Denver Catholic

4 MAY 12-25, 2018 | DENVER CATHOLIC In-Depth The mother who said 'yes' to God, even in her illness T he month of May was made for mothers — the heart of the family, the cornerstone that is many times called to a silent and subtle type of holiness and is appreciated even more when her memory and presence are refl ected upon. Such was the calling of Maria Anto- nia, Spanish wife and mother of seven children, four of whom are priests and three of whom are married and have families. One of these priests serves in the Archdiocese of Denver: Father Luis Granados, professor at St. John Vianney Seminary, priest at St. Mary's Parish in Littleton and member of the Disciples of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary reli- gious order. Maria Antonia seemed to have clear from a young age what Pope Francis says in his new apostolic exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate: "We are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we fi nd ourselves." She was so convinced of this that after meeting her future spouse Edu- ardo, when she was still a college stu- dent, she told a religious sister who tried to convince her to join a religious congregation, "My ideal is holiness, and I believe my holiness consists in forming a family with Eduardo." This ideal guided her vocation as a wife and mother, even in her last days, when an aggressive cancer began to paralyze her body. "In her illness, my mother brought us to life and confi rmed us in our voca- tion," Father Luis, fi fth son of Maria Antonia, told the Denver Catholic. "In a way, my mother taught us the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience before being religious brothers." Her husband Eduardo and their chil- dren knew that Maria Antonia's life had been great in its simplicity and decided to capture it in a book titled María Anto- nia: El corazón de una familia (Maria Antonia: The heart of a family), written by Father Jose. The life and surrender of their mother was like "a seal" on their voca- tion, Father Luis said. "She taught us that it's worth giving and surrendering everything we are." As a pharmacist, Maria Antonia lis- tened patiently to the personal prob- lems of people and helped them when she could. As a wife and mother, she was the "magnet of prayer," Father Luis recalled. Her children remember especially the question she asked them that would leave a lasting mark: "Will you be a saint?" HER FINAL 'YES' TO GOD Born in Madrid, the journey of this pious and generous mother took an unexpected turn at age 51 when doctors found a malignant tumor in her brain and only gave her six months to live. Little by little, Maria Antonia lost mobility in her arms and legs, and even the ability to talk. In the painful process of letting go of her husband and chil- dren, she never complained, but instead surrendered with trust and joy. Before her infi rmity, Maria Antonia had written a refl ection on su› ering in her journal: "In the beginning [of suf- fering], you whine to God, you doubt, everything seems like a nightmare, but little by little, you become more famil- iar with your pain and realize that God wants to admit you into that school of love, the school of saving souls through your su› ering." "Maria Antonia's favorite prayer was that of silent submission," Father Jose writes. "I don't think she liked won- dering why [this was happening] … She simply trusted, accompanied by us." "We wanted to comfort her, but she would be the one to comfort us," Father Luis recalled Her children clearly remember the time Maria Antonia lost mobility in her right arm. Since she could no longer say "yes" or "no," they agreed that an open hand meant "yes" and a closed hand "no." Nonetheless, when her right hand was paralyzed, it remained open. Her son Eduardo then said, "Look, my mom left her hand in the form of 'yes.'" Her husband and children saw Maria Antonia's surrender to God echoed in that symbol. "If there is a way to describe Maria Antonia's death, it's that she died sing- ing," Father Jose wrote. She passed away on June 3, 1998, accompanied by her husband and two of her sons. "Now I see that your life was full of 'yeses,'" her husband Eduardo later wrote. "'Yes' to our courtship and to our wedding, 'yes' to receiving our seven children, 'yes' to giving them up to God… 'yes' to all of the good things and 'yes' to God when he sent the illness." Abover all, Father Jose remembers her question: "Will you be a saint?" and sees in it the message that Maria Anto- nia's life has for all who hear it. "I hope the remembrance [of her life] stirs again that question for the ultimate goal of our life, so many times put aside, so many times covered in dust: holiness," Father Jose concludes. BY VLADIMIR MAURICIO-PEREZ vladimir.mauricio-perez@archden.org Maria Antonia's children from left to right: Father Jose, Eduardo, Father Juan Antonio, Father Carlos, Father Luis, Maria Antonia and Marta. PHOTOS PROVIDED

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