THE PHYSICIAN IS AN EVANGELIST

The Pauline Letters otherwise known as the Epistles or Letters of Paul referred to him as a physician and a non-Jew.

In the books of the New Covenant, he is called as Luke the Evangelist.

To us, he is a high-end hospital where we were directed to be admitted for a lobectomy right after marshalling preparations for the regional convening in Phnom Penh.

Thus was how a chapter and verses of the Book of Bakal 2 were composed at St. Luke's Medical Center in Quezon City: by the music of the piano player at the lobby during our admission, the sounds of machines during the pre-op assessments including a Pulmunary Function Test, the snores and moans emanating from both sides of our bed at Ward 5206C, a  retinue of medical briefings and the tapping sounds of a fund raising, and the rustle of papers for submission to the Department of Social Services.

I chased the trails for a line to heaven at the churches of the Latter Day Saints, Seventh Day Adventists and Iglesia ni Cristo in Munoz before Thursday's D-Day and when it happened, I sought refuge at the cold and empty second floor chapel of the The Physician-Evangelist.

I was sleepless but thankfully, the procedure was relegated to a less complex segmentectomy to which I offerred my gratitude to the Great Architect of the Universe at the Diocesan Shrine of Jesus the Divine Word.

I pleaded for a seamless recovery at the Minor Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and it was granted.

Weekend and the family brought a welcome warmth to the sterile corners of Room 5110 and broke our medical confinement with stand-up lunches and banters.  

I've been under pressure but it doesn't matter in those two days.

We are almost there and we are grateful for the beeping IV monitoring machine, the soft knocks announcing regular vital signs check, the twice-a-day room cleaning service, the warm and properly covered food, and the overall excellent service of the Physician-Evangelist's disciples;and  the solidarity visits and encouragement, the generosity and kindness, and the prayers of friends who helped us pull through a week of uncertain and sleepless nights at 279 E. Rodriguez Senior Avenue, Quezon City...