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e m o c l We
STARTING A NEW SERIES:

FEAST
AT THE PHILIPPINE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTER A Catholic Prayer Meeting of THE LIGHT OF JESUS FAMILY

The

AUGUST 4, 2013

Original Pilipino Magnificence

TODAY
Why Did God Make You Filipino?
WHY were you born Filipino? I mean, think about it. Why werent you born a Nepalese? Or Pakistani? Or Mongolian? Or American or German or French or Fijian or Samoan or Swedish? (Wouldnt it be nice to have blue eyes?) But God must have a Divine purpose why He made you Filipino. Were so fixated on our common external traits -- vertically-challenged height, horizontally-challenged nose-- we forget about the common internal traits that make us who we are. If youre Filipino, that means youve got this very special combination of cultural traits that can be powerful strengths for YOUR sacred mission in life. The operative word is can. Because cultural traits are neutral. They can be good or bad, depending on how you use them. Id like to personally welcome you to our exciting series, OPM: Original Pilipino Magnificence. This is the very first time were covering this topic at the Feast, so Im totally open to Gods surprises here.) Heres my big goal for this course: To make you the best Pinoy Christian. Youll appreciate why God made you a Filipino. Youll celebrate our uniqueness. And manifest it even more.

Today, I receive all of Gods love for me. Today, I open myself to the unbounded, limitless, overflowing abundance of Gods universe. Today, I open myself to Gods blessings, healing, and miracles. Today, I open myself to Gods Word so I would become more like Jesus every day. Today, I proclaim that I am Gods beloved, I am Gods servant, I am Gods powerful champion. And because I am blessed, I am blessing the world. In Jesus name. Amen.

How to do that? Well unearth Gods treasure in our Filipino culture. Im not talking about the Yamashita treasure. Thats mud compared with the treasure of values that we have in our culture. Any culture is always based on our VALUESon what is important to us. Thats our real treasure. Be blessed today! May your dreams come true,
Ces Arcilla

BO SANCHEZ

Talk 1: Pasasalamat vs. Utang Na Loob

Matthew 6:3 So when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Ruth 2:11-12 Boaz replied, Ive been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband-- how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge Genesis 40:14, 23 But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.
OUR COVER OUR Feast Builders present a new talk series for August: Original Pilipino Magnificence. Are you happy you are a Filipino? Are you a good Filipino? Are you a great Christian Filipino? This month, know why God made you a Filipino. Cover design by JLS OPM design by Paolo Galia Photos, from left: Bro. George Gabriel by Dave Apalla Bro. Bo Sanchez and Bro. Alvin Barcelona by ELS

Gods Rewards Are Better Than Mans Reward

Luke 17:11-17 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, Jesus, Master, have pity on us! When he saw them, he said, Go, show yourselves to the priests. And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus feet and thanked himand he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner? Then he said to him, Rise and go; your faith has made you well.

Personal Reflection and Group Sharing: 1. Do you spontaneously give gratitude? 2. Do you expect or demand gratitude from others? When?
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2 THE FEAST August 4, 2013

WELCOME to another exciting talk series! I extremely love this series because this will be about us as Filipinos as Pinoys! You know how I love being a Pinoy from the language and songs to the stories and cultural examples that I always use in my talks. Theyre my natural handles. Above all, I love being a Pinoy Christian! I truly believe God has a divine, sacred purpose for us being Filipino Catholics. We minister to the world most of the time, just by being who we are. Our faith and our values -- as individuals and as a people-bless the world. Weve got cultural traits that immediately endear us to others. But like most other things, we sometimes overdo them, or even misuse them. Our strengths are sometimes our weaknesses. These well be learning about in our brand new series, OPM Original Pilipino Magnificence. Starting today, and on the following Sundays, well be talking about: 1) Pasasalamat v.s. Utang na Loob; 2) Paninindigan v.s Pakikisama 3) Pananagutan v.s. Hiya; 4) Pagtitiwala v.s Bahala Na. And, as always, in the light of Gods Word. Today, well shout, Hoy, PINOY AKO! Lets rock!

IM an American citizen. My mom went to New York to undergo her pediatric residency after she graduated from her medical internship here in Manila. My dad followed her a few months after. There, all three of us siblings were born. I now carry a blue passport. Its a privilege Im very thankful for. My wife, Dinah, went to New Zealand a few months after graduating from college to take up a second degree in fashion design. Three years after, she was granted her citizenship. Shes now a Kiwi. In the future, our kids will have the precious option of choosing between U.S. or N.Z. citizenship. What a privilege indeed. Despite our foreign citizenships, however, whenever someone asks my wife or me whats our nationality, its automatic for us to say Filipino. Even when Im in the U.S., I dont tell people Im American. I say, I was born in New York and let them conclude that Im a citizen. But nothing will take away the fact that Im a Filipino no matter what my passport says. All that said, before I am a citizen of this great country, I am

What Is Your Citizenship?

first and foremost a citizen of heaven. Born from the very heart of God, a product of His love, a masterpiece design by His own hand. You are, too. And even if every now and then we choose to reside in sin, travel astray or even migrate to other gods, nothing can take away the fact that we are His children. Not a few have given the term Filipino a negative connotation. All sorts of preconceived notions come along with this identity. But deep within, I believe the Filipino is great. Because every Filipino is first and foremost a child of God. We have a great Father. We just have to strive to be like Him. I hope and pray this new series will help you do just that. And if you attend faithfully and consistently this month, I believe you will walk away with a renewed sense of pride and desire to bring out and sing about your true magnificence. Are you ready? Handa awit! In Him, GEORGE GABRIEL
THE FEAST August 4, 2013

Hoy, Pinoy Ako!

Mayroong Magandang Mangyayari Sa Yo! Your Friend in Jesus, ALVIN BARCELONA P.S. Last Sunday at the Feast PICC 3:45 p.m. session, we re-launched our GO for 2000! campaign, aiming to have 2,000 attendees by the end of this year. This August, the eighth month of the year, we proclaim that for the next five months, or less, we will achieve OUR DREAM, by GODs grace, in Jesus Name! Were actually already just a few hundreds near our goal. Thank you for bringing your family and friends to The FEAST. Thank you for spreading the Good News about Our Feast! Lets fill up this place with people who will be filled up by Gods Unending Love! God bless you more!

ELS

Dave Apalla

LAST WEEK
Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples. He said to them, When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. -- Luke 11: 1-13

Big Day!
THIS talk is about Scandalous Grace: glorious, glowing, glistening Grace. My big message is: Dont get what you deserve. I heard this preached by Judah Smith, and Id like to share it with you. The parable from Matthew 20:1-15 is one of the most illogical stories in the Bible. What the landowner did was utter madness. One day, at 6 a.m., he went to a group of men looking for work. He hired them for standard wage to work in his vineyard. At 9 a.m., he saw another bunch of men and hired them. The same thing happened at 12 noon, 3 p.m., and 5 p.m.. Two Ways of Living The landowner hired five employee groups. Group 1 worked for 12 hours, Group 2 for 9 hours, Group 3 for 6

Following are excerpts from the Special Message capping the Full Tank series. hours, Group 4 for 3 hours, while Group 5 worked for 1 hour. Only the first group had a contract where they were promised to get the standard wage. Other groups had no contract. Instead, they trusted the landowner to pay out of the goodness of his heart. There are two ways of living in this world. You can live your life in this world always fighting for what you deserve, grabbing your rights, insisting on your entitlements. Or you can live your life in this world trusting in the goodness of Gods heart, receiving His Scandalous Grace. The first life will fill you with stress and misery, cursing your relationships. The second life will fill you with peace and gratitude, blessing your relationships. God Will Bless People In Front of You for a Purpose At 6 p.m., the landowner called everyone. When he paid Employee Group 5 the standard wage, all the other workers who were hired earlier thought they would get so much more. But to their horror, the landowner gave them the same amount. They could not believe it! Heres the truth. God will bless people in front of you for a purpose: to train your heart to trust in His goodness even when its not obvious. When it seems that God is not favoring you, God wants you to trust that He will make up for your loss and return seven times what has been stolen from you. Grace Is Always Not Fair The parable is teaching the difference between Grace and Justice. Grace is not

ELS

IN his homily last Sunday, Fr. Erick Santos explained The Lords Prayer during last Sundays homily. He said The Lords Prayer is the one and only prayer that unites the Christian community-- the Catholics, Lutherans, and other denominations-- because through the prayer, we claim that we have one God, we declare that He alone is our God. Fr. Erick said a father will never give up on his children. In the same manner, God Our Father will never give up on us.Whenever we go astray, He would always find a way to lead us home. -- Joyce Villarisco

Prayer Works!

Unconditional Love
During the morning and 3:45 p.m. sessions, Bro. Alvin Barcelona capped the Full Tank student. But there was a time Aio did not make it to the honor roll. Bro. Alvin saw the moment as an opportunity to show his unconditional

Dave Apalla

In the 4 p.m. session, Fr. Romy Castro reminded us that miracles still happen and prayer works. He added that we sometimes use prayer as a tool to control God and to dictate the things we want from Him. Prayer, however, should be persistent, and it is more effective when we allow God to work within us. The Gospel also reminds us to seek the gifts of the Holy Spirit when we pray. During prayer, we must come before God with a humble heart. We should ask with determination and have faith that the Lord knows what is the best for us. -- Andrew S. Tia

FATHER AND SON. Bro. Alvin and son Aio sing about Gods Amazing Grace.

series with a sharing on how a parent-child relationship may be grace-filled. Bro. Alvin said parents should encourage rather than be critical of their children. He shared that his son, Aio, was a consistent honor

love for his son. Rather than reprimand him, Bro. Alvin said he treated Aio to ice cream, told him he loved him, and encouraged him to just do his best next time. Bro. Alvin said he only followed Gods example of unconditional love for His children. -- James Pangan

4 THE FEAST August 4, 2013

Chino Modesto

Alex Uy Yco

just. Grace is not fair and not logical. Grace IS scandalous. We have no problem with Grace. As long as were the beneficiaries, were okay with the silliness of Grace. But when others are the ones receiving Grace, we want justice! The Oldest Son Is Employee Group 1 In the story of the Prodigal Son, the oldest son couldnt understand why his Dad was so loving to his immoral brother.

Ces Arcilla

like this, it means you dont understand the Gospel of Jesus yet. Because everything you have received so far comes from pure Grace. It was all given by Gods reckless generosity. Allow God to give you out of the Goodness of His heart. And youll be surprised that Grace is 1000 times better. Trust God to give you what is best for you at this season of your life.

Dont Get What You Deserve

By Bo Sanchez

Scandalous Grace
I urge you to celebrate when people receive Grace. Why? Because in another season of life, youll be that guy who was hired last. Youll be that youngest son. And youll be desperate for Grace. Seniority Means Sacrifice Seniority isnt a call to be entitled. Seniority means sacrifice. If youre the Eldest, the Parent, the Leader, or the Pioneer, your role is to sacrifice. Never try to get whats fair for you. Be the Grace-filled Person. Trust that God will find a way to reward you. Be scandalous in your love and forgiveness towards others. Give reckless, illogical, outrageous Grace to your children, spouse, parents, and friends. Trust in Grace. Do the right thing, and you dont have to chase after Grace. Grace will chase after you. Blessings, miracles, and abundance will chase after you. -- With reporting by Kim Pamplona Zabala

Ramel Robles

Didoy Lubaton (top) and Paolo Galia lead powerful worship.

Receive Grace and Go! Dont get what you deserve; Get what Grace delivers. If I think about it, Im a sinful man. I cringe in terror if I end up getting what I deserve! Id rather trust in the Goodness of His heart than trust in the goodness of my heart. The Poison of Entitlement Many say, I deserve to be blessed more than that other person because I sacrificed more. This is the poison of Entitlement. If you speak

God Is Not Fair ... He Is Generous

BRO. GEORGE GABRIEL shared an experience similar to the situation of the oldest son in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Bro. George said when he was a teenager, he served in a faith community. Among the youth in the community, he served the longest. Yet, he was not chosen to be a leader of the youth ministry. He said his pride was crushed but in time he was able to discern that whats important was not the position but the privilege of serving God. Later, he felt God rewarded him with a better service. He met Bro. Bo Sanchez and soon, Bro. George started serving the Lord with Bro. Bo. Bro. George said as Gods servants, we need to get rid of the passion of entitlement. The I deserve that phrase will only make our relationships curse-filled. As we freely receive Gods graces, we also should give them freely to others. Do you want miracles to happen in your relationships? Learn to give away the grace of God that you have received. Then you can be truly rich in your relationships, Bro. George advised. He pointed out that God did not give us what is fair for us. He gave us the cross instead. He gave us His Son Jesus to die for us. The grace of Jesus is the same grace that gives us everything that we dont deserve. Bro. George said let us thank God that He is not fair. He is generous, and He showers us with His amazing grace. -- Lucy Aresco
THE FEAST August 4, 2013

Ramon Cardel

Chino Modesto

MINISTRIES
By BETHANY DECHAVEZ

Play Money

Real Abundance
Chai shared the Prosperity Formula presented by Bro. Bo Sanchez in his Feast talks: Income (100%) Tithes 10% Savings 20% Expenses 70% Chai said the formula is based on 2 Corinthians 9:7: Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver. Chai added, If you apply the formula at an early age, you will have an abundant life. Then she introduced Gabriel Juan Mercado, 8 years old, who practises the Prosperity Formula. Gabriel shared that he earns income from selling ice candy and T-shirts with his paintings. Then-- get ready for this-he invests his earnings in the stock market! Really. Miracle. Tithing brings about a transformation in our life, Chai said. Tithing makes us more grateful, and when were grateful, we open ourself to the abundance of Gods universe. God honors what we do and surely He will repay us with miracles and blessings beyond our imagination, Chai said. The Youth Team gave each participant a blank check and coin purse. The staff instructed the youth to write on the check their Dream Income so that they can bless other people. The coin purse will remind them to save and spend wisely to fulfill their dream.

WHO says youre too young to create abundance? Not us! Thats the shout out of the Feast PICC, Feast Manila, plus a group of German Youth during their coolest gathering last Sunday at PICC! Yes, some 20 teenagers from various parishes in the Diocese of Hamburg, Germany, were at Feast PICC! They attended the Feast PICC first morning session, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., then walked to the Delegation Banquet Hall 3 to grace the joint gathering of Feast PICC and Feast Manila Youth. Pieces of paper money formed an aisle on the carpeted hall, signaling the theme of the event: ATM-- Accept Abundance, Tithe Treasures, Make Miracles. For the German youth, the Feast was refreshingly new-- total! The Youth Feast was a riot, starting with a getting-to-know-you game that tested the teens ability to give up their stuff so they can save money. The game ushered in the talk of Chai Santiago, head of the Feast PICC Youth Ministry, presenting three steps toward abundant blessings: Believe, Give, and Receive. Believe. Chai pointed out that we are an irresistible magnet for abundance. The first thing we need to do is believe in our ability to accept abundance, as our

COOL. Youth Ministry leaders Jemimah Mallari (left) and Chai Santiago talk about treasures and miracles.

Lord Jesus promised in Mark 11:24-25: Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them and you will have them. How do you believe? Act as if you have already received the blessings youre praying for and you Give. Its not enough that you believe. You must also learn how to make good use of the blessings that you receive.

CUS

and a Lot of Singing!

GERMAN FEASTERS. Teenagers from Germany have fun at Feast PICC.

SO what did the youth from Germany say about the Feast? To find out, the Feast PICC Media Youth Team interviewed two of the teenagers, Luisa Nuller and Steffen Klum. Excerpts: How did you find the Feast? Luisa: Its really different from the celebration in Germany. Theres so much singing. Everybodys cheering. Steffen: Its our first time at the Feast. Its a lot of fun. Our Holy Mass (in Germany) is very traditional. This seems to be very new. Theres a lot of singing. Theres some kind of different energy to it. Luisa: And everybody goes for it. And everybodys there. And thats really good for me. What do you expect from the youth gathering? Steffen: Im a bit surprised because we dont really know whats happening. And I saw its something about money, some kind of money management. And its gonna be interesting. Luisa: And with many songs again. Steffen: And with a lot of singing again.

6 THE FEAST August 4, 2013

ELS

THE FEAST August 4, 2013

REFLECTIONS
By ANGELO TATON

My Love Tank Is Filled to the Brim

Illustration by CANDICE MANAOG I tried to hide my insecurity behind a happy, optimistic faade-- I was always smiling, talking loud and fast. But deep inside of me, I did not love myself, and I was always pining for someone to love me. Hearing the Full Tank talks, I realized the root of my low self worth. I grew up without a father. My parents separated. Soon my mother decided to work abroad to be able to send my siblings and me to school. So I lived most of my life with no parents guiding me. Thats why my Love Tank had been empty. I filled that void with vices and bad habits I carried to my adulthood. I was such a wreck that my relationships suffered. I had a girlfriend,

I ALWAYS share to friends the phrase Love Tank which Bro. Bo Sanchez has taught us in his Feast talks. Bro. Bo said only God can quench our thirst for love. Hearing this truth again from Bro. Bo in his July talk series, Full Tank, I felt a strong tug in my heart I almost fell off my seat. Bro. Bo said, Dont get from others the love that only God can give. Wow! Hearing those words, I couldnt help recalling my past relationships. A couple of years ago, I was a lonely person. I felt like there was always something lacking within me. My self-worth was very low. I felt insecure as my peers succeeded in their endeavours while poor me simply sought their approval.

d EDITORS! S, WRITERS, an CALLING ARTIST ! JOIN! JOIN! JOIN The Seminar on d LAYOUT E DESIGN an NEWSMAGAZIN the LORD for LEARN! LEARN! LEARN! Magazine ws Ne a How To Design and DONTs s DO ut yo La e Headlines Writing Effectiv press Your Message Ex nts That and Headline Fo : How to Manipulate Pictures cs hi Et p ho os ot Ph and Should You? Illustrations nge Photos and y ra Ar How To ur Stor To Clearly Tell Yo ions pt Ca g Writin edia Desk e to the Feast M For details, com bby, Reception Hall 2nd Floor Lo r2@gmail.com Email: feastedito 424687328 09 : m Or call Ki

but our relationship didnt work out. Hungry for love, I was so possessive. She simply gave up on me. My life changed when I attended the Feast. On my first Feast Sunday, Bro. Bo spoke a message which I felt really came from God: I love you. You are home! Wow! I will never forget that moment! I knew then God had changed me. And since then, inch by inch, He has filled up my life with his unconditional and faithful love! He showed me the love that never fails! As I received his abundant Love, I learned to love myself in a deeper way! And I am now able to express and share that love to other people, encouraging, motivating, inspiring them to look up to God for spiritual nourishment. Maybe you are abandoned, maybe you are suffering from an absentee parent or maybe your parents do not fill up your Love Tank. I dont know what you are going through right now, but this is what I know: Only Gods love could ever heal your deepest wounds! Only Gods Love can fill up your emptiness, and only Gods love can make your Love Tank full to the brim! So seek Him, embrace Him, and love Him because He first loved you! Got One More Miracle? A mysterious, inexplicable experiencea miracle God has allowed to happen to let you know He loves you? Share! Email your article with your picture to feasteditor2@gmail.com.

FLASHBACK!

ATTENTION FEAST PICC SERVANTS: If you served in the last Kerygma Conference 2012 with the theme, Champions Arise! youre invited to a viewing of the KERYGMA CONFERENCE 2012 VIDEO every Sunday at 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 nn., and 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. Limited seats! Reserve NOW at the Formation Ministry Desk, Plenary Hall Lobby.

BO SANCHEZ Founder

BELLA ESTRELLA Managing Editor

KRISTINE MUTUC CYNTHIA U. SANTIAGO Executive Editor Editor-in-Chief CES ARCILLA CANDICE MANAOG Associate Editors

AILEEN ALVAREZ CHICHI BARBA JAMES BARDOS ANGEL BAUTISTA MARY COLON BETHANY DECHAVEZ LOURDES DELOS ANGELES IMELDA FERRER JULALAINE LAGAT YZA MENDOZA LEAH MERCADO ANNA MODESTO RHODA OSALVO JAMES PANGAN Writers

EDMUNDO SANTIAGO Chief Photographer

Joel Estrella Chief Artist

8 THE FEAST August 4, 2013

CRIS LEGASPI Assistant Chief Photographer ELIE BAEZ THEA DOMINGO JANELLA IBAY ROSALYN ALBERTO DAVE APALLA Assistant Artists CHRISTIAN BANAL RAMON CARDEL FINANCE: GERALD GONZALES APPLE CHICO MARION MACAPAGAL Head SHOJI MERIS CHINO MODESTO JESED MORENO MARY JOY ACABADO JAMES MORRISON MIA CATAN JEJETTE NOCUM Members RALPH ROBLES RAMEL ROBLES ALEX UY YCO Photographers

MEMBERSHIP: KIM ZABALA Head GEL ANNE CRUZ BLAISE GOMEZ ROFYLYN LAGUNDINO DANIEL SANTOS ANDREW TIA JOYCE VILLARISCO Members

The Feast, published by the Light of Jesus Family, is distributed during The Feast PICC, a weekly prayer gathering of the Light of Jesus held at the Philippine International Convention Center, CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Manila, every Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and 3:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. The Feast holds office at The Lighthouse, 60 Chicago St., Quezon City, with telephone numbers 725-9999, and email address feasteditor2@gmail.com.