was to read during my trip, and in it, you assured me of your prayers and you have asked me to do the same for you.

But you left too soon, Fr. Alexander. I did not have the opportunity to work with you.

I attended the rosary for you tonight. It was said in four languages. Schneider Hall was full of people honoring you, missing you, aching for you, loving you, praying for you. I saw a sense of loss in every face - even in children's faces. We all shared the grief and even as we recited the prayers, many of us could still not believe that it was you, that it was for the repose of your soul that we were asking the Lord.

People hugged in an attempt to dull their pains. We know and we believe you are in a better place, that you are home with our Master where you will no longer suffer physically nor spiritually. But still, we sorely miss you.

Our encounter was brief, Fr. Alexander. But it was full, it was joyous and faith-filled. Even as we pray for you, I know you are praying for us.

Indeed, the heavens are brighter tonight, Fr. Alexander. Thanks to you, my friend, my rock star.