TERESITA TANSECO-CRUZ
Last night I attended the final online Novena Mass for Norberto “Boy” Nazareno. I must have met him a couple of times in the past but had never really had a conversation with him. He was the husband of my sister Celia’s longtime friend, Evelyn, who is the one I know.
This morning as I prayed, I just found myself thinking of Boy Nazareno and couldn’t get him out of my mind. All the tributes paid to him were continuous testimonies to his life of love spent thinking of others, serving others. I think he must be a perfect poster boy for “Amare et Servire“.
I believe Boy was sanctified because he was Christ-ified. He seemed to have had the Christ habit of simply doing what Jesus would do, and trusting God completely with the “after effects”. I believe he was all that because he was constantly acknowledging and then RESPONDING with all he had to the relentless Love that God has for each one of us. Truly, he was a saint with a small letter “s” as has been said of those of us whose holiness is obvious but whose canonization as Saint may or may not come to pass.
In recent times, Boy had contributed several articles to the White Butterfly website. I told Celia that I always liked Boy’s described down-to-earth divine encounters with the Lord. For me, they were unfailingly inspired and sometimes really funny. So with humble gratefulness and joy, I can say: I knew Boy Nazareno, through heart and spirit. And that’s hard to forget.
I know now that my sudden determination to not just settle with a “like” to Boy’s website contributions but to set him further as a role model for authentic discipleship, did not come accidentally this morning.
God was passing by. Right, Elijah?
