A Life with Intention

ANDA DEL ROSARIO GOSECO

My Tito (Uncle) Ruben passed away on September 23. I am amazed by how many lives he was able to make an impact on.  I knew he was a popular Jesuit, and there were many big communities that he set up. It was different to hear the stories and to see the hundreds of people joining our Zoom Masses. As I experienced this, it is only now that I can see the magnitude of how he has helped others.

It all started with the love of his parents.  Their love was pure, kind, and selfless. It was this love where he first experienced the love of God.  Through the love of my grandparents, he lived his life with intention. He made people experience God’s love by building families. He helped repair marriages and became present to people who needed his help.  He followed the mission of spreading God’s love to everyone he met every single day.

Through the stories shared at the wake, you could see how he was fully present for everyone. People did not only see him, but they were able to experience him.  He was there during important life events, whether it is joyful or when people are sad.  He was there to give the extra push to help people move forward.  He was also kind to difficult people.  He showed a lot of patience, kindness, and compassion for them.  When I think about it, this is really the presence of God in our lives. This is how God would be to each one of us. He was able to make us experience God through him.

I have my own experiences with Tito Ruben.  He called whenever it was my birthday and said Mass for me as a Christmas gift every year.  During special occasions like my parents’ anniversary, he would ask us to share.  It made me teary-eyed most of the time, but he would always say that it was God’s presence.  He was also able to show his love for me when I went to him for counseling or asked him questions.

One of the most important questions I asked him was, how can you be at peace with death.  I’m afraid to die, so I wanted to know why he could talk about death all the time and not even be bothered by it.  He told me that he lives his day as if it were his last. That answer stuck.

How do I live my life with intention like him?  How do I make the right choices? I remembered something that he always said. “When discerning what to do, ask if it is something you can live with, die for, and face God with.” He further answered my question when I was looking for a notebook.  I found a book he gave me a long time ago, and on the cover page, he wrote this. “To dear Anda, with all my love and prayers for a future Woman-for-Others.”  It was a clear message from him, especially with my career as an executive coach. I will always remember that.

To sum up Tito Ruben’s life, I am reminded of a song that I heard at one of his events.  A priest sang it during this occasion.  The song’s title is In Omnibus Amare et Servire Domino, which means in everything love and serve the Lord.

Tito Ruben has never left us. He will live in each one of us. Thank you, Tito Ruben, for your valuable lessons.