The Earth is a place of Glory for God! St. Marie Eugenie

May 25, 2008

A visit to Joey Velasco's Home


"I See You, Lord!"
Two Communities Surprised by the Lord
A Day Before the SOLEMNITY OF HIS BODY AND BLOOD
24 May 2008


The Communities of the Novitiate and the Provincialate had the grace of meeting Mr. Joey Velasco and his famly last Saturday, 24 May 2008, in his home!


It was truly an unforgettable experience!


To some extent, the sisters did expect to have a nice and enjoyable community outing to somewhat cap the summer "holidays"...but only God knew what He had in store for us...


We were met by the charming Velasco children and soon after by Mrs. Queenie Velasco, the lovely wife of Joey who also prepared a sumptuous lunch for all of us! A little later his mother also came to join us!


"Hapag ng Pag-asa"
Joey Velasco is the man behind the painting, "Hapag ng Pagasa" - that has become a "must see" today. He is also the one behind the book, "THEY HAVE JESUS" where Joey speaks of each of the children in the painting.

But what was truly significant about the encounter was the circumstances behind the man and his paintings. Joey was not born a painter..."not at all" - he would say. His paintings were borne out of weakness and vulnerability... even sickness... that somehow paved the way for an authentic God experience that would transform his life and that of his family and eventually of all those who would see his paintings.

One could say that the paintings are of "divine origin" making use of Joey's hand and paintbrush, not so much because Joey is a most fitting, holy instrument, but moreso because God wants to make Himself known and loved, first and foremost to Joey and his family and through him, to others who would have the heart and the eyes to recognize God's "epiphany" through them.


One cannot deny God's hand in making this spiritual encounter happen. It certainly has provided for a more meaningful celebration of the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Our Lord. God is serious about wanting to be known and loved by us... the Retreat on the Mystery of the Incarnation that took place last month was God's gift to the Province. This experience confirmed the retreat grace that indeed if our eyes and hearts were open, we will see God and find in Him, life in its fullness. A message from Joey confirms the grace of the experience - "Your presence yesterday was another spiritual experience for all of us. Thanks for the sharing...:"

Thank you, Lord for blessing us

with the grace to see and recognize you...