the feast - october 14, 2012 issue

7/31/2019 The Feast - October 14, 2012 Issue

1/8

Today, I receive all ofGods love for me.Today, I open myself tothe unbounded, limitless,overowing abundance ofGods universe.Today, I open myself to

Gods blessings, healing,and miracles.Today, I open myself toGods WordSo I would becomeMore like Jesus every day.Today, I proclaim thatI am Gods beloved,I am Gods servant,I am Gods powerfulchampion.And because I am blessed,I am blessing the world.In Jesus name. Amen.

AT THE PHILIPPINE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTER

A Catholic Prayer Meeting of the LIGHT OF JESUS FAMILY

October 14, 2012

IN THIS ISSUE

NO TO DIVORCE. Tackling the divorce issueas explained by Jesus, Fr. Froilan Briones askedcouples who have been married for quite someme to raise their hands. Lay minister TitoCollantes, married for 60 years, raised both arms.His wife, Tuding, serves as usher. See page 2.

KERYGMA CONFERENCE ROCKS! Perking upregistraon at the Lobby, from le: Beatboxdrummer Heather Europa; singer Lop Ponciano;and guitarist Bene Sanchez. More on pages 6-7.

--Photos by Cris Legaspi

GodFoundM

aJob

Seepage8

ENJOY!

I GOOGLED EarthlyRewards from Godand 2,240,000 results

popped up. I clicked a few of them and realized many of themlooked at Earthly Rewards in a negative way. They didntlike talking about it. Their message? God wants to give youEternal Rewards, not Earthly Rewards.

Really? HmmDont get me wrong. Ill talk about Eternal Rewards

next Sunday. I think its crucial that we listen to God aboutthat very special subject. After all, were temporary residentson Earth but permanent residents in Heaven. (Well be livingon Earth for a hundred years. But after living in Heaven fora trillion years, were still getting to know the place.) So yes,lets talk about the glories of Heaven. Next week.

But not now. I want to talk about Earthly Rewards.Because from my experience, there are Earthly Rewards

when I followed God.

One obvious example? Since I learned to love othersthe way Jesus loved me, Ive enjoyed the most wonderfulrelationships. My marriage, my family, and my friendshipsarent perfect, but theyre absolutely beautiful.

Another example? Since I started following Godsinstructions on loving my body (eating the most nutritious foodon earth, avoiding wrong food, and surrendering all worry toGod) Ive enjoyed robust health. Again, its not perfect, but

man, I love the vibrancyand strength I feel inmy body.

My nal example: WhenI remain humble by always improvingmy businesses because I want to serve mycustomers more, I see nancial blessings owinto my life. Why? Because thats what the

book of Proverbs says. (More on this later inthe talk for today.)

What should I do? Complain to God?Lord, I shouldnt be receiving any EarthlyRewards, only Eternal Ones!

Honestly, Im enjoying these temporaryblessings. I should enjoy them becausethats my way of being grateful to God for

blessing me.But every day, I remind myself that

these blessings are temporary. Borrowedfrom above. To be returned at an assigned dayto its Original Owner. And I remind myselfof this truth by giving my Tithes and LoveOffering to Him.

Enjoy your Earthly Rewards.Important Note: Theyre meant

to be shared.Have a great Feast today!

May your dreams come true,

BO SANCHEZ


2/8

LAST WEEK

Jesus Speaks UpAbout Divorce

IN LAST WEEKS Gospel,Jesus claries the issue ofdivorce, as we read in Matthew19:3,7,8,9 where the Phariseesask: Is it lawful for a manto divorce his wife for any

cause at all?And Jesus answers: Moses

permitted you to divorce yourwives; but from the beginningit has not been this way. I sayto you, whoever divorces hiswife, except for immorality,and marries another womancommits adultery.

Fr. Froilan Brionesencouraged couples to keeptheir marriage intact by sharing

A Bakers Dozen for Spousesby the Society AgainstDestructive Divorces.

1. Be generous to the desires ofyour spouse.2. Criticize rarely andwith love.3. If you must neglectsomeone, never let that someone

be your spouse.4. Make your spouse shine.5. Meet like Adam and Evewho meet the rst time with asign of affection.6. A compliment-a-day is moreimportant than a vitamin a day.7. Never both be angry at thesame time.

8. When wrong, say youresorry-- and settle before sundown.9. Never, never throw up

past mistakes.10. Pray together and be awareof your oneness in Christ.

Fr. Froilan said Jesuscame to the world to heal brokenmarriages. Couples, pray forone another.

With Gods grace, youwill nd a way to be togetherfor life.

-- Imelda FerrerPhoto by Cris Legaspi

Focus on the PRIZEGods Effective Rewards

UNLI, the newest talk series

in the Feast, is about Gods

limitless rewards plan. Bro.

Bo Sanchez began the series

last Sunday with the rst topic,

Effective Rewards.

The Ultra-Marathon

Bro. Bo shared the

story of his friend who

would run ultra-marathons,

where participants cover

100 kilometers. Why did he

want to run the marathon?

To get the T-shirt with the

text: The Ultra-

Marathon Finisher.

At some point during

the marathon, runners

become so exhausted that

their legs feel as heavy as tree

trunks. Some give up. Others

dont because they want to get

the prize.

Bro. Bo pointed out that

life is like an ultra-marathon:

There will be days when you

will experience that your legs

are as heavy as tree trunks,and you dont want to go any

step further.

But, he added, think of

the rewards. Do not give up.

Do not focus on the pain. Focus

on the prize. As Revelations

22:12 put it: Behold, I am

coming soon! My reward is

with me, and I will give to

everyone according to what he

has done.

The Law of the FarmBro. Bo said Gods

reward system is already built

into the universe: You reap

what you sow. You harvest what

you plant.

The law is called the

Law of the Farm as stated in

2 Corinthians 9:6: Whoever

sows sparingly will also

reap sparingly, and whoever

sows generously will also

reap generously.

Bro. Bo said the Law of

the Farm is teaching us four

important messages:

1. You Reap What

You Sow. The Law of the

Farm states that if you plant

mangoes, you harvest mangoes.

If you plant bananas, you

harvest bananas

You reap what you sow.

You harvest what you plant.

This is how life works.

This is how the universe works.

God rewards you.

And He already wrote down

His Rewards Program in

every single atom of this

universe. Because of this,

the Rewards of God come

naturally.

2. If Youre Not

Intentional, You Reap

What Others Sow In

You. Bro. Bo said there

are times we sow what

others plant-- these are pain,

trauma, and rejection whichwe suffer. Bro. Bo presented

as an example the experience

of a landowner. An enemy

scatters poisonous seeds on the

landowners farm. Although

the landowner did not plant

those seeds, the seeds will still

grow and bear bad fruit.

But, Bro. Bo pointed,

the landowner does not have

to suffer the bad plants.

He can uproot the plants.

In the same manner, youhave the power to yank out

bad things that happen to

you. Bro. Bo said you can

be intentional and cut the

curse of generational sin in

your life-- by

following Jesus.

He added, If there

are bad fruits in your

life that you didnt plant,

look deeply into your

life, and youll nd that

there are also many amazing,

beautiful, and wonderful

fruits that you didnt plant.

Both co-exist.

3. Rewards Dont

Come Instantly But In Time.

Bro. Bo recalled that when he

was a small boy, he admired

Tarzan who lived in a tree

house. So Bro. Bo planned to

have a tree house for himself.

He planted a mango seed and

hoped it would grow into a

tree where he could build a

house like Tarzans. But Bro.

Bo said his father

told him it would

take ten years

for the seed to

become a tree and

2 THE FEAST October 14, 2012


3/8

TODAY

Talk 2: Earthly RewardsEnjoy The Harvest Of What You Have Sown

Mark 10:21, 29-30Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Thencome, follow me. I tell you the truth, Jesus replied, no one who has left home or brothersor sisters or mother or father or children or elds for me and the gospel will fail to receive

a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children andeldsand with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.

Mark 9:41I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong toChrist will certainly not lose his reward.

Proverbs 12:11He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment.

Proverbs 14:23All hard work brings a prot, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Proverbs 10:4, 5Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in thesummer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

Proverbs 13:22A good man leaves an inheritance to his childrens children.

Personal Reection and Group Discussion:How have you received Earthly Rewards because you followed Gods way?

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by that time, Bo would notwant a tree house anymore.

That day, Bro. Bosaid, I learned about a veryimportant principle of the Lawof the Farm. If you plant today,it doesnt mean youll harvesttomorrow. Youll have to waitfor many tomorrows beforeyou harvest.

As the Bible says inGalatians 6:7-8:A manreapswhat he sows. Let us not becomeweary in doing good, for atthe proper time we will reap aharvest if we do not give up.

4. God Will Reward

You Even If Others Dont.

Bro. Bos example hereis a lola in Anawim, ourHome for the AbandonedElderly in Montalban. Shehad a pension from the SocialSecurity System. She gavethe papers to her daughter sothe daughter could collect the

pension for her. The daughtergot the papers and never came

back. Bro. Bo said he told thelola: Lola, if your daughterdoesnt repay yourkindness, God Himself willrepay you.

Bro. Bo concluded: Godwill reward you for everythingthat you have done. He is

rewarding you for every singleact of love that you do for Himand His people.

He added: When humanbeings dont reward you,thats good news!BecauseGods rewards are bigger thanhuman rewards.

I have a strongsuggestion to you: Dont evenexpect rewards from people.Dont even think about it. If itcomes, accept it with gratitude.But dont look for it. Instead,look for your reward fromGod Himself. Because He

promised. And Hell deliver.Youre running an

ultra marathon.Theres pain along

the way.But dont focus on

the pain.Focus on the Prize

of God.-- Cessna M. Papas

Photo by Ramel Robles

THE FEAST October 14, 2012 3


4/8

REFLECTIONS

Table for TwoBy ZIECIL MIRANDA Illustration by MARTHINA G. SALOME

SOMETIMES my mind just cant stop

thinking and thinking and thinking

of casual things, adventitious goals,

fortuitous plans, accidental moments,

and many unsure thoughts that tend to

process in the most random time and

circumstance of the day, and right now

I just burst and write everything that

this heart is trying to say.

After attending the Feast, I

decided to have some me time

and reckon the things that I should

be doing for the next months of this

year. So I ended up to this one sleek

restaurant around the metro. Friends

actually say that its a must-try so I

went down to see it for myself.

When I was about to enter the

restaurant, the staff greeted me warmly,

and the waiter promptly asked me,

Table for how many maam?

I felt a sudden clutch inside

my system. Having the thought in

microseconds that obviously I hadnt

got anyone to be with me, I humbly

answered, I am alone.

Then the waiter said, Okay

maam. May I lead you to a table

for two?

And I said, Very well, then.

Ever wondered why tables are

made for the minimum of two seats?

That moment I wanted to ask the

waiter, Hey Bro, whuttuubout leading

me to a table for one? If theres any?

Coz apparently, Im yin solo?

But I didnt.

Even the term table for one

doesnt really sound that good, right?

I mean, why cant I ever nd a

resto, a coffee shop, a tea house, or

even just a tavern that can actually

have one chair for a table? Seriously,

if you know some place, call me,

ASAP. Ha-ha!

And maybe if youre saying

that when youre alone, some offer

high chairs. Possible. Yes. But high

chairs dont even stand alone, brothers

and sisters. High chairs also stand

Ziecil: Table

for one doesntreally soundthat good.



5/8

FLASHBACK. Bro. Bo Sanchez discusses characteriscs of various personalies during his talktled Younique last August. --Photo by ELS

with a couple of three or four chairs

with one long table... And thats not

the case! I am not really a fan of

high chairs.

Now I can attest that no table, like

man, is an island.

Point is, our life, no matter how

lame it can ever be, will eventually

nd its essence when shared withanother life.

A Human is created for another

Human. People are just meant to be

together. Eve is for Adam. Ruth is

for Boaz. Goliath is for David (not

necessarily as a couple I guess?)

But rst, we must remember the

greatest commandment: Love God

above all.

That table for two is actually your

little quiet time with God. He wants totell you that you are never alone. He is

the one sitting beside you and talking

to you and having a meal with you.

And He is feeding you with His Own,

whenever you are hungry. He is our

Bread of life.

So you denitely need to serve

Him back. Return Him the favor. Serve

the Bread of Life for those who are

hungry. And when His perfect timing

comes, He will now hand that seat to

someone that deserves YOU.Thats why God taught us

how to Love our neighbors as we

love ourselves.

Remember this: you are not

entailed to sit there lonesome for

the rest of your life. Thats why by

the time that God felt you are ready

to share your Life, someone will

reasonably enter that restaurant as well,

starving to eat, but havent found a

seat yet.

And in no time, he will walk

towards your table and ask: Is this

seat taken?

Then the story will

eventually begin.

Accept that there will always be

two chairs in one table.

One chair is for you, the other is

for a fellow, and now, the center table

that holds everything... is none other

than God.

Younique BlessingBy VIOLET IMPERIAL

THE Feast talk series titled Youniqueled me to a refreshing discovery about

myself. The talk on thePast made

me reect on my life as the youngest

in my family. The talk on the various

Personalities made me realize that

I am a Sanguine-Choleric. The talk

onPassion helped me dene that I

am a nature lover. AndPurpose

made me aware where I am

really going.

After the talk, I resolved to

use my skills to be of service to my

community. For one, I hope to hone

my cooking skills. Jesus cooked for

His desicples. I hope to be able to use

my cooking skills to serve my loved

ones and friends.

My other skill is organizing

responsible and sustainable Ecology

tours. After the Younique talk, I

reviewed and reviewed my mission

statement and began to question

myself-- whether I am really givingexcellent ecotours to educate and

empower people in my community

on the importance of respecting and

taking care of Mother Nature.

I began to miss my long lost

mentor on Environment Education, Dr.

Donna Paz Reyes, executive director of

the Environment Science Institute of

Miriam College.

Early this year, I brought Dr.

Donna Reyes to Feast PICC and she

loved it. Last September 30, 2012,

Dr. Donna showed up at the Feast.

She told me the Feast has blessed her

and she is paying forward what Id

done for her -- that is, inviting her to

the Feast-- by inviting others to our

Sunday gathering.

I was sooo glad Id been used

by the Lord to be a blessing to others,

and making them a blessing for others

as well.

THE FEAST October 14, 2012 5


6/8

MINISTRIESREFUGE. Facade of Grace To Be Born shelter forwomen in crisis.

One Baby at a TimeBy JANELLA IBAY

THE BABY is just one of the children LuisaMozar took to her care and now she helps in

bringing up. But this is not just an ordinarystory of your neighborhoods babysitter-- no.This woman is an unsung hero, just like all ofher fellow volunteers at Grace To Be Born.

Grace To Be Born is a Feastbeneciary partner, which provides shelterfor women in crisis, particularly unwedmothers. Advocating against abortion,Grace takes care of the women throughouttheir pregnancy, so they will be healthy anddeliver a healthy baby. The Home teachesthe women livelihood skills so they can earnincome and be able to raise their baby. TheHome also arranges to have a baby adopted ifthe mother is unable to take care of him.

I am a member of the Feast MediaMinistry. Last year, I volunteered to cover the

Kerygma Conference 2011 which was to befeatured in The Feastbulletin.I was in the middle of taking notes at

the Grand Easter Feast, the culminating eventof the Kerygma Conference, when a stroller

parked beside me.To my surprise--a baby dove onto my

sketchpad! I panicked, because I thought thelittle boy was hurt. Thank God, he wasnt.

A woman with him picked him up, andout came a little laugh on the babys adorablelips. It was purely angelic, as if the babysilently said, Oops!

That moment was very compelling,especially when the woman who I thought

was the babys mother started telling the littleones story.

He is Ian, seven months old, andvery, very perky. It happened in a January

day where a mother brought a baby intoa cathedral. In tears, she asked one of thecaretakers for a convent that would take her

baby in. Unfortunately, those convents onlyaccept weak or ill children. The caretaker,knowing that Luisa was a volunteer of GraceTo Be Born, asked her to take care of the

baby. That was the start of her guardianshipover Ian.

Of course, it wasnt at all smoothsailing. Although she didnt have enoughincome, Luisa kept in touch with the boysmother. Despite the difculties, Luisaand her daughter Mara, believe the babyhimself is a grace to have been born--a giftof God.

Luisa shared her advocacy then, onethat I thought brilliant, an active solutionto the problem of increasing numbers ofmothers abandoning their children. If GraceTo Be Born offers a refuge for mothers who

possibly wanted to abort their pregnancy,Luisa thinks there should also be a homethat will take care of the babies of workingmothers-- so the mothers can work full-time

but still keep their children.I think its incredibly sad that mothers

would actually get to a point of wanting toabandon their baby. Luisa believes that can

be prevented by well...adopting the motherand baby themselves!

She shared, If we can do it, therewill be more happy mothers, less ofthose who would abandon their child.We can help them. We dont have to goto adoption with all the papers. Its the

best we can do to contribute to thePro-Life movement.

Of course, it will not be that simple.That is a big dream. But the baby Luisa washolding was the start.

At the Kerygma Conference, as Igazed at Ian still happily playing with mysketchpad --yes, he seemed to love it verymuch-- I saw hope with my two eyes. Its notan everyday thing to be witnessing stories

like these unfold right before you. And I praythat one day, this advocacy will nally cometo reality.

Grace To Be Born is a beneciary ofKerygma Conference. When you attendthe conference, you are not only learningabout God and your faith. You are well

participating in making Grace To BeBorn work out.

Women like Luisa serves as a littleray of light in a darkened place where thereseems to be no exit, and the step she hadtaken to accept Baby Ian and help his motheris a big one--a milestone to achieve thatdream, one baby at a time.



7/8THE FEAST October 14, 2012 7


8/8

LOST and FOUND

If you lost or foundan item, pleaseapproach any ofthe ushers who willguide you to ourLost and Foundsection.

The FEAST, published by the Light of Jesus Family, is distributed during The Feast by the Manila Bay, a weekly prayer gathering of the Light of Jesusheld at the Philippine International Convention Center, CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Manila, every Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.,10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and 3:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.

The FEASTholds ofce at The Lighthouse, 60 Chicago St., Quezon City, with telephone numbers 725-9999, and email address [email protected].

BO SANCHEZFounder

CYNTHIA U. SANTIAGOEditor-in-Chief

BELLA ESTRELLAManaging Editor

KRISTINE MUTUCAPPLE CHICOAssociate Editors

EDMUNDO SANTIAGOChief Photographer

CRIS LEGASPIAssistant ChiefPhotographer

RAMEL ROBLESALEX UY YCOCES ARCILLAPhotographers

IMELDA FERRERCEZ GONZALESCESSNA PAPASReporters

JOEL ESTRELLAChief Arst

JANELLA IBAYDON FRONDOSOAssistant Arsts

MEMBERSHIP:KIM PAMPLONAHead

ARLENE BATISLAONGAssistant Head

FINANCE:JANE IBAYHead

CHICHI BARBAAssistant Head

PUBLIC RELATIONS:RHODA OSALVO

Head

MARTHINA G. SALOMEAssistant Head

ONE MORE MIRACLE

Got One More Miracle? A mysterious,inexplicable experiencea miracle God hasallowed to happen to let you know He loves

you? Share! Email your article with yourpicture to [email protected].

God Found Me a JobBy AIZZEL ANNE ALINDUGAN Illustration by RALPH ALLEN SEMILLA

ONE day, my best friend texted me andinvited me to go to PICC to attend a SundayMass. I was never really a devoted Sunday-Mass Catholic. I only attended Mass onspecial occasions. Read: Christmas, New

Year, and sometimes birthday. It will be sillynot to go to church on these days, right?

Needless to say, I texted my friend withan excuse--why I could not go with him.Obviously, this friend of mine wouldnt takeno for an answer so I was half-expecting hewould text me again. And so he did.

I gured I would give the Mass a trysince I had nothing much to do with mylife-- like seriously. Heres a quick glimpse ofmy status during that day: I am a registerednurse, unemployed for two years and, at age24, living my life not knowing its purpose.A real catch you might say! But allow me tosave my reputation a little by saying that I had

been applying for a job. It just didnt help thatI decided to pursue a business career ratherthan a medical career.

I cannot really put into words how itfelt during my rst time at the Feast. I did notexpect how many persons were actually there,

praising God, singing their heart out. I wasjust stunned and overwhelmed. The singerswere great, not to mention the choir, the band,the orchestra. The songs sent shivers downmy spine. I had never felt anything like it

before. I mean, I had never gone to a placelike this in my whole life.

The Mass and the talk blew me away.Bro. Bo Sanchez blew me away. How this

man talked and preached was like no one.I was totally moved. I had to hold back mytears because I didnt want my best friend tosee me cry.

At the time, Bro. Bo was opening anew talk series titled Younique. I learned howmy personality, my past, and my pains areall connected to my purpose. It was like Godwas telling me that I do not need to think thatI dont have a purpose because He has onefor me. It felt strange how Bro. Bos talk wasexactly what I needed to hear about-- whatI had been going through. He was talking tothousands at the Feast. But I sure felt that themessages were for me. So I told myself, Iwill denitely come back next week.

And I did, and now I am a regularattendee. One time at the Feast, I nally

asked God to help me nd a job. Buttwo weeks passed and I still did nothave a job. I became impatient andhopeless. But in one of his talks,Bro. Bo said, Maybe you are

asking for the wrong reason, for thewrong purpose.

Boy was I shocked! Is thisman reading my thoughts? Yes, myreason was not good. I wantedto have a job to buy this andthat, and these and those.I realized I had selshreasons. It hit me hard. Sowhat I did was pray hardwhile everyone was singing,

I Surrender.Almost in tears, I nally

surrendered everything to God.I surrendered my dream to Him.

I let go of what I wanted andasked Him to do what He wantedfor me.

The following week,I received a call from a hugecompany inviting me for an interview.Transportation fare to get to the companyshead ofce cost so much. I was on ashoestring budget at the time so afterthe rst interview, I already considered not tofollow up.

The next day, I received anothercall from a different company. Yup! Icannot believe it either. Ever since I wentto the Feast, Id gotten a lot of

job opportunities!I didnt know why, but I turned thesecond offer down. Later that day, I cameto know why I did not accept the interviewinvitation. I was called back by the rstcompany for the nal interview and pre-employment exam. Had I decided to go to theother company, I would not have the moneyto take the pre-employment exam of therst company.

Come Sunday, I went to the Feastagain. Guess what Bro. Bos quote of the daywas? Nothing just happens!

Everything happens for a reason,he said. Exactly, Bro. Bo! Man, do youalways know what to say? As in always?I cannot believe this guy. God bless Him.He made me realize that every day God

is there to talk to me, to help me achievemy dreams.

And yes, I got the job. Next week, I wilno longer be unemployed.

Whats more, I am not living my lifepurposeless anymore. It is through the Feastthat I realized that God created me for a

purpose. It taught me to surrender everythingto God, to not control things which are neverfor me to control. To live and let God.

Indeed, God found me a job. It has beena long wait but it is now within my grasp.I cannot wait to receive my rst salary and

practice to tithe.Through the Feast, I fell in love with

God even more. I have never been this closeto Him. I have already completed two talkseries of the Feast. I cannot bear to missthe happiest place on Earth! I am lookingforward to my very rst Kerygma Conferenceexperience this November. See you there!God bless us all.

8 THE FEAST October 14 2012

the feast - october 14, 2012 issue

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