Kerygma Magazine January 2009

A Big Davao Businessman Shares How Putting God First Before Business Brings More Blessings How a Car Lover Almost Lost His Life — But Found It Prayer and Trust Make a Lady’s Stopover in Shanghai Truly Unforgettable

No. 224 Vol. 19

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JANUARY 2009

Trust in His Grace Yes! God Accepts You as You Are

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Worry Can Kill You! KERYGMA BARCODE.pdf

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5:43:58 PM

Philippines P60 US $7.00 AUS $ 6.00 Euro 4.00 UK 3.00 CDN $7.00 SING $8.00 HK $38.00 RUPIAH 103488

So Why Not Surrender Your Problems to God?

Be Blessed in 2009!

Soar Like an Eagle This 2009! Get Bo Sanchez’s latest books and learn valuable insights that will allow you to live more fantastic lives!

Eagles Don’t Fly… They Soar!

Bo Sanchez’s first children’s book is about an eagle named Billy Big Toes who grows up thinking he is a chicken. Written in Bo’s usual entertaining and humorous style, the book carries lessons that are easily understood by children. Its colorful illustrations keep children glued to the pages. Give this book as a gift — to the young ones and the young once! They will love it!

HOW TO LIVE A LIFE OF MIRACLES

Do you believe in miracles? And do you believe that the greatest miracle in your life is YOU? Open yourself to the unfolding of the miracle in your life. Let Bo Sanchez’s humorous but powerful exhortations help you do that. In this book, you’ll pick up nuggets of wisdom that will set afire the miracle in your heart. Aren’t you excited to know what seed God has planted in your when He created you? Grab a copy of this book now and start your journey to the Greatest You!

Memoirs of a Great Person

Life passes by so quickly. Its richness sometimes goes unappreciated. Take the time to reflect on each passing day. Use Memoirs of a Great Person to journal your thoughts, your feelings, your prayers. Each day is a treasure. Preserve it. Get copies for yourself and your loved ones.

For more information call 411-7874 to 77 or log on to www.shepherdsvoice.com.ph

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Bo Sanchez’s clothes courtesy of Sari-Sari

o this is what fatherhood is all about. My eight-year-old boy grew taller yesterday in Biak na Bato. Not physically, but something deep within him. For the first time ever, my son Bene rappelled from a hanging wooden bridge 30 feet up in the air. Yes, I was insane. Thank God my wife wasn’t there. Knowing her, Taiwan would have heard her screams. When the rappel master asked who wanted to go first, I trembled when I saw him raise his little hand — even if I was the one who coaxed him to volunteer. Let me give you the scientific definition of rappelling. It is the insane act of trusting your entire human life on one flimsy rope made in China. (No offense meant. Everything is made in China!) As a father, I said, “Gee, just in case it snaps, can we harness my son with at least 12 ropes? I don’t care if you tie him up like an Egyptian Mummy.” “Sir, believe me, it won’t snap,” the rappel master said. I asked, “How sure are you? What if the factory worker, at the precise moment that they were making this particular rope, fell asleep? And he didn’t notice termite eggs lodged inside this rope? That since then, the eggs have hatched, gotten married, birthed more eggs and created a colony of a million termites — that are now eating the rope hallow as we speak?” “Sir, you have a very vivid imagination. Termites don’t have weddings. And there are no termites inside this rope.” But when little Bene started his rappel, I felt all fear leave me. Instead, I felt pride swell in my chest. All I could think

of was, “That’s my little boy hanging 30 feet above the air!” And with great calm, Bene lowered himself to the ground like he was a pro. And the smile on his face could never be measured with earth’s money. Bene did other stuff in Biak na Bato that can never be rivaled by Disneyland. He swam in an underground spring inside a cave. He also crawled through a long, muddy, winding cave, much of it in pitch-black darkness, filled with stalactites, stalagmites and a few bats. By the end of the day, he was dirty as mud. I repeat — it would have been different if his mother was there. She would have changed his shirt 16 times that day. She would have slathered him with huge jugs of sunblock, mosquito repellants and skin lotion. But I think boys need days like these. When they can rappel from 30-foot bridges, swim in underground springs and be dirty as mud. When they can be with their dad and learn guts, daring, boldness and courage. (Yes, even if dad himself wanted to tie him up like an Egyptian mummy.) Go ahead, dads. Spend time with your sons. Give them Manhood 101.

P.S. Why did I go to Biak na Bato (a national park in San Miguel, Bulacan)? I was with the other kids and parents of our homeschool center, Catholic Filipino Academy. We help parents homeschool their children. For more information, log on to www. CatholicFilipinoAcademy.com P.S. For more inspiration, be a member of our borderless community, Kerygma Family. Log on to www.KerygmaFamily.com and you’ll receive God’s Word daily FREE!

Manhood 101 Why Sons Need Their Fathers

Watch Bo Sanchez in a new Internet Show MONDAY to friday at www.preacherinbluejeans.com

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mailroom

SHEPHERD’S VOICE PUBLICATIONS BAGS 2 CMMA AWARDS

Thank God I found KERYGMA. When I bought my first copy, I just couldn’t wait for another month to get the next issue. This magazine is truly amazing. It has its power to inspire a lot of hearts and nurture minds. To its writers and contributors, continue being a blessing to other people because you are already a blessing to me.   Dave Nalugon General Santos City   I just want to say I absolutely loved the October issue. Great layout! Kudos to your graphic artist! Also, I feel particularly blessed by Bo’s article on fulfilling and embracing God’s vision for your life. This is so timely for me as I am discerning my life plan. Please pray for me for wisdom and God’s direction.

Marjorie Duterte Cainta, Rizal

From

Members

I was totally amused with Bo Sanchez’s The Boss in KERYGMA’s October issue. I really laughed out loud. So far this is the best KERYGMA issue I have read. It’s very rich in teachings and information. And the OCD Friars’ advertisement is so nice, it made me sing! Keep it up!

Japs I was so inspired and touched reading KERYGMA magazine. And I’m so blessed to read the January 2008 edition since I’m not yet at home this time. Truly, God made a way for me in order to get connected again by reading KERYGMA magazine. To all the staff of the KERYGMA, may you always continue to touch people’s lives. Thank you very much! More power and God bless! Weng Alcantara

Shepherd’s Voice Publications bagged two awards in the Print Category of the 30th Catholic Mass Media Awards held on October 29, 2008 at the Teatro ng GSIS. Mustard bested four other finalists to bag the Best Kids Magazine award while Fish defeated seven others to win as the Best Teen Magazine. Rissa SingsonKawpeng, editor-inchief of Shepherd’s Voice Publications, George Gabriel, managing editor of Fish magazine, and Joy Sosoban, managing editor of Mustard magazine, received the trophies on behalf of the company. Fish is circulated in 46 high schools in the Philippines and has a TV show entitled “Inside the Fishbowl.” It is aired every Saturday from 8 to 9 a.m. on TV5. Mustard, which is used by 35 schools in the Philippines as supplementary reading for grade school, has also spun off to a TV show. “Mustard TV” is aired every Saturday from 7 to 8 a.m. on TV5. Fish and Mustard magazines are sister publications of KERYGMA, the country’s number one Catholic inspirational magazine by preacher in blue jeans, Bo Sanchez.

We want to hear from you ! Email us at [email protected], text at 0917-800-5535, or write to The Editor at 60 Chicago St., Cubao, Quezon City. You can also reach us by becoming members of www.kerygmafamily.com. { 2 } KerygmaJan2009

Have a question about FiSH-Stuff? Go to www.faq.kerygmafamily.com

Rissa’s clothes by ENSEMBLE

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t sends shivers down my spine. The thought that I’m hitting the big 4-0 this month. I mean — could it be true — half my life is over? But I’m just getting started! I got married a year and a half ago and delivered our first child last year. The only thing that makes me feel better about admitting my age is the thought that you probably have to pick up your jaw from the floor, saying, “WHAT? Rissa is 40?!!! She doesn’t look it!” I know, I know. Life’s unfair. How can a 40-year-old still be mistaken as a 27-year-old? Just a few, short years ago, I was asked for an ID to prove I was above 21 when I entered a bar in the US! Since then, my motto has been Melanie Griffith’s battle cry: “Don’t deny your age. Defy it!” Think about it. There’s no better time to age than the present. In 1900, the average lifespan of the Filipino was 35. Forty was considered old age and 55 was extremely old. Now, in just over a century, that number has doubled. Research says that in 60 years, people could expect to live up to 100. So if I have another 40 or so years to live, what can I expect? In the Bible, the number 40 had a special meaning. Forty days or 40 years represented a period of trial or probation that ended with a time of restoration or renewal. Some Bible experts add that 40 denotes a time of preparation for a time of grace. Noah spent 40 days of rain that ended with a new start for the world. Elijah took a 40-day trip to Mt. Horeb, culminating in an intimate encounter with God that strengthened him to continue with his ministry. Moses spent 40 years in the desert to equip him to answer God’s calling to lead Israel. And Israel spent 40 years on a journey that ended in the Promised Land. If any of these are indications of what I can expect in my next 40 years, then the best is yet to come. Here are more reasons why it’s great to be 40 these days: • You can still get married, have kids and enjoy them growing up. • You can shift careers or go back to school and still have the time to be successful in your new field. • If you do go back to school, you no longer have to

just breathe

Turning

40

Listen to Bo Sanchez’s PODCAST! Audio and Video available! www.preacherinbluejeans.com

living by grace rissa singson-ka

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“It’s more like being 18 with 22 years of experience.” (Anonymous)

• • • •

type your term papers on a manual typewriter (with keys that would sometimes get stuck) using carbon paper to make two copies. You’re so much wiser than women half your age but you can still get away with looking like their barkada. You’re more confident that God loves you and that He has a hand even in the seemingly negative circumstances in your life. You can do extreme sports and not have to worry about arthritis (yet!). You’ve learned to love yourself — warts and all. And whatever you don’t love, you have the money to pay Vicki Belo to fix it!

My list actually reached 40 but I had to cut it down due to space constraints. Anyway, given that I’ll be alive for many more years, God willing, I have all the time in the world to share the rest of it in the future. Good people will prosper like palm trees, and they will grow strong. They will be like trees that stay healthy and fruitful even when they are old. (Psalm 92:12,14) (Email the author at [email protected].)

Things to Look Forward to in January If you haven’t read Bo’s newest book, How to Live a Life of Miracles, do yourself a favor and get a copy now at a bookstore near you. Or call 725-9999. You’ll regret not reading it sooner! Also, I want to hear about your thoughts on getting older — the highs and lows of aging. Email me at [email protected].

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publisher BO SANCHEZ editor-in-chief RISSA SINGSON-KAWPENG managing editor TESS ATIENZA staff writers JOY SOSOBAN NOVA ARIAS creative director STIMPY CORTES graphics director REY DE GUZMAN contributing writers ALVIN FABELLA JUDITH CONCEPCION JANE GONZALES CECIL LIM DINA PECAñA photographers ED SANTIAGO DANIEL SORIANO columnists EDGARDO DE VERA ALVIN BARCELONA sales and marketing JOSEPH MARTINEZ chairman of the board BO SANCHEZ

KERYGMA. A Greek word meaning Proclamation of the Gospel. It is a Catholic inspirational magazine. It aims to be an evangelistic tool to all nations, providing Scriptural, practical and orthodox teachings to Catholics, particularly those in the Catholic Renewal, as an alternative to present-day magazines. It is also committed to fostering the renewal and unity of the whole Christian people. Philippine copyright Shepherd’s Voice Publications, Inc. 2009. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission. KERYGMA is published monthly by Shepherd’s Voice Publications, Inc., whose editorial and business offices are located at 60 Chicago St., Cubao, 1109 Quezon City. Tels: 411-7874 to 77 Fax: 727-5615 Email: editsvp@shepherdsvoice. com.ph Website: www.shepherdsvoice. com.ph

January vol. 19 no. 224

columns

the bo files

special section

03 35 37

01 The Boss {Manhood 101} 30 Heroes of Faith {Al Barretto: Put God First and Money Will Come to You} 40 Point of Contact

17 18 24

Just Breathe {Turning 40} Catholic Soul {The Contraceptive Culture} K Preacher {You Reached 2009 Because You Trusted}

{Don’t You Worry About a Thing: The Need for Trust} {Don’t Worry} {Trust Grace}

testimonies 22 {Different Ways for Different Folks} 28 {I Am Now a Mom} departments 02 Mailroom 06 New You 08 Dear Kerygma 10 Real Stuff 13 It Happened: {My Obsession Nearly Cost Me My Life} 32 Gawad Kalinga {A Ray of Hope} 39 One Last Story: {An Unforgettable Stopover}

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f there is one thing our model, Maria Donavie B. Torres (Dona for short), has learned in her journey through life, it is to trust in the Lord at all times. Being the eldest in a brood of five, she has taken on the responsibility of helping her parents when their shoe business began to flounder. When her singles community encountered survival problems, she knew God had a purpose for the trials. She has learned to take things in stride and it shows in her sunny disposition. Singing is Dona’s passion. She was actually a professional lounge singer before she joined Globe Telecom. These days, because of her busy work schedule, she limits her singing to her community’s music ministry. KerygmaJan2009 { 5 }

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Websites to Help You Manage and Save Money

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s we start a new year, here are some websites that should help you in managing and saving money: • The Simple Dollar (www.thesimpledollar.com). This is a blog by Trent Hamm, who was burdened with a lot of debt, was able to get out of it, and even established an emergency fund. He started this blog from his learning so much about personal finance. For us who live in the Third World, this is nearer our alley than other articles you’ll find on the net with US dollars. Make sure to check out “31 Days to Fix Your Finances.” • Get Rich Slowly (www.getrichslowly.org). This blog is updated daily and contains financial news, personal finance book reviews and even cheap and easy food recipes. • Generation X Finance (genxfinance.com). This website is dedicated to educating the 20- to 30-year-olds on the economy, insurance, credit, real estate and related topics. • The Motley Fool (www.fool.com). This website was included on the 2007 PC Magazine Top 100 Classic Website list. It offers financial news, video, investing guides and other financial tips. Source: www.pcmag.com

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Lipstick Basics

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an I wear bright red lipstick to the office? Is

it okay to wear shimmering colors? What if you’re dark-skinned? Here are some general guidelines on wearing lipstick: • Cooler tones, those on the bluer end of the spectrum, work better for fairer skin. Warmer tones, those closer to red and orange, work best for people with darker skins. • Use warm and creamy shades (more pink, less red) for office. Evening light is more forgiving so you can wear sheer fuchsias for fair skin or brick reds for those with olive skin. • You can try on shades that professionals say look beautiful on nearly everyone: a sheer berry, a subtle pink, or a light brown or nude spiked with gold, bronze or red. • Generally, the wetter the texture, the less long-wearing but more goof-proof a lipstick is. • Save the heavy gloss and the shimmery stuff for night. Source: www.instyle.com

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aith & Doctrine

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Poverty T of Heart

o be detached from riches is necessary to enter heaven. As Christians, we are called to “direct our affections rightly” so that we won’t be distracted in our pursuit of perfect charity. Source: Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 2544, 2545

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De-Stress Methods

ou don’t need this. Really, you don’t. After all, it’s just the start of the year. But in case you do, here are some simple and quick ways to de-stress and savor the moment. Relax! But Would He Still Recognize Them? In the shower. Face the water and let it cascade onto your head. Take three deep, slow breaths. Close your eyes and slowly repeat, “I feel by Tess V. Atienza refreshed,” aloud three times, focusing on each word. Savor your serene, clean feeling before stepping out. hen you meet Lolo Jorge Jimenez, 62, you At your desk. Close your eyes and take five deep, relaxing breaths, would not guess he was once a sheriff. He emphasizing the exhale. Think about the task you’re about to tackle. is such a soft-spoken fellow. Call to mind a talent you have that will be key to succeeding at the For five years, he worked as a sheriff in task. Envision the assignment completed and done well. Open your Caloocan, sequestering contraband items and eyes. disposing of them through bidding. But his While walking. Before you set out, straighten up and tuck your tummy drinking habit led to his confinement at the and your rear end in to feel taller. Walk slowly, focusing on each body East Avenue Medical Center. It was at this point part in isolation. By reconnecting to your body, you’ll arrive revived. that his family abandoned him. On your commute. Raise your eyebrows and hold With no family to go home to, he stayed for a count of three. Let it go and take a deep in Payatas, the dump site north of Manila. A K C Q U I IP: breath. Do this twice. Repeat with each body T social worker found him and brought him H T L HEA part, tensing and relaxing your shoulders, od o to Anawim, God’s Home for the Poor in g a are n eggs high-quality your arms, moving downward along your o Montalban, Rizal. That was in 2005. m m o that The c cost, f low- ave shown body. Relaxed muscles require less oxygen, o Two years ago, he turned almost blind e t e o c r sou prom ies h . Stud st can help proven so your breathing will slow and your heart in and had to be operated on both eyes. e t o r p kfa also g brea udies have enjoy rate and blood pressure will also Anawim took care of his surgery and his ly an eg e t f S a loss. can s of ir risk weight lthy people decline. As your body falls e h recuperation. Now, he can see but not so t g a in e that h hout increas k. naturally into a state of calm, c it clearly. “I recognize people only when I a w t t s a g eg heart your mood will follow suit. regularly see them,” he says. rg o ods.

Lolo Jorge: Missing His Family

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Guilt-free Guide to Saying No

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s saying no a major decision for you? “Saying yes when you need to say no causes burnout. You do yourself and the person making the request a disservice by saying yes all of the time,” says author Duke Robinson. Here’s some advice to help you along: • Saying No for the Sake of Your Wallet. If a friend in need asks for a huge loan, you can say, “I wish I could, but as a rule, I don’t lend money to friends.” By not singling out the person, you’re not saying he or she is untrustworthy. According to communications trainer Don Gabor, “It can change the nature of your relationship if the person doesn’t pay you back.” • Saying No for the Sake of Your Time. You are offered a promotion that you don’t want and demands more hours and more responsibility. You can reply, “I’m flattered that you want me, but for personal reasons I’m not in a situation where I can take this on. Can we talk again if my circumstances change?” By saying this, your boss will understand that you have personal priorities that take precedence. • Saying No for the Sake of Your Sanity. A guest offers to bring a dish that doesn’t go with the theme of your party. Just say, “What a kind offer — thank you. I have already planned the menu, but do you have any dietary restrictions I should know about?” If she’s just being nice, then acknowledging her offer lets the person know she did all she could. Of course, if she has dietary restrictions then you can change your mind and let her bring a dish that she can eat.

Lolo Jorge enjoys having people around and looks forward to days when visitors come to Anawim. “I don’t know where my family is now. Maybe they don’t know I am here,” says Lolo Jorge. “I have a sister, Corazon Jimenez, in Payatas,” he added, hoping she would visit him. If a relative would get him out of Anawim, will he go, even if life outside would be harder? “Yes, I will. I am used to living a hard life,” he muses. Not that he doesn’t like his life in Anawim, “but being with family is different,” he says. Lolo Jorge celebrates his 63rd birthday on February 22. He would be happier if any of his family or relatives would come and visit him. Lolo Jorge Jimenez is one of the 55 abandoned elderlies that Anawim cares for. To continue caring for them, we need your support. Contact us at (632) 710-5273 or visit www.anawim.com.ph for your online donations. You may also join the monthly pilgrimage to Anawim. Call 725-9999 for details.

Source: www.realsimple.com

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I Want Safety for My Children

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halom! I’ve been separated from my husband since 2004. We have two young sons. At present, I’m here in Israel working as a caregiver. Before I left the Philippines, my sons and I stayed with my sister. I left my children under her care. My sister has five grown-up children. Sometimes my husband picks up my children. According to him, our sons have been telling him that my sister and her son are maltreating them. It even came to the point that my husband almost punched my nephew. I am afraid that something might happen to my sister or my nephew because my husband is an alcoholic and has a hot temper. That was actually the reason why I left him. He almost killed me. Is it advisable for me to pull out my kids from my sister’s house and let them stay with another relative? I will just tell my husband to visit them there. I don’t want him to bring my kids to his house because he has a girlfriend and I don’t want my children to get confused. Please help me. Jenny

Dear Jenny, Shalom!  There are two issues we need to tackle here.   1. Regarding your children staying with your sister. Have you discussed with your sister your husband’s allegation that she and her son maltreat your kids? Have you talked to your sons to verify if this is true? It is important that you get to the bottom of the issue so that you can decide on the next steps you need to take.  If, indeed, your sister and her son are maltreating your kids , then I suggest you pull them out of your sister’s house. Should the issue of your sister and her son maltreating your kids turn out to be false, I don’t see the need to pull them out of your sister’s place. Your kids are still young and changes like this might just cause psychological problems.   2. Regarding your husband, you cannot stop him from visiting his children as it is important for them to see their father and bond with him regularly. What you can remind him though is that he should be thankful enough that your relatives have taken the cudgels of caring for your children given the situations you are both in. In another context, does your husband provide regular financial help for your children? I ask you this because sooner or later, you may have to decide if you have to come home and stay with your children to provide them the motherly care that they need and which your relatives cannot fully provide. It would be difficult if both of you are absent during their formative years, which could spell the difference in your children’s future. I encourage you to keep on praying and ask God to give you wisdom to handle this. You are in the best position to decide on what is best for you and your children. Reng Morelos

 

Email your questions to [email protected]. Or if you need to talk to someone, call 7264709 or 7266728 to contact a Light of Jesus counselor. Telephone counseling is from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Face-to-face counseling by appointment. For correspondence counseling, email [email protected] or go to http://supportskerygmafamily.com.

725-9999

Or Call Pregnant? Confused? Abortion is not the answer. Contact Sr. Pilar at Pro-life. Call 422-8877 or email [email protected].

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Reng Morelos gave up her corporate job years ago to become a full-time wife and mom. She tremendously enjoys her “job” as driver and yaya to her two younger kids. She supports her husband, Hermie, in his ministry as president of the Light of Jesus Family. She has been with LOJ since 1981 and once handled the single sisters of the community.

My Adult Children Don’t Go to Mass Anymore

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am in my 50s and I have two daughters in their 20s. My husband and I have recently joined a Charismatic renewal community. Our daughters’ non-attendance in Sunday Masses has become a source of guilt for me because I feel that I have not ingrained in them a love for the Eucharist. Although to be honest, I have also not been a regular Mass goer before joining the renewal. My focus had been on my household duties and my family’s practical needs. I don’t want to nag them because they are adults now. By the way, both of them studied in Catholic schools. What can I do to awaken in my children a love for the Mass? Ruth

KERYGMA Preacher Jon Escoto is the president of Leadlife, a training company that specializes in helping businesses bring the best out of their people. He has extensive corporate leadership experience as a “hands-on” corporate manager and leader for top multinational corporations. Together with his wife, Marissa, Jon also serves the Lord in Familia Community

Dear Ruth, I’m greatly encouraged with the kind of concern you have for your children. It’s good to have realizations on where you could have done better in raising your children to be good Catholics, but you can let go of the guilt. It’s not included in God’s list of gifts to you in your newfound relationship with Him. Your children’s non-attendance in Sunday Masses, I believe, is not the real problem. It is merely a symptom. Assuming they are still Catholics (meaning, they have not yet shifted to another Christian denomination or another sect), the real problem is that they don’t have a deep and intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Person of the Eucharist. Remember, such was your case when household chores were more important to you than attending Masses. In your children’s case, the critical first goal, therefore, is not so much them attending the Holy Mass right away but leading them to a relationship with Jesus Christ. You had this experience in your Charismatic community. Are there special evangelistic sessions for the young in your Charismatic community? If there is none, find them a Catholic ministry for single people. There are plenty around. Once they have a personal experience of the Lord, you can start bringing them to vibrant Catholic Mass services. I specifically mean Masses where there is good music, good preaching of God’s Word and, ultimately, priests and Mass servants who exemplify holy lives. Simply put, choose carefully the Catholic Masses you would want to bring them to. (The Feast, held in Valle Verde Country Club every Sunday, is a good place to start.) Friendships are important. You can facilitate the process of them having friends that bring them to the Mass. Also, getting them actively involved in the service of the Lord either in the Mass itself or in any ministry in the Catholic community greatly helps. Both can help keep them in the Mass. You are very right. It never works to nag them into going back to the Mass. What works best is the witness of your life (and your husband’s) being miraculously transformed by the healing power of the Mass — this one your children cannot debate against. When they begin seeing for themselves, too, the dramatic improvements in your relationships in the family, then they will thirst for themselves what the Mass can bring in their lives. I continue to pray for you. Jon Escoto KerygmaJan2009 { 9 }

IMPROVE WORLD ECONOMY, EDUCATE GIRLS

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his is not discrimination by womenkind, OK? Donor nations and NGOs are more and more agreeing that if the world wants to make a dent on poverty, it can more successfully do so by educating girls. Why? Because they have found out that most of the benefits that result from increased education are attributable to girls, who use their schooling more productively than boys. “The reason so many experts believe educating girls is the most important investment in the world is how much they give back to their families,”

TITHING NO MATTER WHAT

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ould you be willing to do this? Millions of Americans may lose their homes due to the housing slump in the country, and for a number of those who tithe, they would choose to do so rather than give up tithing. According to Ozell Brooklin, director of Acorn Housing in Atlanta, a nonprofit organization which offers foreclosure counseling, some of those they talk to would say “I guess this home is not for me” when there is nothing left to cut in their monthly expenses except their tithe. “You will find some people for whom obedience to God comes second to none. For those people, a contract with God is worth more than their home,” commented Dr. Roger Oldham, a member of the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention. Little data exist on the phenomenon, however, because many counselors are trained not to bring up the sensitive issue with struggling homeowners. According to the Barna Group, a California-based research firm, in an April 2008 study, five percent of Americans tithe. Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 23, 2008

says Gene Sperling, a former economic adviser to President Bill Clinton and now Barack Obama. Women in the developing world who have had some education share their earnings while men keep a third to a half for themselves. And when they go to school, girls marry later and have fewer and healthier children. According to statistics, 73 million children worldwide don’t go to primary school and three times as many never go to secondary school. Girls make up nearly 60 percent of these out-ofschool children. Source: www.newsweek.com

SYMPTOMS OF HEART TROUBLE? SEE A DOCTOR NOW

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ave you had the following symptoms? Chest pain or pressure or a feeling of tightness in the chest, shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, pain that radiates down the left arm, jaw pain or neck pain, upper abdominal pain or a feeling of indigestion, nausea or vomiting, breaking out in a sweat, and dizziness or lightheadedness. Then you’re having either a heart attack or a brewing cardiac arrest. According to Dr. Joon Sup Lee, clinical director of the Cardiovascular Institute at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, “If you’re having symptoms and they persist for more than a few minutes, seek medical care. If you wait, you may never make it to the hospital.” A recent study in the journal Circulation looked at the events leading up to 406 cardiac arrests. Researchers found out that many of these people had symptoms prior to the cardiac arrest, sometimes for as long as two hours beforehand. Added Dr. Lee, “There’s a fear that you’ll feel stupid if you go to the hospital, and you’re OK. But, if you want to be 100 percent sure, you’re risking your life.” Source: www.nlm.nih.gov

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SAINTS AT A GLANCE WHO: St. Emilie de Vialar BORN & DIED: September 12, 1797, France – August 24, 1856, France NOTABLE FACTS: Emilie used her inheritance to buy a huge house and with the sanction of the local archbishop, to start the congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition. They ministered to the needy, the sick, and uneducated children. Through the congregation, which grew and spread, it is said that Emilie “had done more in the past 100 years of civilization in Africa, Asia and Australia than conquerors and colonizers could ever do.”

DISADVANTAGE OF WORKING MOMS

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isten up, working mothers! Here’s some food for thought. A recent study showed that kids from high socioeconomic-status families fare worse when their mothers work outside the home. At ages 10 and 11, they perform more poorly on cognitive tests and are more likely to be overweight than those whose high-status mothers leave the workforce. The study, published in the Journal of Labour Economics, was conducted by Christopher Ruhm, an economist from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. He divided women into two socio-economic groups based on several variables, including education levels, income prior to pregnancy, ethnicity and whether a spouse was present at home. According to Ruhm, most likely, the low-status kids get more intellectual stimulation in day-care or with other caretakers, such as grandparents, than they do at home. High-status kids, on the other hand, may find daycare less enriching than being with their highly educated mothers. Mr. Ruhm concluded, “I don’t believe this is exclusively related to mothers. This is fundamentally a question of how we balance the needs of work and family. My personal take-home message is that we really need to think about policies to help with workfamily balance.”

FEAST SNAPSHOTS Saturday Feasts in Davao City

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t’s happening in Davao, too, and it is much like being present at the Feast in Valle Verde Country Club in Pasig City. Every Saturday at 6 p.m., the Davao Chapter of the Light of Jesus (LOJ) Community holds a local Feast at the Garden Oasis Resort in Obrero, Davao City. The local Feast has praise and worship, Gospel reading, talk by Bo Sanchez or other KERYGMA Preachers (through a digital copy of the actual talk given in the Sunday Feasts in Valle Verde Country Club), group and community sharing, love offering and fellowship time. Every time there is a local Feast, many people are blessed — primarily through the talks, and all it takes is a DVD player and a television to be able to hear God’s message through the gifted preachers. LOJ-Davao has brought the local Feast to the different GKKs or Gagmay nga Kristohanong Katilingban, a small community of Catholics who gather for Bible teachings, in the north sector. It has gained popularity that it has inspired a lot of youth to join the community.  The Feast has transcended physical boundaries and become a nourishing event for everyone who attends it. It is powerfully enriching such that those who are able to attend it once are drawn to come back again whenever and wherever there is a Feast. The Feast in Davao and anywhere else in the Philippines is open to the public. If you are in Davao and want to attend the Feast, you may contact Jing at 0929-3712844, Ana at 0917-7014484 or Michelle at 09178196272.

Source: www.newsweek.com

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Joseph Martinez has since changed his car — and his obsession. He’s now fully devoted to the Lord.

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had two wives. One is Gina, my beautiful wife. The other was my car, a 1997 Nissan Sentra. Since college, I had this peculiar attachment to my car. I inherited this love of cars from my dad. Every day, before and after using my car, I would check and clean its every nook and corner. On Sundays, my family and I would go to Mass early in the morning so that I would have more time to clean my car. I would start cleaning and tinkering with it from 9:00 a.m. until almost 8:00 p.m. I was that obsessed with my car that my wife complained, “You love your car more than me.” This went on for years. But God had His way of bringing me to my senses. Listen to Bo Sanchez’s PODCAST! Audio and Video available! www.preacherinbluejeans.com

My Obsession Nearly Cost Me My Life But My Guardian Angel Saved Me By Joseph Martinez as told to Tess V. Atienza KerygmaJan2009 { 13 }

Not Just Another Day

I was driving along Del Monte Avenue, very near Sienna College. I had just come from Banaue Avenue, the car enthusiasts’ district, that fateful day in November 2003. Traffic was light, but suddenly a truck appeared from a parking lot so I had to stop. A few seconds later, I heard it. Booooooggg! “Oh no! Somebody hit ‘my other wife!’” I exclaimed. It was the jeepney behind me. I alighted — livid, of course. I had a heated argument with the driver. Then I noticed that he motioned to his passengers to get down. This infuriated me further. “Why are you doing that? So there’ll be no witnesses?” I asked. Instead of answering me, he embraced me tightly. Then something hard hit me on the head — a one-and-ahalf-inch wide water pipe, I found out later. He pinned me down on the road, his knee on my back. His companion continued to whack me with the pipe. I cried, “That’s enough! That’s enough!” But they kept up their assault. I was helpless. Not a single bystander attempted to stop them. No policeman was in sight. I was bloodied all over. I thought I was a goner.

On the Rescue

Then I saw a white Tamaraw FX speeding towards us, counter-flowing through the traffic that had already built up. It stopped right where we were. The driver dressed in a white polo barong alighted and commanded in a booming voice, “Stop that!” The two men stopped and straightened up, stunned. Then the stranger turned to me, “Brod, stand up.” I managed to get up despite my condition then confronted the two men. “Why did you beat me? You were the one who bumped my car!” I demanded. The man in white again told me, “Brod, stop now. Just bring yourself to the nearest hospital.” , “Wait, where are my eyeglasses?” I e u q ri d En Rita, da a. m in o G m asked. e is if mily. H d his w o 8), an is his fa and Juli easure He ordered one of my attackers, “Pick it tr 2 1 l a o h re c ’s 15, Juan Joseph in u q a up and give it to him.” The jeepney driver’s s (Jo his boy companion picked it up and handed it to me. “Thank you,” I even managed to say. Then I got into my car, took my PDA and recorded the jeepney’s plate number. The stranger prompted me again, “You better go, brod. They will kill you.” Immediately, I started the engine and drove off slowly. Just then, as I looked through my rearview mirror, the two Joseph men came to their senses and drove off, too, running after wit (L-R: Mit h some of his sta zi Camo ff in SVP me. Only then did I speed up until I was safe from them. nias, ’s M Sarah D arketing iscutido Departm { 14 } KerygmaJan2009 , Cecille ent Escoto)

Finding Relief

I brought myself to the emergency room of the nearest hospital. It was packed and nobody paid attention to me. I approached one of the nurses and asked for some ice to control the swelling in my head. “Sorry, sir, we have no ice. There’s a 7-11 store nearby, you can just buy there,” the nurse said. “Miss, I just need a few cubes of ice for my head. I don’t need a whole pack,” I explained. Frustrated, I went out and saw a fast-food outlet across the street. I could feel I was losing my strength. Feebly, I entered the restaurant. The guard welcomed and assisted me up to the counter. “Miss, can I have some ice?” Immediately the attendant gave me a cup of ice. The guard escorted me back to the door. I returned to the emergency room of the hospital but there was a long line of patients who were still waiting for their turn. I decided to leave and go to another hospital. Finding some relief from the ice I applied to my head, I called up my wife who was at a bidding session in one of the government agencies in Quezon City. She told me the good news that she had won the bidding for P750,000 worth of copying equipment. Then I told her the bad news. She panicked and wanted to come and see me. But I told her I was transferring to another hospital. I managed to pick her up before going to Capitol Medical Center. The doctors examined me and treated my wounds. One of them said it was a miracle that my spinal column had not been damaged after all that beating. He also marveled that I had no blood clot in my head.

A Strange Comforting Presence

Later, when we were together and had calmed down, she told me that after we talked on the phone, a stranger in white approached her. “What’s the problem, ma’am?” the man asked her. She replied, “My husband was beaten up by jeepney drivers. But he’s in the hospital now.”

“Who brought him to the hospital?” he asked again. “He brought himself there,” I said. Then the man gently touched her arm, “Don’t worry. Your husband is safe now.” When he said that, my wife suddenly calmed down and trusted the stranger’s words. She seemed to recall that he was also at the bidding.

The Decision to Let Go of My Obsession

That night, I decided to forgive the two men who assailed me. It was also then when I decided to let go of my obsession with my other wife — my car. I told the Lord I would serve Him in gratitude for saving my life that day. It was like a second life for me. A few months later, Gina and I joined a marriage encounter community called Missionary Couples of Mary for Christ (MCMC). Initially we said we would join the marriage enrichment weekend only, but after the seminar, there was no turning back for us. We were hooked. I am now the parish coordinator of our community. I give talks in and outside of our group. I also handle our music ministry. To top it all, a few months ago, I gave up my job and joined Shepherd’s Voice Publications as its sales and marketing manager, hoping to use my 22-year experience in the field of selling for God’s glory. The stranger in white who helped my wife and me that particular day in November 2003 couldn’t have done what he did without a purpose. We believe that he was our guardian angel. I sold my Nissan car in 2006 and although I have another car now, I am no longer obsessed with it. I am fully devoted to the only wife God has given me. And in the depths of my heart, I know I was saved because I still have a mission to accomplish — and what I’m doing now is part of it.

Laughingly Yours Pilot: “Pilot to tower… pilot to tower… we’re 400 miles from land, 800 feet high and running out of fuel… please instruct… over.” Tower: “Tower to pilot… tower to pilot… repeat after me… ‘Our Father, who art in heaven….’”

A lawyer sent an overdue bill to a client and attached a note that read, “This bill is one year old.” In the return mail, the lawyer received his bill back. To it was clipped another note: “Happy birthday!” SEND US YOUR JOKES! Text: 0917-800-5535; Email: [email protected] Want more Frappr.com friends? Add us! www.frappr.com/kerygmafamily.com

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Don’t You Worry About a Thing! The Need for Trust By Bo Sanchez

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know a lady who’s 40 years old and yet her father treats her like a 16-year-old. Every time she makes a business trip to the provinces, he bombards her with questions and reminders, “Who’s going with you? Where will you stay? Aren’t there rebels in the area? Don’t forget to lock your door securely at night. Be careful, OK?” So this lady goes and on her arrival at her destination, her phone rings. It’s her dad. “Are you there now? Is the place safe? Be very careful, OK?” And every day thereafter, her dad calls to make sure she’s OK. He constantly worries that something bad might happen to his daughter or any of his children when they are out of his sight. Does this sound familiar to you? Worry. Lack of trust. On the other hand, there are people who can sleep soundly at night even if they have humungous problems or deadlines to meet — yeah, even if they are dying of a terrible illness. There are people who manage to stay fresh and confident despite being bombarded with problems left and right. The difference? Trust. That God is in control — that no matter how big or small the problem is, He will take care of everything, as long as we entrust our problems to Him. That God loves and accepts us, no matter who we are and what we do — yes, even when we have not done anything good yet. Friends, we have a whole new year ahead of us. We may encounter problems and difficulties, especially with the current global economic downturn. But amidst our difficulties, we hold in our hands the key to our happiness. Trust — God won’t fail us.

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By

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man was walking outside his city. He met someone, dressed in a hooded long black gown, holding a sickle. He could not see the man’s face but he was sure it was the Angel of Death, about to enter his town. “Why are you going to my city?” the man asked the Angel of Death. “I am going to get 10 people. This is just work, OK? Don’t take it personally,” the Angel of Death replied. “Whoa!” The man was terrified. His family was in the city. So were his friends and relatives. He begged the Angel of Death, “Please don’t walk so fast.” Then he ran as swiftly as he could, got his cell phone and texted his family members, friends and relatives. “The Angel of Death will get 10 people tonight in our city,” said his text message to them. That text message spread like wildfire. Radio stations announced the bad news. There was wailing and crying all over the place. That night, a thousand people died. When it was almost morning, the man was walking out of his city, depressed because 1,000 people died. Then he saw the Angel of Death again. He confronted him, “You’re a liar! You said you would get only 10 persons. Why did 1,000 die?” “It’s true, I only got 10 persons. But I don’t know why the others died!” Why do you think they died? Here’s why: They worried too much. They thought, “I could be one of the 10!” Worry kills. The Lord says, “I will condemn those who turn away from me and put their trust in human beings, in the strength of mortals. He is like a bush in the desert, which grows in the dry wasteland on salty ground where nothing else grows. Nothing good ever happens to him but I will bless the person who puts his trust in Me. He is like a tree growing near a stream and sending out roots to the water. It is not afraid when hot weather comes because its leaves stay green. It has no worries when there is no rain. It keeps on bearing fruit.” — Jeremiah 17:5-8

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Try a simple test. Hold a bottle of water for one minute. It’s light, right? But hold it for an hour or a day and what happens? Doesn’t it cause your arm to ache? What I want to emphasize here is that it does not matter how heavy or light an object it. What matters is how long you carry the thing in your hands. The same is true with our problems. When we hold our problem in our hands for a long time, it gets heavier. I have a friend who has a huge problem. But when I look at his life, I see that it’s OK. He doesn’t seem too stressed out. He still looks cool. On the contrary, I have another friend who has a small problem compared to the other one, and yet he looks so worried. What’s the difference between my two friends? One has surrendered his problem to God while the other carries his problem with him the whole day. He eats with it, sleeps with it and works with it. But what does God want us to do with our problems? He wants us to trust Him with our problems. We just have to let go and give our problems to God. Otherwise, we will damage our life and we will end up like the 1,000 who died in the story above.

Two things happen when you trust God.

1. You are not afraid of uncertainties. You have no worries. Studies reveal that 50 percent of the people lying in hospital beds are constant worriers. And perhaps the reason they are sick is because they worry too much. They hold their problems in their hands instead of putting them in the hands of the Lord. Let me share with you a personal story. My parents have always been religious even before they joined the Renewal. Every time a friend invited them to a Friday night prayer meeting, my mother always had an excuse. “My eldest is sick.” “I don’t think we need that.” Or “It’s our second child who’s sick now.” At that time, my parents were selling a house. It was a house they had bought through a bank loan but when they entered it, they suddenly had a change of heart. So they wanted to sell it right away. They advertised in the newspaper and they got one to two phone calls a

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day. They received many calls but no one was buying the house. In the meantime, their friend kept on inviting them to the prayer meeting and still they didn’t want to go. After six months, my parents finally agreed to attend the prayer meeting. “Just tonight,” my mother even told her friend. That Friday night, they had a wonderful time. Sheepishly, my mother said, “Why did you not say it was this good? We like it!” You know what happened the following day? They received not one phone call, not 10, but 27 inquiries from people wanting to buy our house! And on that same night, three buyers came to see it. One buyer had money in his hands and said, “That’s mine!” That night, the house was sold. My parents looked at each other and said almost in unison, “We should have attended the prayer meeting six months ago!” There are times when God allows you to be desperate. Why? So you can run to Him and surrender your problem to Him. So that there’s no one else you can trust but God. Never be afraid of an unknown future to a known God. — Corrie Ten Boom 2. Your leaves stay green. You keep bearing fruit. When you trust God, something happens. You remain young. There are people who look so fresh, as if they do not have any problem in their life. But there are some who look so dry and frazzled. One of the secrets to staying young is to entrust your cares and problems to God and not carry them by yourself.

Trusting God means two things.

1. Being open to an extravagant God. God is extravagant. But we don’t believe He is. Why? Because we are stingy. Spiritual writers say that we worship a God that’s like us. We design, craft and draw our god, put it on the altar, and worship one that reflects who we are. So if we’re stingy, we also think that God is stingy. When it’s somebody’s birthday, instead of giving a gift to the celebrant, we say, “Blowout naman d’yan!” (Give us a treat!) God’s blessings are all around us. When I was small, my mother used to tell me, “Bo, money doesn’t grow on trees!”

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Now, I tell her, “Mommy, you’re wrong! Money grows on trees. Money is everywhere.” There’s blessing all over the place. And if that’s what you believe, that’s what will happen. As a boy growing up with five sisters, and the youngest at that, I was often the errand boy in the family. One time we were having lunch and my mother asked me to get the bottle of salt from the kitchen cabinet. “Mom, why not Ate (elder sister)? Why always me?” She said, “You’re the youngest, Bo. Out of respect for your Ate, get the salt, please.” Grudgingly, I went to the kitchen, opened the cabinets one by one. I could not find the bottle of salt, so I kept saying, “The bottle is not here. It’s not here.” My mother said, “Bo, use your eyes, not your mouth, so you can find it.” I continued searching the cabinets for the bottle of salt, not knowing that my mother was already standing behind me. She reached over my shoulder and grabbed the bottle of salt that was right in front of my eyes. I didn’t see the object I was looking for because I didn’t want to see it. What do I want to stress here? That you have to open your heart, your mind and change your beliefs. If you want to discover wealth on the outside, you have to discover the wealth on the inside. 2. Being ready to act, not fearing failure and never giving up. When you pray, God only does the part you cannot do. — John Gray When you surrender your problem to God, you don’t just say, “I surrender it to you, Lord. Thank you.” And then you go. That’s wrong. You wait on the Lord and ask, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” I always tell people, if you want to be blessed financially, you have to expand your horizons. Open yourself to business and other streams of income. I have tiny businesses — not all are earning well; I even lost in some. But I don’t care if my business loses or breaks even or earns. I earn in all

my businesses — in knowledge — because that’s more important than money. Money does not last — knowledge does, and it’s something that you will use years from now. So what do you do if you want to be financially blessed? You keep trying and increasing your financial literacy. How? By reading books and connecting with mentors who know about finances. You can also go right ahead and jump in and learn from your experience. Don’t just pray. God wants you also to act. Maybe He wants you to fail a little bit, too. Failure is important because it makes you learn and it gives you knowledge. God has designed us to trust. If we do not trust Him, we will trust something else — like superstitious beliefs, the horoscope and the like. There are only two things that control your life: God and you — not the alignment of stars, not your superstitious beliefs. And then He gives you so much power and free will that allows you to determine your life by your choices. So if you believe in horoscope or superstition, you’re actually saying that you do not and cannot determine the future of your life. Trust God — He is in control.

Bo’s Action Steps: 1. Identify your present concerns. Who holds them — you or God? 2. Spend some moments of quiet every day. Lift up to God your concerns — one by one — and ask Him to enlighten you on how He wants you to act on them. Wait patiently and listen to the stirrings of the Spirit in your heart and mind. 3. Act on what you think the Lord wants you to do.

(Email the author at [email protected].)

When you have nothing left but God, then you become aware that God is enough.

— Rayden

Laughingly Yours A Religion teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan, in which a man was beaten, robbed and left for dead. She described the situation in vivid detail so her students would catch the drama. Then she asked the class, “If you saw a person lying on the roadside all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?” A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence, “I think I’d throw up.” A young toddler who had received an Easter basket a week earlier was saying grace before dinner. “Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts which we are about to receive from Thy bunny.” SEND US YOUR JOKES! Text: 0917-800-5535; Email: [email protected]

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Different Ways for Different Folks How People Cope in Tight Situations By Tess V. Atienza

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er creditors had been hounding her for the last few months. She managed to juggle her limited funds and pay them on the last minute. But this time it’s different. She can be jailed for a bouncing check. And she had only one day to replace the check with cash. That day is today. She had pleaded to her relatives and friends to lend her the amount she needed, but they were all tired of her previous borrowings. She had nothing else valuable to pawn; everything valuable in her house had been forfeited at the pawnshops. If you were in her shoes, or in similar trying situations, what do you do? We interviewed some people and here is what they said:

When I’m in a very tight situation, I usually talk to my girl best friend. I also read the Bible, pray and have a quiet time (around 10 to15 minutes) so that I may be enlightened and eventually sort things out. Kristine Dizon, Sales Engineer & Interior Design Student, Muntinlupa

I pray to God through His Son, Jesus Christ, and ask for His help. Then I wait for His answer. Deng Ngo-Orial, Executive, Makati City I pray to the Holy Spirit to enlighten me, to fill me with wisdom, to strengthen me and to provide me guidance. I pray to Mama Mary to embrace and comfort me. I then submit to God’s will knowing that He has greater plans for me should things do not happen as I had prayed for. Eva Mella, IT Executive, Makati City { 22 } KerygmaJan2009

Pray, pray, pray. Meditate and then find a solution. Dean F. Ipanag, Rectory Manager, Bethesda, Maryland, USA I pray harder for wisdom and fortitude. When the situation is a scenario I have planned for, I see if my planned solution applies, then modify when necessary. It helps to talk about it with someone I trust. Then I lift it up to God and let Him do His “stuff.”

I look for a person whom I can talk to. At night, I try to be alone and talk to God before sleeping. Doing this lightens me up and helps me think clearer. I am confident that He will guide me in every decision that I will make. Hazel Bengan, Sales Engineer, Fort Bonifacio, Makati City

Lilibeth Macatangay, Financial Consultant, Makati City I go to my family and friends for help, advice and guidance. I also go to church for prayer, enlightenment, strength and guidance from the Lord.  Belinda Gonzales, Accounting Staff, Singalong, Manila   I pray and talk to Him like a friend, pleading to grant our prayers. Sometimes it’s really hard to accept that He doesn’t listen to our prayers and we question His wisdom. But in the long run, we realize that He has something in store for us that is better than what we asked for. Jerry M. Banzuela, Quality Assurance Manager, California, USA Illustrations by Nova Arias

Laughingly Yours A Religion teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five- and six-year-olds. After explaining the commandment to “honor thy father and thy mother,” she asked, “Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?” Without missing a beat, one boy (the oldest of a family of seven) answered, “Thou shalt not kill.” A small boy forgot his lines in the Sunday school presentation. His mother sat in the front row and tried to prompt him by gesturing and silently forming the words with her lips. It was no use. The boy’s memory went blank. Finally she leaned forward and whispered his cue: “I am the light of the world.” With a broad smile and beaming confidence, the child said in a loud, clear voice: “My mother is the light of the world.” SEND US YOUR JOKES! Text: 0917-800-5535; Email: [email protected]

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KerygmaJan2009 { 23 }

T

hree sons were discussing about the forthcoming birthday of their mother who was in the province. The eldest said, “I will give her a house and lot.” “Wow, that’s fabulous! Me, I’ll give her a BMW, with chauffeur,” said the second son. “Really? That’s great! But that’s nothing compared to what I’ll give her,” said the third son. “I’m going to give her a special kind of parrot. This parrot lived in the monastery for five years and had been trained by 20 monks. This parrot has memorized the Bible. Mother only has to say, “John 3:16,” and the parrot will say, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.” His two brothers said, “Wow, that must be an expensive parrot!” The youngest son said, “I have to donate to the monastery P1 million every year for the next five years! That’s how special that parrot is. But that’s OK — it doesn’t matter how expensive it is if it’s for our mother.” So the three sons sent their gifts to their mother. A few days after her birthday, the eldest son received a card from their mother. He gathered his two brothers in a restaurant. “I have a card from our mother,” he told his brothers. They were all excited to hear what their mother thought of their gifts. So the eldest son opened the card and read it for his other brothers to hear. “To my eldest son, thank you for the house and lot, but you know, I’m old now and it’s hard to clean a big house. But just the same, thank you. It’s the thought that counts.”

Trust Grace

God Loves and Accepts You as You Are By Bo Sanchez

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“To my second son, thank you for the BMW with the chauffeur. But you know, my son, I’m already old. I don’t like to go out too much. I just want to stay in the house. But anyway, thank you. It’s the thought that counts.” “But to my youngest son, thank you! You really know what to give to your mother. Oh, you gave the best gift of all! Thank you for the fried chicken! It was delicious.” Whoa! She fried the P5million parrot. Yes, the mother does not want something expensive such as a house and lot or a car. She just wanted fried chicken! Friends, what does this story tell us? Just like the mother, God does not demand much from us. Many people think it’s difficult to please Him. But really, what the Lord just needs is fried chicken — your love! Your heart! He then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. “Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity — greedy, dishonest, adulterous — or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for

everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” — Luke 18:9-14

we be accepted by God all of a sudden? Let me give you some symptoms of what I mean by the I love you spirituality.

This passage may be summed up in three words: God accepts you — whether you are good or bad, saint or sinner, depressed, fearful, worried, angry, resentful. This is an earth-shaking, lifetransforming, mind-boggling, truth that will rock your world. But it doesn’t. Why? Because we don’t believe in it. This is what we believe: that God will accept us if we first change our ways according to His standards. That’s not Christianity. Christianity is distinct because we believe that God loves us and accepts us even before we do anything good.

1. You feel a constant spiritual fatigue. It’s normal to feel spiritual fatigue or to get tired. But when you experience it constantly, you have a problem. You might be having an I love you spirituality. Why do you get tired? Because you are trying to work for something you don’t have to wait for — the acceptance of God.

The “I Love You” Spirituality I love this truth — that our spiritual journey begins with grace, ends with grace, and is sustained only by grace, by the love of God. If you do not believe in this, you have what I call the I love you spirituality which goes like this: I will love God so that He will love me. You do all the right things so that God will love you. I’m not saying you won’t get to heaven or that God is not pleased if you do what is right. I’m just saying that there is something wrong with that whole notion that you have to do something so that God will love you. We don’t believe that God accepts us as we are because every day we experience rejection from the world. Often, you have to meet a certain standard so you won’t be rejected. So you ask: How can

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2. You feel trapped. You feel trapped because you made up complicated rules about loving God. One time, I was invited to give a talk to a community. After the talk, I had a chat with the community leaders. They shared that in their community, they have certain rules for their members. They have a way of life or covenant that their members should follow, like daily one-hour adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, daily Mass, daily Rosary, fasting once a week, and many others. I said, “Wow, that’s great! You must have holy members!” But at the back of my mind, I had a dozen questions. I asked them, “How many have committed to this way of life?” One by one the leaders looked down, and one of them said, “Only about 10 are able to comply.” The community has about 100 members, so I asked, “What about the other 90?” “The other 90 feel inadequate, not good enough. They always have this guilt that they are not pleasing God because they are KerygmaJan2009 { 25 }

not able to fulfill the rules of the community.” “And how are the other 10 who are able to fulfill the way of life?” I asked. “That’s the problem, Bro. Bo. They have this spiritual pride. They think: If I can do it, why can’t the others?” I chuckled, “I can guess who these people are who are able to do the required way of life. They are the widows, the housewives who are over 60 and whose children are already grownups and on their own. Right?” “Yes,” they admitted. Rules are good. But when you deal with a lay community, you cannot demand from them anything that’s not demanded by the Catholic Church. There are things that lay people cannot simply do. A suggestion like establishing a one-hour prayer time should be just that — a suggestion. It cannot be a rule. 3. You know yourself less. The I love you spirituality is also called the performance spirituality. You want to perform and sometimes, you have to stifle or control your emotions along the way. You feel sad but you force yourself to be happy. You are worried but you have to trust. You are angry at someone but you try to be kind even if you are boiling inside. When you { 26 } KerygmaJan2009

do these, what happens is you disconnect yourself from your emotions and you get to know yourself less. Why? Because emotions are the window to your soul. That’s the only way to get to know yourself — through your emotions. And this is worsened by people in prayer groups or by your Christian friends who see you sad and say, “Sis, this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!” Instead of giving a listening ear, they give you a Bible lesson. When you are sad, God accepts you. He puts His arm around you and cries with you. When you are angry, God listens to you. Just read the Psalms; some are angry passages. Why are they in the Bible? Because God listens. You know what He does when you are worried? He holds your hand and sits beside you. That’s our God. 4. You trust and value yourself less. When you think that you are no good, you develop low selfworth, and so you do not trust yourself. One of the signs of spiritual maturity is that you trust and value yourself. You know that you are loved and are special in the eyes of God. Many years ago, in our community, the Light of Jesus, we taught our members to consult their small group leaders when they have to make major decisions. But what happened was that the members began to ask their leaders not for consultation but for decisions — and not just for major ones but in the tiny decisions they had to make. But eventually God corrected us. Now, I tell our members that the goal of their leaders is to teach

them skills in discernment so that they can discern on their own. 5. You like your body less. When you have a performance spirituality, you like your body less because it’s the source of your temptations. But you should love your body because it is the temple of the Holy Spirit. You care for it in the same way that you care for the other aspects of your life. 6. Your God is narrow. When you have a performance spirituality, you think that your God is narrow. You know what changed my mind about who God is? I went through a state-of-life discernment process more than 10 years ago. Before that, I was grappling with the issue whether to get married, stay single, or enter the priesthood. I was confused. Finally I went on a retreat with a wise Jesuit priest. I told myself I would not go down the mountain until I knew God’s will. And so for days I was there, laboring in prayer. “Lord, tell me, what do You want me to do? Just tell me and I will obey.” And then in one moment of prayer, I felt God’s presence and I was so happy. God spoke, “Bo, all your options are good. You choose.” I was flabbergasted. At once I cried out, “No, Lord!” I went to my spiritual director and told him, “Father, God just talked to me, and He just said, ‘You choose.’” The wise Jesuit priest looked at me, smiled and said, “So, you choose. Think: what is your deepest desire? Whatever it is, that’s the will of God for you.” God’s will is wide, not narrow — even in secular matters. Some people think it’s bad to watch

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movies. But there are movies with good lessons. Or some people shun secular music even if the songs are wholesome. 7. You believe there’s only one way of loving God. There are some groups who feel that they are special. They look down on other groups. They feel that they have a special anointing. I’m allergic to that because we’re all equal. I remember the story of this guy who goes to different groups. First, he goes to Opus Dei and sees a red phone with a sign that says P10,000 per oneminute call. He asks, “What’s that?” The Opus Dei member said, “It’s our hotline to God.” Then he goes to Focolare and sees a red phone again. “What’s that?” “It’s our hotline to God and each call costs P10,000 per minute.” Then he visits other groups and sees the same red phone with the same charge per oneminute call. Finally he goes to a Charismatic group and finds a red phone with a sign that says P3.00 per minute call. He asks, “Why is it only P3.00 here while it’s P10,000 in other groups?” The leader says, “Ah, in the other groups, it’s an overseas call. But here, it’s just a local call.”

When you are like that, you are wrong. Everybody has a hotline to God. Everyone has different ways of loving God. Never think that you are better than the rest. We are all Christians. We are all special to God. 8. You dispense shame and disgrace, not grace. In the Gospel passage above, the Pharisee despised everybody. Why? Because he had to work for his acceptance from God. When you are self-righteous, you make people ashamed of themselves. You see someone smoking and you smirk and say, “Smoking! Worldly! Of the flesh!” I don’t like smoking either; it’s not healthy and it’s not respecting the temple of the Holy Spirit. But you know what? It’s not the biggest sin in the world. Which is the bigger sin: smoking or judging others, or gossiping? The “I Love You, Too” Spirituality When Jesus died on the cross, there were two thieves beside Him. One thief went to heaven. Jesus said to him, “On this day, you shall be with me in paradise.” Did the thief do anything good before Jesus told

him that? Did he go to daily Mass? Did the thief have a onehour prayer time? He didn’t but he was accepted by God. And when God accepts you — if there’s still time left in your life — you will love Him back. You will give your life to Him. And everything that you do is an “I love you, too, Lord.” This is the spirituality that I want us to have. That’s the spirituality where God says to you first, “I love you.” And all you can do is look up and say, “I love you, too, Lord.” Then every prayer, every reading of the Word, every Mass, and every righteous deed we do — they become an “I love you, too, Lord.” One word — “too” — and it makes all the difference. (Email the author at bosanchez@ kerygmafamily.com)

Bo’s Action Steps: 1. Each morning as you wake up, look around you and identify at least five ways in which God says “I love you” to you. 2. At night before you sleep, look back through your day and identify at least five ways in which you said to God, “I love you, too, Lord.”

Laughingly Yours An elderly woman was preparing her Last Will and Testament. She told her preacher she has two final requests. First, she wants to be cremated. Second, she wants her ashes to be scattered over Shoemart. “Shoemart? Why Shoemart?” the preacher exclaimed. “Because I know for sure that my daughters will visit me there twice a week.” — Sent by Geraldine Gonzales, Apo St., Quezon City SEND US YOUR JOKES! Text: 0917-800-5535; Email: [email protected] KerygmaJan2009 { 27 }

Despite What the Doctors Said

I Am Now

a Mom By Teresa Gumap-as-Dumadag as told to Judith Concepcion

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M

y monthly period was delayed. At first, I thought it was due to the stress at work. But after a week, my husband suspected that I might be pregnant. After I took a pregnancy test, visited my doctor and underwent ultrasound, I was confirmed pregnant. My husband and I didn’t expect I would be able to conceive because I was previously diagnosed with polycystic ovaries, a condition that causes infertility. What was surprising was that I didn’t undergo any medical workup to prepare my womb to conceive. How this happened is a miracle from God.  

The Diagnosis

I was 13 years old when I was diagnosed with hormonal imbalance. I had my menstruation twice a month. Since my menstrual flow was heavy and lasted for a week, I became anemic and weak. The doctor prescribed medicine to regulate my period. After taking the medication for several months, my period became regular. My battle with this condition recurred when I started working. But it took several years before I consulted an obgyne again. I had an ultrasound this time and discovered I had polycystic ovaries. I resumed taking medication. Visiting my doctor every month was an ordeal for me. Every time we met, she would tell me to get married soon so I could get pregnant, as this was one way to help regulate my hormones. Since women with polycystic ovaries usually

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had difficulty conceiving, she believed that the earlier I marry, the better my chances were of having a child. I didn’t like the feeling of being pressured to rush into a relationship, get married and have a child. I get enough of it about this from other people and getting it from my doctor was too much. So I started to miss my checkups but continued with my medication.

A Difficult Choice

As the months went by, I noticed that I was getting bigger and heavier. I had no choice but to see my doctor again. I learned from her that weight gain was a side effect of the medicine. I felt bad. My depression worsened each day as I ran out of clothes to wear. I dreaded I’d grow too big. What would I do? I studied my options. One was to continue the medication and deal with the extra pounds. The other was to stop the medication and return to my usual slim figure. But my menstruation would become irregular again, resulting to anemia and weakness. I chose the second option. I didn’t want to live my life always fearful of my condition. I didn’t want my decisions to be based on fear but faith. I wanted to enter into marriage and motherhood because it was God’s call for me. Though it wasn’t an easy choice, I chose to place my life into God’s hands and trust in His goodness.

An Unexpected Gift

God heard my prayer after a few years. My menstruation became regular and came once a month. I lost weight gradually. But I still couldn’t get pregnant because I wasn’t married and didn’t have a boyfriend.

Instead of focusing on what I didn’t have and couldn’t do yet, I focused on developing and using the talents God gave me. I seized the opportunities God opened up for me to grow in character and in my career. Then, while I was busy serving the Lord through my talents, particularly writing, God led my future bridegroom to me. I met him during the launch of my book, When My Bridegroom Comes. We got married on December 2007.  But we planned to postpone having a child until we were adjusted to married life and were prepared emotionally, financially and psychologically. We practiced the natural birth control since we believed that I had been healed from my condition. But God had other plans. To our surprise, I conceived two months after our wedding. Though we didn’t plan for it to happen this soon, we were grateful to God for His surprise. To us, it might seem that now is not the best time. But to God, it’s the perfect time for us to be parents. I gave birth last October 5 to a boy who is a miracle from God, a great and wonderful unexpected gift. More than 10 years ago, I claimed in faith that I would be healed, get married to God’s chosen one for me, and bear a child. All these have been fulfilled. Truly, nothing is impossible with God. I hoped in God and did not hope in vain. “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the decision of the Lord that endures.” (Proverbs 19:21)

Laughingly Yours A mother didn’t feel well one Sunday so she sent her little girl to church and told her to be sure to remember the text of the sermon. When she came home, the little girl said, “The priest said, ‘Don’t be scared, you’ll get your quilt.’” The mother was perplexed. Finally she phoned the priest. He explained that his text was, “Fear not, thy comforter will come.” SEND US YOUR JOKES! Text: 0917-800-5535; Email: [email protected] KerygmaJan2009 { 29 }

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ne of the perks that I cherish most when I go places to give talks is meeting people with amazing stories. I see God’s grace at work in their lives — and I end up more inspired after talking to them. Once, while giving a worship seminar in Davao, I met Al Barretto, a man who decided to attend to God’s business. As a result, God has taken care of his businesses, which include a flourishing car dealership in Mindanao. Bo: Bro. Al, who were you before you met the Lord? Al: Early on, I was a nominal Protestant. Having studied in a secondary school run by evangelical Protestants made it convenient for me to pursue Protestantism, despite being baptized as a Catholic. Like most people who led colorful pasts, I look back at my life with surprise and ask myself, “How come I did those things?” Bo: Vices? Al: Yes. I’d like to share something with you about those vices. I entered the Cursillo in 1986, during the most critical weekend of the EDSA Revolution. The rector and some leaders were surprised to see me there because in the community, I was known as one guy who was far from becoming religious or spiritual — “a big fish,” they said, referring to my notoriety. But then conversion happened. It was a very strange experience for me to shed buckets of tears the whole night, not knowing what hit me. A month after that, our rector asked me, “Bro. Al, how are you getting along with your vices?” I told him, “They’re gone, sir.” “Your smoking?” “Oh, it tasted bitter, so I gave it up, sir.” “How about your gambling?” “No more. God made me lose successively. I believe it’s His will, sir.” “Your drinking?” “That’s also gone, because every time I drank, I ended up having a bad stomach, sir.” “And how about women?” “No, I don’t drink anymore!” as if I didn’t hear his question, and kidded him, because at that time I was still struggling with womanizing. Eventually I gave it up, too, by the grace of God. { 30 } KerygmaJan2009

Al Barretto:

Put God First and Money Will Come to You An Interview By Bo Sanchez

Bo: So it was through the Cursillo that you started growing closer to God? Was that also the reason why you became Catholic? Al: Yes, but my being married to a woman who comes from a devout Catholic family precipitated my conversion. I made an agreement with my wife that I would accompany her to the Catholic Church but she should also come with me to my church. That arrangement went on for about a year or so, until finally something seemed to be pulling me to the Catholic Church. I could not explain it — it just happened. But looking back, I realized it was the sacraments, profoundly communicated in the Bible to Peter, the first Vicar of the Church. It’s not easy to understand the Catholic religion. But it’s fantastic and very beautiful when you begin to understand it. I have just begun to understand it, and even today I continue to search and read anything about the Catholic faith — news from the Vatican, EWTN, even your magazine, Bo.

a bargain and ask for a lower price, if it’s the will of the Lord, the seller will agree. It will happen and not only in real estate but in many other things as well. But the point is, you must do it for the Lord. Someone once said, “Money, like prestige, if sought directly, is almost never gained. It must come as a by-product of a worthwhile endeavor which you seek to do.”

Bo: You’re the leader of the whole Charismatic renewal in Davao? Al: I was. I served as the coordinator for the Archdiocese of Davao for nine years.

Bo: Thank you, Bro. Al, for this opportunity to talk to you — a great personal love for God, a great faith, and a successful businessman who’s able to combine his faith and business. You’re not one person here and one person in the other field. You’re one person serving God wherever you are. Thank you! Al: Thank you, too, Bro. Bo. Just to meet you is a great honor and an inspiration for my ministry, too. (Email the author at [email protected])

Bo: How do you combine that with your being a big businessman? You have huge businesses and you serve the Lord as if you don’t have these businesses burdening you. Al: I started to come to the Lord in 1986. The first time that I was asked to leave my business and to attend to God’s was in 1989 when I joined the Seventh International Charismatic Convention in Rome. Our business started in 1982 so we were just beginning and had so much work. I was uncertain whether to join the convention or not. Finally, I said, “Lord, I’m going to take care of Your business, so please take care of mine.” My wife and I were away for about a month and, would you believe, that was the month that registered the highest sales since the company was founded. I really believe now that when you take care of the Lord’s business, something will happen. The verse that says, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33), is really true. Everybody knows it, but to live it out is difficult. Bo: That’s a great policy that you can put into your business. I’m sure that, through the years, you have learned to be a good businessman, how to sell and do great marketing, but more importantly, you put God first. Al: Yes. A Chinese businessman told me once, “Don’t chase after money, because if you do, it will run away. Just let it run towards you.” Bo: From a Catholic/Christian businessman’s point of view, how do you let money chase after you? Can you give us a few things that you’ve learned through the years? Al: You know, opportunities will just knock at your door. Like, if you’re in the real estate business, somebody will just come to you and offer you a great property at a very good price, and things just happen that way. And supposing you want to make

Bo: I, too, have always believed that we are surrounded by a Pacific Ocean of blessings, but we need to be open and believe that God is blessing us. As you said, do everything for the Lord. Our whole life is for God. Money will just come as a by-product. Al: That’s true. And it’s happening to you, too. Bo: Yes, but not as big as yours! Al: No, we’re all stewards of God. Nothing belongs to us; we are all caretakers of His resources.

Visiting holy sites is one passion that Al shares with his wife, Corkee. They are shown here at the front yard of the Basilica of St. Ignatius Loyola, Spain.

“It is the Lord’s blessing that brings wealth, and no effort can substitute for it.” (Proverbs 10:22) KerygmaJan2009 { 31 }

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Inside Prison Bars:

A Ray of Hope

Shines Inmates Are Transformed as Their Living Conditions Change

By Marjorie Ann Duterte

e awoke at dawn to catch a special group of people having their physical exercises early in the morning. Arriving at Ray of Hope beneficiaries with GK Champion Tony Meloto our destination, we tentatively sign our names past tight security into the Davao City Jail compound where we would meet the women inmates. It was not as we imagined a prison compound to be. Inside, we saw Gawad Kalinga (GK) cottages where the detained women could freely and happily roam about. The jail warden informed us that this was not the case before the 10 GK homes were built. The inmates all used to live on the other side of the fence, where the male inmates are still detained, all cramped in dirty jail cells where some 40 people lived together as if in a can of sardines. Fortunately, a new chapter in the prisoners’ lives began eight years ago when a devoted Couples for Christ wife and husband team, Ricky and Cynthia Umbana, began their prison ministry here. They started giving spiritual nourishment to the prisoners through the Christian Life Program. When most people would shy away from the challenge out of fear, the couple persevered. Ricky recalls bringing bananas just to be able to feed his participants. His faithfulness paid off amidst the loneliness of finding himself sometimes serving alone, because today there are close to 700 members inside the prison compound who fondly call each other brothers and sisters. “Many inmates here do not have visitors. Instead of fearing them, I feel for them. Do you know that a bar of soap is like gold to them?” Ricky shares of his fellow brothers who are both materially and emotionally deprived.

The Beginning of a New Hope

Shown here with the Davao GK Team, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte (center with leis) fully supports GK.

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At one point, CFC Council member Rene Brieva, who gave a talk during one of the CLPs there, saw the vacant space across the prison compound. A compassionate jail warden Serafin Barredo, aware of the needs of the detainees, requested for a chapel to be built. But God had more in mind. On January 23, 2007, a groundbreaking ceremony was held at the vacant lot to start building GK cottages upon it. The male prisoners built the homes for the women inmates. Among them were Renante Curayeg,

Inmates moving to their new homes during the first turnover of houses

Colorful GK houses have a way of changing the dwellers’ disposition.

Dennis Maginsay and Jim Catayas who voluntarily sacrificed their labor for one year. Generous partners, such as the New City Commercial Center in Davao, provided funds for seven of the cottages while Zonta Club sponsored one cottage, with GK adding two. The City Mayor’s office paved the way for the drainage and the pathway and pledged a second phase of the project with additional 10 cottages. They were just among the many generous religious, socio-civic and private individuals who graciously supplied materials for the realization of the dream. On March 3, 2008, the GK Ray of Hope was unveiled and the five duplex cottages or 10 houses were given to the women inmates. Just last August, 10 additional houses were awarded to the prison. The cottages are named after virtues, such as Generosity, Prudence, etc. For Venus, a former sidewalk vendor in Jolo Sulu, who was nabbed for possession of drugs along with her mother, the change evoked much gratitude. “We thought there’s no more hope for us. We now have fresh air. Also, even while still inmates, we are now treated as persons,” she says. Their present jail warden Grace Taculin is happy about the positive changes in her ward. “We’re happy because we are able to give what they need — humane treatment.”

humane treatment and better conditions for their own detainees. “People were teasing me, ‘You’re imprisoned there for life,’” shares Ricky. “That’s OK. The inmates are like my brothers and sisters now. I am happy even if I’ll be imprisoned here for life,” adds Ricky in jest. He serves together with the equally committed GK project director Tony Binatero. Asked why he is so fired up in his service, Ricky says he wants to be able to answer God confidently when he meets Him, “Yes, Lord, I visited You when You were in prison.” (Email the author at [email protected]) Editor’s Note: To pay a visit at the GK Ray of Hope while in Davao, you may call Ricky Umbana at 0928-3357626.

A Change in Environment, A Change in Outlook

For Lilibeth, awaiting trial for drug charges like 70 percent of the inmates here, discovered for herself that there is indeed hope for women like her. “Before, we were like in Manila Zoo. Now, we can breathe more freely. We feel lighter. We are like one big family and it feels like home now,” she says. Lilibeth regularly attends household prayer meetings inside the prison compound. She sighs, “At last, a ray of hope for us!” Most inmates, because of their transformation, have been released and many more are awaiting freedom. Today, this GK village inside the prison provides a ray of hope for its inmates and other jails around the country are hoping to follow suit to be able to provide a more

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Warden Grace Taculin smiles as her wards show positive changes in their attitude and behavior.

KerygmaJan2009 { 33 }

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catholic soul By Edgardo C. de

Vera

The Contraceptive Culture

How It Came About

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hen Pope Paul VI issued Humanae Vitae in 1968, some recalcitrant theologians and clergy aired their dissenting opinions to media. The encyclical thus became a controversial teaching. A few priests were openly vocal while others of the same liberal mindset defied privately. They advised married couples that contraceptive use is a matter of conscience, saying the encyclical was not promulgated ex cathedra (from the chair of Peter) and therefore not infallibly taught. They conveniently forgot that ex cathedra constitutes all papal teaching on faith and morals.

The Lambeth Conference

Many present-day Catholics are infected by a contraceptive m e n t a l i t y.   A n a n t i - G o s p e l aberration was introduced to the Christian world by Anglicans when, at the Lambeth Conference of 1930, their bishops in the Episcopalian sister churches reversed the doctrine against any and all forms of artificial contraception. What their pastors had railed against for generations from the pulpit as intrinsically evil abruptly became no longer sinful. Aghast Lutherans, Methodists and the entire Protestant world condemned what they rightly deemed as a surrender of Christian moral values, yet they themselves would later on succumb to the extent of allowing abortions. Religious and secular organizations, media included, denounced the Lambeth Conference decision. The Washington Post lambasted it in editorials. Pope Pius XI responded with his encyclical Casti Connubii (On Christian Marriage) outlining the sanctity and purpose of the marital state.

Populate and Subdue the Earth

A little known fact is that the contraceptive mentality originated with married Protestant clergy. Following the

Reformation, Luther stressed that God’s first command was to populate and subdue the earth (Genesis 1:27-28). He exalted marriage, parenthood and children as the Christian family ethic and encouraged married priesthood to be the prime exemplar of this ideal. He stressed that human seed with innate potential for life must never be deliberately spilled through coital withdrawal or masturbation. To Calvin’s rigid morality, the intentional spillage of semen was a graver offense before God than either incest or rape. From the 16th century onwards, Protestant pastors raised big families. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, was one of 25 children of an Anglican parsonage. Ministers were burdened with attending to the needs of both family and the parish community. Saddled by contending domestic and ecclesial chores, pastors limited the number of children via periodic abstinence. Clergymen with less discipline in their loins simply resorted to artificial means they condemned in sermons. Over time, the average size of a pastor’s family dwindled. Anglican statistics show that the number of children fell from the high count of the 17th century to a norm of 5.2 in the late 19th century and down to 2.3 by 1911. The lobby for artificial contraception repeatedly came to fore in the Episcopalian conferences held every two years at the Lambeth Palace in England. Finally the Anglican bishops relented to satisfy their married clergy. All Christendom soon capitulated except for the Catholic Church, which consistently opposed contraception.

The Culture of Death

John Paul the Great labeled the contraceptive mentality as a “culture of death” — a selfish mindset that ushered in the abomination of abortion, euthanasia, cloning, sterilization, test-tube babies and DNA-designed human beings. These led to a major rethinking among Evangelical Protestants, a growing trend the Chicago Tribune quotes Albert Mohler, Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary as saying, “There is a real push against the contraceptive culture now.” (Email the author at [email protected])

Want to receive daily nourishment for your soul in your cell phone? For Smart and Talk ‘n Text subscribers, text GEMS ON to 4636. Only P2.50/text.

KerygmaJan2009 { 35 }

Discerning And Following God’s Will For Your Life by BO SANCHEZ

Holy Week Retreat 2009 Tagaytay City

April 4-5, 2009 (Saturday 7:00 am to Palm Sunday, 1:00 pm) April 6-7, 2009 (Holy Monday, 7:00 am to Holy Tuesday, 1:00 pm) April 8-9, 2009 (Holy Wednesday, 7:00 am to Holy Thursday, 1:00 pm) Reconnect your soul with the Lord! Aside from being refreshed in your spirit in this year’s Holy Week Retreat, you’ll also learn how to listen to His voice. Clean your spiritual earwax. Because He does speak in so many ways! But there are certain spiritual principles you need to learn so that you won’t be confused—because it’s easy to be confused. Through this powerful Retreat, you’ll be free from wrong thinking that has prevented your spiritual growth. We guarantee that it’s going to be a great blessing for you and your family. Conference Fee: P3,450.00 / person on twin sharing room with private toilet and bath (Fee includes meals, accommodation and a complete retreat guide kit)

Hurry! Reserve now. Limited slots only!

For reservations, email [email protected]. State the number of slots you need and provide us with your land line number. or you may call our office from Tuesdays to Fridays, 9am to 5pm at telefax no. (02) 722-9562. Look for Beckie.

13 Days Pilgrimage to the Holy Land with EPHESUS & ISTANBUL with Bo Sanchez on April 20 to May 2, 2009 • for details, please email [email protected]

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k preacher a

By Alvin Barcelon

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ow was your last year? Let me guess. You got worried. You were anxious. You panicked — and for valid reasons. Gasoline prices went up. And as if on cue, prices of rice, food, electricity, transportation, school tuition fees and of other basic necessities went soaring, too! And you may have thought — or screamed — how on earth could we survive? If that wasn’t enough, there was the Mindanao conflict (again), and the bomb threats; the China milk melamine scare extending to other products (now that almost every product has a China tag on it); and the Wall Street meltdown, the US financial crisis that made the world anxious about a global economic collapse. Add that to the continuing doomsday warnings on environmental threats: global warming, hurricanes and tsunamis, earthquakes and typhoons that now reach beyond known intensities. Waaahhhh! We’re all going to die!!!

You Reached 2009… Because You Trusted!

(Really now, you won’t last a day without TRUSTING.) Yet, let me tell you this undeniable truth. You’re still alive, right? (You’re still reading this article!) You survived another year, and many other difficult years in the past. And here you are about to face a new one. Why? Because you worked harder. You prayed harder. And you trusted that everything would be all right. And it did turn out to be all right, after all. Which means, if you survived last year, and the many years before that, you will survive this one, too. In fact, you won’t and shouldn’t just be surviving. You continue to live — with hope, with joy, with strength, with perseverance, with faith and with so much love. Because Someone up there is keeping you alive — protecting you, sustaining you, blessing you, embracing you and loving you in countless ways you can never imagine. The day you stop trusting is the day you lose your sanity — and all reason to live! Hold on. Move on. And live with faith and trust that everything is under control — God’s control! And have a real Happy, Peaceful and Hopeful NEW YEAR! “… happy is he who trusts in the Lord!” (Proverbs 16: 20) (Email the author at [email protected])

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one last story as told By Lea Bermudez cion to Judith Concep

M

y company sent me to Xian, China for a four-day business trip last February 2008. I had to make a stopover in Shanghai since there was no direct flight to Xian. My short stay in Shanghai was one unforgettable and remarkable experience — there was suspense, drama and the supernatural all rolled into one.

Suspense: Impending Danger

I arrived in Shanghai airport at midnight. I immediately recalled what a sister in my community (Light of Jesus) told me — that the cab fare from the airport to my hotel was not to exceed 150 RMB. A Filipina, a total stranger, who was in the same flight as mine, requested to hitch a ride with me because her destination was near my hotel. I agreed as it was already late. While we were conversing inside the cab, I noticed that we had already traveled far. I checked the meter and it reflected over 200 RMB. I suddenly sensed that there was something wrong. Then our vehicle stopped under the flyover, in the middle of a dark road with no houses or establishments in sight. I asked my lady companion if she knew how to speak Mandarin; she said no. So I asked the cab driver in English, “Sir, what happened? Why did we stop?” He didn’t react. Fear gripped me. I began to silently pray in tongues. After about 10 minutes,

* Names have been changed as requested by interviewees

An Unforgettable Stopover How God Delivered Me from Harm

our vehicle moved and we eventually reached the hotel. I sighed with great relief.

Drama: Tears of Joy

When I alighted from the cab, my lady companion followed me. She made another request. “Can I spend the night in your hotel room? I can’t go to my employer’s house now since it’s still dark.” I said a quick prayer to God, “Bahala na, Lord. Just take care of me.” I wasn’t at peace and could not sleep because I was with a stranger in my room. She told me that she would leave at around 6:00 a.m. Before she left, we talked a little. She shared, “I’m from Iloilo. You know, I’m a member of the Light of Jesus (LOJ) Community in Iloilo.” My face lit up. She continued, “I miss reading KERYGMA magazine. It’s been a long time since I’ve read it because I work abroad.” It was a good thing that I brought some copies of KERYGMA, thinking that somebody just might need it. I pulled out a copy (the December 2007 issue on overseas Filipino workers) from my bag and gave it to her. She was surprised why I had the magazine. “I am also a member of the LOJ in Manila,” I told her. She cried. “I have waited for so long to have this chance to read KERYGMA again.”

Supernatural: Above

Wisdom

from

I went to the domestic airport that same morning for my flight to Xian. Many flights were cancelled due to the blizzard, causing many passengers to be stranded at the airport. Due to the language barrier, I couldn’t inquire from the people there where I should check in my baggage. I feared that I might miss my flight. So I prayed in tongues and asked the Lord for guidance. Then I heard an announcement in Mandarin. Surprisingly, I somehow understood what was announced. Three people out of the multitude of stranded passengers stood up and ran, and I followed them. When we reached the counter, it was the checkin counter for my flight to Xian. I exclaimed, “Thank you, Lord!”

Amazing Realizations

When I came back to the Philippines, I related the cab incident to a friend. She said that a friend of hers who went to China and took a cab from the airport was brought to a field and was robbed by the driver. In retrospect, I realized that God protected me and delivered me from harm. I also witnessed the power of prayer, which gave me inner peace and unlocked God’s gift of wisdom during those trying moments. With that, I can only exclaim, “Praise be to God!”

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I pray that you receive your miracles in Jesus’ name! I pray that God lift your trials, heal your diseases, bless your problems and direct you to the path He wants you to take. I pray that God remove your fears and give you the courage to surrender your burdens to Him. So place your hand over my hand, and let’s pray with trust, together with our prayer team of intercessors praying for you right now… This page is our Point of Contact, our spiritual connection. Say after me… In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Lord, I surrender to You my worries and anxieties. I surrender to You my needs, my problems, my trials. I place them all in Your big hands! And I open myself to all that You want to give to me! On this day, I say yes to Your love, to Your blessings, to Your healing, to Your miracles! And Lord, specifically, I ask You for the following miracles for my life.... I believe that You answer my prayer in the best way possible! And I thank You in advance for the perfect answers to my prayers. I also ask for the special intercession of Mama Mary. I pray all this in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen!

SPECIAL INTENTION FOR THIS MONTH:

Bless all the readers of KERYGMA, Lord. Give them the grace to surrender their difficulties and problems to you. Grant them serenity to wait on You and the wisdom to know how to act on their problems. Teach them to believe in Your immense love for them. Mold their hearts and minds so that every devotion and righteous deed they do would spring forth from gratitude for Your love and not because they want to earn Your love. Praying for you, Email your prayer requests to me at [email protected] or write to me at Shepherd’s Voice Publications, #60 Chicago St., Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines 1109. Let me know, too, if your prayers have been answered.

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