For the Greater Glory of God

Testimonial of Sister Eufemia Cantú

Sr. Eufemia Cantú

For the greater glory of God, here is my humble testimony. 

I have had the privilege and grace of knowing Paul Rivera for the better part of his life. At certain difficult moments in his life, his soul, ever so desirous of doing God’s Holy Will, would either write or call me to receive light and assistance. 

Wanting to give God glory for the virtuous life Paul led, and without unveiling any details confided to me, please allow me to share with you some aspects of Paul Rivera’s luminous soul, which I hope may serve as enlightenment and a source of inspiration to all.

SPIRITUALISING EVENTS

Paul had the natural reflex of spiritualising all events and to marvel before the beauty of the Work. Most of us know that his first three years of service were offered in honour of the Holy Trinity, and the next five years to the Quinternity, that is, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, Mary Immaculate and the Lady of All Peoples, a devotion dear to his Marian heart. At a very early age, he was consecrated  to Mary, and from then on, he naturally offered all things along his path to Her, following the example of Blessed Pope John Paul II,  whose  motto was “Totus Tuus”, “All for you, Mary”. But even in life’s simple events his fervent faith shone through. Did he not choose as the first letters of his electronic address,”aomk” which stood for Army of Mary Knight, to give honour to the Lady? And the choice of a fabulous white sports car was not intended to attract attention, but only because it made him think of his Immaculate Mother.

MORAL SUFFERINGS

 But think not that he was exempted of the cross placed on the shoulders of all Christians. No, he experienced it, accepted it and offered it up with all the heroism this entailed. Personally, I know that when he returned from his mission in Iraq, he suffered immensely from the moral corruption he saw among the youth in his  country.

Yes, what distress that was for him, which was far worse than all he had experienced in his time abroad.  Does this not show us the purity of his soul? Nevertheless, he continued to search for God’s will, wanting to accomplish it to the fullest.

He admirably kept his soul holy like a lily in bloom and did his best to remain in a state of grace before His Creator, even if this meant ending certain relationships, or accepting rejection and mockery. All was offered up for the souls he loved so much and for the soldiers so dear to him. 

In times of intense tribulation, he would go in front of the Blessed Sacrament, if not in person, at least in spirit, and implore Our Lord’s assistance, seeking not only graces for himself, but above all, for those he saw either straying from Christ or courageously fulfilling their duty in serving their country at all costs! Oh, how his heart ached to be physically before the Eucharistic Throne at Spiri-Maria! But, in reality his soul was  constantly there in pure adoration and faithful love. 

 May his new life in Heaven give us hope and instill in us the incessant desire to live a life of love, and one day to join him in tasting the joy of living in the Heart of the Father’s Heart! 

Sister Eufemia Cantú