Remembering Carmen Castillo-Gojara, Rosemary Hooper and Delia Castillo.

We look to the words of Jesus in remembering our loved ones who said:

A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come;

but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. JOHN 16:21-22

Therein lies our hope in being faithful as believers of Jesus Christ who has died, was Risen and ascended to Heaven and who has conquered death so that we know Him in the present and be comforted by the hope of the resurrection and in being reunited with our family and our God. In that day, we will no longer weep, we will no longer hunger, we will no longer need anything for God will see to it that we will have joy in abundance.

These are my hopes, Carmen was my mom, and therefore in having faith in Jesus, I am certain I will see her again and when that day comes it will be the Day of The Lord. My cousins Rosemary and Delia will also be there, there have been some that have seen them together already in their dreams, this was so that we be comforted in knowing they are together in Heaven and most importantly they are with Jesus.

Paul will say in 1 Thessalonians 4:14: “we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.”

One of the last things my mom was known to have said before going into the final surgery that she did not wake from to my brother was “Don’t worry I believe in Jesus.” Of this I am certain, because I talked to my mom every week and we always talked about Jesus. My mom and Rosemary were some of the very few with whom I could talk about my seminary experience, which was talking about the Bible.

My cousin Rosemary was one of the most devout Christians I have ever known, I will say I miss talking to her very much, these were two people that were very supportive in my Christian studies. We lost my mom on May 31st of 2021, and Rosemary on September 3rd, and my cousin Dolly on December 27th of the same year. Along with my dad Ricardo Gojara Sr, we lost them all in the same year, 2021, and this was quite a heavy year for our large and joyful family. Dolly’s children Are Gio and Elizabeth, both who gave Dolly beautiful grandchildren, Rosemary’s children are David and Munich both who have beautiful grandchildren. Carmen’s children are myself, Mick Palyola, Robert Palyola, my sister Debbie and last Rick Junior, my youngest brother. We all have children and besides being part of a large family that began with our grandparents, “the three sisters” all have the joy of loving grandchildren.

Jesus will say in Matthew 5:14- “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

Well, lets be honest, I miss my mom every day, we all miss the ones that have gone to be with Jesus. I know my cousins miss their mom, there will be tears for many years at different moments, I fully trust that my cousins, our children and our extended family firmly place their faith in Jesus who is our comfort. Paul says

“ I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation,

whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Ephesians 4:12-13). 

Paul says it this way, because he is giving an example of the ups and downs we will encounter, we will celebrate the Holidays with only the memory of our loved ones, but Paul firmly states that our strength, should we place our faith in Him, is in Him. God sees us too, he waits for us to reach up to Him, and he will take our hand.

The goal in remembering them is to cherish the memories, God wills for us to have families, to enjoy our children and create memories of joy, so we can know the goodness in God’s creation.

He made us to LOVE, he made us to SEEK and LOVE Him, and he made us to have children and know the love of being parents so that we have at least a degree of an idea how much He, our God, our Creator, our Savior and Redeemer LOVES US. We are to comfort each other, we are to share the memories and take great joy in the memory of our dear departed. Paul also states this:

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God”-2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Although it is difficult to physically be present when we are mourning, we can give comfort to each other through engagement with each other even if it is only on social media. Nonetheless, this media gives us the ability to stay engaged with our families in spite of where we are in the world. I can honestly say that I am comforted by seeing the thriving families of my family members who also mourn. We go through this together. As a family, as a community, as a humanity under God.

Paul says in Romans 14;8-

“If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”

This too is our great comfort, to know that we belong to Jesus, that in Jesus we have the promises of the great Glory in the Kingdom to Come. When we will be raised up with the saints to again be reunited with all our family we have lost, all of our friends we have lost, if we are the faithful, we too are saints. The author of Revelation 21:4, will write:

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’

or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Therefore, we celebrate our dear sisters and mothers, Carmen, Rosemary and Dolly, some of us having decades of memories, let this memories rise, let them make you laugh again with their unique sense of humor all possessed. Let them comfort you as they did when you were a child by remember how they loved you, and did everything to make the best world for you. Thank them, and thank Jesus for his work on the cross, rejoice in Him that gives the gift of everlasting life.

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”-John 14:6

My mother Carmen