THERE ARE DAYS AND THERE ARE SPECIAL DAYS IN BUDIMEX HOSPITAL. TO-DAY WAS A VERY SPECIAL DAY! WHY?!

FOR AT LEAST A WEEK ONE MOTHER HAD COME TO MY DOOR ALMOST DAILY MAKING A SPECIAL REQUEST. DOWN IN A ROOM IN FLOOR 5, ONCOLOGY WARD, LAY HER VERY ILL SON NICOLAE AGED 15 YEARS. NICOLAE WAS VERY ILL AND SHE WANTED HIM BAPTIZED. NICOLAE TOO WANTED VERY MUCH TO RECEIVE THAT SACRAMENT.

I ADVISED MOTHER TO SEE THE ORTHODOX PRIEST WHO IS THE HOSPITAL CHAPLAIN BUT SHE PERSISTED IN HER REQUEST THAT I SHOULD BAPTIZE HER SON. WHILE I COULD DO THAT IN AN
EMERGENCY I RECOMMENDED THAT A PRIEST SHOULD DO IT
AND I WOULD BE PRESENT. “PLEASE - I WANT THE ROMANOCATHOLIC PRIEST TO DO THE BAPTISM” SHE SAID.

I PHONED THE PARISH PRIEST, FATHER JOSEPH, WHO SAID HE WOULD COME IMMEDIATELY.

DOCTORS AND NURSES WELCOMED HIM AS I LED HIM TO NICOLAE'S ROOM. THERE NICOLAE, WHO WAS EXTREMELY WEAK, SAT UP SMILING WITH JOY. BESIDE THE BED STOOD MOTHER WANTING ONLY THE BEST FOR HER BOY.

DOCTORS AND CARE STAFF GATHERED NEAR, ALL HAPPY AND GRATEFUL TO SEE THIS MOTHER AND SON FORGETTING FOR EVEN A SHORT TIME, THE PAIN WHICH PREVAILS AT THIS STAGE OF ILLNESS. MOTHER'S FACE SHOWED INTENSE RELIEF AND HAPPINESS FOR HER EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF NICOLAE RAFAEL WERE NOT IN VAIN.

FATHER, OUT OF CONSIDERATION FOR NICOLAE MADE THE CEREMONY BRIEF BUT TOLD NICOLAE HE COULD CHOOSE ANOTHER CHRISTIAN NAME. MOTHER AND SON LOOKED TO ME FOR GUIDANCE. “TO-DAY IS THE FEAST OF THE ARCHANGELS MICHAEL, GABRIEL AND RAPHAEL” I SAID AND ADDED “YOU CAN CHOOSE”. LIKE A FLASH NICOLEA REPLIED “RAFAEL”.
SO, SEPTEMBER 29th 2004 IS THAT VERY SPECIAL DAY FOR NICOLAE
RAFAEL. A SPECIAL AND PRIVILEGED DAY FOR ME TOO!

ONLY A FEW DAYS LATER GOD CALLED HIM HOME - HE HAD SUFFERED ENOUGH PAIN.