Blessed Assurance

It’s the time of the year when mortals feel intimations of mortality, the temporariness of life, and the permanence of everlasting life.

Each year, on Nov. 1, All Saints Day, and Nov. 2, All Souls Day, we troop to the cemetery to visit our dead ones. It is one way of assuring ourselves that our departed ones are truly gone temporarily separated from us --- that one day we should be together again in Heaven with our Maker and Infinite Intelligence. As we all remember our dear departed, I want to share with you stories of hymnists who in one or another always reminding us that we are mortals and we are dust in the wind.

We sing gospel songs because, well, we just like to - they are the musical equivalent of comfort food. But more importantly, we sing them because they connect many times with great All Souls Day and Lenten themes of sin, redemption, the cross, the resurrection and heaven or hell.

The next time you sing an old, familiar hymn, look at the small print at the bottom or top of the page and you probably will read the name of Fanny Crosby.

For the past days, I’m busy youtubing Fanny Crosby’s hymns. Frances Jane Crosby (March 24, 1820 – February 12, 1915, popularly known as Fanny Crosby, the Queen of Gospel Songs) was an American poetess and lyricist best known for her Christian hymns. A lifelong Methodist, she was one of the most prolific hymnists in history, writing over 8,000 despite being blind from shortly after birth. Also known for her preaching and speaking, during her lifetime Fanny Crosby was one of the best known women in the United States . To this day, the vast majority of American hymnals contain her work. Some of her best known songs include "Blessed Assurance", "Jesus Is Tenderly Calling You Home," “I am Thine O Lord,” "Praise Him, Praise Him," and "To God Be the Glory." Every song is a testimony of her love for Jesus Christ.

Since some publishers were hesitant to have so many hymns by one person in their hymnals, Crosby used nearly 100 different pseudonyms during her career.

"Blessed Assurance" (one of the most beloved hymns of all time) is a well-known Christian hymn. Crosby was visiting her friend Phoebe Knapp as the Knapp home was having a large pipe organ installed. The organ was incomplete so, using the piano, Mrs. Knapp played a new melody she had just composed called "Assurance". "What do you think the tune says?" asked Knapp.

"Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine," answered Fanny Crosby.

She later remarked: It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me.

She also once said, "when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my
sight will be that of my Savior!"

She composed her poems and hymns entirely in her mind and then dictated them to someone else. She was said to work mentally on as many as twelve hymns at once before dictating them all.

Fanny was very well known during her time and often met with presidents, generals and other dignitaries. She played the hymn "Safe in the Arms of Jesus" at President Grant's Funeral in 1885. In her later years, she also became a popular public speaker.

When she died, her tombstone carried the words, "Aunt Fanny" and "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine."

Decades after Fanny…

In Bohol, there’s Onecimo Oclarit, popularly known as One who spends most of his
time as church musician (at the St. Joseph Cathedral).

Like Fanny, One is a blind composer and hymnist. He is an example of giving back his life and talent to the Lord through his hymns. Churchgoers are familiar of “Sulod Kamo Nga Malipayon,” “Ania Kita Nagsaulog,” “Dayegon Ta Ang Ginoo,” “Ania Kami Ginoo” and “Dawata O Ginoo,” these are One’s compositions to signal the start of the mass. Other One’s songs are “Ang Tawo Mamatay Gayud,” “Bisan Pa Man,” “Kanunay Buhi ang Kinabuhi,” “Pamatia O Ginoo” and “Tawo Ayaw Kalimot sa Abog ka Gikan” are sung during requiem mass. “These songs remind us that we are humans,” One said.

His composition Señor San Jose is sung anywhere in the world where there are Visayan devotees of St. Joseph .

“This is unto the Lord,” One said. Blind in 1957 from typhoid fever (his survival was considered by Manila doctors as “miracle” at that time) he had never questioned the will of God. He wished to become a lawyer.

“I had questions but I don’t blame God even if my world is in total darkness,” he continued. The Church helped him to regain his faith to the Lord and confidence of himself as he started serving the Lord when he was 12 years old as bell ringer for 14 years and official organist.

One, who is now 58 years old, won the 1994 Grand Original Composition for the song “Balik sa Bohol” which is popularized by local singers in Loboc in floating restos. He also won the 12th Cebu Pop Music in 1994 for the song “Kay Gihigugma Ko Ikaw.” He’s also the man behind the jingles of CBB and Ubi Festival.

“I don’t ask for wealth that can’t change my character. It’s enough that I can eat three time a day, in good health and with my family,” the contented One said. He is married to Trinidad with whom he has three children, Rosauro Mariano, Ma. Luisa and Ma. Alma . He has 10 grandchildren.

God has proven to me, that the blind can see, and He did that through Fanny Crosby and One Oclarit. We noticed that in God's sense of equality and magnanimity, He has gifted many blind people as well with the extra-ordinary talent in music. They were never bitter about their disability.

What are you doing to help other people? Are you involved in your church? What are you doing to serve Jesus? Fanny Crosby, One Oclarit (with other blind singers and composers like Stevie Wonder and George Matheson) and those who’re physically challenged could have made many excuses--- they are blind….but they served the Lord any way and look the Lord did through them. He can use you too.

To end this piece, here’re the lyrics of Blessed Assurance (Pagkabulahang Pagsalig Ko) written by Fanny Crosby which is translated into Visayan:

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! (Pagkabulahang pagsalig ko,)
O what a foretaste of glory divine! (Ang Manluluwas ko Siya si Jesus)
Heir of salvation, purchase of God, (Mahimayaong akong kalag)
born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.(Iyang dugo ang nagatubos)Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song, (Kini ang asoy ug awit ko)
praising my Savior all the day long; (Ang Manluluwas dayegon ta)
this is my story, this is my song, (Kini ang asoy ug awit ko)praising my Savior all the day long. (Ang Manluluwas dayegon ta)

Perfect submission, perfect delight, (Kining pagsalig kalipay ko)
visions of rapture now burst on my sight (Akong Makita ang Himaya Niya)
angels descending bring from above (Gikan sa langit nasangyaw na)
echoes of mercy, whispers of love. (Ang putling gugma sa atong Dios)
(Refrain)
Perfect submission, all is at rest; (Makapahulay ang nagsugot)
I in my Savior am happy and blest, (Ug magkalipay uban kang Jesus)
watching and waiting, looking above, (Sa paghulat ko ug pagtukaw)
filled with his goodness, lost in his love. (Sa Iyang gugma pun-on ako)
(Refrain)