Elizabeth Masue Masuda-Almazan was a Japanese teacher who opted to stay in Davao at the request of her remaining family. There, she met and fell in love with Vicente Almazan who was her fellow teacher. They married secretly knowing that the family would oppose the marriage, and in the end, the newlyweds decided to settle in San Narciso, Zambales, homeland of Vicente to raise their children this time, as humble farmers.
When the war broke, as Masue’s mother warned in her letter before she left for Japan, she decided to stay with her husband. Masue was the Kempeitai’s natural choice for interpreter as Japanese culture highly regards a teacher. This designation, Masue used prudently, saving many not only her townmates but those of other areas as well. But gradually the pressure had been increasing as more guerilla operations are reported against the Japanese. To make things worse, Vicente was killed by a guerilla recruit. Masue could have resorted to zoning as instituted by the dreaded Japanese secret police in retaliation for her husband’s death but Masue’s kindness prevailed and she did not involve anyone in anyway as a revenge. In fact, when the 14-year-old Rafael Falucho asked to be forgiven, she easily forgave the child who she felt was just a victim of consequences, himself.
After one of the horrendous sessions where she was asked to ask as interpreter, Masue went home and chose a path by the churchyard frontage so she can go home faster. This is where the first apparition happened. After a dazzling display of lights, she saw “the most beautiful lady” atop the San Sebastian Church. She must have prostrated and regarded her reverently for about two hours for when she left, the glow of dawn was already in the sky. Naturally unassuming, she told a close relative of Almazan that her death must be forthcoming because someone from Heaven had appeared to her. This happened while she was still a Buddhist and the calm and peace that she felt in her presence gave her the resolve to continue saving lives in her own little way.
In fact, she was able to save the lives of even those who are really active guerillas including her best friend, American Elizabeth Stocks-Fontillas for whom she acted as a guarantor even if she knew that she was indeed the intelligence officer of the resistance in San Narciso. To guerilla survivor Modesto Ferdivilla, who was in a close shave with death and who came back to thank her endlessly, she simply instructed him to thank God instead and also by going to church every Sunday to show God his gratitude.
The second alleged apparition happened already after the war when she had chosen to become a Catholic. Many would ask why Catholicism when in fact her late espouse was an Aglipayan. In fact, she had all her children baptized Catholics. Perhaps this was because of the pious influence of Elizabeth Stocks, her best friend who herself was educated by the nuns. The event happened while Masue, now baptized Elizabeth in honor of her bosom friend, was gazing at the Belen while the dawn mass was in progress as it was nearing Christmas. It seemed that for her, Our Lady came to life, which is why, people close where she was wondered why she knelt and behind her was a man with “the kindest countenance ever”.
Elizabeth Almazan continued a life of struggle especially in poverty. She was wondering why the other Almazans do not give her the harvest share of Vicente’s land. This she lamented to her friend, Elizabeth Stocks-Fontillas. But she just led a very frugal life raising her children by selling vegetables. She was so frugal that her clothes remained the same with just the neat patchwork added to them whenever they are torn. Altho she was considered a town heroine like the other Elizabeth, she refused a large sum of money which was raised as a reward for saving many lives especially those of the guerillas. But strangely enough as her ways are, she refused the reward because it would seem that she had betrayed her homeland by receiving it. She believed that she was just prudent not to allow her countrymen to become vicious oppressors to the people that she had come to love. Towards the end of her life and extreme poverty, the third apparition allegedly happened.
Feeling more stronger than the usual Masue left her bed to be near the young caimito tree when the Virgin Mary appeared atop one of its branches. From here the Blessed Virgin told Masue that all of her sins are already forgiven and that she will join the Blessed Virgin soon in Heaven. Which is why when Masue’s eldest daughter woke, she asked her to spend her last remaining five-peso-bill because she doesn’t want to bring anything mundane to where she was going.
The story of Elizabeth Masue Masuda-Almazan continue to inspire people. There are even many miracles attributed to her, even impossible cures. Apparently, she lived a simple saintly life. What is troubling the knowledgeable lay people is the indifference of some priests to her cause. Yes, we know that in Vatican II, the priests are taught to be more cautious and yet even in Vatican II miracles are no longer necessary in the process of beatification. Then, I feel that Elizabeth Almazan had gone beyond the standard even as they rushed the canonization of Vatican II Popes.
But I feel that al l these came out of the same bad archetype of racial discrimination. Filipinos who are used to self-bashing always participate in putting their racial origin down even subverting it to provincialism or ethnocentrism which is why it is easy for Caucasians to influence them against their very selves. That is why it was easy for a biased papal nuncio to suppress a possible true event by influencing local bishops even under duress. And so, if it is impossible for Filipinos to see a heavenly apparition why should a Japanese national in the Philippines be exempt especially if she had subverted herself to Filipino culture.
People especially Filipinos with their fragmented culture always see the differences between peoples and they tend to discriminate against themselves. But this I not the way the Lord wants us to do. Through St. Paul, He declares: ”So, you are no longer alien or foreign visitor: you are all citizens like all the saints, and part of God’s household, you are part of a building that has the apostle and the prophets for its foundations, and Christ Jesus, Himself for its main cornerstone. As every structure is aligned on Him, all grow into one holy temple in the Lord; and you, too, in Him, are being built into a house where God lives, in the Spirit. (Eph. 2:19-22) So, why don’t we follow the example of Nana Masay who no longer felt alien nor foreign visitor and hence lived a saintly life. In fact, she started aligning herself to the Cornerstone even while she was still a Buddhist. She was a model for true ecumenism.
But the realization of truth despite bias is not insurmountable. Nathanael, the blameless asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46) and yet all that the Lord had to say is that He saw him under the fig tree and he believed. And so, my dear Filipinos and fellow, let us continue answering the question, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” or “Can anything good come out of San Narciso?” And then we tell them the story that she saw her on the branch of the star apple tree.” Then let us all leave it to God’s providence if they will believe.
