“I have to fulfill this mission!”

Martha Zapata, Eagle Pass, TX

My name is Martha Zapata and I am an instrument of the Blessed Mother through the Schoenstatt Pilgrim Mother. On March 25 of this year, I had an emergency surgery that took me by surprise. Everything went so fast!

Since I am in charge of taking care of my parents, the surgery weighed heavily on me. My father had been under Hospice care for 1 year and 6 months. My mother started showing signs of memory loss. I also have chronic conditions, which with the help of our Mother Thrice Admirable of Schoenstatt I have been able to cope with.

My doctor informed me that if I didn’t have surgery I could be immobilized. When I heard this, knowing the dangers of surgery, I couldn’t help but think of my parents. They depend so much on my presence around them. However, as I began praying a novena to St. Joseph, I was struck by what St. Joseph did: his obedience, setting out during the night with Mary and her son to protect them from the danger of Baby Jesus being killed. St. Joseph transmitted to me his faith to look ahead to the unknown path of surgery and to be able to make the decision to say: “Yes, Lord, here I am, may your will be done, dispose of me”. And, to Mary: “Take care of my parents.”

The surgery began at noon and ended at 7:00 pm. After two hours of recovery, by 9:00 p.m. I was awake, anxious to talk. I had even been told that I would possibly lose my voice, since I have had other thyroid surgeries. But thank God, here I am again… I am missing organs and have had vertebrae replaced, but God can do anything. God has something else in store for me; I am convinced that I have to fulfill this mission!