As we celebrate the feast of St. Joseph this month, in the year dedicated to him by Pope Francis, we present stories honoring the human yet divine fatherhood of St. Joseph. As the earthly father of Jesus, Joseph humbly and faithfully showed us how a father’s guiding, protective love for his child should draw from the heavenly Father’s boundless love for His Son and for us.
LESTER DELGADO
My church service started way back when I was in elementary. My grandmother was a catechist and a Catholic Women’s League (CWL) member in our local parish. She used to teach us the parts of the liturgical celebration. I joined the church choir when I was in Grade 6, and from there, I started singing with the choir for Mass.
While in high school, I was introduced to Don Bosco Parish in Makati. There I became a youth leader and started serving with other youth leaders under the Music Ministry. I remember I always looked forward to joining the Grand Choir Celebration for Easter Sunday Service. This was because I would meet all the choirs, practice with them, and learn from older musicians in the church. Those were the best days of my youth life.
I studied music as a scholar at the University of Santo Tomas. My professor in Sacred music and choral arranging was a priest, Rev. Fr. Nilo Mangussad. He once asked me, “why don’t you write music for the Liturgy?” At the time, I never realized that God would be using me to compose for Him until 2 years later after I graduated from college.
One day, the spirit of God touched me, and that’s when I started writing seriously. I felt his presence, and suddenly I wanted to compose. I remember a part of “Ama Namin” (Our Father), which I composed when I was in 2nd-year high school; I kept it inside my cabinet of pieces. I immediately looked for it because I wanted to add a new melody in my mind to complete the song. It was a 2-3 hours search, and luckily, I got it. I composed the whole Ama Namin, now in Misa Delgado Book 1, and I was so happy. For me, that was God’s sign to start writing for the Liturgy.
The inspiration to serve the church came from my father, who was a church organist. I will never forget the first time we played together in Santuario de San Antonio Parish, Makati. We played “Papuri sa Diyos,” and he was in the organ and I was playing the piano. My father inspired me to know God deeply and serve the church through the gift of music. This was his legacy; he is my hero.
My greatest joy is whenever I write music for the Liturgy. Being the eldest, I often wanted to use my talent as a pianist and go abroad to work to support my family, especially after my father died. Every time I plan to go away, God will touch me to write a book for the Mass. It seems like He really wanted me to stay to serve Him.
After ten years, here I am, and I have written 10 books for the Liturgy. Every book reflects the story of my life—a simple and happy life in the service of God. I pray and kneel whenever I write music for God. I read inspirational books and study the texts of the bible.
To those who are using Misa Delgado Books, I hope and pray I am inspiring a lot of you while singing the songs I wrote. Here is a video of my newest composition for the Lenten Season, “Ama Patawarin mo Sila.” I also include my composition, Jesus My Saviour
SEE Gifts & Graces – Links for Lester’s Compositions (Lyrics & Music) and his Misa Delgado Book Series:
https://youtu.be/6432bAKafVwhttps://
I married Mae Lagman, a woman I met at Don Bosco Parish. We both love to serve the church and sing at Mass celebrations. We now have a 5 1/2-year-old daughter, Maddie. As her father, I want Maddie to grow up knowing God and becoming a good Christian. Before the pandemic, Mae and I always took Maddie to Santuario de San Antonio Parish to attend Mass. We would also bring her to our choir rehearsals to show her how important service is to us as her parents.
Because of this exposure, Maddie developed a liking for music, singing, playing the piano, and composing her own melodies. She is the best gift from the Lord. The current pandemic has given me the chance to spend more time with Maddie, doing Youtube videos, coloring her crafts, painting, study piano, and some music theory. Maddie likes to learn new things and enjoys her online class a lot. Mae and I are proud of her as she is going to be a 1st Grader at Assumption. But most especially, we are excited for her to know about God and develop not only her talent in music but her relationship with the Lord.
SEE A Life of Music with My Father and my Daughter, Gifs & Graces – Links
https://www.whitebutterfly.ph/2021/03/30/a-life-of-music-with-my-father-and-my-daughter-2/
I am grateful for all the blessings God has given me. Like my father, I am equally inspired to have a simple, happy life with a household that believes in and is devoted to God.