Last 12 March 2009, Mary Joy Erce, an 18-year-old student of Rogationist College in Silang, Cavite, met an accident while she was waiting to cross the road on her way to school together with four other girls. That morning, a speeding truck suddenly turned towards the side of the highway in front of the school, killing Mary Joy and her two companions. News of the accident was broadcasted on major national TV networks that same day with a vivid account and an analysis of how the accident had happened. But unknown to the general public, these three Rogationist students had been active and committed Catholics having developed an inner life of union with God and neighbor. Here are some thoughts and experiences of one of them, Mary Joy, discovered later in her diaries as well as testimonies of people whom she touched with her life.
Joy, as she was called by family and friends, was one of the active youth of the Focolare Movement in Tagaytay. She was also a scholar of the the Movements Pag-asa Social Center which caters to children of poor families living in the hills of Tagaytay.
She was the youngest of four sisters in their family. Everyone has many beautiful things to tell about her: she loved everyone and she loved always. A friend of hers told us: She was someone always ready to make an act of love. Every time we had a sleep-over at our youth center, she was the first to wake up in the morning and help me prepare breakfast. She was always present to give a hand. In our visits to the orphanage of Vedruna, she was able to win over Mauro, a boy who was closed in on himself and quite aloof from the others.
Another friend affirms: Looking at Joy, one saw a girl who always said her yes helping even in little things. She lived for the others and always had something positive to say about other people, never anything negative.
This attitude of hers reflects her deep understanding of what true love is. Among her things, we found this note: Love is not love if it changes when it sees a change (in the other).
Going home after one of our evening meetings, she offered me a lift with her family, as we were going in the same direction. As we approached my house, Joy even insisted in accompanying me making sure I reached home safely.
During our last meeting with her, she expressed her gratefulness for having the chance to know the life of unity she discovered and loved in the Movement. In fact, she had been planning to join the choir practice for Chiara Lubichs first death anniversary Mass last March 13, 2009 at the local parish in Tagaytay. In her wallet was a picture of Chiara and that of the group of young girls who were with her in the Focolare.
As soon as we heard that she had passed away, we immediately got together to pray for a special grace, asking Jesus to welcome Joy to Paradise immediately. In our hearts we were sure that he heard our prayer for she was so pure and innocent, always in God, never ceasing to love always with a smile on her face.
The day she died, the Gospel reading at Mass was about the poor man Lazarus who went straight to Paradise. And the Communion antiphon read: Blessed are those who live a blameless life, following Gods law. These words consoled us, thinking that they could really be applied to Joy!
This circumstance made us remember Chiara Lubichs words: that we cannot improvise death because we die the same way we live. So we found peace inside us, in spite of the pain of separation, for we realized that Joys life, though short, had been filled with numerous acts of love till the end. A friend bears witness to Joys last act of love saying that she survived the accident because Joy pushed her away from the path of the speeding truck.
Joys passing to the next life has borne fruit; one of these was in her family. A sister told us that it was only yesterday, after her death, that two other sisters reconciled with each other after nine long years.
Deep in our hearts we want to thank God for having known Joy and for having lived a life of love and unity with her. Joy is like a beautiful flower that blossomed among us and has now returned to the Father.
To conclude, one of her sisters showed us a poem of Joys which seems to us the testament she leaves us, giving us courage to go ahead in life:
As time goes by, I have understood in everyday life
that there is always a trial that you have to face.
Life is not always easy. If light exists, there is also darkness.
And if there is joy, there is also suffering.
Dont avoid the trials of the moment because you can never escape them.
So if you stop, you can never reach the place destined for you.
Seri Serrano
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Sisters of Mary Schoolby angeljuvenile2,417 views
thank you so much for this video...it conforts me and gives me hope ...my gen life has to be at least as hers....always one!
fioritta2003 1 year ago