Ubá, June 29th, 2021
My dearest Father Gailhac,
The more I get older, the more I like your words that are always in my mind… and in my heart, in a stronger way every day.
One day, when you were specially inspired, you said: “God things don’t get old”.
In my heart, dear Father Gailhac, Your statement has had the power of a prophecy! It has helped me to turn my heart into a place of treasures… which no more belong to me physically… they are gone but their presence have turned my heart into a true sanctuary!
I have a lot of dear people – and thank God there are plenty of them – but today my heart is totally focused on you! Today I want to talk to you about my filial experience. Many times in my life have I used this intimacy with you to find the LIGHT I needed then, the loving presence that fascinated and inspired me; the tender “push” that showed me the necessary step ahead! Or the recovering of a cancer that made me enjoy health even more, LIFE!
One of the experiences with you, dear Father Gailhac, was the tough experience of being with my brother Mário in his final phase of a throat cancer, which eventually took Mário away from us… This dearest brother had been a leader all through his life. He had the natural qualities of a boss- either in the Family or being a professional or among his friends. Once the cancer appeared, Mário experienced limits, fragility and impotency in a way that was new to him, without having been trained for that along his living. As his sister, I felt deeply in my heart a terrible fear that he would not be able to endure all that he hadn’t been prepared for. It was then that I prayed to you, a lovely Father, on whom I could put all my filial confidence.
I’ll tell you, Father Gailhac, not only Mário’s confidence in you grew but mine as well.
I experienced your strength through Mário’s transformation, strength that one could notice in one of your most enchanting characteristics: your humility and your confidence in God. And this was the transformation that Mário went through, humble and confident… as a NEW CREATURE! Every afternoon, when I arrived at his house he would welcome me in a good mood and would say: Rosinha, let’s pray Father Gailhac’s prayer. In that simple way, with no ostentation, God manifested Himself as PEACE, SERENITY and DOCILITY in that brother of mine, who was bossy and strong and considered himself to be insuperable.
So every afternoon we prayed with all our confidence in God for Mário’s recovering through your intercession.
I can assure you, dear Father Gailhac, that I watched my brother die healed and serene, going through his way to Father’s Home as a son without complaining or rebelling.
Before writing this letter to you, Father Gailhac, I read the book “A Life for All”, by Sr. Margarida Maria Gonçalves so that I could refresh my memory of the end of your own life. How wonderful was your last lesson of life to all of us! I can imagine how your attitude facing this diminishing was a sort of consolation to the Sisters who were able to assist you in your final days. You accepted moving to a room in the Community in the Mother House. You agreed to be taken care of with simplicity. By doing so, you let us all a final legacy:
“Now, Heaven is the only thing I expect. Love God… It is the only thing that will follow you at the last hour. Do everything for love and nothing will be painful for you”.
With all my filial affection,
Rosinha, RSHM
