IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH

I am down with flu since Monday, sleepless nights of indescribable pain and I developed whooping cough that makes it harder for me to sleep with runny nose causing my severe headache like I’ve been hit on the head with rock by all the people I’ve hurt in my entire life (just saying it with exaggeration). Then, I thank God for my fever of only 38.7 degrees Celsius so this is not swine flu (my fingers are crossed while typing this article). I don’t have those vomiting and diarrhea symptoms too though the body weakness with heaviness are present. Medically speaking, I don’t know the normal values anymore, when to say its critical, life threatening or a mild condition for it is in constant change depending on the latest seasonal flu type or what’s IN, hmm… Then, my 5 year old son got infected too with the same illness on my way to recovery in exchange of staying by my side (he took care of me and he sings while lying beside me everyday). This helps my fast regain of strength so I could play with him again.

I get a lot of chance to reflect on what my daughter was feeling on the night of her sickness and people who are suffering from any type of illness at the same time. I feel so weak, vulnerable and the pain makes me weep since I haven’t got to experience illnesses quite often in my lifetime. I am so thin-skinned and terrified with any kind of body pains that every time, I would ask God if this is some sort of my reprimand from Him or simply a way of calling me to slow down and have some quite moments with Him.

And at this time, I get to asked myself if I am ready to go now. I said YES without any hesitation, argument or bargaining deals with Him. Well, I know for certain this will be the closest thing I will ever get into stage 5, I just pray to let it be done to me during my sleep feeling no pain but only at peace and quiet. Did I disappoint you? I just felt that I’m already done in this world by offering my most beloved daughter to Him as my greatest sacrifice so far, I can’t think of anything else greater than this that I can still offer to Him. Can my family survive without me? I’d say YES. Their strong faith will lead them always in the right path of life and they are surrounded by good people who are willing to support them unconditionally but most of all I know God loves them more than I love them. He will watch over them.

I want to share a poem written by Fr. John Sherlock titled “TO MEET IN HEAVEN”

To meet in heaven! How sweet a thought, when life short years are past.

No more to weep, no more to part, to meet in heaven at last.

To meet in heaven! O blessed thought. All care and suffering over.

Meet in the mansions of the blessed and love forevermore.

To meet in heaven around the throne of him who died to save.

Be this our hope, our anxious care to meet beyond the grave. Amen.

My God is being merciful and forgiving this time for not answering my plea, as they say; we get the most rewarding experiences in life from all our unanswered prayers. He still wants me to do more for Him and live life to the greatest extent. Ever since, I’ve been asking God to let me go ahead before my family for I may not be able to survive a loss and still keep my sanity all over again. I pray for wisdom to know my life purpose and do live it according to His divine will.

On another aspect, my husband and I get a chance too for a deep conversation regarding purgatory, a place where of deep longing to God. He told me that every soul must stay there for some time even if the sins did received penance here on earth except for those children with uncorrupted lives that goes straight in heaven as an angel. Like for the case of our 22 month-old daughter, our Parish priest kept on declining our persistent request to bless her or celebrate a mass during her wake while assuring us completely that she is saved already and happily serving God as an angel in heaven. He blessed her too during a short visit after his daily morning mass in the parish church, purportedly, only for our family’s peace of mind.

Before I totally recuperated, I get to offer my pains to all souls in purgatory.

In sickness and in health, I praise You my Lord and my God our Healer.

GRIEF AND DEPRESSION

Hi Everyone.

In writing this, how I wish I can say that I am on the road to recovery from my DEPRESSION and ANGER this time for in assessment to my indication related to the Signs and Symptoms I am experiencing right now the majority of it are that;

1. My sadness triggers my lost of interest in things I enjoyed to do everyday in where I am right now.
2. I am with constant conflict with my husband in a less than a month of being together again.
3. I’ve got a lot of disappointments lately unexpectedly from my family, from people I’ve looked up to and most of all to myself.
4. My moods can shift from calm to anger instantly with huge amount of irritability especially towards my family.
5. I am extremely in search of spending some quality time with long time friends who can help me cope up in my current situation.
6. I have a feeling of guilt and worthlessness most of the time that leads to my excessive crying over and over again.

These are the 5 Stages of Grief and loss;

1. Denial, Numbness and Shock
2. Bargaining
3. Depression
4. Anger
5. Acceptance

Can I ask you to please join me in saying this prayer for Healing Depression below?

“I am terribly depressed, Dear Lord, and I need your help.

I come to You trusting in Your great love for me and believing You will not forsake me now.

Help me Lord, I am hurting badly and discouraged.

I feel so lost and empty with no sense of direction in whatever I am doing and where I am heading.

Everything around me seems to be dark and gloomy.

My present situation and thoughts about the future all seems hopeless.

Nothing seems to lift up my spirits any longer.

Even those things and activities that used to bring me joy all seem dull and meaningless these days.

I humbly beseech You now, Lord.

Please let me feel your loving presence, your loving care and concern, all Your tenderness melting my pain, and all my feelings of worthlessness.

Let Your powerful presence touch all areas of woundedness in my heart and in my spirit.

Deliver me from my fears, my anxieties and all negative feelings.

Hold my hand during these trying moments in my life, Lord.

Lead me to the right path, the right places, and the right people who can be Your instruments of healing and love.

Lord, I need Your strength now to keep my sanity during moments when I feel like I’m losing my mind and just giving up.

Help me to believe that this situation is only temporary and things will be better soon.

Help me to be able to cope, especially during moments when I feel so desperate.

Take care of my loved ones during these times when I feel unable to care for them.

Give me the grace to understand Your purpose behind this suffering that You have allowed me to experience.

Trusting that all things always work out for good for those who love You and those whom You call for Your purposes.

Jesus, my Lord and my God, You are my Refuge, my Hope, my Strength and my Divine Healer.

Please heal me and have mercy on me.

Deliver me from this depression and after I have been healed, let me bring Your glory and be a witness to Your love and healing power for others.

I pray all these in Jesus’ name through Mary and all the angels and saints. AMEN.”

That I may pass this stage to recovery and ACCEPTANCE sooner in accordance to His will.

And I Thank God for making me recognizes this things going on inside me.

God bless.

MF VOLUNTEER FOR BBBS

Hi Everyone, Last May 16-17, one of Maia Foundation Projects also includes a pledge for 5 kids and sending 1 moutaineer volunteer who are willing to help Big Brothers Big Sisters Community on their yearly outreach program of providing schools bags with school supplies to about 500 students to Mt.Asog. Its about 1 whole day climbing up the mountain, carrying 3 packs of school bags including your personal stuffs and going down. They have 2 day repacking sessions and pre-climb meetings to attend as a requirements for registration in the program. Pls visit their website for more info at http://bbbs.freehostia.com Thank you all for your kind support. Godbless. ---------------------------------- From: John Remir Cueto all of the volunteer went up and down to the mountain to have this mission accomplish. each of us was carrying 3 bags with school supplies on it and wow that was so heavy including our things and food, but then again this mission is worth carrying those 3 bags for the kids on school day... some of the volunteer is non-climber but willing to do this outreach program by BBBS to CABATUAN, Camarines Sur, Bicol..... join us next year friend and experience the goodwill to the kids who needs our help...

From Above, Through Us, To Them

By: Ed Rowin Santos

Last Sunday, May 10, the Tsinelas Project of Maia Foundation and the parish of Holy Spirit went smoothly as organized. Poor children whose parents are NFA rice buyers lined up to receive their new pair of rubber slippers after the celebration of the Sunday mass by our parish priest Rev. Fr. Mike Paez. And because of the kind generosity of those who supported this project, we were able to add a light merienda snack of tetra-packed juice and enseimada bread to the delight of each child as well.Prior to this day, we were able to distribute nearly 200 tsinelas claim stubs representing nearly 250 children beneficiaries within the 2 week preparations. On that day, about 75% of those claims stubs were handed over while the remaining 25% are still allowed to claim their tsinelas when their parents purchase their weekly NFA rice subsidy. Any unclaimed slippers will be distributed to other poor children living near the abandoned railroad tracks of Malolos.

Once again we would like to give our heartfelt gratitude to those who donated and made pledges and prayed for to support this project.

Interestingly, that Sunday’s second reading heeds us to love not only in words but more so by action (read – 1 John 3:18-24) and the Gospel (read – John 15:1-8) reminded us to keep connected to Jesus as our vine because any good fruit we can bear is only the result of us remaining in Him despite all the life-pruning trials we undergo. It was as if, no, it was definitely our Lord speaking to all of us on that day with His message and call to share our blessings to others in need.

May the Lord bless you and your family abundantly for your generosity.
Maia Foundation

Tsinelas

On May 10, 2009, Maia Foundation will organize the distribution of free slippers to the poor children, 7 years old and below, from the Parish of the Holy Spirit. These children, who line up with their parents to avail for the inexpensive NFA rice, can be seen walking and travelling without slippers, a basic necessity for all especially for children who are always unmindful of the paths they are walking on. In one particular barangay school, children entering the campuses are seen without slippers going to classes. Each pair of rubber slippers cost roughly 20 Php and we aim to distribute 500 pairs. In this regard, we are knocking at your door for your generous sponsorship of 100 Php or donation of 5 new pairs of slippers.

Financial donors and sponsors may send their contribution to the bank account below:
Matt Ezekiel Santos
Acct# 034-3-03420966-0
Metrobank BF Homes Paranaque Branch

(Please keep you bank receipt for record purposes and send us a short email notice of the transfer for our record-keeping. Thanks)

Have a blessed weekend to all.God bless.

One Step Forward

A close neighbor told me during Maia’s wake that our experience itself was more painful since the “normal human life cycle dictates that it is the children who bury their parents and not the other way around.”

Indeed, the lingering pain is still deep, continuously crushing my mind, heart and soul until now. At times, it is as if my life will stop too for a lifetime that nothing seems to matter around me anymore. Oftentimes, I forget to say my prayer. But somehow, I need to get on going.

For me to move on from this hurtful event of losing a loved one, my 22 month old daughter, I have to start from the hardest part of it, that is, forgiving myself and stop looking for someone or something to blame. It is by fact really a tough thing to do, I need to continuously ask the prayers of people around me. For all our dreams and plans for the future our family was shattered all together, gone, vanished away so soon. Our world was totally flipped upside down. Starting all over again appears far-fetched and picking up the pieces left behind is excruciating. It can still really, really be hard to even think about it at times. If only I can just fall asleep and wake up without any tiny bit of sad feeling, but the truth is, I have yet to have a sound sleep after our ordeal.

A close relative replied to my recent blog entry by saying, "…and even if the message was clear, could you have done anything against it if it is God's will?"

My husband told me that comprehending death is beyond man’s intellectual capacity, “that is why there is God and it is none of us.” For here is where faith comes in. After all, the true meaning of life is that it ends.

I thought we would be inconsolable in anyway at all but their words are becoming increasingly accurate as time goes by that they hit me hard. I poured a lot of tears on it during our nights of prayer. It showed me clearly how our God wanted it to be and who am I not to listen and obey His mysterious yet great plan.

And as faithfully as He is to His promises, God never stop working on us. He is very comforting to us by continuously sending good people and friends on our way to help ease the grief. My in-laws came back with us here in China to be with us, to listen, to guide, and to pray with us for three straight months in spite of my incoherent attitude to everyone around me. A friend keeps asking me to stay in their place just to take our minds away from melancholy.

In Bo Sanchez’ latest blog and preaching series “Do you want to be very happy?” he clearly pointed out that the greatest hindrance to true happiness is fear. My husband told me that our greatest fear is over and nothing should deter us from seeking the true happiness that is meant for our family.

Again, we need to get on going. We may not be able to prevent or alter any divine intervention in our life, but we can always choose to still be happy after any tragic event that comes our way. We only need to look beyond this tragedy and look at God’s loving assurance.

O Holy Spirit, Soul of my soul, I adore You. Enlighten, guide, strengthen and console me; tell me what I should do; command me. I promise to be submissive in all the You desire of me and to accept all that You allow to happen to me. Grant only for me to know Your will. AMEN.

Big Brother Big Sister

This is the 2009 community outreach program of the passionate and kind-hearted mountaineering youth-group of the Philippines. You can visit their website at http://bbbs.freehostia.com

For those interested to volunteer or share their blessings to the less fortunate children of Mt. Asog, Buhi, Camarines Norte, please contact helpbbbs@gmail.com or Ms. Angie T at agt.angie2@gmail.com

Thanks and God bless.

True Joy

It is not what we gain that gives us true happiness – it is what we lovingly lose for others.

My college days were full of medical missions and voluntary assistance whenever our school, affiliated hospitals or training centers provide free medical assitances for our less fortunate brothers and sisters. It was always a very challenging role especially during emergency cases which is one of my favorite. The excitement was unending and rewarding when you see a patient walks out feeling relieved in spite of the incoveniences he or she received from any medical procedures done in their bodies.

And since my husband and I have met, we were always blessed to be invited to join in several outreach programs. When we both started working, Rowin’s company in Laguna had this industrial-zone wide safety group LISACOM Committee and one of their programs was visiting and holding a simple Christmas party for an orphanage in Paranaque. They provided Jollibee meals for about 30 kids and some gift-items for them. The kids were so happy having someone provide for them and play with even for just a short time. In turn, they showcased to us their singing talents by rendering a heartwarming Christmas song. That experience was so full of compassion just looking in their eyes.

When we got married, we joined Couples for Christ and have the chance again to participate some outreach programs in Laguna in assisting kids for Christ camping. We did some educational activities, sleep with them and cook foods for their every meals like one big happy get together family reunions.

After celebration with families and friends of Zek's third birthday and Maia’s baptism two years ago, we went straight to Bethany on that same afternoon to share with more than 50 kids in the Bethany orphanage a simple Jolly-burgers and juices while giving away some old but usable toys and clothes. Zek had a great time for they surprised him with a unique birthday song with a prayer before meals. We spend some time with them by talking, listening and playing with them. They are well organized not just for our visit, but as a way living in general. It was another heartwarming moment for all us present that time. Every time, children see someone visiting them, they leap for joy and very happy to see us. They are not always expecting something from us materially, only our presence makes their days complete. Feeling loved even not from their own family can really fill the emptiness and loneliness inside them.

For related stories about Bethany, please copy-paste on your URL link one of the blog-link;
http://people-places-praises.blogspot.com/2007/07/bethany.html
http://people-places-praises.blogspot.com/2008/05/bethany-re-visited.html

God always give us an opportunity to share our blessing to other, for these are chances given to us to show our love for Him by loving others especially the needy, abandoned, and the sick people. We may not get the same chances again and ignoring each one of them every time is simply denying ourselves of God’s eternal love. May we not let Him down as he calls us.

“ For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own. … At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality. ...” — 2 Corinthians 8: 3, 14

Premonitions?

Does it really happen or am I just in exaggeration here? Can someone please tell me? Is it something we should be anxious about or be aware of?

By definition, premonition is an intuition of future event, a strong feeling, without a rational basis, that something is going to happen or an advance warning about a future event.

We didn’t see it coming to us. Well, I guess the meaning says it all. Who would want to see it by all means in anyway? I, myself, don’t want to know at all even if I have felt some strange feelings a couple of days before Maia’s demise. I pay no heed to it all and didn’t want to entertain the thoughts that kept coming on to me. I was just too terrified.

Here are some of them that we recall days after from the time it happened.

The first time I got this strange feeling of it was when our nanny arrived on October 19. The very next day Maia told her, “Ayi, bye-bye Ayi!” (“auntie” in mandarin) and consistently telling it to her for days for no obvious reason. I taught her saying it once when we were about to go home after attending the Gymboree class but she never tried until that day.

Then, suddenly she and Zek went along with each other so well. Playing quietly together minus their usual quarrels of occasional throwing toys to each other, hitting, pushing and shouting was noticeable. I amazingly thought, wow, they are seemingly learning how to settle their differences already at their very young age. I just considered it as one of their milestones and never relate it to the forthcoming event.

A couple of days back, we went to a nearby grocery store. On the way there, Zek decided to ride his bike. Going back home Maia wanted to hitch back ride which her kuya eagerly agreed. Zek was beaming with pride riding with his sister while Maia took pleasure in it and hugged him tightly. Deep inside I thought that she wanted to show her love so much and not just for fear of falling off. They both showed big smiles to everyone they met along. Every person passing by was astonished and simply can’t resist pausing, looking, smiling back and giving words of their praises. Watching them together was a heavenly experience for me that day.

Maia was excessively “malambing” (sweet) to all of us those last few days. Rowin felt the difference every time he came home from work. Her giggles while running towards him to greet her daddy gave him so much joy.

During that night of October 29, Rowin felt so much blessed and proud as a father having both Zek and Maia sat beside him quietly with their small arms lovingly wrapped around his waist. This has never happened since we have them, they’re usually running around the house if not into quarrelling moods. And when it was my time to rest and watch TV, Maia came up to my lap and kept on hugging and kissing me. Suddenly, I felt that I have to assure her back by saying, “Daddy, Mommy and Kuya Zek love you so much.” before hugging her tightly. Until that night, I never told it to her before for I thought she wouldn’t understand it yet anyway. I recalled telling it to Zek every night after he reached age two. Isn't that strange?

When Maia started having fever, she still played with all of us. I went to the bathroom to wash the towel so I can sponge bathe her. I didn’t notice she climbed down the bed as well and “peek a boo” by saying “baah!” to her nanny who just went out from her room to check on her too. We were both surprised for we thought she was asleep already. I then checked on her before 11pm for her antipyretic medicine which will be due soon at 12 midnight, I heard her humming a heavenly tune which I have never heard neither from her or Zek before. My husband realized later on that it was her “swan song”. At past 2am, Zek who was sleeping beside his dad came up on the bed during that night also to stay awake with Maia. I just fell asleep then and was awakened by their movements together. At that instance also, I had an intuition of not wanting to fall asleep again for fear of waking up losing one of my kids.

Lastly, my sister in-law, told me she dreamt of a house with full of yellow lights like having a wake or something that she can’t be sure of and she was writing on their house wall the “Angel of God” prayer that she’s so ardently want to finish it but to no avail and felt so sad and bad about it when she woke up.

There are still a few on my list that I didn’t mention for it only makes me wonder more why I paid no attention to them all. Oh, how did I fail to see it all coming to us? I kept asking God about it for it was very difficult to accept losing a child that way.

“My Child, I am pained because you are now suffering inside. Yet I am happy, too, that you have turned to Me in your suffering, instead of fleeing from your problems with worldly means, as others do.

I have given you this privilege of sharing in My cross as part of My special love for you. As I carry your cross with you, I suffer with you too, as I will also be with you in your resurrection when your suffering will turn into joy.” – Healing Presence

Once again, I take comfort in my God’s love and mercy.
All I need to do is approach Him in humility.

Hindsight

Few days before my Angel Maia’s departure, I remember clearly in my mind watching her playing quietly with Kuya Zek (her older brother) while I am catching up reading all my backlog emails from 2007. I felt this happiness and deep fulfillment inside me that I have never felt my entire life and probably won’t get the same chance to experience it again. Looking at them, I have gained true joy and contentment on that short moment. I smiled, closed my eyes and give thanks to God at that instant for the wonderful life that I have. I can ask nothing more else but to keep my family together this way.

At the back of my mind I was asking myself, “Oh, why do I deserve this so much blessings whereas I am just like everyone else who struggles in life to do good and avoid evil.”

Recently, I am coming full circles in understanding that God was actually preparing me for a life-changing event, that I may endure the sorrowful experience of losing a daughter. By sourcing all my strength from all the great and fond memories of Maia, I get to choose to remember the good stuffs for me to survive and discard all absurdities that will only add to my grief.

There are still so many questions lingering in my mind about that fateful day, and with every forthcoming answer leading me to more unanswered whys and what ifs. With countless sleepless nights spent in wondering that how can something so beautiful be taken away so fast, that someone so close to my heart, body, mind and soul be gone so soon?

I have to admit that there are still times since then that I want to stop and forget my existence but there is always something or someone comes along my way to give me a reason to live and move on. Family members, relatives and friends who willingly listen and support us are daily graces from above.

I am so surprised at how I become stronger than my desire to keep on blaming myself for any oversight assessment of Maia’s indicative illness prior to her death and avoiding sinking myself into anguish, misery and lonesomeness.

Faith is the source of it all. God’s love is so powerful. Psalm 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd; I have everything I need.”

And with all humility, I ceaselessly pray that I may continue to live according to His will and offer everything for His greater glory, faithfully.

Amen.

Maia's 2nd Birthday!

Rowin and I was able to get the luxury of time to recall all our blessings Maia brought us since God sent her, she really is our angel here on earth.

When I was 10 weeks pregnant with her, we were able to meet our dearest Ninong Rev.Fr.Godofredo Atienza in Hong Kong who also officiated our wedding ceremony. He held an exclusive mass for us (Rowin, me & Zek) in Don Bosco Chapel in Hong Kong. And even though Zek kept on running during the entire hour and we are so anxious that he might broke or hit any religious item inside the chapel, we still felt so much blessed. Our almost 3-hour travel and hiking from Shajing Shenzhen to Hong Kong was all worth it.

All things we needed during the entire pregnancy were coming to us. Rowin was able to go home on time for my delivery. I was able to book a room in Asian Hospital on the day of my admission (the hospital requires advance room reservation for non emergency cases like mine – birth by caesarean section). We have a lot of visitors coming to the hospital that the Huggery nurses were amazed too because baby Santos was always on call for viewing. Rowin’s boss was kind enough to give him a bonus covering majority of our hospital bills during our 5-day stay. We also got a free dinner date set up in our room on the night before my discharge.

Families, relatives and friends were very supportive of baby Maia since Zek was still a demanding toddler at his age of 3 years. I was having a hard time getting a nanny that time since I was admittedly being picky on choosing for the ones who have the charisma and knack to meet our needs especially with the 2 kids. Zek does not want to go with anybody else but me. It will be soon time for us to go back to China but we still found none while Rowin needs to go back already ahead of us. I have talked to my sister-in-law who at that time will be having her summer vacation as a high school teacher. She was able to accompany us on our way back to China and even stayed for the entire 2 months with us.

Rowin and I were able to manage the 2 kids after then until we get back home again after a year. Though we also do get irritated and tired on certain occasions, sometimes quite too often, the joy brought by our kids gave us so much fulfillment.

When Maia was 10 months old, we were able to get her photograph in an angel costume and when she reached more than a year, she was playing angel by herself putting a round white circle plastic as her halo (I wonder that time how she knows to use it as halo). I’m asking myself now if this is just coincidence since she is now with the Lord as our angel for real. She also likes doing the shadow dance of the butterfly until her last days with us. Premonitions? A close friend with a daughter of nearly same age as Maia (also her playmate in China) narrated to us about a beautiful butterfly playing with them unexpectedly and for a long time on the day of Maia’s demise.

Maia is a charming baby, everyone noticed her wherever we go. I never had a hard time taking care of her and up to her last hours, she still plays with me so I never got any intuition of what was about to happen next. And in our hearts, she saved us from more bitterness by passing away in her sleep. And we would certainly believe that Maia is helping us amazingly because we were able to recover from this sorrowful moment so soon for I thought I will cry myself to death after losing her.

The list goes on and on for her almost 22-month stay here on earth, I cannot count the number of people she made happy even only with her smile. Though she is now gone, she still continue to pour blessings to us. Her going back to our Father so soon, is gaining for us lots of strength while giving us more reason to show God’s love to others so that others may see Him through us.

Happy 2nd Birthday Maia! We miss you so much and we feel your presence everyday. I pray for your guidance in seeking God instead of the entertaining questions about your departure. For in our search for truth there will always someone that connects and binds us spontaneously and that is you.

Maia's Legacy

What does the symbol of our Maia Foundation means?

The Child

The child inside the cross is the partial charcoal sketch of our beloved angel
Elisha Maire “Maia” C. Santos who, after a brief twenty-two months of being with
us, has inspired us to love more and live life to the fullest and that the most loving
fulfillment of all is by sharing this love to others, which in the end, is about loving
our God.

Matthew 25: 40
“And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”

The Hearts

The hearts of different sizes symbolizes all the loving efforts that each of our
family members, donors and volunteers will extend into our vision and purpose of
loving others. It does not matter whether the amount to be spent or action to be
done is small or big as long as it is done out of love. God sees the “bigness” of
our heart.

Matthew 25: 34-36
Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.'

The Cross

The Cross symbolizes the greatest love of all which is our Lord Jesus Christ
whom we honor and praise for He alone is able to make our suffering a part of
His work of salvation. It is He who embraced His suffering and who died for us
out of His unconditional love for each and every one of us.

John 3: 16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life."