Karm-El, Hebrew for vine of God.
In my previous blog, I mentioned that my husband threatened
in jest to give our younger son the name Two Alfredo (second son of Alfredo) if
I didn’t come up with a more meaningful one. It’s a good thing Buddy was born
on the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. What better name can there be than
the special day he was born on – Julian (for July) Carmelo.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel has always been a big part of my
life. As a little girl, the Convent of Our Lady of Mount Carmel which was very
near our house was a place I frequented. I didn’t just attend masses there with
my parents but would even come to play in their courtyard. I just loved hearing
the nuns who were hidden behind a screen sing, like angels’ voices coming out
of nowhere. And because I was a precocious kid, I was a favorite of the nuns
who were allowed to go outside the cloisters. I often got treated with the trimmings
from the communion hosts they made. Even when we moved to Manila, our family
stayed connected. We would ask them for prayers for special occasions and
concerns.
So when Buddy was born on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel,
I truly felt he was a gift from her (he was huge at 8 pounds and the cutest
baby). This is especially so because I know my father had asked the nuns for
prayers for my delivery that saved me from a complication.
True to his name, Carmelo grew up to become God’s fruitful
vine. Talented, kind, generous, responsible and very upright. With his older
brother, he has taken on my late husband’s mantle of taking care of our family.
For that I honor him and pray for him on his natal day:
“Watch over this vine, the root your
right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself.” – Psalm 80:15
