Title: My Mother has over a Hundred Children

Author: Emmanuel B. Cuenca

Copyright: Philippines 2019

There are billions of mothers around the globe and I wonder why God gave
me one who has over a hundred children. Although I really feel jealous for than a
hundred times, knowing that she gives her eighty percent (80%) time to her other
children, I am still thankful for having her twenty percent (20%). Now let us take a
look on that eighty percent (80%).

Fifty percent of that eighty is spent on serving the Catholic Church as a lay
minister, commentator, lector, choir member, church activities coordinator, and
a catechist. A job-full person isn’t it? Some might think she should now be a multi-
millionaire. They’re wrong. She is just a multi-servant who receives thousands of
THANK YOUS, meets hundreds of FRIENDS, and enjoys millions of BLESSINGS. I did
demand her to collect just compensation, but she just smiled at me saying, “My
compensation is more than money, son.”

As a catechist, my mother has to spend 30% of her time reading and

understanding a book entitled: “Catechism of the Catholic Church”. The only
thing I knew about CCC is that it is the most boring subject I ever had to pass in
my college. If I ever had the chance to get a hold of that book, I would have
thrown it into the sea. I am tempted whenever I see one because it reminds me
that before and after we had a family movie marathon then, my mom was just
reading. Honestly, I never saw her leaving the house without carrying the Bible
and CCC with her.

One day, I was asked to instruct some newly vested altar servers for a
wedding mass at Cathedral. I was a bit irritated with the sudden noise. Close to
the entrance was the noisy children and, surprisingly, with my mother who was
even noisier than them; however, I was silenced by the abrupt vision. My mother
was teaching the little kids. As a kid, she never taught me about it. I won’t even
listen if she tries to.

Before that day ended, I went looking for my mom in the oratory. I saw her
teaching old people. Behind that door was a bulletin board where I saw my
mom’s name in the schedules. The title was CCC. My mom has to teach: (a) some
teenagers before the sacrament of confirmation; (b) little kids before their first holy
communion; (c) couples before the marriage ceremony; and, (d) for some
unknown reasons, old people who probably wanted to be like kids and teenagers
again.

The schedule was like a thunderstorm that kept me silent as we travelled

home. How can she even spend her time and money following that stressful piece
of paper without earning? I called it an empty investment, a waste of time, and
an unfair way of life.

The day did not end the way I thought it would be. After supper my mother
brought out papers to be corrected and recorded. She yelled, “ASSESSMENT
DUTIES NA!” “How can you call that a duty when you’re not paid, Ma?” I asked.
She said that she has to check the papers of her students from one of the public
schools where she teaches CCC.

80% of my mom’s time is spent for others. Let me show you what others
mean.

O – Overtime. As I see it, my mom does more than what has to be done.

T – Truth. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, together with the Bible, is
referred to as the Truth to be proclaimed to all peoples in all nations.

H – Hero. Not everyone is blessed with the passion to help others. Not
everyone has the will to live for others just as Christ did.

E – Eucharist. The best sacrament instituted by Christ is the Eucharist. It is

when the outward sign of God becoming Human is witnessed by the Faithful. All
catechists know that all their services are geared toward understanding the
sacraments, specially the Eucharist.

R – Roman Catholic Church. Catechists are very important missionaries and

preachers of the Gospel. They carry with them the Church as apostles of Christ.
They play a huge role in aiding our holy ministers.

S – Salvation. My mother uses her time and OVERTIME to bear the TRUTH as
a HERO who proclaims the EUCHARIST and other sacraments for the service of
God through the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH for the SALVATION of all mankind.

Going along with my mom is not that easy. Almost everybody knows her.
Little kids who had been with her for catechism, including the other teenagers,
couples, oldies, and school pupils and students, would call her mom; not because
she is their mom, but because she became a mother to them: one who cares and
one who sacrifices. Truly, my Mom has over a hundred children, and I’m still
counting.