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QUESTION: Can God create a rock so heavy, He cant carry it? While everyone else took Management, Engineering, and Management, I took up this queer course called AB Philosophy. And that crazy question above was one of those questions that made our Philo classes interesting. Do you know that after four years of Philosophy, we never really answered that question? Shucks, I should just have asked my 12-year-old kid. (But he wasnt born yet when I was in college, so forget I said that.) Because while writing this article, I asked Bene the question above, expecting him to say, Gee
Dad, thats a great question I dont know let me think about it for a thousand years But he didnt say that. He said matter-of-factly, without even pausing for one second to think, Dad, the answer is easy. Of course, God can create a rock thats so heavy, He cant carry it. But He carries it anyway because Hes awesome. Wow. In one swoop, he solved a 2000-year-old dilemma. Where did you get that brilliant answer? I asked him. He smiled, Its an old Chuck Norris joke. Groan. Still, the answer is brilliant.
Today, I receive all of Gods love for me. Today, I open myself to the unbounded, limitless, overflowing abundance of Gods universe. Today, I open myself to Gods blessings, healing, and miracles. Today, I open myself to Gods Word So I would become More like Jesus every day. Today, I proclaim that I am Gods beloved, I am Gods servant, I am Gods powerful champion. And because I am blessed, I am blessing the world. In Jesus name. Amen. RECEIVE INSPIRING MESSAGES FROM BRO. BO! BRO. Bo Sanchez is sending inspiring messages and announcements to Feast attendees via text or short messaging services (SMS) from his mobile phone and through email. Want to receive messages? Just text your mobile phone number and email address to these numbers... FOR GLOBE SUBSCRIBERS: 09178494444 FOR SMART SUBSCRIBERS: 09088949999 FOR SUN SUBSCRIBERS: 09228945555
LAST WEEK
buried for four days. Bro. Bo likened these people to our dreams. Our dreams may have various levels of death. But it does not matter because our God is in the business of resurrecting dreams! And with our champion Partner, nothing is impossible. When we do our best and trust God, He will give us blessings beyond our imagination. Kristine Mutuc Photos by Edmundo L. Santiago the unconditional love of his co-servants when he got sick and had to undergo surgery to remove stones from his gall bladder. His co-servants prayed over him and took care of him. KC called onstage Danielle, one of the Awesome kids he takes care of, and together they encouraged everyone to trust in God and be faithful to Him. Yes, KC gave only 10% of his income, but he was blessed not only financially. He was also blessed with business partners and true friends.
Awesome Miracle
KC Macapagal built his own business selling printer ink and was blessed with P15 million profits in two years. After some time, however, he went bankrupt and ended with P2 million debt. Depressed, he found comfort in the Feast where he started serving in the Awesome Kids Ministry. With some business partners, he began another business selling cell phone accessories, and earned P180,000 profit. Learning about tithing, he felt obliged to give 10
percent of his profit to the Lord. He said it was difficult for him to part with P18,000, but he did give the money to the Feast. The very next day, a miracle happened, he attested. He received approval for his first business franchise at SM. And now, he already has four stores, gaining profits more than he had lost. Whats more, he said the best blessing is being accepted as a member of the Awesome Kids family. He felt
REFLECTIONS
LAST Sunday, when Bro. Bo Sanchez discussed God Cannot Fail, the last in the Impossible series, he asked, Have you ever experienced failure? At the back of my mind, I answered Yes! Like Bro. Bo, I had failing grades in school. I suffered in comparison with my elder brother who seemed to have a computer in his brain. He memorized facts and figures. He could even solve a Math problem at a click of a finger-- without writing down the numbers on paper. I really could relate with Bro. Bo who said he prayed hed get at least a passing grade in his subjects. When I was in Grade 6, I prayed that Id get 75, the passing grade in Math. Otherwise I would not graduate. Miracle of miracles, I did get 75, and so I marched on Graduation Day in April 1978. Oh, I got an award, too. But dont be impressed. It was the usual Loyalty thing because I studied in that school from kindergarten to Grade 6. Again, just like Bro.Bo, I was good in just one subject: Religion. I was, ahem, always exempted from the exams. Little did I know, God must have made me excel in Religion because he was preparing me for a mission. One day in August 2007, I was changing stations on my radio when I heard a guy talking about failures and blessings. He said, Your biggest failure will be your biggest blessing. Id been a failure, right? So I listened some more, and wow, I felt the speaker was talking about me and my problem. Then I found out the program was Gabay, the station was Radio Veritas 846, and the speaker was Bro. Bo Sanchez. The talk was to be continued the next day, so I watched for the program and continued listening to the talk. Every word pierced my heart, and at the end of the talk, I felt like a new person. Suddenly, I felt a renewed strength which now I believe could have come only from God. Really, that moment was my turning point toward an intense spiritual renewal. But then I faced a challenge to my faith. In January 2008, I fell ill and the doctor told me I would have to undergo fistula surgerya procedure to correct an abnormal connection or passageway between two organs or vessels that normally do not connect. To comfort me, a friend lent me a copy of Joel Osteens book titled Your Best Life Now, which, among others, pointed out the power of prayer for yourself and for othersas the way to the best life ever. Wisdom from the book saw me through my trial. My spiritual renewal rose to a higher level during my recovery. After I was discharged from the hospital, I had
I Got 75 in Math
By ROSE ALOVERA Illustration by JANELLA IBAY to stay in the house for several days to recuperate from my operation. One day, on January 14, 2008, I got bored staying in the house so I went to the adoration chapel in our village. I prayed and meditated over the reason for my illness and my recovery. And then, deep inside me, I distinctly heard a soft voice telling me, Pray for others. Right there and then I knew what God wanted me to do. On a piece of of paper, I wrote this: I am a humble servant of God. If you need prayers, please text me with your name and prayer request. There is no obligation attached to this. I just need your feedback for your requested prayers. After the note, I added my mobile phone number. I made several copies of the note and then I left them in the chapel. To my surprise, I received a lot of text messages requesting for prayers for various needs and concerns. I prayed for the petitions, and soon, I received text messages from people who requested for prayers attesting that their prayers were answered! I received messages from as far as Iloilo, and even from the United States. I knew then my mission was to be an intercessor. At about this time, I was already attending the Feast then being held at the Valle Verde Country Club in Pasig City. In August 2008, I joined the Feast Intercessory Ministry. I am now a prayer warrior of Holy Souls (Monfort Foundation), as well as member of the Feast PICC Intercessory Ministry, where I am an engagerone who calls Feast attendees requesting for prayers and prays over them on the phone. Last Sunday, I started to be included in the Pray Over Ministry serving after the first session of the Feast. In his talk, Bro. Bo said we should always play doubles, give our best shot, and trust our partner. My Partner is God. He will not abandon me even though my best is not good enough. Through my service in the Intercessory Ministry, He has been training me to be the best person I can be. Yes, I started as a failure. But maybe if not for those failures I would have just been contented with my life. I thank God for failures. Because of them, now I am a victorious person.
THE FEAST July 1, 2012
MINISTRIES
WE have attendees who need counseling on their finances. People come to me for help, to pay for their debts. We should have a Ministry which can take care of these brothers and sisters. Thats how Bro. Bo Sanchez expressed his concern for Feast attendees who need to be freed from their financial burdens, during a meeting of the Feast PICC Council in early March. Bro. Bo said he had a couple in mind to head the Ministry. Meet Bro. Benj Santiago and his wife Fely. Benj is a mechanical engineer and Fely is an industrial engineer. They both worked in the semiconductor industry for more than 25 years as managers earning six-figure incomes. Since the early 1990s, the couple have long been readers of Kerygma, the inspirational magazine founded by Bro. Bo Sanchez. They attended Kergyma Family gatherings during those times. But then they moved to Cavite in 1999, losing touch with Bro. Bo. At first, Benj and Fely considered themselves financially ignorant-- which caused them millions of pesos lost in investments opportunity. In 2007, Fely had a major detour in her career. She was identified by her company for early retirement. Knowing her spending habits, Fely feared that her retirement money would all be gone in less than two years. So Benj and Fely sought seminars on investing and managing personal finances. It was at this time that they saw Bro. Bo again. They started attending the Feast in Valle Verde with their children. They have not missed attending the Kerygma Conference since 2009. When they travel to Singapore, Vietnam or Davao, they also attend the Feasts there. The couple also eventually attended Bro. Bos, How To Be Truly Rich seminars and his Truly Rich Financial Coaching sessions. They immediately executed what they learned and developed their personal financial strategy and plan. Fely even completed the Registered Financial Planner (RFP) program in 2009. The couple invested in long-term health care, insurance, various mutual funds, and stock market. And their earnings made it possible for them to join the Marian Pilgrimage with Bro. Bo in Portugal, Spain, France, and Italy in 2009 and the Holy Land Pilgrimage, including Jordan and Dubai, in 2010. Today, Benj and Fely are corporate executive officers and marketing directors of a financial services distribution company, coaching people on financial literacy and disciplined approach to investing and entrepreneurship. They have traveled around the Philippines and Asia promoting financial literacy by conducting free financial coaching seminars. They have helped thousands of Filipinos, many of them overseas workers, to secure their financial future.
Money Matters!
By IMELDA FERRER Photos by APPLE CHICO Bro. Benj and Sis. Fely readily accepted the challenge to head the Financial Counseling Ministry, the newest ministry in the Feast. The Ministry aims to provide counseling and coaching on financial literacy. Counselors will empower people who want to be liberated from financial debts and burdens. We would like to empowernot simply advice-- people to take charge of their finances, Bro. Benj said. Advice is different from empower. When you advice, you decide for the people. But we want them to decide for themselves and take action. We will show them various avenues and vehicles to handle their finances but the final decision will come from them. The Ministry will conduct seminars on how to create income streams. Then counselors will help people with financial burdens in managing their cash flows and incomes. They will also teach basic business accounting and management. We want to change peoples view of money, Bro. Benj said. We want to educate people how to manage their finances, help them get out of their debts, and learn how to save and invest their money safely and correctly with high returns. We also want to make them see the possibilities of increasing their cash flow. We want to make Feast PICC attendees truly rich. Clearly, the Financial Counseling Ministry serves as a strong arm of Bro. Bos advocacy on financial literacy. Bro. Bo said before, he hesitated to preach about money. But people came to him for financial help at a time when he himself did not have money to give. So he resolved to learn about moneyspecifically Gods stand about wealth. After a thorough study which included reading the Bible and other books on wealth, as well as consulting financial mentors, Bro. Bo came up with his advocacy which may be summed up into two words: Truly Rich. From his research, Bro. Bo learned that God wants His people to live an abundant life. He wants His people to have everything they need. He learned that its all right to
For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard. - Acts 4:20
Truly empowering, clockwise from top, opposite page: The new members of the Financial Counseling Ministry; sharing aspirations for the ministry; Bro. Benj and Sis. Fely Santiago; Bro. Benj with Bro. Rolly Espana, head of the Feast PICC Council.
earn money for ones sustenance, as well as to become rich even. Ones motivation for earning money, however, should not simply to amass wealth. One must have money so he may support communities or advocacies that make disciples who will spread the Gospel and Gods love especially to the poor, the downtrodden, and the lost. Thats the essence of being Truly Rich, Bro. Bo pointed out. And now he has full support for his advocacy from the Financial Counseling Ministry. Money matters! Bro. Benj said. So we need people with financial savvy to serve as the Ministrys counselors. And so during the recent Ministry Fair, the Financial Counseling Ministry introduced its services to Feast PICCto those who want to serve as counselors, as well as to those needing counseling. A total 210 attendees came to the Financial Counseling Ministry booth to volunteer as servants of the Ministry, and 65 came seeking for financial advice. Last May 20, Bro. Benj and Sis. Fely met with the volunteer servants to assign them to the various services of the Ministry. Now they are ready to serve you.
BLESSING L O G S
By RHODA OSALVO PRIMITIVO OCHOA, or Bheer to friends, drives two full hours every Sunday from his residence in Pila, Laguna, to PICC in Pasay City just to attend the Feast. Bheer first came to know about this weekly religious gathering led by Bro. Bo Sanchez through his search for a speaker for his schools upcoming Youth Fest scheduled last year. Reading about Bro. Bo and the Feast piqued his interest and in September 2011, while in Manila for a retreat, he had his first encounter of Feast PICC. Rediscovering the Holy Mass Bheer said after this experience, his eyes were reopened to the beauty of the Mass. And little by little, he found himself devoting time to hear Mass again and so he is now a regular weekly attendee of the Feast. Bheer says his attendance seems to have prompted his receiving Gods miracles recently. To him, there was no other way to show his gratitude to God but to serve at the Single Mens Ministry of the Light of Jesus Family. A former seminarian, Bheer cannot remember exactly when he became lazy
Illustration by JANELLA IBAY Laguna Catholic School Association. How could he justify his not attending a weekly Mass? He said there were times when he even lied about going to another church to hear Mass, though he didnt, as his excuse when he was asked about his absence at their parish. Petty Shortcomings Shame and remorse were not enough to bring Bheer back to church. He rationalized that he was praying to God anyway and that God understood him well enough to forgive his petty shortcomings. Bheer said he realized his indolence of fulfilling this Sunday commitment was rooted from various reasons such as his dislike for a priest who didnt seem to practice what he preached, or his opposition to some of the Churchs stand on certain issues, or even what he observed as lousy performance of lectors and commentators. But thanks to the Feast, the lost sheep is back. He says he now loves to worship God, the Light of Jesus Family way-- that is, through the Feast. Since
All smiles: Bheer has a lot to thank for-- even at first, he walked away from the Church.
and disregarded going to Mass. Was it two or three years ago? All he knows is that he felt dragging himself to church every Sunday. There was no joy performing this religious obligation so he abandoned it altogether. He suffered guilt for his actions-and why not? He is a Religion teacher and head of the Liceo de Pilas Religion Department. He was not living up to what he was teaching. It didnt help that he is also the president of the Advisers Group of
May 2012, he has been coming to Manila every week without fail to listen to Bro. Bos talk for he believes God is speaking through him. I didnt want to miss any of Gods messages, Bheer said. He adds, The first time I joined the Feast, I felt the warmth (of Gods embrace). I felt Gods presence inside the hall. Its then that I realized that God is truly alive. I felt a changed man after that. Bheer admits he now has more enthusiasm not just for worshipping God but for life as a whole. Even his friends and colleagues saw the difference in him. Back in Laguna, someone even remarked how zealously he claps his hands now during Worship. Gods 2-in-1 Plan Bheer shares that recently, he realized how God has orchestrated the wonderful blessings he has received. He said he had two big dreams. One is to get married and have a family of his own and, two, to go and work abroad. He saved up for the purpose of going abroad but every time he had enough savings, something would come up and his earnings would be spent. Dejected, he gave up on both dreams and surrendered them to God. Two years ago, he even told his nephews and nieces that he has no prospects of getting married and asked them in jest to take care of him when hes old. But little did he know that God had a 2-in-1 plan for him. While organizing his school reunion last year, he met an alumna and family friend, Milagros PunzalanGalang, who in turn introduced him to her daughter, Mafie, who was single and available like him. They met and became friends online in January this year. Long story short, at the age of 39, Bheer is getting married to his sweet Mafie this October. Mafie, by the way, is a Canadian immigrant and so after their church wedding, Bheer will go to Vancouver with his wife and start their family there. Thats like hitting two birds with one stone! Bheer is all smiles when you see him nowadays, and why not? Not only are his dreams coming true. He says he is ever thankful for Gods love and blessings overflowing in his life. He adds, Im not ever letting go of Him because He didnt let go of me .
No more bribe: Bethany (3rd from left) no longer needs any promise of reward to attend the Feast and the Holy Mass. Her best reward is the joy of serving God through the Media Ministry where she has found new friends, from left: John Pangan, Janelle Ibay, and Chantal Crisostomo.
MY Feast love story started when Tita Mercy, my moms friend and former colleague, invited us to attend the Feast on December 12, 2010. I thought, What? Not again. I said again because that was the nth time Tita Mercy invited us. I first attended the Feast in 2009, and all I remember about it was the culture shock that I experienced. The people were raising their hands, singing, dancing, and jumping, during worship, and some of them were even crying. I was not used to that kind of scene. I was not used to seeing people publicly displaying their love for God. But that was not even the weirdest part for me. During the talk, I felt God addressing my concerns and before I knew it, I was already moved to tears. I did not even understand why I was crying, and I did not like anything that was unknown to me. So that made up my mind that the Feast was not the place for me. So when Tita Mercy invited us again to the Feast, I was very hesitant to go. Then she told me that she would treat us to a spa afterwards, so I decided to go.
When I attended the Feast for the second time, I was greeted by the same scenes of people enthusiastically worshipping God, and because I was expecting those, I was no longer surprised. I even appreciated how the people worshipped God without inhibitions. So by the end of the Feast, I was already looking forward to the next Sunday. As I kept on attending the Feast, I realized a lot of things about my faith. I grew a deeper love and appreciation about my faith, especially in the Mass. Before attending the Feast, I was not regularly attending the Mass because I saw it more as an obligation. But now, I regularly attend the Mass every Sunday, and also before going to my classes. Now, I see the Mass not just an obligation, but an opportunity to be in communion with God. Editors Note: Have you a similar story on how you found God through the Feast? Share! and let the world know miracles still do happen today to give hope especially to the lost. For details, email feasteditor@ gmail.com, or call 09399044065.
THE FEAST July 1, 2012
BE RENEWED. A priest will hear your confession at the second floor lobby, Reception Hall side. LOST and FOUND If you lost or found an item, please approach any of the ushers who will guide you to our Lost and Found section.
BO SANCHEZ Founder CYNTHIA U. SANTIAGO Editor-in-Chief BELLA ESTRELLA Managing Editor KRISTINE MUTUC APPLE CHICO Associate Editors EDMUNDO SANTIAGO Chief Photographer CRIS LEGASPI Assistant Chief Photographer JOEL ESTRELLA Chief Artist JANELLA IBAY DON FRONDOSO Assistant Artists MEMBERSHIP: KIM PAMPLONA Head DANIEL SANTOS Assistant Head PUBLIC RELATIONS: RHODA OSALVO Head JOY NACURAY Assistant Head FINANCE: JANE IBAY Head CHICHI BARBA Assistant Head
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 Jesus held 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 PM p.m. to 5:45 p.m. The FEAST holds office at The Lighthouse, 60 Chicago St., Quezon City, with telephone numbers 725-9999, and email address feastpiccmedia@gmail.com.