Seven months ago, September 8, 2009, Mama Mary’s birthday (and my PL’s birthday), I resigned from my job as National Sales & Marketing Manager of a consumer food company due to extreme pressures in my work. Throughout my 35 years in Sales, this was only the second time I resigned without having any sure employment or business waiting for me. For 7 months, I didn’t have any stable income. I was not prepared to suddenly face the prospect of “forced retirement” since I did not have any retirement funds. Considering my age in a fast-paced and demanding industry, “nakakatakot talaga!” I viewed the past 7 months as being in “exile”, like the Jews. An exile is being in a transition period; being in exile is being outside of your comfort zone and just relying on God; being in exile is a time of preparation for greater blessings from God. The inspiring quote from an unknown author gave me hope : “When you get to the point where you don’t have anything left but God, you will find that God is all you need.” God’s message to me spoken through my brother, Kuya Sep, as I was about to resign also gave me reason to be hopeful in spite of the seemingly insurmountable odds : “The best is yet to come.”
While other people in a similar situation would escape through alcohol, being super busy, drugs, gimmicks, “mall-itis” (laging nasa mall), and what have you, I chose to face my problems squarely by clinging to the Lord through Daily Mass and Holy Communion, regular Confession, extended prayer times in the Adoration Chapel, God’s Word, offering myself to be used for service and also doing the simple tasks to be done for my family.
I want to share about SERVICE. If we recall our LSS/ECLS, SERVICE is one of the spokes of the Growth wheel. Since I had all the time for service now that I am in between jobs (“pinaganda lang…walang trabaho”), I made myself available for service. I volunteered to serve as speaker and Discussion Group Leader (DGL) in the 3-day PNP ECLS in Clark last February 10-12 together with other brothers from the South Sector led by Oscar Papa and assisted by Lito Pineda. The immersion experience we had in Clark was life-changing for me. I experienced first-hand the powerful work and inspiration of the Spirit. Tough, veteran, hardened police officers shedding tears after receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation which they failed to avail of for many years (truly there was great rejoicing in heaven that day because not only one, but more than 30 police officers repented! Lk. 15 : 7). The Spirit’s gentle and loving Presence in the praying overs and Baptism in the Spirit was also felt powerfully! The members of the service team also gave up our “Isaacs” and went out of our comfort zone since we ate what the participants ate (usually rice and one ulam) in 15-20 minutes flat! We also didn’t have the luxury of having our own individual bathrooms.
Mario, flanked by Oscar Papa and the South Sector LSS Team, with their PNP brothers
The Spirit continued to pour on me the gift of zeal for service, mission, and evangelization a few days after the PNP ECLS in Clark through the different sharings and messages in our Community Conference last February 21. The Spirit ignited in my heart the fire for mission and service through the words of Jean Barbara that was shared in the conference …”You cannot simply stay within the walls of Ligaya. You would not be able to fully understand your call unless you give and you give more. And the more you give, the more you will understand what God has called you to do and to be. You will discover God working miracles in you, in your families, in your children, and in the community.”
I was particularly touched by the sharing of the Prison Ministry of the North Sector at the Quezon City Jail as shared by Dr. Charlie Lasa and the sharings of Lito Pineda and Jun Ramirez about Tahanan Ng Panginoon. I felt a strong prompting from the Spirit to actively join the Compassion Ministry. My coordinator, Manny de los Santos, confirmed this and he appointed me to form and head SD-A’s Compassion Ministry. He introduced me to the core group of the Prison Ministry of Ayala Alabang’s Parish of St. James. I have been regularly joining their weekly visits & powerful prayer meetings to 100 inmates of the Muntinlupa City Jail. I also joined the North Sector Prison Ministry in one of their weekly visits & bible study at the Quezon City Jail. I have also volunteered to give talks to TNP “Tambakan” in Tramo, Paranaque. For many years now, each time I read about the Corporal Works of Mercy in Matthew 25 : 35-36, 40 (“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink…I needed clothes and you clothed me…I was in prison and you came to visit me…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”, I have this uncomfortable feeling inside me since I still have to actualize this.
Now I know that one of the reasons God called me into “exile” is so that I can serve him more actively in the “open door” of the Ministry of Compassion and PNP ECLS, which normally, I could not do because of my hectic work schedule. Thus, I say : “Thank you Lord for allowing me to go into exile so that I can serve you more!”
Mario and Lei Romero and their family
(Mario Romero, 57 years old, is happily married to Leah Romero. They have 5 grown up children—Dominic, 32, Christine, 30, Raquel, 27, TJ, 26, and Peter John, 24, (their son afflicted with a rare congenital heart and lung defect). Mario and Leah have been with LNP since June 1982. Leah serves in the Mother Butler Guild in their parish while Mario heads the newly-formed Compassion Ministry of SD-A and is a member of the South Sector Word Ministry. Mario is a mainstay in the PNP ECLS Service Team since the time of the late Gen. Nap de los Santos.)
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