Kerygma Feb 2012

Inspiring You to Live a Fantastic Life

KEEPING THE LOVE ALIVE THROUGH THE JOEY VELASCO FOUNDATION THROUGH ST. PIO’S INTERCESSION: FINALLY PREGNANT AFTER 11 YEARS OF WAITING

No. 261 Vol. 22

February 2012

TAMING THE MONEY MONSTER APPLY THE SEVEN LAWS OF AGGRESSIVENESS AND WIN BIG KNOW WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES KERYGMA BARCODE.pdf

11/16/06

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Philippines P60 US $7.00 AUS $ 7.00 Euro 4.00 UK 4.00 CDN $7.00 SING $8.00 HK $45.00 RUPIAH 62000

By Bo Sanchez

Keep the Love Burning! These books will help you grow mightily in love for yourself, for God, for your family and for others.

Spread love all around you! Get your copy now!

A product of Shepherd’s Voice Publications, Inc. For orders call 725-9999 local 101 to 108 or log on to www.shepherdsvoice.com.ph

God made this day especially for you.

Live it. Win it. Bask in it. Arun Gogna’s newest book inspires you to squeeze the best out of life — every day.

Grab your copy now! A product of Shepherd’s Voice Publications, Inc. For orders call 725-9999 local 101 to 108 or log on to www.shepherdsvoice.com.ph

the

Boss

H

eart of Jesus, meek and mild…”

I sang this hymn every Friday at Mass. This picture of Jesus burned in my consciousness — that He was mild, docile, quiet, docile, tender, submissive, and uh… did I say docile already? Like my friend Marty. Marty was a quiet guy who attended our prayer meeting. He sat at the back row. Always. And he smiled a lot and bowed his head to everyone. He’s such a kind sweet harmless guy. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. Because of this, everyone called him St. Marty. Filipinos were under Spanish and American rule for 400 years. They taught us (brainwashed us) that they were better and we were inferior. They taught us to be quiet, to obey, to follow, to serve, to be selfeffacing. In other words, they taught us to be like Marty.

By Bo Sanchez

When I was growing up, I remember Mom would scold us whenever we were daring and gutsy, “Don’t be atrebida!” (Don’t be too aggressive!) Here are other messages we’re familiar with: “Don’t rock the boat.” “Don’t stand out.” “Don’t ask questions.” “Keep your mouth shut.” Even our picture of God reinforced our Marty complex: “Heart of Jesus, meek and mild…” Think about it. Filipinos are the Employees of the World: nurses, teachers, engineers, accountants, domestic helpers, caregivers, managers and seamen. (Do you know that Filipinos man 75 percent of all ships in the world?) Why? Because we’re like my friend Marty. We smile a lot and follow orders. We’re polite and hardworking. And super talented. That lethal combination has made us the darling of many employers around the world. We’re fantastic employees. Which is really great. But we’re not entrepreneurs. And how our country needs entrepreneurs! (Honestly, it’s the only longterm solution to our country’s poverty.)

Because entrepreneurs give jobs. Because entrepreneurs don’t leave the country but create their wealth here. Because to be an entrepreneur, we need another trait: aggressiveness. Today, I realized my picture of Jesus was wrong. Yes, Jesus was meek. But mild? He was tough. Passionate. Gutsy. Daring. Intense. Aggressive. After all, only aggressive people get killed on a cross. But there are two ways of being aggressive. One is being rude, pushy and even violent. That’s our typical meaning, and that’s not Jesus. The second meaning is what I want to introduce to you here — to be aggressive and extremely loving at the same time. Like Jesus, Mahatma Gandhi was aggressive — in a gentle, non-violent way. He was meek. But he also knew his dream: India’s freedom. And he pursued it with single-minded determination of a pit bull. Maybe this is the first time you’ll hear this from a preacher: Be aggressive towards your dreams — and be the most loving and tender person you can be at the same time! May your dreams come true.

Bo’s clothes courtesy of Golden ABC/Memo.

HOW DO WE SOLVE A PROBLEM LIKE MARTY?

FEBRUARY 2012 • KERYGMA

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Mail room

This letter of mine is long overdue. I should have written it last year when I started subscribing to your fantastic mag. I first read Kerygma through my officemate just for the reason that I didn’t have a newspaper to read one lunch break. As I read it, it amazed me that there is a magazine like this, where one’s whole being is enriched. From then on, I read all the issues without her knowledge since she just leaves all her Kerygma copies beside her table — until I finally decided to subscribe. Now, I am the one lending it to our other officemates. Thanks to God, He made me borrow it on that one lunch break. God bless and more power to the staff. Nathalie R. Via email I’ve been reading Kerygma since I was in elementary and I’m so hooked on it. It’s food for my soul. Thank you for publishing it and I hope to read more of it till I grow old.

I am interested to distribute Shepherd’s Voice products in my province. This would be my way of sharing with my kababayans the blessings that I have gained and will gain in the future. Kudos, Kerygma! Valerie Vega Dagupan City, Pangasinan (You may contact Josie dela Cruz at 0922-8692872 for the possibility of distributing our products in your province. – Ed.)

I always borrow Kerygma from my senior officemate who attends the Makati Feast every Thursday. I’m so blessed that God answers my questions every time I read your magazine. I hope that I can subscribe to Kerygma in the near future. Thank you, Kerygma staff and Bro. Bo. Christina J. Manila (You may contact Sarah Discutido at 0922-8147031 to inquire about subscription. – Ed.)

We Want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] or text us at 0917-800-5535, or write to The Editor at 60 Chicago St., Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines 1109. You can also reach us through KERYGMA Family. Log on to www.kerygmafamily. com. For subscription-related concerns, text or call Sarah Discutido at 0922-8147031 or email [email protected]. 2

KERYGMA • FEBRUARY 2012

I owe a lot to Kerygma. I was a neophyte in Manila back in 1992. As a typical probinsyana, I needed to explore new things around me as everyone and everything was strange. One day, I came across your magazine in a bookstore and soon I decided to be a Kerygma shepherd. It was your magazine that looked after me in this big congested, beautiful city of Manila. Its articles led me to the truth. They were like a lamp unto my feet. The words written in there were like my loving, strict and great disciplinarian mother — and I made it. I lived a fruitful and happy life while in Manila. I was able to avoid vices, peer pressure and temptations. It is your mag, too, that gave me the idea of marrying a guy who’s close to God. Now we have two children and I have a beautiful family. We are all Bo fanatics. We have started donating to Anawim, and very soon we will be members of the Truly Rich Club. God bless, Kerygma Family! Marivic V. Via email

just

Breathe living by grace

By Rissa Singson-Kawpeng

Marital Bliss from a Bowl of Mongolian Barbecue The keys to happily ever after I discovered from a meal

Rissa’s clothes courtesy of Freeway/Elite Garments

T

here’s nothing like a delicious bowl of Mongolian Barbecue. It’s the kind of food that you don’t just eat; you experience it. It’s a meal that brings with it its own ambience. When you eat Mongolian, you have a buffet of choices lined up before you. First there’s the carbs. Will it be rice or noodles? Then you have your meat. Chicken, pork or beef? Now comes the seafood. There’s squid balls, fish balls, shrimps and squid. Veggie choices include bean sprouts, carrots, onions, leeks, cabbage, bell peppers and tofu. By now your bowl is one grain of rice short of spilling over. And just as you’re about to congratulate yourself for your exceptional choice of viands, the sauce buffet at the end of the table stumps you. Szechuan? Teriyaki? Mongolian? Sate? And how in heaven’s name are you supposed to know how much to put of each one? Hay, so many choices. But take note. This one will make or break your Mongolian barbecue. Screw this part and this will mean a meal full of regret. Do it right and you’ll have another Mongolian barbecue experience down pat. My secret to enjoying Mongolian barbecue is two simple rules. First, I get as much as I want so that I won’t have to get a second serving. If my first bowl tastes good, my chances are slim that I’ll get the same blend on my second try. If my first bowl tastes bad, I’ll be too full to enjoy my second bowl no matter how good it is. My second rule is, I don’t ever taste someone else’s Mongolian barbecue. No matter how good it looks. Or how bad they say it is. If someone invites me to try her bowl, I resist the urge with all my might. Because no matter how satisfied I am with my food, trying my companion’s concoction will give me something to compare mine with. And you know what happens when you start comparing. Before long, you’ll be thinking that your neighbor’s dish is better than yours. Marriage is like a bowl of Mongolian barbecue. Before you tie the knot, you have an array of partners to choose from. You can have a list of non-negotiables, and select or reject a prospect at will. Some people choose based on trivial qualities. I asked a woman once, “What made you fall in love with your husband?” She gave me a girlish giggle and replied, “His hair. It was so thick and wavy.” “Huh?” I said, bewildered. I looked at her husband and his head looked like a Ping-Pong ball wearing a hula skirt. If you choose based on appearances, sadly, they don’t last too long.

Even after you’ve wisely made your pick, the success of your marriage isn’t guaranteed. You have to know how to blend your days properly. Because marital life will have sweet days and spicy ones, those you have to endure with a little salt or bear with when things go sour. And then comes my two important rules. No matter how good or bad your marriage is, don’t ever consider a second serving or compare yours with another couple’s. Stick to your own. Make it work. Because in the end, it’ll all be worth it. Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. (Hebrews 13:4) Email me at [email protected] or follow me on Facebook.

What to Expect This Month: They’re small books that carry a big punch. At the Kerygma Conference last November, we launched three new LittleBooks to address different areas of your spiritual life. Why Life Is So Difficult — And How It Can Get Easy by Bo Sanchez speaks of why God doesn’t spare us from adversities. Another one from Bo, Intimacy: Five Steps to Bring You Closer to God, gives simple guidelines to help you draw nearer to Him. Oh, God, I’m Still Single!, which I wrote, shares how singles can maximize this temporary season of their life and squeeze it of all it offers. Order now! Call 725-9999 or log on to shepherdsvoice. com.ph to order. Free delivery of all our books within Metro Manila for a minimum order of P500. Also available in bookstores nationwide. FEBRUARY 2012 • KERYGMA

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Shepherd’S Voice publicationS, inc. 60 Chicago St., Cubao, Quezon City Tel. Nos. 411-7874 / 725-9999 loc. 101 to 108 • Mobile #0922-8692872 Email: [email protected] www.shepherdsvoice.com.ph KERYGMA • FEBRUARY 2012

Call JoSie

What’s

The Bo Files. 1 The Boss How Do We Solve a Problem Like Marty? 40 Point of Contact

1

Inside FEBRUARY

vol. 22 no. 261

26

14 Departments.

Special Section.

2 Mailroom 6 New You 7 Real Stuff 9 In the News 10 Dear K 12 Kfam Insider 14 Feast Snapshots 15 Laughingly Yours 17 It Happened In Losing Joey, I Found Other Loves 39 One Last Story The Miracle of Life

21 Introduction Taming the Money Monster 22 Teaching: Be Consistently Aggressive 28 Teaching: Know Where Your Money Goes

Testimonies. 26 Taking Charge 32 Only a Few of My Favorite Things

17 37

Columns.

32

3 Just Breathe Marital Bliss from a Bowl of Mongolian Barbecue 35 Kitchen Scribbles Calvary Love 37 K Preacher To Learn Is Human... To Love, Divine

chairman of the board and publisher BO SANCHEZ • editor-in-chief and production manager RISSA SINGSONKAWPENG • managing editor TESS ATIENZA • creative director REN CORTES • graphics director REY DE GUZMAN • assistant layout designer PIO MALLARI • contributing writers JUDITH CONCEPCION, MARJORIE ANN DUTERTE, OSY ERICA, BELLA ESTRELLA, ALVIN FABELLA, ELEANORE LEE-TEO, CARLO LORENZO, DINA PECAÑA, TINA RODRIGUEZ, PIA SUIZA, LEEANNE SY, MAYMAY SALVOSA, LELLA SANTIAGO, JOY SOSOBAN • photographers DANIEL SORIANO, DAKILA ANGELES • columnists BISHOP TED BACANI JR., ROSANNE ROMERO, ALVIN BARCELONA • sales and marketing manager JOSEPH MARTINEZ • administration and finance manager WENG CEQUEÑA 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. 2012. 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: 725-9999, 411-7874, 725-1190. Fax: 727-5615 Email: editsvp@ shepherdsvoice.com.ph. Website: www.shepherdsvoice.com.ph

ABOUT OUR COVER MODEL

Here’s another young guy with a lot of promise. Stefan Nikolai Capucion, or simply Niko, is an active member of The Feast Alabang. He leads worship, plays the guitar and sings with the music ministry. He was recently assigned as musical director of its Wednesday session. Although already a graduate of physical therapy, Niko still nurtures his childhood dream of being a recording artist. His band, Jam with the Lamb, has so far compiled six original songs ready for recording. But while that isn’t realized yet, Niko is focusing on his other dreams: to become a Feast builder, preacher and speaker like his idols, Arun Gogna and Bo Sanchez. This early, he is equipping himself to achieve that dream by taking courses in preaching and leadership. He also plans to take up theology soon. He gets to practice his preaching skills as the main preacher of Bagong Buhay Prayer Community, a small parish-based Charismatic community in Las Piñas City. FEBRUARY 2012 • KERYGMA

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You

new

tips for personal development

Relationship

Health

4 Signs He’ll Never Marry You

4 Ways to Improve Your Eyesight

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O

or those “in a relationship” during this love month, here are some clues to give you a heads up that he is commitment phobic:

•

•

•

•

He plans ultra-romantic dates. If he only takes you to secluded places, it could be a sign that he doesn’t want other women to spot him on a date. Next time he asks you out, suggest going to some busy restaurant and see how he reacts. All his exes are “crazy.” If all of his ex-girlfriends had a problem, watch out. He may be the problem. Maybe he never really wanted the relationship to work in the first place? He lays a guilt trip on you. If he keeps asking you to have sex with him, pressures you or makes you feel bad if you decide not to, check his motives. Is this guy for the long haul or just up for some fun? He’s hot and cold on the phone. If he texts you 10 times in a night and then goes missing for days, or he’ll chat on the phone for one hour and then ignore your messages for the rest of the week, maybe he’s busy with someone else?

Source: http://www.cosmopolitan.com

1.

2.

3.

4.

ur eyes are said to be the windows to our soul. It’s also our personal window to the world. Here are some tips to sharpen your vision: Eat for bright eyesight. Our eyes require multiple nutrients to function optimally. Vitamins A, C and E, and minerals like copper and zinc are essential to eyesight. Antioxidants, including betacarotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, protect the macular from sun damage. These are available through dark leafy greens, egg yolks, yellow peppers, pumpkin, sweet potatoes and carrots. Foods rich in sulphur, cysteine and lecithin help protect the lens of your eye from cataract formation. These are found in garlic, onions, shallots and capers. Exercise your eyes. There are exercises to help you maintain optimal vision. These include warming your eyes, rolling your eyes, focusing your eyes, massaging your temples and taking mini-naps. Limit environmental toxins. External factors can contribute to eye damage. These include fluorescent lights, computer screens, chlorine in swimming pools, air conditioning and heating, reading in dim lighting and constant rubbing of the eyes. Relax your eyes. Getting enough sleep is essential to eye health, as sleep time allows your eyes to fully rest, repair and recover.

Source: http://health.yahoo.net

Quick Health Tip:

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ycopene helps in the prevention of cancers of the prostate, pancreas, stomach, breast, cervix and lungs, as well as in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Foods highest in lycopene are tomatoes, pink grapefruit, watermelon and guava. Other foods with small amounts of lycopene are persimmon and apricots.

Source: http://www.whfoods.org 6

KERYGMA • FEBRUARY 2012

real

Family Rosary Crusade Seeks to Rally One Million People to Pray the Rosary

P

ope Pius XI once said, ‘Give me an army praying a million rosaries a day and we will conquer the world.’ We are not out to conquer the world... but to save it for God to whom it rightly belongs.” This was part of the statement of Howard Dee, former Ambassador to the Vatican and now cochairman of the Family Rosary Crusade (FRC) on its project called “A Million Roses for the World. Filipinos at Prayer: Peace for All Nations.” The campaign is FRC’s continuing response to Our Lady’s call to pray the rosary. It seeks to gather at least one million pledges to pray the rosary every day from October 10, 2011 until May 30, 2012 for every nation of the world. The faithful will be asked to pray one rosary a day for one country. Monday to Saturday will be devoted to different countries and the Philippines on Sunday. The campaign, which will proceed for nine months, will be praying for the 192 member nations of the United Nations and the few nonmembers like Vatican City. The campaign has been endorsed by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. Visit the campaign’s website www.millionrosesfortheworld. org to signify your pledges.

Stuff

Study “Overturns” Theories on How Brain Works

S

cientists at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh have discovered brain genes that overturn previous theories about how the brain works. The genes, called retrotransposons, is responsible for tiny changes in the DNA of brain tissue. The study, which was carried out in collaboration with scientists from the Netherlands, Italy, Australia, Japan and the US, shows for the first time that brain cells are genetically different from other cells in the body and are also genetically different from each other. According to to Dr. Geoff Faulkner, from the Roslin Institute, “This research completely overturns the belief that the genetic makeup of brain cells remains static throughout life... If we can understand better how these subtle genetic changes occur, we could shed light on how brain cells regenerate, how processes like memory formation may have a genetic basis and possibly link the activity of these genes to brain diseases.” Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news

Source: http://millionrosesfortheworld.org

Blessed Pedro Calungsod

Saints at a Glance

BORN AND DIED: c. 1655, Molo, Iloilo City – April 2, 1672, Tumon, Guam NOTABLE FACTS:

B

lessed Pedro Calungsod, an 18-year-old missionary martyred in Guam in 1672, could soon become the second Filipino saint after cardinals voted for his canonization. Pope Benedict XVI will just have to officially declare his sainthood. Blessed Pedro, a skilled sacristan, accompanied Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores to Guam, then to Mariana Islands, and led a number of locals to convert to the Catholic faith. They suffered persecution and a plot to kill them was hatched after a certain Chinese named Choco accused them of spreading poison through the baptism ritual. FEBRUARY 2012 • KERYGMA

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News

in the

The Smoke Behind E-Cigarettes By Pia Suiza

P

aul lit up his first cigarette when he was 15 years old. Since then, he has been trying to stop. He is now 42. Carol’s dad recently died of lung cancer caused by chain smoking. She hopes her dad’s experience will help her quit smoking before it’s too late. Justin has cut down on his cigs, except when he is out drinking with his friends. All three are in different situations but all are struggling to reach the same goal: to quit smoking. Many are hooked on the deadly habit of puffing hazy mist, but most are trying to escape the stench of what they now consider as a bad lifestyle. This is a smoker’s dilemma: to puff pleasure or to inhale health. According to the 2010 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) Philippines, 17.3 million adults currently smoke. Out of this total number, 60.6 percent are interested in quitting, and 47.8 percent tried to quit in the last year. This is why it is no surprise that when electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes were introduced in the market as a way to quit smoking, so many bought the product with no questions asked. Now, let me ask you, do you know what’s smokin’ in your e-cig? Puff, Puff and Away? E-cigarette is a mechanical, smokeless device that is loaded with liquid nicotine and other flavors that stimulate smoking a real cigarette. It gives out harmless water vapor instead of a deadly second hand smoke. It is also refillable and rechargeable. Retailers promote e-cigs as a healthy and cancerfree way of smoking. They explain that what makes smoking regular cigarettes dangerous are the thousands of harmful chemicals and carcinogens like tar from the

burning of tobacco. Being fully battery-operated, e-cigs claim to eliminate most dangers of smoking. Add to that benefit, e-cigs also allow users to adjust the amount of nicotine in every round. The fast popularity of this high-tech vice alarms health institutions greatly. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raised concerns saying that e-cigs also contain harmful chemicals and carcinogens that are known to be toxic to humans, like diethylene glycol. It is an anti-freeze component that is toxic when ingested or absorbed in the bloodstream, causing nausea and vomiting. Neurological symptoms like altered mental status, depression and mild hypotension may also develop. Because of the lack of research on this device, health institutions can’t guarantee that this product is safe. Lifting the statement of Dr. Maricar Limpin, the executive director of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines, from a newspaper interview, “The problem with sisha and e-cigarettes is that they are being flavored to cover the taste of nicotine. So you would think that there’s no nicotine in them until you develop addiction.” For smokers who have been struggling to cut the bad habit, any technology or technique presented is clearly a hope that it is possible to escape a bad lifestyle. But at the end of the day, one must consider if what is presented is really a cure or just another trap. Start with a decision to quit. After all, nothing can substitute the power of determination. “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” (Isaiah 41:13)

FEBRUARY 2012 • KERYGMA

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K

dear

I’M FALLING IN LOVE WITH A GUY FROM A DIFFERENT RELIGION

I

have this friend from college with whom I haven’t communicated since graduation. Last year, I found out that he is working in Singapore when he sent me a message through Facebook. Since then, he has been calling me up almost every week and we’ve been chatting and exchanging thoughts like old times. One day, he blurted out that he had been looking for me since the last time we met after our graduation. He said that he wanted to court me but just kept his feelings to himself and thought that he’d do it when the right time came. “I guess this is the right time.” What he meant was that we’re both single, have stable jobs, and mature enough to handle a relationship. He promised to court me properly when he comes home in a few months. I came to realize that I, too, had been looking for him since college graduation, and I think I’m eager and very excited to see him again. Now here’s the catch. He confessed that he’s an Iglesia ni Cristo member, and I just can’t imagine converting to another religion. He’s been giving me an overview of their religion and I’m getting the idea that he’ll try to convert me if and when we become a couple. I don’t know what to do. Should I pursue a relationship with him? What are the possible complications of a mixed-religion relationship? Or should I cut it now that we’re not yet officially on? Red When Fr. Rudy Horst came to the Philippines in 1984, he was first assigned to the Immaculate Conception Parish in Cubao. It was here where he came in contact with the still young Light of Jesus Community. In 1990, he moved to Christ the King Mission Seminary where he now serves as head spiritual director of the seminarians and teaches Religious Education. He also teaches Holy Scriptures at the Maryhill School of Theology and the Divine Word School of Theology in Tagaytay. 10

KERYGMA • FEBRUARY 2012

Dear Red, The fact that both of you cannot forget each other after quite some time indicates that there is a deep, mutual feeling. But you already sense that this might lead to major complications. The very fact that your friend explained his religion seems to indicate that, in the end, you would have to convert to the INC — as it happens in most similar cases. No doubt the members of the INC are serious about their faith, sometimes more so than many Catholics. But it is a religion based on many wrong interpretations of the Word of God, the Bible — and they don’t have the Eucharist and other sacraments which Christ and the Church have given us. What to do? Often I ask myself: Why do Catholics always have to abandon their religion when their friends are INCs, Muslims or Jews? Why can Catholics not stand up and ask them to join the Catholic Church? Ah, think of the countless martyrs who rather gave their lives than abandon their religion! If you really love your Catholic faith and the Lord, it might be better to cut the sprouting relationship now before it’s too late. Even if he would promise to respect your faith, from experience I can tell you that in the end there will be major problems and not the happiness you are looking for. Pray to the holy martyrs to give you strength and pray to the Lord that He will reward your faithfulness and send you someone with whom you can be really happy and raise a Catholic family. I join you in this prayer. May God bless you. Fr. Rudy Email your questions to [email protected]. Or if you need to talk to someone, call (632) 7264709 or 726-6728 to contact a Light of Jesus counselor. Telephone counseling is 24 hours from Monday to Friday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Face-to-face counseling is by appointment. For correspondence counseling, email [email protected] or go to www.kerygmafamily.com.

Or Call

(632) 725-9999

Pregnant? Confused? Abortion is not the answer. Contact Grace to Be Born at 0917-816-4700 or email [email protected]. You may also contact Sr. Pilar Versoza at Pro-life Philippines. Call (632) 733-7027 or text 0920-9455494 or email [email protected].

WILL BOYS ALWAYS BE BOYS?

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y friend told me that boys will always be boys. What she meant by this is that boyfriends are often tempted even if they have girlfriends already. They still have “sidelines” here and there just for fun. With temptations everywhere, I’m afraid my boyfriend would fall into this trap. Even if I trust him, there are times when this thought would disturb me because I saw this happening to my friends and their boyfriends whom I thought were “good” and would never do such a thing. Will boys always be boys? Resty

Vic Español is one of the elders of the Light of Jesus Family. At present, he is the Feast Builder and preacher in the Ortigas Feast every Monday at 7:30 p.m. at Cinema 4, Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas Center, as well as the Sunday Ortigas Feast at the Meralco multi-purpose hall, Meralco Compound in Ortigas City. Vic and his wife, Ditas, train the counselors of the LOJ Counseling Center. Vic is a retired executive of a multinational life insurance company.

Dear Resty, Thank you for coming forward to clarify this issue that is bothering you. I cannot really give a straightforward answer to your query because I do not know what stage your relationship is in. I will expound, however, on the two significant stages of relationship, and you determine where both of you are in. First is the courtship stage where two individuals may express attraction to each other. This is a stage of exploration where they discover their compatibility, specifically in the physical, emotional and spiritual areas of their lives. During this stage, there is still no serious commitment. The other stage is engagement where both parties have discovered that they are for each other. This is where the couple has expressed commitment to their relationship and is preparing concrete plans for marriage. Should your relationship be in the courtship stage, I find it acceptable for any one of you to consider entertaining other people in your lives. I suggest that during this stage, you do not become serious with each other to avoid getting physically or sexually tempted or attached. Should you be in the engagement stage, you should stay faithful to each other and not entertain other people in your life. Therefore, having “sidelines” should be avoided. It is normal, though, for a person to be tempted. But it is not right for him or her to succumb to the temptation. If both of you are in the engagement stage, I suggest that you strengthen your relationship. Cement it. Make it airtight. If there are cracks in your relationship, find ways to patch it up. Couples must do this even if they are married. This way, you avoid being “tempted” to veer away from your love for and commitment to each other. God bless your journey. Vic

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fam K insider

LOVE ALL AROUND Lola Erlinda Bueno’s Story as told to Bella Estrella

Lola Erlinda has finally found a home in Anawim, where she feels loved and accepted.

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never tasted comfort ever since I was young. At age six, I took care of my ailing mother — a heavy task for my young and frail body. I had two older siblings, but we were never together. They had to live with other relatives who could support their needs. Due to financial lack, I ate only rice mixed with Purico cooking oil, plus some salt. That would be lunch for me — no fish, chicken, pork or any viand. After my mother died, I learned that my father passed away, too. But I did not get to see him, even while he was sick. I wanted to but I was too young and nobody took me to see him. Orphaned, my grandmother took me in for a while. But she got sick due to smoking. She gave me to her employer, Mrs. Pareja, for whom she worked as a house helper. Mrs. Pareja was good to me and provided for my schooling. She would always tell me to study hard. But I was happy-go-lucky. I simply wanted to play and have fun. At 12, I stowed away, thinking that I would be free to do as I pleased. Hunger pangs, however, gripped me as I wandered. I looked hard for a job until I found one as a canteen cleaner. A Failed Marriage As I struggled to earn a living, I met a man whom I married without much thought. No wonder our marriage turned out to be a disaster. He was irresponsible, fond of jai alai and a wife beater. He would not give me money or enough food, and would always beat me black and blue. I was battered, hungry and traumatized that I ran away from him, never ever wanting to go back. Alone and with nowhere to go, I found myself on the streets begging, scavenging and selling anything that I could get my hands on. I struggled daily to survive. At night, I slept on cold pavement, emaciated and miserable. I began to think of the life that I had when I was young. I should have studied hard. I should have heeded the advice of Mrs. Pareja. I should not have stowed away from their family who was supporting me. I feel sorry for myself now that I have grown old — still alone and very poor. I have come to think that I am now paying for all the mistakes I made in my youth. Dawn Begins to Appear As if God was just waiting for me to realize my mistakes, I suddenly saw a glimpse of dawn creeping in. In 1994, I was selling balut and cigarettes in the busy streets of Baclaran when a foreigner

approached me and asked for a cigarette. He had just lost his wallet to a pickpocket and all his money was gone. I pitied him so I offered him a little money so that he could take a ride home. From that day on, he kept coming back and became my friend. His name was Jamie Heathe, a Canadian pilot. Whenever he was in the Philippines, he would look for me in the streets of Baclaran and give me food and money. Sometime in 2009, Jamie saw that my eyes were blurring. I could not see clearly anymore. In 2011, he brought me to his friend, Dr. Rowena Adiviso, an ophthalmologist. Dr. Rowena found that both my eyes needed a cataract operation. She asked if I would be willing to stay in a home for the elderly in Montalban. I said yes without even knowing where Montalban was. After a few days, two bubbly bespectacled ladies came looking for me in Baclaran. They introduced themselves as Mila and Precy from Anawim . They brought me to a diagnostic clinic for X-ray and asked if I would be willing to stay in Montalban. Trusting them, I agreed. They left, promising that they would return. I went on with my life in the streets. After several days, I saw Precy and Mila again one late afternoon. They were picking me up. I ran to where my friends were to say goodbye, but I did not have enough time to reach them all. The van was waiting. With tears, I entered the air-conditioned vehicle, sat quietly as it smoothly sped along, not knowing if I’d see my friends again, and musing at where I was heading. On September 3, 2011 we arrived in Anawim late in the evening. They fed me and made me sleep on a bed with a bedsheet, not a cardboard where I used to lay. Morning Has Come The next morning, I had a good bath. All my fingernails and toenails were trimmed short. I felt light, refreshed and clean all over. I saw a new morning in my life. I met many new people, more in number than the friends I left behind. I found new friends in my roommates, nursing aides and caregivers. Visitors often come to entertain us and eat with us. I see God’s love in Anawim. Even though my eyes were clear when I was young, I was just too blind to see God’s love. Now that I am old and my eyesight blurred, the eyes of my faith have become clear.

Lola Erlinda Bueno, 70 years old, is one of the 42 lolos and lolas cared for at Anawim, home for the abandoned elderly in Montalban, Rizal. To continue caring for them, your donations are most welcome. You may hand your donations to Aida Dy or Lynda Reyes at the Anawim table at The Feast PICC every Sunday. Or you may deposit to the account of Anawim Lay Missions Foundation (ALMS) with BDO S/A No. 3970-01911-1 and BDO Dollar S/A 3970-03291-6. Please make crossed checks payable to ANAWIM. Warning: Please be advised that e-mail solicitations encouraging donors to deposit donations to any personal account are not authorized by the Light of Jesus Family. FEBRUARY 2012 • KERYGMA

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east Fsnapshots e came a step closer to Light of Jesus’ vision of 1,000 Feasts when the Ortigas Feast opened a Sunday session at the Meralco multipurpose hall, in Pasig City on August 28, 2011. It is patterned after other Sunday Feasts, with a celebration of the Holy Mass and a talk by Vic Español, Ortigas Feast builder. The Ortigas Feast also has a new addition to its family of ministries — the kids ministry every Sunday, where children brought to the Feast by their parents learn more about God through various activities, dancing and singing, Gospel stories and more. At present, regular attendees range from 120 to 150, some coming from the Ortigas Feast’s Monday session. The venue is spacious and well-lit, providing a suitable ambience for weekly gathering. Many attendees say that the Meralco Feast feels like a new home. It is a delightful experience to be ushered into the venue with warm smiles from the greeters and personally welcomed by the Feast builder. First-timers are always a highlight in the celebration of the Feast. It takes only a few minutes to get over the feeling of being “new” and timid; soon it definitely feels like a family, and a very happy one at that. This becomes more pronounced as they join caring groups (CG), open themselves to the elders from the counseling ministry after every Mass or session, and find a ministry to serve God. But if you just feel a need for companions in your journey and a place to learn and grow in your relationship with God, the Meralco Feast may just be it. If you are a commuter, transportation isn’t a problem. There’s a shuttle for Feast attendees to bring them from the gate to the session hall. So if you are around the area, do join in every Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Meralco multipurpose hall, Meralco Compound, Pasig City. 14

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Ortigas Feast: Expanding Territories By Maria Regina Araquel

For Feast schedules in other areas, please call Annie Mesias at (632) 725-9999 local 205.

FEAST TESTIMONY

MY GOAL:

START THE YEAR RIGHT By Mary Seychell “Sey” Cruz

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his was was my goal for 2011: to start the year with a positive outlook in life. The thing is, I didn’t know where to start. Then I found myself saying yes to my best friend who had been inviting me to The Feast for a couple of months. The more she invited me, the more I found reasons to occupy my schedule and say no. Why? Because I wasn’t comfortable in singing Hallelujas and Amens with eyes closed and hands lifted. Attending prayer meetings when I was a child gave me the impression that such gatherings were over-emotional. I didn’t like the songs, the dancing and everything about it. (I did enjoy the menudo after, that’s all.) I found prayer meetings boring and unfit for my age. So when I first heard Makati Feast Builder Randy Borromeo shout “Amen,” I said to myself, “Uh oh! This is going be my first and last!” Then he followed with the phrase, “Here in the Makati Feast, people get addicted to God.” “Oh, yeah?” I muttered under my breath. Then the talk, worship songs and everything else followed. I didn’t know if it was my imagination or I was just reading too many spiritual books during those days, but at the back of my mind, I heard someone say, “Yes! Everybody here is addicted to Me, and so will you.” Weeks and months later, I found myself looking forward to Thursday nights to recharge myself. The me who was uneasy with Hallelujas and Amens now has them as part of my daily vocabulary. If before I never ran out of reasons to avoid going to a prayer gathering, now God clears my schedule every week. It’s like He and other people conspire to set my Thursdays free! I’ve also learned to say, “God bless you” not just because everybody is saying it. I’ve learned to bless others because I myself am blessed. So now when I say, “God bless you,” I really mean it with all my heart. I intercede for people around me every day. I used to find Christian songs corny but now I’m into Hillsongs United, Casting Crowns, Planet Shakers and other Christian artists. I used to go “community hopping,” but I’ve finally found my place at the Makati Feast. I used to like being alone, but now I welcome the warm company of Jesus. He taught me about salvation through submission. About being empty to be filled by His grace and glory. About life being a marathon, not a sprint. About dreaming, living and finishing life’s race with my Greatest Coach. About holding on to nothing until it becomes something. The old me is now gone. It was just changed, restored and renewed. In 2011, I didn’t only start my year right. I started my life right!

Laughingly yours

Two close friends, Ed and Jerry, are huge baseball fans. Unfortunately, as a result of an accident, Ed passes away in the prime of his life. A few weeks later, Jerry wakes up to the sound of Ed’s voice from beyond. “Is that really you, Ed?” asks Jerry. “Yes,” comes the voice, “it’s me.” “So tell me, Ed, how is the afterlife?” “Well,” says the voice, “it’s not that great. Actually I have some bad news for you.” “What’s wrong? Isn’t there baseball in the afterlife?” “Well, yes, there is baseball.” “So what’s the bad news?” wonders Jerry. “Well, like I said, there is baseball,” replied Ed, “and as a matter of fact, you are scheduled to pitch tomorrow night.” A little boy, at a wedding, looks at his mom and says, “Mommy, why does the girl wear white?” His mom replies, “The bride is in white because she’s happy and this is the happiest day of her life.” The boy thinks about this, and then says, “Well then, why is the boy wearing black?”

An elderly woman had just returned to her home from an evening of religious service when an intruder startled her. As she caught the man in the act of robbing her home of its valuables, she yelled, “Stop! Acts 2:38!” (Turn from your sin.) The burglar stopped dead in his tracks. Then the woman calmly called the police and explained what she had done. As the officer cuffed the man to take him in, he asked the burglar, “Why did you just stand there? All the old lady did was yell a scripture at you.” “Scripture?” replied the burglar, “She said she had an axe and two 38s!”

Tell us how The Feast has transformed your life. Email your sharing to editsvp@shepherdsvoice. com.ph or call (02) 725-9999 local 219. FEBRUARY 2012 • KERYGMA

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happened

Queeny’s reflective spirit helps her go through life’s most difficult situations with joy in her heart.

IN LOSING JOEY, I FOUND OTHER LOVES

By Marie Queeny S. Velasco as told to Tess V. Atienza

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he narrow road leading to the Pink Sisters convent in Tagaytay City shook me from my reverie. I entered the gate and found the parking lot quiet. I looked up and absorbed my surroundings — the blue skies, the towering trees, the cool air. This picture of serenity contrasted with the disquiet inside me.

I sat in front of the nun clad in a pink habit, terrified of the possibility of losing my husband. “Sister, I have so much fear. I love Joey very much. What will I do now?” I poured out my heart to her. How will I cope?

She held my hand and told me in a soothing voice, “You know, Queeny, the Lord loves Joey more than you do. So, be still.” Her words yanked a large thorn from my heart. I felt light and was filled with grace and strength to face the trials ahead. This happened in 2005 when Joey was first diagnosed with kidney cancer. It took me almost three weeks to say, “Lord, I surrender everything to you.” It was hard. Our children were still small. Our eldest was nine while our youngest had just started to walk. What made the situation complicated was that Joey didn’t want our children to know about his condition. He wanted them to live a normal family life, not with the burden of knowing that they had a cancer-stricken father. He wanted to spare them from the trauma since they had previously lost their grandfather and my brother to the same illness. So I lived balancing on a tightrope — one side of me tried to face Joey’s illness head-on, but in front of our children I didn’t make it appear as bad as it was. I’d always tell them, though, that God could change the situation any minute. So we had to be ready to surrender to His will. Through it all, God showered me with the grace to look beyond the cloud of his illness and find joy in the situation. Rather than calling it a sacrifice, I took it as an opportunity to show my husband how much I loved him and to prove to the Lord that I was faithful to my wedding promise — to love and care for the husband He gave me, in sickness and in health. Now that Joey’s gone, that love has multiplied in ways I had never imagined. FEBRUARY 2012 • KERYGMA

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Life Before Joey’s Sickness I used to be Joey’s main support — I only had to make sure that he and the children were OK. Next to God, he was my Superman. He had an answer to everything — whether it was in raising our children or running our business.

Joey may be gone, but his jolly spirit definitely lives on in his children (L-R): Chiara, Clarisse,Marti and Marco.

He was someone who devoured books and magazines, even the Internet, before he got himself into anything. He would look for an expert in whatever field interested him and he’d seek that person as a mentor. So, when he got sick and could not find an answer to his questions, he got depressed. He wanted to know what lay before him instead of being in the dark. Yet, as many know by now, it was in that darkness that Joey discovered his new calling: to be a painter. And as he followed God’s will for him, he began to see the light. His first major painting, Hapag ng Pag-asa, became an instant hit when it was unveiled at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd in Fairview, Quezon City to cap the National Eucharistic Year in December 2005. The painting took a life of its own as it inspired many individuals and groups in their search for light, in responding to God’s call to them, in seeing Jesus in the poor and the lost. As Joey got more inspired to paint, his role in our business diminished. One day, he told me, “Nay, I will take off my businessman’s hat and wear my painter’s hat.” To me, it was a signal that I had to take the lead in our business. Joey’s Dream In between hospitalizations and surgeries, Joey painted. He did not paint just for the sake of doing it — he painted only when he felt God wanted him to create a new piece. As the paintings grew in number, he broached the idea of putting up a gallery not only to house them but also to have a place where he could exhibit his paintings and let others see God’s love through them. “I will hire a bus so I can bring public school children to the gallery, maybe one section at a time, then bring them back to their school,” Joey shared, envisioning how his gallery would work, aside from serving the purpose of preserving his artwork for future generations. I didn’t immediately buy the gallery idea thinking that the project would drain us financially. It wasn’t a practical move especially since our kids were still small. And with his sickness, I knew that his treatments would be a financial drain as well. 18

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But something happened after his second-to-the-last hospitalization in February 2010. He came out much weaker than his past hospitalizations. His femur was fractured and he could not walk without crutches. So we decided to use the room on the ground floor of our home. Because Joey hardly went out, I told him one morning, “Tay, I’ll open the window so we can have some sunshine.” When I did, I saw the tree outside, its leaves falling, and I looked at Joey. He was in the autumn of his life and I could already smell the kiss of death. Still, we didn’t give up. We tried all means available in the medical field to prolong his life. He was fighting no longer for himself, but mostly for us, his family, and for God who perhaps still wanted him to do something. A few months later, I saw the tree outside our window sprouting with new leaves. Again I looked at Joey — he was getting weaker by the day, but he continued to paint on his sickbed. His body was weak, but his spirit was alive. Then one night, I couldn’t sleep. I puttered around the house — fixed his medicines, checked his dialysis schedule, and so on. I saw his paintings lying at the garage and I felt something in my heart. I reflected on it for a while and came to a decision about Joey’s dream of a gallery. So at 3:00 a.m., when he awoke, I talked to him. “Tay, I know you want to have a gallery. I now have three reasons to do it. First is for the love of God. I know that your paintings are a big proof of how much God is present with us. In the darkness, He is present as Light. So I want the people to know and see that there is light in darkness, that God is present, no matter how dark the situation is.” I looked at Joey and he seemed pleased with what I said. “My second reason is because I love you very, very much, and I want you to fulfill your dream. I will support you in this.” He remained silent. “And my third reason,” I continued, “is for our children. I want them to see the exchange of love between God and you. Painting even as you are in pain is a very brave way of responding to His call.” He just said, “Thank you,” with grateful eyes. This happened two or three weeks before he died. But in that short time, he regained his strength. He did everything he could to prepare for the gallery. He designed the logo, chose the paintings he wanted to exhibit, did a voice recording explaining how each painting came to be, and so on. Everything was concrete, and all I had to do was execute them. I was so moved to see Joey back to his usual self. He was happy that his dream would finally come true — even if it would happen after his death. The Birth of Joey Velasco Foundation On July 20, 2010, two days before our 15th wedding

anniversary, God took Joey home to Him. Throngs of people flocked to his wake — from the President of the Philippines to ordinary men on the street who knew him only as the painter of Hapag ng Pag-asa. It was an eye-opener for me, seeing how a great number of people were touched by his paintings and by his life. When Tito Tony Meloto of Gawad Kalinga announced one night at the wake that they were putting up the Joey Velasco Foundation with me as chairman or president, I was surprised. I told him later, “Tito, all I agreed to was the gallery. I don’t know anything about running a foundation.” But in my heart I couldn’t say no if that was what God wanted. After Joey’s funeral and while still grieving, work for the foundation slowly began. Not that my co-founders or I were in a hurry, but I so wanted to keep Joey’s spirit alive. And the only way to do it was to continue the mission he had started. It is also my way of expressing my love for Joey now that he was gone. Doing so has led me to a deeper and wider kind of love that I didn’t know I was capable of giving. Growing in Love We have identified core projects that we would focus on in the first few years of the foundation. A priority area is the scholarship for the 32 students from 18 families in Hapag Village in Amparo, Caloocan City. The challenge here is not so much on the financial aspect although we need help in that area, too — but more of inculcating in the children the value of education. Lately we have been giving them weekly food allowance just so they would have no reason to skip class. We’re also looking for volunteer tutors to help them with their lessons. And here, too, I get to apply a lesson I learned from Joey: to pray not only for myself but for others as well. It takes a lot of prayer to make our vision happen. It used to be easy for me to say to the mothers of our scholars, “Stay at home and teach your kids.” I just realized one day that it was just not possible. How could they teach them when they also don’t know anything? I wept when I went home that day. I said, “Lord, I didn’t know that what I was asking them to do was so difficult.” It’s easy to tell them, do this and do that, but it’s different Queeny, center, with the Hapag Village mothers who are slowly being transwhen you make them feel formed through the initiatives of JV you’re a part of their lives. Since Foundation. that realization, I grew several inches deeper in love with the people we’re trying to help. And it didn’t stop there. Joey’s vision was to build good families so we can create good communities, and later on build a good nation. To keep the mothers busy and help them sustain their families, we started some livelihood projects for them. I go there every week and try to apply what Joey did for our own family. I listen to their concerns and sometimes even mediate in their conflicts. Thanks be to God, after several months of going there,

the place is more peaceful now — and more productive. As for the gallery, it is now fully operational. It sits on the area that used to be Joey’s workshop. Students from different schools come. Priests, nuns and lay people go there for recollections. God willing, we also plan to build a museum that will not only house Joey’s paintings, but also provide art classes to different levels of students.

This is the gallery’s ground floor area. The gallery also serves as a reflection area for guests.

A Legacy of Grace His first unknown painting was that of Our Lady, Mediatrix of All Grace, whom he dreamt of during the early stage of his illness. Since then, Joey had a special devotion to her. Every first Saturday of the month, we made a pilgrimage to her shrine in Lipa, Batangas. Now that Joey’s gone, I still do it. One time, I went there with a special prayer intention. I told Mama Mary, “Our Lady, I pray that God will continue to pour upon us the grace that He showered on us when Joey was still alive.” As I drove home, I just felt that I knew what I needed to do. I was joyful. I sent a text message to my nun-friend there, “Sister, it looks like Joey did not just leave me a lot of things to do for the foundation. It seems that Our Lady also transferred to me the grace that she gave to Joey.” With that grace, I continue to journey and take care of the work that Joey had left behind. It’s my way of keeping his spirit alive — and of showing him how much I love him, even to this day.

To schedule a visit to Joey Velasco’s gallery and to know how you can help the foundation, please email joeyvelascofoundation@ yahoo.com or call 936-6123, 428-7300, 0933-964-8965 or 0915-628-8702. For donations, please send your cash or check to: Joey Velasco Foundation Metrobank-Fairview Branch Acct. No. 241-3-24133546-2 FEBRUARY 2012 • KERYGMA 19

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pecial S section

TAMING G THE MONEY MONSTER

etting rich wasn’t part of my vocabulary two decades ago. I was a missionary preacher and lived on allowance from my community. I barely had money to eat in a decent fast-food restaurant. But when I got married, things changed. I had to overhaul my financial life. From almost zero income, I had to earn for my young family’s needs. But I didn’t stop there. I had my ministries to think of. I had young scholars I need to support. Oh, the needs were endless! And I was challenged. Suddenly, I wanted to become a millionaire so I could give more. I studied about finances. I got myself mentors on business and entrepreneurship. I allowed myself to fail in business. And now, my goal is to create more Filipino millionaires. And it could be you — an ordinary employee who’s subsisting from one pay period to the next, an ordinary housewife who has no choice but to stretch her budget until her husband’s next salary, an entrepreneur who’s hardly making a profit from his small retail business. Yes, it’s possible for anyone to be a millionaire. You can be a millionaire without losing your soul. Learn two disciplines of the happy millionaire in this issue. One is by being consistently aggressive in pursuing the future you want to have. Second is by controlling where your money goes. Living by these two habits in your life will spell the difference.

By Bo Sanchez FEBRUARY 2012 • KERYGMA

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BE CONSISTENTLY AGGRESSIVE Are You Interested or Committed? By Bo Sanchez 22

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ne time, I had lunch with a wealthy foreigner in Tagaytay. How wealthy? He was earning two million dollars a month. (Does that figure blow your mind?) And he was in the Philippines visiting our smaller islands. “So how did you like your visit?” I asked him. “I love it,” he said, “I have never met a more polite, more courteous, nicer people than the Filipinos.” “Thank you,” I beamed. But then he frowned. “Bo, I also noticed how religious Filipinos are. I saw the tricycles with signs, saying, ‘God loves you’ and ‘John 3:16.’ There is so much God in your country. And yet there is so much poverty.” Ouch. That hurt because it’s so true. His question reminded me about my visit to Vietnam a month before — and how disturbed I felt. There’s not much God in that country. It’s been a communist country for decades. But the economy is exploding. And according to statistics, poverty has gone down by a huge 60 percent. Can you believe that? One reason is foreign investments. In 2008, the Philippine’s foreign investments reached a measly $2.5 billion. In the same year, Vietnam’s foreign investments reached $15 billion. And do you know what happened the year after? From January to July 2009, foreign investments in Vietnam already reached $33 billion. Look at China — another “godless” nation. Poverty there has gone down as well. And they’re now poised to be the next superpower of the world. But look at a few South American countries. Like the Philippines, they’re religious but poor as well. A Wrong Kind of Religion Obviously, this is a highly complex problem. Too many factors caused our poverty. But I’m going to bet that one major cause is our wrong kind of religion. We were taught by our Spanish conquistadores to be submissive, to obey orders, to bow low, shut our mouth and say amen. That was our model of a true Christian. Any desire to be great was stamped out of us. Instead, we were taught to be simply content with our lot and pray for a better life in heaven. This kind of passive religiosity helped the conquering nation crush all rebellion. We were trained to be passive. To be content with little things. That’s why our most famous folk song is “Bahay Kubo, Kahit Munti.” And our national flower is the tiny sampaguita. Our national bird (until it was changed recently) was the ordinary maya. But even if the Spaniards have left us over a hundred years ago, we’ve not yet changed our brand of religion. It’s time to move on. Five Cultural Roots That Rob Us of Our Aggressiveness I agree with my wealthy foreigner friend. He said, “I haven’t seen a more polite, courteous and nicer people than the Filipino.” This is indeed our strength. And that’s why we’re the best employees in the world. That’s why our biggest export is the Overseas Filipino Worker. We export the best nurses, teachers, managers, domestic helpers, engineers and seamen. But our strength is our weakness: We’re too subservient; we lack

aggressiveness. Where does this come from? There are five cultural roots that rob us of our aggressiveness. 1. Haciendero Complex When we were mostly farmers, we had an haciendero who would take care of all our needs. Food, housing, education of the kids, hospitalization, and so on. To this day, we still want someone to care for us. To many Filipinos, the President of the Republic of the Philippines has become the biggest haciendero. The governors and mayors and congressmen have become the new hacienderos. People depend on them. We’ve lost our aggressiveness because of the haciendero complex. 2. Bahala na! Attitude You ask your son, “Did you study for the tests today?” He answers, “Bahala na!” You ask your husband, “Did you tune up the car for our trip to Baguio?” He answers, “Bahala na!” You ask your friend, “Did you go to the doctor for your checkup?” He answers, “Bahala na!” Bahala na means whatever will be, will be. It’s fatalism. Que sera, sera. The phrase originally came from the expression “Bathala na,” which means “as God wills it.” Unfortunately, through the years we’ve twisted the meaning and made it fatalistic. FEBRUARY 2012 • KERYGMA 23

3. Lotto Culture One day, I was talking to a woman who had large debts. I asked her how she plans to pay her loans. She said, “I’m buying lotto tickets.” I was about to laugh when I realized it wasn’t a joke. This was her only plan. Everywhere I go, when I ask the poor, “How will you get rich?” they always give the same answer: “I buy lotto tickets.” Recently, another kind of lotto has appeared: noontime TV shows. Poor people pin their hopes on winning these contests to rise above their poverty. For the poor, lotto isn’t a game. It’s their only hope. That’s so sad. That’s why I’ve made it my passion to teach financial literacy. By the way, some treat network marketing (or multi-level marketing) like the lotto. It’s a common invitation. “Join us,” our friend says, “because all you have to do is buy the basic package, ask two friends to join you, and you’ll earn millions.” That’s not true. My close friends who are successful in network marketing work like crazy. Some of them work 10 hours a day. Believe me, it’s not a lotto ticket. It’s something better — hard work that’s fulfilling and helping people at the same time. 4. Mañana Habit One man said, “I will stop procrastination — starting tomorrow!” It’s a close cousin of “Bahala na!” You ask your husband, “Have you fixed the

roof?” He answers, “I’ll do it next week. It leaks only when it rains anyway.” Your ask your son, “Have you bought a new battery for the car?” He answers, “Next month. It still starts if you give it a little push anyway...” You ask your friend, “Have you started investing?” He answers, “I’ll do that after I pay my bills. Besides, God will provide for my needs...” 5. Crab Mentality I’ve met a lot of people who are afraid of what others will say. In our culture, some people will look down on you because you’re aggressive. Some won’t like it that you’re aiming too high. Some won’t like you anymore because you’re trying to succeed. Some will criticize you because you’re becoming wealthy. Some will even create dirty gossip about how you got rich. I urge you: Don’t mind the crabs. Fulfill your dreams anyway. Be aggressive. Let me teach you now the Seven Laws of Aggressiveness. Seven Laws of Aggressiveness If you are unable to make up your mind and are undecided in all you do, you must not think that you will receive anything from the Lord. — James 1:7-9 If you want to become wealthy, you need to be aggressive. If you want to be entrepreneurs, you have to be aggressive. If you want to be great employees — not just mediocre ones — you have to be aggressive. Single-minded. Proactive. Focused. Here are the Seven Laws of Aggressiveness: 1. The Law of Clarity People ask me, “How were you able to achieve all that you have achieved?” Here’s my answer: “I know what I want. I imagine it. I dream it.” How can you be aggressive if you don’t know what you want? People who aren’t clear with what they want will always be lukewarm, wishy-washy, tepid and non-committed. The more precise these thoughts are, the quicker they become a reality. When Tiger Woods was eight years old, he said, “I will break all golf world records and be the number one golfer in the world.” When Steven Spielberg was 12 years old, he said, “I will tell stories to the world through movies.” When Bill Clinton was still in Yale, Hillary said that he told everyone he met, “One day, I’ll be the President of the United States.” They were clear about what they wanted. Are you? Review your dreams. 2. The Law of Focus An aggressive person is totally focused. Single- minded. At any time, you only focus on one thing. The more focused you are, the quicker it becomes reality. (More on this in Habit 7.) 3. The Law of Intensity Show me a successful person, and I’ll show you a passionate person. If you have not yet discovered your passion, you’ve not yet discovered your path to success.

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Be intense! Be passionate! Be on fire! But take note that I’m not talking of obsession. We want to live a life of balance. But to succeed in business, you need to have passion for what you do. 4. The Law of Action Let me ask you a question. Six frogs were sitting on a fence. One frog decided to jump off. How many are left? If you answered five, you’re wrong. The correct answer is all six are still sitting on the fence. Because I said, “One frog decided to jump off.” But did he really jump off? Many people just make decisions. “I’m deciding to diet tomorrow.” “I’m deciding to quit smoking.” “I’m deciding to get rich.” Will something happen? Aggressive people don’t just decide. Aggressive people don’t leave the place where they made their decision without putting their decision into action. Unless you act, nothing happens. One of my most favorite quotes is from the CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt. He said, “Fail quickly. So you can try again.” This has been the story of my life. 5. The Law of Hustle If one door is closed, look for an open door somewhere. Don’t give up until you succeed. Walt Disney was turned down 302 times before he got financing for his dream of creating the “Happiest Place on Earth.” Colonel Sanders spent two years driving across the United States looking for restaurants to buy his chicken recipe. He was turned down 1,009 times! How successful is Kentucky Fried Chicken today? Aggressive people hustle. They always look for the open door. 6. The Law of Gestation There’s a right timing for everything. The baby has to stay in his mother’s womb for nine months. You can’t force the baby to come out in a month or two. In the same way, I believe there’s also the right timing for the birth of your achievements. Wait for the right time. Remember: Success is 90 percent preparation and 10 percent action. You don’t wait for luck. You create it. But how? Roman philosopher Seneca defines luck this way: Luck is when preparation meets opportunity. When opportunity comes, you’re prepared! So keep preparing now for your great success. 7. The Law of Integrity Everything you do must come from love. You can be a loving person and an aggressive person at the same time. In fact, you are aggressive because you love. Naturally, entrepreneurs focus on money. But there are two types of income. There’s monetary income and psychic income. In psychic income, the entrepreneur believes he’s making this world a better place — by giving jobs, by giving his product, by being a businessman. Remember that you’re a great person. Don’t ask, “Am I worthy of these goals?” Ask, “Are these goals worthy of me?” How Aggressive Are You? I read the life story of Sylvester Stallone and it moved me. Stallone was born in poverty. In fact, his mother gave birth to him on the steps of a school. He spoke with a slurred speech all his life. Yet his dream was to be an actor. Obviously, no one wanted to hire him. But the man had hustle.

Every day, he sat in front of a director until he was given a bit part in a movie. After that, no one wanted to hire him again. One day, he became so poor, he sold his dog for $50. That was heartbreaking for him. He then wrote a movie script that nobody wanted. Finally, after many rejections, one production house wanted to buy the script for $75,000 on one condition: Someone else would play the main role. Stallone rejected their offer because he wanted to play the main role. The production house raised the price to $225,000 — for as long as Stallone would agree that someone else would play the main role. He rejected them again. Finally, they gave him an offer he couldn’t refuse: $1 million. But he rejected that, too. So they offered $35,000 for the script — with him in the starring role. He accepted! And as they say, the rest is history: That movie was Rocky and it grossed $171 million. It also won 10 Academy Awards including Best Actor and Best Picture of the Year. That one movie began his meteoric rise to stardom. By the way, when he became rich, he bought back his dog. That, my friend, is aggressiveness. Email me at [email protected]. (Editor’s Note: This article appears in Bo’s book, 8 Habits of the Happy Millionaire. Get your copy now to learn about the other habits.)

Bo’s Action Steps: 1. Rate your aggressiveness. Do

you give up easily? Do you get discouraged and become passive? On a scale of 1 to 10, rate your aggressiveness towards your dreams; 1 is totally passive while 10 is Stallone’s aggressiveness.

2. If your rating is 5 or below, how can you be more aggressive?

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pecial S section testimony

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he sound of the ticking clock in one corner of my cramped dental clinic seemed to tell me that my time was almost up. My heart pounded fast. I bit my lip. My brow furrowed. As I sat in the waiting area, I whispered a prayer to God, “Lord, please send us an angel-patient to treat so that I can have the funds to pay the daily wage of my assistant dentist.” Two hours before closing time, a patient came in and asked us to do a total rehabilitation of his teeth because he was leaving for abroad. I was able to pay my assistant’s salary with more left for me to save. This was just one of the countless times I found myself in a sticky situation and was delivered by God in time. When I was in college, I experienced the worst financial crisis and God rescued me every time. I witnessed the Lord’s generosity in my own life, so whenever pressing problems confronted me, I just threw the ball over to Him and said, “Bahala Ka na, Lord.” And I continued to exercise this attitude of faith in my dental practice. Business at a Snail’s Pace I started my practice in 1997 as an apprentice, working on a commission basis only. After almost three years, I put up my own clinic in the living room of my parents’ house. In 2000, I rented a 15-square-meter space on the second floor of a commercial building in Bicutan, Taguig for my new clinic. It also became our home when my husband and I got married a year later. Patients were scarce due to the economic crisis. But I did nothing to attract more patients. I relied only on referrals from existing patients and by word of mouth. I waited for God to bring in the patients. It didn’t bother me if business was slow since my older colleagues told me that in our profession, the first four years would be the season of planting and the fifth year would be harvest time. It has always been my dream to be wealthy. But my problem was it was easy for me to be contented as well. I was also very patient in waiting for God to do wonders in my profession. One Sunday, my husband and I attended The Feast. Bo Sanchez talked about how to 26

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Faith, hard work and a genuine desire to help others worked wonders in Dr. Melody’s professional and personal life.

TAKING CHARGE

The Key to My Breakthrough By Dr. Melody Umali-Aniceta as told to Judith Concepcion

achieve financial freedom by duplicating yourself so you can multiply your income. How could I duplicate my skills as a dentist? I thought. It was not possible to duplicate the work of my hands. Hiring and training other dentists to do my work was, for me, a big risk to take. My patients might not want another dentist to treat them and I would be accountable to any damage my trained dentists might incur. Moreover, my assistants could steal my techniques, and worse, even my patients! So I closed my mind to that idea. A Change of Mind and Heart One afternoon in 2005, a young lady came to my clinic and inquired if I needed a dentist. I felt deep within me that I wanted to reach out to her as she shared a little of her life. As I prayed that night, my desire to hire her became intense but my problem was where to get the funds to pay her salary. My present income was just enough for our needs. A few days later I suspected that I was pregnant. My doctor put me on bed rest for two weeks. I contacted the applicant and another dentist to be my relievers. After two weeks, I bled profusely. My pregnancy didn’t push through. I could go back to work again but I found it unfair to ask my two dentists to leave and look for other work. I decided to retain them. I worked daily while they worked on alternate days. My husband and I prayed about our expansion plan and the purchase of an additional dental chair. Using the income I got from a sideline project, I made a down payment for my second dental chair, and with our little savings, I renovated my clinic to make it more pleasing and homey for my patients. I also installed a bigger signage. Breaking the Habit In March 2007, I felt a strong conviction to break my “Bahala na si Lord” attitude. I wanted to help an old friend, Ate Naty, by giving her a job so I finally resolved to do something to increase my income. I asked Ate Naty to work for me for two weeks to market my clinic’s services. We submitted proposal letters to 150 companies who didn’t have health cards. Only one company accepted our proposal to be their company dentist. We submitted applications for my clinic’s accreditation to health card companies. Sixty percent of them accredited my clinic. I formally hired Ate Naty as my secretary and a year later, I appointed her as my executive assistant. But I was still anxious on how to pay the salaries of my employees every day. Although our patient base increased, it took one to three

months before the health card companies paid me. I conceived again and was put on bed rest. But I didn’t have to worry since God had already prepared my clinic for its continuous operation — I had two chairs, two trained dentists and a secretary. A Cut Above the Rest After I gave birth in 2008, we were able to rent another space vacated by a previous tenant. My clinic now occupies 69 square meters. A friend helped finance my clinic’s expansion in exchange for the projects I would be doing for her company and family events. Through God’s provision, I now have four dental chairs and four dentists in my Bicutan clinic. Word spread around that our clinic was different from the other clinics in the vicinity. People got curious and checked us out. Later, patients from other clinics preferred to get their treatments from us. Aside from the clinic’s spacious and professional look, I think what sets my clinic apart is the light and cozy atmosphere brought about by the warm and friendly smiles and welcoming attitude of my team that make the patients’ dental treatment a pleasant experience. I also pray for my patients before I treat them so they could feel the love of God. And before they leave, I ask them to pick an inspirational message for the day from a glass jar at the reception area. I ensure that my patients will receive the best treatment possible, so I keep myself abreast with the latest technology and research in dentistry. I need to be the best for them and for my Creator. In 2009, I opened a clinic in Makati. I also have my own website (www.ditoangdentista.com), which was made possible through the generous help of my sister who created it for me. From Idleness to Diligence Looking back, I realize that I over-spiritualized God’s Word in Ecclesiastes 3:1, which says, “There is a time for everything.” So, when my career was not picking up, I thought it was not yet the time. My time of waiting became a time of wasting. When I simply waited for God’s miracles to happen, I failed to realize that the Lord had given me all the faculties I need to succeed in this world when He created me. Thank God, He is the God of new beginnings. Now that He has shown me the way to achieve my dreams, I need to move forward. Winners hit the ball, not stare at it. I have learned not to wait idly and understand the truth of James 2:17: “Faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” I used to wait for things to happen in my life, but now I make things happen because I take charge of what God has put in my hands. FEBRUARY 2012 • KERYGMA 27

pecial S section

CHANGE YOUR MONEY HABITS Know Where Your Money Goes

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By Bo Sanchez

B

o, we’re torn between loving my mother and loving my kids.” My friend Pam was talking about her mom who was 63 years old and sickly, and her two daughters. Since her father died, Pam’s mother has been living with her for the last two years. “Bo, we’re not rich. But last month, we spent more than P12,000 for my mother’s medicines. Again! I wish my two brothers and other sister would take care of her, too,” she said, her voice trembling. “My husband doesn’t complain but I’m sure he doesn’t like it. We have two daughters and we sometimes can’t buy them things for school because of Mom. Yesterday, my daughter asked me again if I could buy her a computer — but I told her, ‘Sorry, we can’t,’” she paused to breathe, fighting back her tears, “‘because Grandma needs our money.’” “Have you asked your brothers and sister to help out?” I asked. “We fight about it a lot. Over the phone. In emails. I tell them to let our mother stay in their homes. That it’s their turn. But they tell me they can’t afford it, too.” “I see.” “Bo, the sad thing is that Mom feels it. She knows we don’t like her at home.” “Why do you say that?” “I just know. Perhaps she overheard us fighting. Sometimes she talks about dying so that we won’t be burdened anymore.” What If We Can Go Back in Time? What if this 63-year-old grandmother read this book when she was in her 20s, 30s, 40s? The situation would have been totally different. Dramatically different. Because she and her husband could have saved 20 percent of their income every month and invested it in the stock market, mutual funds and other investments. By age 63, she would have had P10 million. She’d be living comfortably in her own simple house. She’d be paying for her own medicines and doctor’s fees. With her own money, she’d have hired a full-time caregiver and house help. Every weekend, her children and grandchildren would visit. The grandkids would love going there because there’s always delicious food prepared for them. During those visits, her four children would “fight” for Grandma to stay in their home. “Mommy, you always stay with my sister,” the younger one would say, “ Why don’t you also stay at my house this time?” Once a year, Grandma pays for a big family vacation for all her children and grandkids. Last year, they went to Vigan. This year, they’ll be going to Batanes. Thanks to Grandma, everyone looks forward to this big break. Now I ask you: What kind of future do you want? The Problem of Living Too Long Inflation is when you pay fifteen dollars for the ten-dollar haircut you used to get for five dollars when you had hair. — Sam Ewing

One day, I was talking to “George” about saving for his future. This man told me, “Why bother? I’m an old man. In 20 years, I’ll be dead.” I was shocked. I asked him, “How old are you, George?” “I’m 40.” I frowned. “You think you’ll live only until 60?” “Well, you never know...” George shrugged. I grinned. “Yes, you’ll never know that you may live until 90.” “Ninety? My goodness!” he said. I smiled, “That means you’ll have 50 more years left in your life.” George looked very shocked at that number. And I hope to shock you enough now to wake you up. People Are Living Longer Here’s a fact: Man’s life expectancy continues to grow. Because of better health conditions and medical care, we’re living longer than our ancestors. See how our life expectancy has increased in the last two centuries: Year Life Expectancy 1900 47 1910 50 1920 54 1930 59 1940 63 1950 67 1960 69 1970 71 1980 74 1990 76 2000 80 2010 102 2050 140

My father died at 88. I guess you’ll have to get used to me because there’s a high probability that I’ll live longer than my father did. I may reach 100 years old, still writing books and still having great fun with my life. But I do promise that when I hit 90, I’ll slow down a bit. I’ll have more vacations with my lovely 85-yearold wife. Here’s my point… Be Healthy in Body and Wallet If you live until 100, how many more years will you have left? Living too long can be a blessing or a burden. It depends on two things: how healthy you are physically and financially. I definitely don’t want to live until a hundred if I’m sick. And I definitely don’t want to live until a hundred if I’m poor. We have to be healthy in both areas.

FEBRUARY 2012 • KERYGMA 29

Here’s how to be healthy in your finances…

Four Steps to Control Your Cash In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has. — Proverbs 21:20 How you handle money is a reflection of your soul. There was a time when I thought that saving for the future was against the Bible. Because it meant I wasn’t trusting God. But then I read this verse: “Take a lesson from the ants... Learn from their ways and become wise! They labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter” (Proverbs 6:6,8). The Bible says that ants are wise. They are wise because they save for the future. If you’re not saving for the future, that means you’re not wise. Here’s our problem: We keep asking for blessings when God has already blessed us — but we mismanage our blessings. Let me illustrate. Let’s say your son asks one morning, “Daddy, I need P100 for a school project.” So you give your son P100. The next day, he comes to you and says, “I need P100 for a school project.” You say, “Wait a minute. I already gave you P100.” He says, “Yesterday, I was at the mall and I passed by some video games. I spent the P100. Can you give me another P100?” What would your reaction be? Would you be happy? I believe God has blessed us with so much wealth. In fact, millions have passed through your hands already. But we’ve not managed them properly.

Four Steps to Take Control of Your Finances Step #1: Stop Borrowing The Bible says, “The borrower is the slave of the lender” (Proverbs 22:7). It’s a big lie when the leaflet you receive in the mall says, “You can get this flat-screen TV set in 12 Easy Payments.” There’s no such thing as an easy payment. Every payment will be difficult. I have a simple rule for you: If you can’t afford to buy it now, don’t buy it. Hey, what’s wrong with a bulky TV set? 30

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If you borrow beyond your means, you may also be saying yes to worry, sleepless nights and marital fights. I’m very thankful that I have a credit card. It’s so convenient not to carry a huge amount of cash around. But I don’t borrow a cent from it. I pay my entire bill at the end of each month. I recommend that you do the same. But the fact is, credit card companies like you to borrow. They keep announcing, “Pay only 5 percent of your total amount due.” So they can charge you 3.5 percent interest each month. Yes, they want to charge you 42 percent interest a year! They also secretly want you to pay late. So that they can give you penalties, which translates to millions in profits for them. Don’t give in. Step #2: Protect Your Assets My son Bene was bitten by a dog a few years ago. The bite didn’t puncture his skin but we still had to give him shots. So when I exercise by walking around my village every morning, I carry a four-foot stick. So far, I’ve never had to use it. And I wish I’ll never have to. I guess all the dogs now know me. In their minds, they’re probably thinking, “There’s the guy with the stick. I should be friendly.” Insurance is like that stick. You need to carry it. But you wish you wouldn’t have to use it. If you have small children or other people depending on your income, buy insurance. Then pray that you’ll live a long life and won’t need it at all. But if something does happen and God takes you home, you have insurance to take care of your kids when you’re gone. Generally, I recommend that you “buy term insurance and invest the difference” in mutual funds, stock market and other investments. You’ll earn much more in the long run. But some people don’t have the discipline. They don’t “buy term and invest the difference.” They “buy term and spend the difference.” If you don’t have the discipline or the financial literacy, I recommend you buy whole life insurance. You may also be older — and buying a whole life insurance product may be a wiser thing to do — so you’ll be covered until your old age. Step #3: Live on 70 Percent of Your Income I can hear you now. “Bo, that’s impossible. How can I live on 70 percent of my income? I live on 110 percent of my income!” I want you to look at the list below. If you cut back on buying some not-so-essential items, and invest it in an investment vehicle that grows at 12 percent a year, you’ll be earning millions. You think it’s just a few pesos today — so why not spend it? But when you do, you’re also throwing away your earnings. If you quit smoking, you would earn P6 million. If you cut back on coffee, you could save yourself P10 million. If you give up lotto, you’d have another P6 million. Take a look.

Price/Item

Quantity

Month

35 Years @ 12%

Softdrinks

P20/can

2 cans per day

P1,200

P6M

Coffee

P60/cup

1 cup per day

P1,800

P10M

Internet online games, video games, CD rental

500

1 per week

P2,000

P11M

Icre cream, dessert, junk food, candy, etc.

100

1 per day

P3,000

P17M

P40/pack

1 pack per day

P1,200

P6M

P1,000

1 per month

P1,000

P6M

Lotto tickets

P40/ticket

2 tickets per day

P1,200

P6M

Movie tickets

P100/ticket

10 per month

P1,000

P6M

Buying "sale" items

P1,000

1 per month

P1,000

P6M

Little Things

Cigarette Extra cell phone load

Fact: You’re Throwing Away Millions Obviously, you have to watch your big ticket purchases. That’s where a lot of people lose money. Example: I had been driving my car for over five years before I changed it. (And it was even given to me!) A lot of people were telling me then, “Bo, it’s time to buy a new one. You can afford it anyway.” Yes, I could afford it. But my car was still in great condition. Sure, it wasn’t as smooth as when it was new. And its interiors were showing its age. Its mileage was pretty huge because I go all over the country. But I was having so much fun investing my money and seeing it grow that I didn’t feel the urgency to get a new car at the time. Step #4: Invest 30 Percent (or More) of Your Income into Three Special Funds So what will you do with the 30 percent that you don’t spend? You deposit it into three funds. First is a generosity fund. This is your greatest investment with outof-this-world, eternal returns. This is your tithe to God. Give 10 percent of your income to this fund. Second is your emergency fund. This is very important. You need this when the house roof leaks and needs repair. You need this when the baby gets sick and needs hospitalization. You need this when the car breaks down and needs a major overhaul. You can’t put all your savings in your long-term investments such as mutual funds, stock market, properties and business. You need some cash in the bank.

BO’S ACTION STEPS: Write down how you’ll apply the 4 Steps to Control Your Money: Step 1: Stop Borrowing _________________________ _________________________ Step 2: Protect Your Assets _________________________ _________________________ Step 3: Live on 70% of Your Income _________________________ _________________________ Step 4: Invest 30% of Your Income Generosity Fund: ___________ _________________________ Emergency Fund: ___________ _________________________ Wealth Fund: _______________ _________________________ So put 10 percent of your income into an emergency fund, and make it reach at least three to six months of your monthly income. Once it reaches this amount, you can divert this 10 percent into your third fund. The third is your wealth fund. You put 10 to 20 percent (or more) of your income into this special fund. I’ve noticed that Filipinos love putting their savings in piggy banks, Pringles cans, mayonnaise jars and under the mattress. Believe me, nothing will happen if you leave them there. I strongly suggest your wealth fund to be invested into paper assets, properties and businesses. Friends, know where your money goes. It’s one discipline you won’t regret later in life. For reactions, email me at bosanchez@ kerygmafamily.com. (Editor’s Note: This article is lifted from Bo’s book, 8 Habits of the Happy Millionaire. Learn about all the habits now. Get your copy of the book. Call (02) 725-9999 local 101 to 108.)

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pecial S section testimony

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t was everywhere. I had been fighting to escape it for years but no matter how hard I tried, it was like a growing disease that absolutely refused to leave me alone. Stuff. And it wasn’t just a lot of stuff. It was too much stuff. Now I’m aware that the term “too much” in this context is quite subjective. You might shrug your shoulders and say to yourself right now, “I may have plenty of things, but I don’t think it’s really that much.” To provide a less debatable but certainly more relatable definition, let me paint you a picture of how I used to live. Imagine balikbayan boxes packed with new and used personal items that I had not opened in years, which were now being conveniently used as extra tables, overflowing piles of clothes and shoes (some with price tags still attached to them) stacked in my closet that hadn’t been worn in a decade and drawers filled with broken toys, watches and keepsakes that I considered antiques or heirlooms but actually had no function or resale value in the near future. In other words, I was a hoarder and a pack rat that had become obsessed with spending on things — useless things that I felt I needed but were completely unnecessary and would eventually deplete my income month after month.

Only a Few of My Favorite Things By Eleanore Lee-Teo



A Guiding Example By chance, I came across a personal finance article on the Internet that shared

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Simple and sweet are two of Eleanore’s endearing qualities.

the story about a married couple who had everything change my spending habits and they thought they needed but were constantly running strictly limit myself to owning only on what they called the “work-spend treadmill.” a certain amount of things, I would One day, they made a life-changing decision — to yet again be surrounded by stuff live simply. After getting rid of all their nonessentials, they in a year’s time. From then on, I downsized their wardrobe and personal belongings promised myself that I would stick to strictly 100 items each, moved into a smaller but to my 100-piece wardrobe diet and still comfortable home and sold two cars in exchange train myself to distinguish clearly for bikes. The result of such a radical change was a the difference between something wiser and more practical attitude towards spending, I really needed and something that a newfound capacity to save money, an environment I could live without. free of clutter and, more importantly, the ability to finally pay off the $30,000 debt that they had accumulated from credit card charges, car insurance policies, home installments, and whatever else they no longer possessed. Steps to a Simple Life Inspired by their experience, I undertook the challenge of cleaning up, not only my room but my lifestyle as well. The first step to my rehabilitation was to condition my mindset. I could no longer be in denial and I had to admit to myself that more than half of what I owned A young wife now and a mother soon, Eleanore doesn’t need could be dispensable. The hardest thing more material possessions to about being a pack rat is letting go and make her happy. I had finally come to the resolution that it was time to separate and move on. Easier said than done. The second stage was action. After arranging all A Simple Change with Complex papers, useless documents and back issue magazines Results in a pile for recycling, I carried an empty balikbayan box You would often think that such a to my room and began stuffing it with clothes, shoes, small task of merely getting rid of accessories and bags that I had not worn in six months. one’s mess would yield temporary Within two hours, I had filled three boxes and managed results but with a conscious effort, to fit the rest of my clothes in a single closet — an my spending soon became much amazing feat considering I used to need four cabinets more practical and less frequent. just to accommodate my things. Within months, I was saving Left with only 76 personal items, I arranged for a almost 40 percent of my income garage sale the following weekend and surprisingly and had developed an amazing made a profit of around P50,000 after selling most willpower to say no to impulsive of my belongings for around 10 to 100 bucks apiece. purchases. I found out that the Everything else was delivered straight to charity and I idea of needing more to be happy came home to an empty space with room to breathe wasn’t true at all. It was the quality of and a wonderful sense of freedom. There was no more what I owned and not the quantity lingering pain from the sentimental value that had that made me value them. My emotionally attached me to my things. experience proved that the simple Finally, the last and most difficult phase was life inevitably was a much more underway — maintenance. I knew that if I didn’t meaningful one. FEBRUARY 2012 • KERYGMA 33

Scribbles

Kitchen

By Rosanne Romero

Calvary Love

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ally, a friend some 20 years younger than I and only starting to grow… I mean, raise children, sent me this beautiful quote. “There are times when being truly listened to is more critical than being fed. Children speak their pain automatically when there is a listener, but learn to hide it when there is no ear to hear.”

I mused that it holds true for all ages. I began to share the quote with a few other friends. And we all clucked our tongues, shook our heads and made scathing remarks about how people don’t really listen anymore. People like to listen fast and short. They ask how things are and as soon as you talk, you detect that glazed look in their eyes and you just know for certain they’re not there anymore.

So here’s my semi-catty conclusion: You don’t have to take every single “how are you?” seriously. Never assume it’s concern. Sometimes, a “how are you” is just like a salute or a curtsy — just a polite thing to do. Now, listen to how genuinely concerned I can get. This morning, as we were sorting clothes for laundry, I asked my lavandera (laundrywoman), “Kumusta ka na?” (In English, how are you? In Japanese, Konnichiwa? In Korean, 어떻게 당신은?) You get the idea. She began to tell me that her son had a seizure the day before and that no one in the center could tell her what had caused it. She also asked me if I knew which kind of doctor specialized in seizures. One after another, her questions came. Distractedly, I looked up from my pile and said, “Ay, ganun?” (Really?) And in the next breath, I cleared my throat, “Ahmm… (pause, blinkblink) Ano na nga ang magandang suka na ginagamit sa kilawin?” (What vinegar is best to use on kilawin?) Shame on me! Totally random. And totally undisturbed and unaffected about what she had just told me. She was sharing her anxiety about a seizure and I wanted to know what vinegar to use on a dish.

Of course, I tried to recover by asking more details (about the seizure, that is — not the vinegar). But it was lame. It shamed me that I was doing exactly what I had just renounced. Sigh. I was going to ask God to forgive me for listening distractedly. See, but that wasn’t all it was. Had it been a friend folding laundry with me, had it been a friend who told me about the seizure, I would have responded differently I’m sure. I’d have asked more about it and might even have prayed over the anxiety. But because it was just my lavandera, I didn’t really care enough. Because it was just my lavandera, I asked about the vinegar like it had anything to do with seizures. I score about 36 years walking with God. I’d have thought I’d come a long way. Picture me — answering someone’s anxiety with a question about vinegar. (Hello!) This incident made me see how self-absorbed I still am. Lord, grace me as I still know so little of Calvary love. Email me at kitchenscribbles@gmail. com.

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KPreacher

By Alvin Barcelona

To Learn is Human… To Love, Divine

W

hen life begins learning starts. From the day you were conceived, you started learning. You learned how to exist. You learned how to hold on to the most precious gift of all… life.

Your body started forming, your heart constantly beating, and your brain coordinating tiny movements from every part of you. You learned that you are beautifully and critically linked to the most important person in the world — your mother. Yet you learned, too, that though joined to her, you are distinct and separate from her. You are not your mother. You are becoming you. You don’t remember these most crucial things that happened inside your mother’s womb. But that doesn’t mean you didn’t learn them.

In fact, most of the things you learned from inside your mother are the things you will carry on for life — like learning that it wasn’t you, or your mother, who was consciously and carefully forming you. There must be something — or “Someone” — doing that for you. Then you finally came out into this world! You cried. And you cried out loud. You may not remember or know why. They say, as an infant, you did things unconsciously. Maybe you cried because of the tremendous joy and gratitude for coming out alive! Or maybe because of the incredible task to go on learning for you to exist and survive. Or maybe because of your uncontainable awe upon seeing the world — your school — for life! After all, you were just beginning to learn. To hear, to see, to smell, to taste, to touch. To wonder, to discover, to experiment, to explore.

To recognize, to remember, to repeat, to relate. To think, to listen, to understand, to communicate. To dare, to dream. To receive, to give. To laugh, to cry. To fall, to rise. To hope, to trust… To love… Because you learn that being born into this world is not just about existing or surviving. And that all learning leads to this: “To live is to love.” Happy Love Month! Editor’s Note: This article is taken from Alvin Barcelona’s upcoming book, The World Is a School. Watch out for his book coming soon! Catch Alvin Barcelona at The Feast PICC, Plenary Hall, every Sunday at 4:00 p.m.; at SM Marilao Cinema 2 every Saturday at 5:30 p.m.; and at Barcelona Academy, Marilao, Bulacan every Friday at 7:00 p.m. You can also watch Alvin on his TV show, Nakita Ko on TV Maria and listen to him on Gabay sa Biblia Tuwing Linggo on Radio Veritas, Sundays, 8 a.m. Send your comments to Alvin at kpreacheralvin@ gmail.com.

FEBRUARY 2012 • KERYGMA 37

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Story

One Last

Rhenee and Lisa are expecting their firstborn in March 2012.

A few days after that visit to St. Pio’s chapel, I went back to Brunei while Rhenee remained for another week in the Philippines before following me there. He stayed for a week or so before leaving for a five-week mission trip to Sibu, Sarawak.

The Miracle of Life By Lisa Bobiles as told to Tina Santiago-Rodriguez

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ray, hope and don’t worry.” This is one of the most famous statements attributed to St. Pio of Pietrelcina. Ironically, our family did not know St. Pio that well until last year, when he helped grant a prayer, a miracle that we had been waiting for My husband, Rhenee, and I got married on December 23, 2000. I distinctly remember telling him on our second anniversary that we would be celebrating our 10th year of marriage by renewing our vows, with our own children as part of the wedding entourage. We celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary last year but what we had initially discussed many years ago did not come to be — because we were still childless. After much prayer, many checkups and various unsuccessful natural fertility treatments, we had already accepted the fact that we would be one of those couples that would grow old together without the blessing of having our own children. We had even discussed the idea of adoption but never really seriously considered or explored it actively as we both work in Brunei. In the last quarter of 2009, Rhenee’s employment contract ended and he decided to become a mission volunteer for our Catholic community, Couples for Christ, serving our CFC brethren in the Borneo mission area, specifically Sibu, Sarawak and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. As for myself, the Lord blessed me with a new and more stable job with an international company, which was really timely as we were facing a very challenging financial situation at that time. All throughout this period, we continued to remain active members of CFC in Brunei. A Blessed Homecoming In July 2011, we went home to the Philippines to attend a cousin’s wedding. During that short trip home, Rhenee and I were able to hear Sunday Mass at the St. Pio Chapel in Libis, Quezon City with my parents, sister and her family. My mom was the one who first told me about the chapel and St. Pio and the many prayers that had been answered through his intercession. She told us that Rhenee and I should visit the chapel and pray to St. Pio to grant our prayers for a child. While waiting for the Holy Mass to begin, Rhenee and I were handed pieces of paper where we could write our prayer requests to St. Pio. We did so, and after the Mass, we even stayed behind to be prayed over by one of the Eucharistic ministers at the chapel.

Pregnant at Last! About a week into his mission in Sibu, I decided to take a pregnancy test since I had not had my monthly period for over two months. Actually this was not an unusual case for me as I had always had irregular periods since puberty. I don’t know why this time around, I decided to take the test. Much to my surprise, the test result was positive! I couldn’t believe my eyes and even thought that perhaps I had taken the test incorrectly. So, the day after, I took another pregnancy test, this time following the instructions carefully. The test still came out positive! I immediately called Rhenee and told him the news, but we decided to contain our joy first until I had gone to a doctor to really confirm that I was pregnant. The following day, the first thing I did was to go to the clinic, where the doctor gave me another pregnancy test — the result was the same! Despite this, though, I asked her to perform blood tests and an ultrasound because with my fertility history, I really wanted to be sure that I was positively pregnant before making any public declarations. After my visit to the clinic, I immediately called my mom and told her the news, which she received with tears of joy, and she declared that God, through St. Pio, had granted our prayers. A week later, the blood test results were “consistent with pregnancy” and the doctor took the first picture of my growing baby inside my womb at approximately 10 weeks old. God had indeed answered our prayers through the intercession of St. Pio. St. Pio’s words, “Pray, hope and don’t worry,” had come true for us. Even if we had already given up on being parents, the Lord, through the prayers of St. Pio and all our family members and brothers and sisters in CFC, had granted us our desire. All praise and thanks to Him for this wonderful miracle of life!

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Contact point of

By Bo Sanchez

I pray that you receive your miracles in Jesus’ name!

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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 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 the readers of Kerygma, Lord. I know that You want to bless them abundantly, but many of them aren’t ready to receive Your blessings. Grant them the grace of opening their minds and hearts to what You want them to learn in their financial lives so that they, too, may experience the joy of giving more to those in need. Teach them temperance and prudence in handling whatever little or big resources they have right now. May they be responsible stewards of whatever blessings You will give them. Amen. Praying for you,

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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.