For more than 3 years now, Jerry and I have made it a habit to pass by the Redemptorist Church everyday after bringing the kids to school. Though we attend mass at another venue every Sunday, this particular church is our daily refuge for at least 30-45 minutes before we start our day's activities. We try to hear the 7am mass from start to finish but if we do not make it in time for the Gospel because of traffic, we still make it a point to receive our Holy Communion.



By 730 am, as soon as the mass is ended, the people rush out to go. Jerry and I stay on to spend the next 15-20 minutes praying the Prayer of Jabez, the Holy Rosary and the Novena to St. Expeditus. I find it so uplifting and heart-warming talking to God, lifting up our fears and asking for blessings as a couple. It is just not complete if we miss on our daily church visit.



I might as well let you in on our prayer requests. We pray the Jabez prayer for abundance of blessings, the rosary as a devotion to our Blessed Mother and the novena for our urgent needs. Everyday, we recite the same prayers of praise, thanksgiving, repentance and requests.



Amazingly last Monday, while praying the novena and reaching the part where we state our favors, we found ourselves groping for words. We just realized that our most major request since last year has just been fulfilled a few days back.



Several months ago, due to bad investments, we prayed for our house to be sold. We were actually desperate, thinking that if we sold it, we would gain enough to settle some obligations. Months have passed and we couldn't understand why no sale ever materialized. But we kept on praying and trusting in Him.



In the mean time, a lot of things have happened. I was given a clean bill of health after a mammogram. I was given a raise. Jerry got a better position in his company. He was given a bonus. We have sold our car. I was offered a new one by the company I work for. Our travel papers got approved and we were able to take the opportunity to travel 5 years after the last time we went out of the country. And Matthew and Kyle received gold medals in school.



Still, our house was up for grabs. Last July, an ordinary inquiry turned out to be the deal we were waiting for. After a short negotiation, the sale was made. However, it was also a heartbreaking moment when we found out that after some computations of penalties, interests etc., we were not to get any financial benefit from the transaction. In fact we lost a significant amount from the sale.



Looking back, we have lost indeed. The loss is something that will set us back in the short term. But when we count the blessings that came our way, we are still better off. It became a realization for us that God really answers prayers. It may not be the way we had wanted it to be. God may even play some tricks giving you something you never asked for. His answers may come in different "packages". But if we lift everything up and trust His divine plans, everything will turn out for the best.



(I am posting this to propagate the Novena to St. Expeditus)