Molly Joan Bailey

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

Safely Home

I am home in heaven, dear ones;

Oh so happy and so bright!

There is perfect joy and beauty

In this everlasting light.

All the pain and grief is over,

Every restless tossing passed;

I am now at peace forever,

Safely home in heaven at last.

Did you wonder how I so calmly

Trod the valley of the shade?

Oh, but Jesus' love illumined

Every dark and fearful glade.

And he came himself to meet me

In that way so hard to tread;

And with Jesus' arm to lean on,

Could I have one doubt or dread?

Then you must not grieve so sorely,

For I love you dearly still;

Try to look beyond earth's shadows,

Pray to trust our Father's will.

There is work still waiting for you,

So you must not idly stand;

Do it now, while life remains,

You shall rest in Jesus' land.

When that work is all completed,

He will gently call you home;

Oh, the rapture of that meeting,

Oh, the joy to see you come!

Reflections from Molly’s Niece-Salima Sabga

Molly Joan Bailey - she was a heroine - no doubt about it. The truth is that she came from a family of heroines - sisters, women, who faced life with courage and hope and always with gratitude, stemming from family values and their Catholic Christian faith.

At a very early age, she served her family from a heart of love. Her love for her parents was pivotal in a her life - she appreciated their valiant efforts to bring up nine children, and willingly joined in to help. Significant was her close relationship with her father, whom she greatly admired for his knowledge and wisdom. This experience drew her easily into a loving relationship, as well, with God the Father. She talked always about her parents with respect and love and honored them. I am sure that this was the reason for her longevity and agelessness - blessings from God as revealed in the 5th commandment.

Everyone who knew her realized that her life was filled with painful challenges, but Molly Joan Bailey met everyone of them head-on, armed with great faith in “My God”, who, she said, never failed her, because He loved her. I would tease her - “but He’s my God too”. She would reply - “I don’t know about that. All I know is that He’s MY GOD”. She believed in His love for her as certainly as she believed in her earthly father’s love. First thing every morning, it was her ritual to meet with her Heavenly Father, her Lord Jesus and her Blessed Holy Spirit in the Bible and prayer, accompanied by a delicious cup of coffee. Her opening prayer was always “This is the day the Lord has made and I WILL (her emphasis) rejoice and be glad in it”. Believe me, I can hear her saying it as I write! Needless to say, her legacy is that this is now my first prayer of the day. Thus physically and spiritually fed, she confidently stormed Heaven in compassionate, intercessory prayer for family, friends, country and the world.

She also loved the Lord’s Prayer, which, she testified, by her praying it, had healed two people, one of them a Muslim!

She was blessed with vision for her future, planned for it, was prepared to work hard for it and did. Often, she would say - “Think ahead, take care of yourself because nobody knows to take care of you but you”.

Good health was vitally important to her and she took much care to preserve hers - she was a walking, talking vitamin Bible.

Her love for her “young men”, her sons (never mind that they were in their 50s and 60s), was faithful, fierce and eternal. Her last concern was for Robert, her remaining son, but once she was reassured that he would be well taken care of (thanks and praise for this to Cheryl, her loving daughter-in-law, especially during her passage, and Junior), she was at peace. Her grandchildren (6) and her great grandchildren (4), she kept close in her heart and was very proud of them.

She finished her race here on earth as she had lived, with prayer and praises to her God, and believe it or not, throughout her last days, with laughter and song- a la Molly. Viva Molly!

Was it accidental that she was called “Joan”, a name reminiscent of that extraordinary soldier of God, who fought in His name and His strength - just as she did? Indeed, we all believe that she was received in Paradise with the beautiful words - “Well done, good and faithful servant”. How great is her joy now that she has fallen into the loving arms of her Lord Jesus, and is reunited with her loved ones who went ahead of her!

Thank you Aunty Molly for your beautiful example of a heroic, Catholic Christian life - the Highway of Love to Love Unending. May your crown of glory be beyond your imaginings. And may we, who are left behind, do as brilliantly as you did.

We miss you and will always love you