20080501

MAY2008 No. 216 Vol.
18
An Ex-Priest Reveals His Long-Buried
Secret in Getting Out of His Recurring
Depression
Philippines P60
US $7.00
AUS $ 6.00
Euro 4.00
UK 3.00
CDN $7.00
SING $8.00
HK $38.00
RUPIAH 103488

KERYGMA BARCODE.pdf 11/16/06 5:43:58 PM
Grow closer to God and be spiritually recharged as KERYGMA founder Bo Sanchez preaches
and prays with you every day for 12 days to Christianitys most holy places.
Join Fr. Alex Balatbat as he celebrates the Eucharist with you daily.
Be touched as you visit Bethlehem, Jesus birthplace; the Jordan River where Jesus was
baptized; and Nazareth, where Jesus grew up.
Receive your own miracle as you visit Mt. Tabor, the place of Jesus transfguration;
Cana where Jesus performed His frst miracle; and Tabgha where Jesus performed the
multiplication of loaves and fshes.
Be spiritually refreshed as you go through Capernaum, the home of the apostles Peter,
Andrew, James, John and Matthew; Ein Karem, the birthplace of John the Baptist; and the
Sea of Galilee where Jesus performed His ministry.
Be transformed as you walk with Jesus in Jerusalem during the last hours of His passion:
during His last supper, His agony in the garden, His carrying of the cross and His
crucifxion.
Plus visit Cairo, Mount Sinai, the Dead Sea, Qumran, Mount Carmel, Mount of Beatitudes
and be nourished by these places you only read in the Bible!
Departure Date: September 15, 2008
For more details and reservation, please contact:
Beaconlight Development Center, Inc.
beaconlightevents@gmail.com
or call Beckie at (02) 722-9562
offce hours: Tues-Fri, 9am-5pm
Be Spiritually Revived!
Join Bo Sanchez on a
12-Day Pilgrimage
to the Land Where Jesus Walked!
(Plus Egypt)
Holyland Pilgrimage'08 ad.indd 1 3/14/08 6:13:53 PM
KerygmaMay2008 { 1}
M
ario and Jun were out cutting wood, and Jun accidentally cut
his arM off.
Mario wrapped the arm in a plastic bag and brought
Jun and his arm to a surgeon.
The surgeon said, Nothing to fear, Ive done this a hundred
times before. After two hours, Jun walked out of the hospital
with his arm reattached. And a few days later, Jun was playing
badminton.
Two weeks later, Mario and Jun were cutting wood again,
and Jun accidentally cut off his leg. Very calmly, Mario wrapped
the leg in a plastic bag and brought Jun to a surgeon again.
It may take a little longer but I can do this, the doctor
said.
True enough, after four hours, Jun walked out of the hospital
using his two legs. And a few days later, Jun was doing his daily
10-kilometer morning jog.
Two weeks later, Mario and Jun were cutting wood again,
and Jun accidentally cut his head off. Very calmly, Mario wrapped
the head in a plastic bag and brought Jun to the surgeon.
This is very diffcult but
let me see what I can do, the
doctor said.
But after six hours, the
doctor went out of the operating room and told Mario, Im sorry,
your friend Jun died.
Mario nodded. I understand, doc. Its very diffcult to
reattach a cut head.
The surgeon said, Oh, reattaching is easy. But Jun suffocated
in the plastic bag.
I read this crazy story and thought of making it a parable.
The lesson? Our life goes on even if we lose a part of it, as
long as we rise up right away and move on.
If we lose our jobs, its not the end of the world. We can get
another one, perhaps a better one. Or well be forced to become
an entrepreneur. As long as we rise up right away, and not stay
inactive for too long, well survive and win over our loss.
If we lose our health, its not the end of the world. As long
as we rise up right away, we can recover, recuperate, change our
lifestyle and be even healthier than before. (My friend who had
cancer told me, The Big C was the best thing that happened to
the
boss
{bo}
sanchez
me. It changed my life. I didnt know how to live. Now I
know how.)
If we lose a loved one, or if you suffer a failed marriage,
or if your own parents break up, its not the end of the
world either. Its devastating, and we will always have a
wound in our hearts, but we can heal, move on and create
a new beginning.
If we lose our relationship with God, we can reconcile
with Him. As long as we rise up right away, we can repent
and rebuild that relationship. Our fall can teach us many
lessons and make us even spiritually stronger.
The key is to rise up right away!
Dont stay on the dirt, licking your wounds for
eternity.
Dont wallow in your
guilt and let it eat you up
forever.
And yes: Dont let your sadness kill you by putting your
cut head in a plastic bag. Even if its cut, it still needs to
breathe the oxygen of hope.
Friend, rise up right away.
I remain your friend,
P.S. People ask me where I preach regularly. Each Sunday, we
gather at Valle Verde Country Club (beside ULTRA) in Pasig for
our weekly Feast prayer meetings. And to reach Catholics who no
longer go to Mass regularly, we hold a lively Mass right before our
prayer meeting. Join us and be very, very blessed and nourished
in your soul. Call (02) 725-9999 for more details.
Can I tell you a crazy story?
B
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Tank you, KERYGMA, for enlightening
my life.
Lea Encarnacion
Kerygma Family member
Ive been a reader of KERYGMA magazine
since 2000 and I really fnd the magazine
very inspiring. Tank you for being a great
help to those who are spiritually thirsty like
me.
Myles Lelis
KERYGMA magazine is a must have!
Reading it always gives me enlightenment
and inspiration.
Lerma
Believe it or not, home schooling your kids will make a big difference in their
lives and yours.
That is why Catholic Filipino Academy (CFA) founders, Bo and Marowe
Sanchez, together with their team of dedicated offcers and parent coaches,
have committed to give their children this one-of-a-kind learning experience
and share the wonderful benefts of home schooling to Catholic families
everywhere.
Just to give you a sneak peek into an amazing and bright future for your
beloved children, here are the 10 core principles that the CFA live by that will
dramatically change your familys life:
Follow your childs passions.
Follow your childs learning style.
Follow your childs learning pace per subject.
Never use fear and punishments as motivation.
Use tests and grades as tools for gauging mastery, not
as tools to label and terrorize your child.
Nurture a great love for reading.
Make ordinary life events as your classroom.
Make work and service essential to your childs
education.
Build your family relationship (the greatest reward!).
Personally share your faith and values with your child.
Getting excited? Call us at our CFA offce at (632) 725-9999 or call
Rita from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Mondays to Fridays at (632) 533-6097 or
+63917-8219194.
You may also write to us at this address: CFA, Lighthouse, 60 Chicago St.,
Cubao, Quezon City 1109, Philippines.
If you want more specifc information on CFA, email Rita at
catholicflipinoacademy@gmail.com.
{ 2 } KerygmaMay2008
mail
room
Send Your Kids to the Best
School in the World
the
shout
box
E R R A T U M :
We apologize for the following errors
in the article entitled A Simple Act
of Kindness which appeared in
the March 2008 issue of Kerygma
Magazine:

On page 15, Thelmas renewal of
baptism vows took place at the Jordan
River, not at the Red Sea. Likewise,
Thelma retired in 1998, not 2006, and
it was Mrs. Remedios Rivera, not Erlind,
who encouraged her to seek help from
PCSO.
KerygmaMay2008 { 3 }
I
grew up wIth
more than
my faIr share
of hugs and
kIsses. Mommy
was an affectionate
woman who was
generous when
it came to her
expressions of
love.
We would hug every time
we bumped into each other in the
house. And when Mom hugged,
it wasnt just an embrace. First
shed hold you close. Then shell
rub your back. Then shell smother
you. And just before you think youll
pass out for lack of air, shell let you go, making you feel that
everything in the world is perfect.
I lived for those hugs. Even when my friends started
having boyfriends to hug and I remained suitorless I
somehow found security and solace in Moms embrace. (I
had no choice so I made the best of what I had.)
I remember the frst time I got brokenhearted. I had spent
almost a year faithfully writing every week to a guy I had a
mutual understanding with. He was studying abroad then and
when his summer vacation came up, I couldnt wait to see
him again. The day that he arrived was the longest day of my
teenage life. I waited almost glued to the phone for his
call. When the day ended without a call from him, I fgured
that his fight arrived late that night. So the next day I waited
again. And the next. And the next. Then a couple of weeks
later without any word from him, I saw him at a party with
another girl.
Ouch. I think my heart ripped in a thousand pieces that
night. And I cried my eyes out in bed until the next day.
Then Mommy came to my room. She just hugged me
with her trademark embrace that somehow didnt work its
full magic. After reassuring me that Id live through this
heartache, she let me go. But not without saying, You know,
come to think of it, hes a small guy. Pandak yon. Youll
outgrow him.
Ngek. What a consolation. But it did almost make me
laugh. And time proved Mom right. I didnt just outgrow my
puppy love; I even grew taller than him!
When you give
an embrace
away, itll surely
come back to
you.
just
breathe
living by
grace
{rissa}
singson-
kawpeng
With an upbringing like that, its no wonder that physical
touch became my primary love language. When I am hugged,
patted, held or rubbed at the back, my love tank flls up.
I researched about the power of touch and learned that
it doesnt only feel good; its also necessary for good health.
One researcher went as far as saying, Touch is as important as
breathing.
Studies made in orphanages revealed that babies who werent
touched enough lost weight, got sick and even died. For adults
who are deprived of touch, they become depressed and their
immune system suffers.
When were hugged, our bodies release oxytocin, a happy
hormone that lowers blood pressure and stress levels and even
affects how fast our wounds heal.
Now that I know this, Im more generous when it comes to
touching those I love. And you know what biblical lesson I learned
about embracing? In the measure you give, so shall you receive.
Because every time I give a hug, it comes back to me.
So make it a habit.
Hug a lot. And let your
touch bring healing to
those you love.
Moved with
compassion, Jesus
stretched out His
hand and touched
him, and said to him,
I am willing; be
cleansed. (Mark
1:41)
THINGS TO LOOK
FORWARD TO IN MAY:
For married couples looking for ways
to boost their relationship, the
Light of Jesus Community will be
conducting a Couples Conference on
May 3. If youre interested, you may
call the LOJC Offce at 726-3929 or
726-8951.
hug
somebody
R
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Looking for a community?
In need of regular inspiration and teachings?
Searching for tools to deepen your spiritual life?
Find all that and more at the
Kerygma Family!
Youll receive a non-stop stream of the best materials for your personal development!
1) Bo Sanchezs life-changing audio and video teaching series
2) DailyBiblerefectionsfrom Companion, Didache and Sabbath
3) Monthly issue of Kerygma
4) Live counseling available via phone and email
5) Communicate with other members of the
Kerygma Family
Be part of the family now and share in:
Serving the poorest of the poor
Spreading Gods love through our print, Internet, SMS, radio and TV ministries
Healing the hurt, broken and wounded
Building a worldwide community
Log on to www.kerygmafamily.com
or call 725-9999
MEMBERSHI P FORM
First Name:
Address:
Tel. No. Email:
(Fill this up and fax to 727-5615 or mail to Shepherds Voice Publications, Inc., 60 Chicago Street, Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines.)
publisher BO SANCHEZ editOr-in-chief RISSA SINGSON-KAwpeng mAnAging editOr TESS ATIENZA stAf writer JOY SOSOBAN, NvA AriAs creAtive directOr STIMPY CORTES grAphics directOr REY DE GUZMAN cOn-
tributing writers REDEN CERRER, JUDITH CONCEPCION, ALVIN FABELLA, CECIL LIM, DINA PECANA phOtOgrApherChristiAn HAlili, ED SANTIAGO, MArcO VictOriA cOlumnists Mike JOseph,Alvin BArcelOnA chAirmAn Of
the bOArd BO SANCHEZ mArketing cOOrdinAtOr MON TOLEDO
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 Shepherds VOice
PublicAtiOns, Inc. 2007. N pArt Of this mAgAzine mAy be reprOduced withOut permissiOn. KERYGMA is published mOnthly by Shepherds VOice PublicAtiOns, Inc., whOse editOriAl And business Ofces Are lOcAted At 60
02 Mailroom
06 New You
08 Dear Kerygma
10 Real Stuff
13 It Happened:
{Healed by the Holy Spirit}
32 Gawad Kalinga
{Coming Home}
39 One Last Story:
{God, Our Co-Author}
03 Just Breathe
{Hug Somebody}
35 Kitchen Scribbles
{Me, a Pharisee?}
37 K Preacher
{The God of Funny Bones}
departments
columns
the bo fles
01 The Boss
{Rise Up Right Away}
16 Main Course
{Simplify Your Use of
Time}
30 Heroes of Faith
{Back to God, Back to
the Philippines}
40 Point of Contact
20 Hitting Rock Bottom
Depression
special section
testimonies
24 {Getting Out of
the Blues}
25 {Are You Prone
to Depression?}
26 {Healed in Gods
Own Time}
28 {Embracing My
Lost Identity}
V
ery cool,
thats how
Gary Bogarins
f r i e n d s
describe him.
He handles stress very well,
especially in his job as a sales
manager in Steel Asia, a steel
manufacturing and trading
company. He gets stressed, yes,
just like anybody else, but not to
the point of depression.
{20}
{vol 18}
no. 216
2008
MAY
Turning 40 this May, Garys
primary blessings are his
loving wife, MM, and his
daughter, Bianca Louise
(Biancci for short), whos
also turning one this month.
Biancci looks exactly like him.
Gary and MM belong to Ang
Ligaya ng Panginoon Central
Sector District E.
b
eauty
t
hinking of starting a business but not sure if a loan
is the way to go? Here are some tips to consider:
It should create more proft than what
it costs you to pay it back. A good loan
should have an interest that is lower
than the proft that you expect to make.
Take out loans that are earmarked for specifc
projects. Dont just borrow money because you
feel like it. There must be a specifc reason
or objective for the money that you loan.
Keep expenses low. There are a lot of
opportunities to loan money nowadays. Even
then, make sure to minimize expenses as much
as possible until the business is breakeven.
Anticipate fnancial needs in advance.
When you borrow money for capitalization,
make sure youve adequately covered for
your needs. Dont underestimate them
and get undercapitalized in the process.
SOURCE: mastercard.com/us/business
T
he beauTy business is a booming,
Thriving business Thanks To
many women who geT hold of The
various producTs available in The markeT.
And yet, there are natural ways of going
about the beauty business. Below are items
normally available in grocery shops and wet markets that you
can use for your beauty needs:
For glowing skin: Mix egg white and honey and then
apply to face. Rinse with cold water after.
To refresh your face: Cut a lemon and rub the wedge
all over your face. Leave it on for 20 minutes and
then rinse with cold water. Do not use if you have dry
skin.
To remove blemishes: Apply carrot juice to your face
daily.
To control oil on your face: Rub thin apple slices to
your face.
For supple skin: apply a ripe smashed banana on your
face for 20 minutes daily.
For black spots: Mix teaspoon lemon juice and
glycerin and apply on the spots.
For pimples: Crush garlic and then apply the juice on
the face daily.
Source: webindia123.com/women/Beauty/Skin
tips for personal

development
w
ork Is a duty that can be redemptIve (refer to 2
thessalonIans 3:10). When man endures the hardship of
work in union with Jesus, he also shares in some way in
the saving work of Christ.
In work, the person lives out his potentials. Work is for man and
not man for work. Work should enable a person to provide adequately
for himself and his family, and enable him to serve people.
SOURCE: Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2427-2428
f
aith &
Doctrine
new
you
f
inances
KerygmaMay2008 { 7}
r
elation
ships h
ealth
6
th
STAGE: FACING A MAJOR
HEALTH CRISIS
t
he 6
th
stage in Marriage is called the explosion stage. This is when your
family has experienced a major positive experience (like getting a
promotion) or crisis (such as being diagnosed with cancer, etc.).
According to Dr. Wayne Sotile of the Wake Forest University Health
Exercise and Lifestyles Program, Managing the way an illness affects
your marriage is just as important as keeping up with medications and
doctors appointments and treatments. So what can you do when you
fnd out one of you has a serious health problem?
1. Talk and then talk some more. It can be diffcult to talk when
youre faced with a life-altering situation. But you both need to
open up to each other about whats happening inside of you.
Talk to each other frequently. And dont be afraid to vent without
accusing or blaming.
2. Learn about the sickness. Learning about the illness will help
you to manage the situation well, to have a sense of control.
That knowledge will also help you and your spouse to decide
as a team. You can use reliable online resources such as the
National Institutes of Health (www.nih.gov), the National Library
of Medicine (www.nlm.nih.gov), associations that are dedicated
solely to the illness as well as online support groups to do
research.
3. Assemble a support team for the healthy spouse. A recent
study has found that healthy spouses had less support and have
higher risk of depression and anxiety than the sick spouses. The
healthy spouse should therefore be able to fnd support from
friends and relatives to strengthen her during this trying time.
4. Invite positivity and fun in. Dont join the police force to
keep watch over your spouse regarding his or her health habits.
Research has shown that nagging, blaming and the like wont
work. Instead, show support, encouragement, concern and
compassion. Declare periods that you dont even mention the
illness so you can just enjoy yourselves.
5. Continue to be lovers. A study has shown that a simple touch
prior to a painful operation calms down the spouse about to
be operated on. Continue to show your love in physical ways
through hugs, embraces, touch and kisses, should sex not be
possible.
Source: rd.com/love/7-stages-of-marriage
Q
U
IC
K

H
E
A
L
T
H
T
IP
:
A
V
O
I
D
I
N
G
H
I
G
H

B
L
O
O
D
To avoid hypertension or high blood pressure
w
hich is considered a silent killer, you should
eat
m
ore
onions
and
garlic,
celery,
w
hole
grains, cold w
ater fsh such as salm
on, tuna
and m
ackerel. Avoid saturated fat, sugar,
caffeine, alcohol and excess sodium
.
Source: http://www.whfoods.com/
W
e all Want to be fit and healthy. The problem
starts when we have to do something about
it. For many of us who are busy with work
and family, there's always some excuse for not doing
regular exercise. Even for those who try to do so, exercise
becomes the frst activity that sufers when schedule
becomes tight. For those thinking of a cheap and easy
alternative, you can try out jumping rope as a good
means of exercise. Below are the advantages of the sport:
Burns up to 1000 calories per hour,
depending on your pace. You consume
comparatively 354 calories for general aerobics,
413 calories for competitive badmintion and
417 calories playing basketball for one hour.
Tones your entire body. Jumping rope allows
you to move your arms, legs, trunk and back.
Is family friendly. Your youngest son
can join you in skipping rope the same
way your spouse or older children could.
Improves your other sports. Because of the
movement exerted in jumping rope, your golf,
swimming or tennis games will also improve.
Source: realage.com/ct/tips
JUMP ROPE
YOUR WAY TO
HEALTH
Im a father to a wonderful baby girl. I love her so
much that Ill be willing to do anything and everything
for her. When my girlfriend and I broke up, I met my
ex-girlfriend from college. I was on a rebound and we
had this wonderful blessing from God unexpectedly.
I embraced my baby even before she was born, but I
cant do or say the same for the mom.We agreed that
we will try to work everything out fnancially and
relationship-wise.
As of now, everything is great. My daughter is
healthy, I have a job to support us and my partner
and I are still trying to make our relationship work.
Though we have a good relationship, we are still
trying to fgure out what our relationship is. We share
the same house, bed, towel, TV, and we sleep side by
side each night but never say I love you. I try not
to say it because Im not sure about how I feel even
though we talk, we laugh, we cuddle. After more than
two years of being together, I feel that this is all I can
give so I tried to look for someone I can love.
Now Im courting this wonderful lady who I think
I can share the rest of my life with. The problem is, she
doesnt know I have a daughter. But if the time comes
that she will ask me, I will not deny anything.
What will happen to my relationship with my
partner? I tried to make it work, but it didnt. What will
happen to my relationship with my daughter? I love
the person that Im courting right now and I want to
tell her my situation but I dont know what her reaction
will be.
bastapasta
Kerygma preacher Jon Escoto is the president of Leadlife, a training
company that specializes in helping businesses bring the best out of their
people. He has extensive corporate leadership experience as a hands on
corporate manager and leader for top multinational corporations. Together
with his wife, Marissa, Jon also serves the Lord in Familia Community.
dear
K
Dear Bastapasta,
A young man got into a restaurant and was served with everything he ordered.
He enjoyed everything, from paella to pasta to everything fancy, up to dessert.
As closing time neared, the waiter had no choice but to serve him his bill. The
waiter felt the earth shake when the young man said, Sorry, I have no money.
The waiter, still half unconscious, retorted, Then why did you come here? You
even ordered and ate everything you could read from the menu! The young
man replied, Its your fault. You should have asked me frst if I had money
before you served the food. I wouldnt have denied that I didnt have money.
But you didnt ask!
You know where Im going, dont you?
Its the apex of injustice to let a woman fall for you with your sweet words
and charming ways, only to drop the atom bomb when shes already too
emotionally involved. Unable to make a sensible decision for her life at that
stage, she helplessly accepts her fate in the name of love. This woman is not
loved. Shes manipulated. The man, for his part, doesnt truly love her. Hes
a scheming liar who selfshly wants everything his way. My friend, I believe
this is not you, since you still went out of your way to be enlightened in your
situation.
Tell her (the girl youre courting now) about it. Be fair. If you cant, then
stop courting her. When you do this, it will force you to put order into your life
and stop the bad decisions youve made.
Trying to work everything out under one roof and one bed without
marriage is sin even if you tell me that you do nothing but pray the rosary
while you cuddle each other, share towels and sleep on the opposite sides of
the bed stify for two years. Either you marry her or you live separately. Doing
both is outside Gods blessed plan for your life.
The child as the main reason for staying together is not reason enough. A
relationship that never declares I love you to each other is a bomb waiting to
explode. Then you have three lives shattered to a million broken pieces (yours,
your girlfriends, and yes, your childs!). Again, either you marry or arrange for
custody or visitation schedules.
The only way you can make things work with your housemate is to
choose to give yourself to her. Otherwise, totally break it of with her and
pursue another relationship. Dont worry about breakup pains for her. The
pain you continue to infict on her with your non-commitment and your
continuous firting with other girls can be worse than actually breaking it
of with her.
Im sure your good heart is not deliberately aware of this, but your
situation has become complicated because it has always been about you.
Thinking about the other lives entangled in this situation can help simplify
things.
Make the choices now. It will not be easy. But consider the far worse
destructive ramifcations if you dont.
Jon Escoto
Shall I Tell Her?
Ditas Espaol is a cancer survivor. Thirteen years ago, she fought for her life with the sword of faith that God
has given her. Now, as a counselor, she still uses that sword to battle the pain of others. She believes she was
healed so she can be an instrument of our Divine Healer. Together with her husband, Vic, Ditas heads the Light
of Jesus Counseling Center.
Dear Kerygma,
My boyfriend and I got back together after four
months of separation. He told me that he still
loves me and that Im the one he wants to marry.
They say love is lovelier the second time around
but not in my case.
Since we reunited, weve been arguing with
each other. It began when he lied to me. I was
out of town at that time and when I called him
he told me he was playing billiards with a friend.
But I found out from his friend that they didnt see
each other. I confronted my boyfriend about it but
he still insisted he was with his friend. Then he
fnally admitted that he attended a party with his
offcemates. I wondered why he didnt tell me the
truth in the frst place.
One time, I accidentally read his text messages
and found out that he was keeping in touch with
his ex-girlfriend who is already married. Once
again I confronted him about this and just got a
lot of excuses.
I can no longer trust my boyfriend after these
incidents. Nothing has changed and Im not sure
how I feel about him anymore. What will I do? I
need your advice.
Raine
Dear Raine,
You seem very much hurt by the behavior of your boyfriend. At this point,
you have ambivalent feelings towards him. It seems evident also that you
are currently unhappy and dissatisfed about the way your relationship is
going due to the many occasions that he has betrayed your trust.
Indeed, trust is a very important ingredient in relationships. When
trust is breached, one can expect the relationship to head downhill unless
both parties make eforts to rebuild it. Based on what you have said in your
letter, it seems that you are no longer open (or have very little openness)
to trust your boyfriend after repeated incidents of deception on his part.
Unless you are willing to put the past behind and make a decision to trust
him, it will be difcult to move on in your relationship and to resolve your
conficts.
There are only two options for you to explore in this relationship to
hang on to the relationship or to break up.
Perhaps one of the questions you must ask yourself, Raine, is why
you are still hanging on to the relationship despite your uneasiness and
unhappiness about it. Is it time for you to break up and break up for
good? The sooner you face these issues, the better it will be for both of
you. Delaying a relationship breakup is like delaying a root canal. Even
if you postpone and delay having this dental procedure, your tooth,
nonetheless, continues to decay. So why delay breaking up from a
decaying relationship?
Unless, Raine, you want this relationship to work. Are you still hoping
that things will get better and that the two of you can resolve your
diferences? Are you willing to take steps to improve your relationship? If
you are, then you must do your part in rebuilding that sense of trust you
have lost towards him. And that means giving him a clean slate taking
his word for it when he says that he is with a friend playing billiards, making
a decision to trust, etc. Are you willing to take the risk of trusting him?
You are faced with a difcult decision to make in your life. Seek God
as you make this decision. He knows what is best for you. Let this be an
opportunity to invite God to walk with you and journey with you.
May the Holy Spirit grant you the gift of discernment to know how
God wants you to deal with this relationship.
Ditas
To Forget or to Trust
Again?
Email your questions to editsvp@shepherdsvoice.com.ph. Or if you need to talk to someone, call
7264709 or 7266728 to contact a Light of Jesus counselor. Telephone counseling is from 10 a.m.
to 7 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Face-to-face counseling by appointment. For correspondence
counseling, email lojcounseling@yahoo.com or go to http://supportskerygmafamily.com.
Pregnant? Confused? Abortion is not the answer. Contact Sr. Pilar at Pro-life. Call 4228877
or email pilar.verzosa@gmail.com.
Or Call 725-9999
real
stuff
SAINTS AT A
GLANCE
WHO: Bernard of Clairvaux
BORN & DIED: Dijon, France, 1090 Clairvaux,
France, 21 August 1153
NOTABLE FACTS: Called by Pius XII as the Mellifuous
Doctor, his persuasive powers enabled him to bring 30
other men when he entered the Cistercian monastery in
Citeaux when he was 22 years old, including his widower
father, an uncle and four brothers. He was abbot at
Clairvaux for 37 years, founding 136 other monasteries
all over Europe. He is well-known for his devotion to the
Blessed Virgin.
ABORTION IN U.S. AT ITS
LOWEST IN 30 YEARS
G
ood news or bad news? Though pro-life advocates and
pro-choice groups are still debating on the reasons,
statistics have shown that the abortion rates in the US
are at their lowest level in three decades.
According to a survey on abortion conducted in 2005 by
Guttmacher Institute, a non-proft organization focused on
sexual and reproductive health research, the US abortion rate
fell 9% in fve years with the 1.2 million abortions in 2005
calculated to be 25% lower than the 1.6 million in 1990.
Another study in 2006 found that roughly 14% of the
decline in teen pregnancy between 1995 and 2002 was due
to teens delaying sex or having sex less often, while 86% was
due to an increase in sexually experienced teens contraceptive
use. The US has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in
the developed world.
According to Time magazines analysis, the quiet
campaign for womens hearts and minds, conducted in
thousands of crisis pregnancy centers around the country,
on billboards, phone banks and websites, is having an effect,
while the combination of tighter access, waiting periods and
parental notifcation laws invite or force women to think
twice about terminating a pregnancy. Considering thats still
1.2 million abortions, there is still a lot of ground to cover to
decrease abortion more substantially.
Source: time.com/time/nation
WESTERN DIET
HARMFUL
g
o Take a biTe of ThaT wonderful-TasTing hamburger. But dont
say you werent warned.
A recent study that appeared in Circulation,
an American Heart Association journal, found that a
Western diet puts people at risk of developing metabolic
syndrome.
Researchers checked out the food frequency answers
of almost 10,000 people participating in a government-
sponsored Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study,
which included 66 questions related to food consumption.
They found that people with the highest scores in
Western-pattern diet had an 18 percent increased risk
of developing metabolic syndrome, while those that had
the highest meat consumption had a 26 percent greater
risk of developing the syndrome. The study noted that
hamburgers, hot dogs, processed meat, fried foods and
diet soda seemed to accelerate the effect.
The study defned Western diet as consisting of more
refned grains, processed meat, fried food, red meat, eggs
and soda, and less fsh, fruit, vegetables and whole grains.
Metabolic syndrome, on the other hand, was defned as
having three or more of the following cardiovascular
factors: large waist circumference, high blood pressure,
high fasting glucose levels, low HDL (good) cholesterol
levels and high triglycerides (found in natural fats and
oil).
Study co-author Lyn Steffen, an associate professor
of epidemiology at the University of Minnesota School
of Public Health commented, People should eat a diet
rich in plant foods. I dont oppose meat, but they should
consume red and processed meat once or twice a week, not
once or twice a day.
source: nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus
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KerygmaMay2008 { 11}
AIR FRESHENERS MAY CONTAIN
HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS
i
nhale exhale. Do you smell that fresh air in your room or ofce brought
about by an air freshener? You might want to hold your breath after you
read this article, especially if youre pregnant.
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a US environmental
action organization, recently tested 14 diferent air fresheners. They found
out that 12 contained chemicals called phthalates, which can cause hormonal
abnormalities, birth defects and reproductive problems. The study found that
even those that had all-natural or unscented labels contained the hazardous
chemicals. NRDC tested aerosol sprays, liquids that emit continuous scent, as
well as solid fresheners.
Phthalates are found not only in fresheners but
also in cosmetics, fragrances, pharmaceuticals,
vinyl childrens toys, automobiles and
paints. These chemicals are known to
cause problems with production of
testosterone and have been associated
with reproductive abnormalities.
NRDC and other groups have
petitioned the US Consumer Products
Safety Commission to ban hazardous
phthalates in consumer products and
require that manufacturers provide
ingredients information on the label.
Source: simplesteps.org
CAMOTE TOPS A
POSSIBLE CURE FOR
DENGUE?
E
VERY YEAR, DENGUE CLAIMS LIVES IN OUR COUNTRY.
The debilitating viral disease, transmitted by
mosquitoes, usually peaks duting the rainy
seasons since the insects breed in damp, wet places.
But an effective dengue cure may be much simpler -- and
cheaper - than the costly hospitalization and medicines that
patients usually get.
A number of people have reported that boiling camote tops (talbos ng
kamote) in water and drinking the liquid bring immediate positive results in a
patient suffering from dengue. An email circulating around the Internet claims
that a seven-year-old girl, daughter of Engr. Lita Budlongan of Caloocan City, had
dengue and had a platelet count of 80. They used the said camote tops soup and,
the next day, the childs platelet was back to normal. Another similar incident
happened to the 15-year-old daughter of businessman Nepomuceno Salaga of
Sampaloc, Manila.
Wikipedia notes on its website that sweet potato tops are excellent sources
of antioxidative compounds, mainly polyphenolics, which may protect the human
body from oxidative stress that is associated with many diseases including cancer
and cardiovascular diseases.
Department of Health offcials, however, are wary in claiming that camote
tops may be an effective cure to dengue since no research has been conducted
to confrm its therapeutic properties. But for loved ones of those who may be
languishing from the disease, the camote top juice may be worth the try. Just
make sure that the patient gets professional medical treatment as well.
Looking for NEW FRIENDS? Go to www.kerygmafamily.com
FEAST
sn
a
p
sh
o
ts
Mass with Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD
Bo praying over the babies during the Feast of Sto. Nio
Lively praise and
worship
Praying together the Novena to Gods Love
Bo Sanchez preaches weekly at the
Feast held at the Valle
Verde Country Club
in Pasig on Sundays.
Three sessions take
place at 7:30 and
10:30 a.m. and the
youth gathering at
12:30 p.m.
he year 2006 was a significant chapter in my life. It marked the sixth year
since I was frst diagnosed with breast cancer. Doctors told me that if I
passed my annual physical tests this year then I can be declared cancer
free. I was both excited and anxious about my tests. But my world
collapsed when I got the results because they found abnormalities in my body. My
condition was far worse than what I had six years ago because they found a possible
lung problem, an abnormality in my bone, nodules (tumor) in my liver, and my cancer
antigen was elevated beyond acceptable limits. All of these meant that the cancer cells
were back.
By Malou Ferrer as told to Alvin Fabella
it
happ
ened
H
e
a
l
e
d

b
y

t
h
e

H
o
l
y

S
p
i
r
i
t
Listen to Bo Sanchezs PODCAST! Audio and Video available! www.preacherinbluejeans.com
No one in our family has ever been diagnosed with cancer. I did
not expect that I would have such a dreaded condition as cancer.
It was supposed to be an ordinary day in September during the
year 2000. I was lying down in bed when I accidentally felt a
lump in my right breast. That alarmed me so I immediately looked
for a doctor to have it checked.
I went to a hospital in Makati where our health card was
accredited. The doctor ordered a breast biopsy to determine if
the lump was benign or malignant. The results came out after
a week and it confrmed that I had breast cancer. The doctor
recommended that I immediately undergo mastectomy to treat
the cancer before it spreads further to other parts of my body. I
hesitated and decided to seek a second opinion.
Chemotherapy and Its Effects
I went to St. Lukes hospital for a second opinion. My second
doctor, after reviewing the results of my biopsy tests, confrmed
what cannot be questioned: that I had breast cancer.
However, his constant reassurance that my condition
was curable gave me some hope. He was very supportive and
accommodating with all my questions. He told me that it was
important that I pray for my healing for it is only God who could
truly heal me. The medical interventions are only His instruments
for my healing. As if to further reassure me, he shared that his
wife was also a breast cancer survivor. This further motivated me
to fght this disease.
I decided to undergo mastectomy one week later. I went
through a series of preliminary tests to determine if I could
handle the operation. Only then was I scheduled for mastectomy.
The actual procedure lasted for at least four hours.
I got out of the hospital after four days of confnement. The
next step was for me to undergo six sessions of chemotherapy.
Each session would cost me money but I got assurance from my
company that they would handle whatever expense that exceeded
my medical coverage. To me, this was a manifestation of Gods
hand at work.
I later realized that the fnancial hurdle was nothing compared
to the ill effects of chemotherapy to my body. I felt very weak
after the frst session. It also made me feel dizzy and gave me
the urge to throw up or vomit every time. I also experienced hair
loss after the frst session. These happened again when I had my
second and third sessions. I felt that my body couldnt withstand
such a treatment so I decided that the third session was going to
be my last one. It was a major decision not to continue with the
remaining three sessions but I got the support of my family.
A Miracle Helped Me Through
I regularly visited my oncologist to monitor the cancer in my
body. The doctor said that if my tests for fve consecutive years
would show no cancer signs or suspects then I can be declared
cancer-free. Hence, my annual tests were always a source of
anxiety for me. I would be required to undergo a battery of
tests which included bone scan and a lot of blood tests. I felt
restless during the tests. This made the bone scan procedure
more diffcult because I had to stay still while it was being done.
I became even more restless every time I waited for the results
of the tests.
However, God has been good since I would always get good
results from my tests.
But in 2005 I faced another trial. My menstrual period
suddenly became irregular so I decided to visit a doctor. The test
revealed that I had multiple polyps in my uterus. The doctor told
me that I needed to undergo a procedure to cure it. I told the
doctor that I needed more time to think about it.
I decided to pray about my condition frst rather than feel
depressed. A couple of weeks later, I requested for another round
of tests. Guess what? The test results revealed that I only had two
polyps in my uterus! Thus, I would not be required to undergo the
procedure.
I declared once again that God is truly a loving God.
The Turning Point of My Life
It was June of 2006 when I suffered another setback. I just took
my annual physical examination when my doctor called me. They
found a couple of issues from the recent tests.
First, my lungs showed some symptoms of being affected by
cancer. Second, my bones also displayed abnormalities. Third, they
found some lumps in my liver which were also cancer suspects.
Lastly, my cancer antigen level was beyond acceptable limits. All
these information confrmed that the cancer was back!
I became very depressed. And that negative emotion made
my condition even worse. I began to feel pains all over my body.
I felt very weak again. It started to affect my relationships with
my family and friends.
My only recourse was to pray and the Bible became a constant
companion. My battle cry was Hebrew 10:23 where it says, Let
us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering. I
trusted that God will be with me throughout this trial.
My doctor referred me to a liver specialist to look into the
lumps they found. The doctors recommendations were less than
encouraging when he told me the following:
I needed radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to destroy tumors
or lumps in my liver. This procedure would cost me around
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P250,000. He also told me that if the procedure would
not be successful on the frst try then it would have to be
done again after one month and Id need to pay another
P250,000 for the second try. For me, that meant it had to
be successful on the frst try because I didnt have enough
fnancial resource to cover for it.
After the RFA, I also needed six sessions of chemotherapy
which would cost around P80,000 per session.
The total estimated costs would be around P1 Million
and it did not guarantee my complete healing.
The recent developments shocked me. I didnt know what
to do. I decided to put all the options on hold and take time to
think about it.
The next day, I reported back to work as if everything was
normal. However, my body language showed otherwise. Our
general manager approached me and asked what was bothering
me. I simply told her everything since we always had the family
culture and openness in our offce. Our GM, without hesitation,
told me to look for the best doctor and not to worry about the
expenses. I still had a lot of hesitation despite her assurance.
I still felt that my body couldnt withstand chemotherapy like
when I frst tried it six years ago.
I decided to put everything on hold and just surrender to
God in the meantime.
The Day the Holy Spirit Took Control of Me
On October 28, 2006, I arrived home from a wedding at around
4 oclock. I suddenly had the desire to pray to God. I went to my
room and started to pray.
I recalled all the blessings I got from the Lord since I was
young. I felt very thankful as I realized how God loves me and
has poured out numerous blessings in my life until now. Then I
started talking to God in a very intimate manner. It was just like
talking to a good friend face to face.
Lord, I do not want to undergo the procedure. I just pray that
Your will be done. These words started my deep conversation
with God.
My prayer continued, Lord, I pray for healing for my
condition. Include me in the list of persons who received a miracle
from You.
Lord, cleanse me now.
I ask You to move right now. Perform a miracle in my life.
It was at that moment that I felt Gods hand touch my body.
It was followed by a series of involuntary movements my hands
started to shake wildly! They seemed to have a mind of their
own. My mouth slowly opened. Aside from that, I felt my tongue
sticking out and also felt like throwing up. It was something
which I couldnt control or stop. I vomited a teaspoonful of
brown-like soft substance which, to this day, I could not identify.
I was sure it was not anything I ate in the wedding I attended.
My shaking hands started to touch various parts of my body
from my hair, down to my back, then my stomach and other parts
where I had been feeling pain for the past couple of weeks.
I also began to speak in tongues as I continued to feel the
warmth of Gods touch.
Then I cried out the words, Lord, guard the windows of my
sins! At that point, my hands involuntarily touched my mouth
and it began to hit it. It also slapped my tongue which was still
sticking out. Then it started to rub my eyes, followed by my ears
and into my chest area which was near the heart.
Lord, please remove my pains, I continued to pray.
There was also a sudden change in the way my legs felt.
My legs had been feeling warm for the past few weeks but they
suddenly felt cold at this moment. Profuse sweating of my legs
followed.
Please help me fght the devil, were the next words I
blurted out. My hands continued to shake. Then I also started to
jog around my room as my hands continued to shake.
I noticed that it was already past 9:00 p.m. I felt so excited
so I called out to my family members. My brothers and mother
rushed to the room as they witnessed this unexplainable scene
right before their eyes. My niece, who also joined them, even
used her mobile phone to take a quick video of me while I was
doing my involuntary movements. For some unexplainable reason,
my hands suddenly moved to punch the back of my brother and
touch the neck of my sister. They later revealed to me that they
were feeling some pain for the past few days in those areas. And
the pains went away the moment my hands touched them.
As the night progressed, my movements started slowing
down and came to a full stop at around 3:00 a.m. I felt so weak
and fell into a very deep sleep right after, waking up at 7:00
a.m. the next day with so much energy. The body pains which I
had been suffering for the past few months were totally gone. I
strongly felt that the Holy Spirit healed me that night.
Its been almost two years since that amazing night. All the
pains that I felt prior to that night have not returned. My faith
in God continues to heal me from my condition every day. Each
time I pray and remember that moment, I always recall Hebrews
11:1, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence
of things not seen.
My battle cry was Hebrew
10:23 where it says, Let us
hold fast the profession of
our faith without wavering. I
trusted that God will be with
me throughout this trial.
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main
course
By Bo Sanchez
Watch Bo Sanchez in a new Internet Show MONDAY to FRIDAY at www.preacherinbluejeans.com
M
y dad, gene, spent an enorMous aMount
of tiMe with Me.
When I was a young boy, wed
jog together each day. He wasnt
a great jogger, mind you. All he
did was jog around his car a few times. After
the jog, hed sit down and Id sit on his lap
and wed read the newspaper together. Not
the front page, or the business section, or the
sports page but the comics page. Hed read it
for me and explain why it was funny.
This happened every single day.
As a boy, I remember looking forward to
spending time with him each night.
And every Saturday afternoon, hed say,
Bo, lets go out.
Wed go for a pizza. A hotdog-on-a-stick. A
bag of peanuts. An ice cream cone. Wed also
go to a toy store, play with the toys together
without buying a single thing. I didnt mind.
My hands may have been empty but my heart
was flled with Dads love.
He knew I loved pizza. So when Shakeys
opened for the frst time in the Philippines, he
said hed bring me there. The problem was that
it opened in faraway Angeles, Pampanga. But
to him, that was no problem at all. He drove
me there just so that I could eat pizza.
Its true. At the end of ones life, youre not
remembered by your great achievements. The
house you built. The job you had. The money
you earned.
At the end of your life, youll be remembered
*This articles introduction was taken from my blog entitled The Dad Who Brought Me Out
for Pizza. For the complete article, check out www.bosanchez.ph.
by how you loved in small ways. Whether you
brought your son for pizza or not. My father did.
Im thankful Dad made time to be with
me.*
GIVE PRIMARY TIME TO PRIMARY
THINGS
Do you know that the number of messages
you receive in a day from advertisements,
articles, columns, comic strips, text messages
and billboards along EDSA are more than all
the messages received in an entire lifetime by
a person who lived 200 years ago?
All the devil has to do is to distract us so
that we would not be centered on the Lord.
Janet Luhrs insightfully said, Theres
really a time famine in this world. But our time
famine is really an intimacy famine.
Time famine is an addiction, a drug. We
like it because its so much easier to be busy
than to know ourselves and love others deeply.
Relationships take time to nurture.
If you slow down, you notice the little
things. The growing-up pangs your child
is going through. The telltale signs your
wife needs her pamper me moment. The
subtle way your husband says he needs to
retreat into his cave. The way your body
groans from the stress, lack of exercise and
unhealthy lifestyle youve gotten used to.
Give primary time to primary things your
family, your health, your life.
KerygmaMay2008 { 17} Want your own PDF/Digital Copy of Kerygma Magazine? Join www.kerygmafamily.com
STOP HURRYING
In Africa, people celebrate Sunday Mass for four hours.
Here it takes us only an hour, and if the Mass goes on
overtime, we complain, Ang haba naman (Its too long).
But in Africa, people there feel that its an insult to God to
hurry at Mass. The celebration of Mass is sacred.
I believe that all of life is sacred, not just the Mass.
Thats why we should slow down.
Two hundred years ago, Christian missionaries traveled to
their mission sites on ships. There were no planes back then.
Theyd spend six months on these ships praying, reading,
resting, interceding, relaxing and spending time with God. When
they land, theyd start to preach and minister to the needs of
people. After a year, theyd hop back on the ship for another six
months of prayer and rest.
Todays missionaries live a different life, one that is afficted
with the hurry disease like the rest of humanity.
In my case, if I have to preach somewhere, I dont spend
six months on a ship. I hop on a plane and in three, six or even
12 hours, Im there. Then I rush to the airport to fy to my next
engagement. After a week of preaching, I hop back on the plane
and prepare for my next talk here in Manila.
There is something desperately wrong with this picture,
right?
Let me now tell you about the time my family and I went to
Baguio for a vacation. I took my computer so that I could write
my new book. I didnt write a single sentence. Instead, I lived
it. The whole week I played with my son, Bene, in the morning
and afternoon. And every evening, I had a romantic date with
my wife.
Can you believe it? A date with my wife every night.
That was the highlight of the week.
It was so glorious, my wife and I decided to carve out some
time for each other every day. Just to take a quiet walk around
the block. Or talk with each other in the living room.
When we arrived from our trip, we continued to have those
nightly chats.
Life is too precious and beautiful! We shouldnt hurry!
SOME STRATEGIES FOR SLOWING DOWN
Im sure youve gotten used to living a fast-paced, turbo-charged
life.
Guess what? You dont have to. You can choose to slow
down and live your life purposely, instead of letting it just pass
you by in a blur of busyness and activity. Here are some helpful
strategies to get you started:
1. When little irritations come, say, Im where God wants
me to be.
I was at the airport for another mission trip. My 10
a.m. departure was delayed to 5:30 p.m. Im telling
you, there was wailing and gnashing of teeth. And this
battalion of angry passengers attacked this hapless
airline representative at the counter, demanding
for an explanation.
There was a time when I wouldve been part of that
grumbling crowd. Not anymore. Ive realized that
delays are Gods gift to me so I could slow down,
relax and live life. So, I took that seven precious
hours of free time to do what I wanted to do
pray, read, walk around the airport, drink coffee,
call up friends and prepare some talks. It was a
lovely time.
2. Live one day at a time.
Imagine if you had a general checkup with the
doctor and after one week, the doctor calls up and
says, I have good news and bad news for you.
You get worried and you ask the doctor, Whats the
good news, doc? The doctor said, Youre sick and
you only have seven days to live. Doc, I thought
it was good news! I only have seven days to live
so how can that be good? So whats the bad news
then? The doctor says, Ive been contacting you
these past six days and couldnt get hold of you.
Youre going to die tonight.

Imagine youre that person. You will live only until
tonight.
If you had only one day to live, how would you live
it? Would you watch a noontime show on TV? Would
you read the papers? Would you play video games?
Would you spend time with your children? Would
you spend a long time praying?
3. Leave your work in the offce.
Go home and leave your work behind you. Put your
cell phone to silent mode and leave it that way
for two hours. Unhook from technology for certain
hours of the day.
4. Take Sabbaths.
Take a much-deserved rest. Writer Joseph Campbell
aptly wrote, You must have a room and a certain
hour of the day where you do not know what is in
the morning paper. At frst you may think nothing
is happening. But if you have a sacred space, take
advantage of it and use it every day. Something
magical will happen. Find your sacred space and
spend time there each day.
When people ask me if Im very busy, I answer yes
and no.
Yes, in a year I preach 300 times, write 200 articles plus
two books and ride a plane every week. Im also part of the
leadership of four organizations.
BOS ACTION
STEPS:
In the midst of our hectic
life, Jesus gives us this invitation:
Come with me by yourselves to a
quiet place and get some rest (Mark
6:31). In our busyness, there are
times we even forget to eat. As
Jesus invites us to rest, He not only
desires to nourish our bodies but to
feed our souls as well.
1. Come with me Spend time
with Jesus in prayer and refection.
This way, you can rest your spirit in
His presence.
2. by yourselves to a quiet
place. Set aside a sacred time
during the day and spend time with
God in silence. Go to a quiet place
the adoration chapel in your
parish, a secluded place in the park
near your home or your bedroom.
Your soul needs the comfort of a
quiet place.
3. and get some rest. Find
true rest in the bosom of the Lord.
But, no, Im not busy. Im not too busy to pray. Im not
too busy to play with my sons every day. Im not too busy
to take my wife on a romantic date each week. Im not too
busy to text her sweet nothings every day. Im not too busy
to embrace her every day. Im not too busy to visit my mom.
Im not too busy to spend time and laugh with old friends
over pizza.
Why?
Because life is beautiful. That is why it is worth savoring
every single moment.
KerygmaMay2008 { 19 } Looking for NEW FRIENDS? Go to www.kerygmafamily.com
We sincerely thank Paolo Juan Miguel Maipid for being our model in this
issues Main Course. He is actively involved in Gawad Kalinga Foundation.
special
section
by Cristy
Galang
Watch Bo Sanchez in a new Internet show every weekday at www.preacherinbluejeans.com
H
e wasnt suffering from
any serious disease like
cancer or Heart problem.
He just wanted to die. He
felt he had no more reason to live.
And he strongly willed to die. With his
lost appetite, he barely ate his food and his
body declined for lack of nourishment until
he was brought to the hospital. The doctors did
what they could dextrose, NGT and hospital care,
but he did not improve. In less than two months, he
died in the hospital. His death certifcate said he died
of cardiac-pulmonary arrest. But the real cause of his
death was depression.
Aside from direct suicide, the loss of the will to
live is the more fatal effect of depression. Other effects
like withdrawal and low self-esteem are likely to be
less fatal but equally harmful. Being so discouraged or
demotivated or bored with life pulls down self-esteem.
Then self-confdence is lost, self-pity comes in, and
one just yearns to get away from other people. Its
too much for the depressed to have to socialize with
people so they escape in their own world in their
daydream, their own novels, music, television, DVD
or what other little world they can create. Drugs
and alcohol can be on the list, too. Physical illness
is another effect of depression. Thats because with
depression, the immune system goes down and the
body is not able to fght viruses and other diseases
effectively. Unhappiness is also an effect of depression
and usually we see ineffciency, underachievement and
dependency on others in a person who is depressed.
WHY PEOPLE GET DEPRESSED
All of us are candidates for depression. We are all
victims to lifes stresses, our own emotions, our own
thoughts, as well as our own weaknesses. This is
where depression can spring from. Let me cite
them one by one.
1. Stress and signifcant loss.
Experiencing death of a loved
one or incapacitating sickness
or prolonged illness or
prolonged fnancial instability
or battle with the law, like
major legal problems, are some
major life stressors that can
lead to depression. In the time
of the Great Depression in 1929
when the stock market crashed
nationwide and many banks
closed, some millionaires who
went bankrupt lost their homes
and massive suicides were reported
because their
depression was
to the point of
despair.
2. Anger. When
emotions are
suppressed or downplayed
habitually, anger builds up.
Some behaviorists defne
depression as anger turned
inward. The formula starts
with hurt feelings which
the person suppresses or
downplays. When theres a lot of
suppression, tension mounts
inwardly and at the base of it is anger. Several
depressed people do not even know or admit they
have deep anger. And those who are aware of their
anger sometimes feel its wrong to be angry and so
they blame themselves for the feeling. Again they
keep it inside until depression sets in.
3. A by-product of physical illness, medical
treatment and other biological causes. People
whove gone through surgery, especially major
surgery or those with chronic physical discomfort
like arthritis, headaches, cancer, or any ongoing
illness are vulnerable to depression. Whenever
I go on hospital visits to pray with the sick, I
commonly encounter patients who are depressed.
Women who go through depression after child
birth (post-partum depression) belong to this
category, also those who experience depression
as part of their monthly period. Cases of low-
grade depression due to lack of sleep, insuffcient
exercise, poor diet, etc. confrm that depression
has biological causes. Let me mention also that
some medicines can have depression as its
side effects.
4. How we think. Do you believe
in the statement how we think
determines how we feel? Well,
this works for depression.
People who always look at the
gloomy side of life or are plain
negative thinkers, pessimistic
and prophets of doom can end
up depressed.
5. Helplessness. Old people
who lose their former stature of
being in control can despair
or fall in depression. Goals that
are beyond reach can also bring
Want your own PDF/Digital Copy of
a
re you just Having tHe blues or are you experiencing a depression? Take
the test to fnd out.
1. Do you feel sad, miserable, in a low mood, and empty?
2. Do you suffer from quick mood swings, from very high
to extreme lows?
3. Do you cry a lot (crying spells) or feel like you want to
cry?
4. Do you feel irritable, restless, agitated, and cant
relax?
5. Are you apathetic and lacking in motivation?
6. Do you worry too much?
7. Do you feel anxious?
8. Do you get tired easily or feel exhausted for no apparent
reason?
9. Do you have changes in sleep patterns: sleeping too
much, too little or disturbed?
10. Have you lost or gained weight because of changes in
appetite (loss of appetite or excessive cravings)?
11. Have you lost interest in activities you previously
enjoyed?
12. Do you have diffculty concentrating/focusing,
remembering or making decisions?
13. Do you have diffculty doing everyday, trivial things?
14. Do you withdraw from or avoid social activities like
going out with your friends?
15. Do you feel unworthy, inadequate, like a failure and
helpless without any obvious reason?
16. Do you feel guilty and put yourself down?
17. Do you feel hopeless and pessimistic about your
situation or future?
18. Do you feel life is not worth living?
19. Do you have recurrent thoughts of killing (suicidal
thoughts) or harming yourself ?
TEST SCORES
If you had less than 5 Yes answers, you could have low-level depression
or its beginnings.
If you had 5 or more Yes answers, you could be depressed (moderate to
high-level).
(Note: Duration of experience is two weeks or longer to qualify as
depression.)
According to the American Psychiatric Association, a patient must
exhibit at least fve of these symptoms to be diagnosed as having
depression.
Its normal to feel sad or irritable for it is part of being human. But
when these emotions persist for a long period of time and one cannot
function properly it interferes with family and work life it can be
a sign of an illness or disorder.
This is only a self-assessment test. If you suspect that you may
be suffering from depression, seek professional assistance for further
evaluation.
By Judith Concepcion
depression to
someone who
cannot accept it.
An example would be
a suitor who cannot get the
yes of a woman he is courting.
HOW T O D E T E C T D E P R E S S I O N
Many people go through their lives not knowing
they are depressed. Let me share the simple
checklist below to help determine your potential
vulnerability to depression.
These are signs you can look for to spot depression:
1. Sadness often accompanied by pessimism and
hopelessness, especially if it occurs at a prolonged
period of time;
2. Apathy and inertia so that the person cant seem
to face decisions or move on;
3. General fatigue along with loss of energy and a
lack of interest in work, sex, religion, hobbies, or
other activities;
4. Low self-esteem, frequently accompanied by
self-criticism and feelings of guilt, shame,
worthlessness, and helplessness;
5. Loss of spontaneity;
6. Insomnia and diffculties in concentration;
7. Loss of appetite.
HOW TO SNAP OUT OF IT
For clinical or severe depression see a psychiatrist. He
may also refer you to a psychologist.
For moderate depression see a counselor
or psychologist. Sometimes they may refer
you to a psychiatrist also.
When depression is caused by
anger, it helps to do the following:
1) Set boundaries. Let people
know your distinctive self. For
example, if youre usually asked
to do things for others, know
that you can say no or later
and that you dont always have
to follow unsolicited advice. Its
nice to be branded supportive
but realize that cooperating with
others should not be at your own
expense. Sometimes you have your
own legitimate agenda and you
should let it be known.
Pop Quiz:
Are You
Depressed?
2) Be assertive. This goes
hand in hand with setting
boundaries. It is the
practice of remaining
frm about your needs
and convictions but
taking into
consideration the
needs of others,
too. Assertiveness
does not mean
d o mi n a t i n g
others or being
har d- headed.
It simply means
being genuinely you without
trespassing on others boundaries.
3) Forgive. This means accepting that not everyone
will respect the boundaries you set and though you will
not allow yourself to be controlled by them, neither
will you be angry and resentful about it. To forgive
means deciding to focus away from others insensitivity
or inconsideration but instead moving on. The key
word here is to think differently, not act differently.
Romans 12: 2 says, Dont let yourselves be shaped by
the world where you live, but rather be transformed
through the renewal of your mind. You must discern
the will of God: what is good, what pleases, what is
perfect. Let this guide you.
For all others in any type of depression and as a
guideline for non-depressed people who should keep
away from it, try this:
1. Trust in God. I believe that deep depression
will have no place in the heart of one who is
anchored in God.
How long must I bear pain in my soul.
And have sorrow in my heart all the day?
But I have trusted in thy steadfast love;
My heart shall rejoice in thy
salvation (Psalm 13: 2,5).
2. Expect discouragement in
life. Forewarned is forearmed.
When we adopt a realistic
view of life,
a c c e p t i n g
that there will
be problems
not that we invite
them, but that we
admit to ourselves
that life is not a bed
of roses the blows
of discouragement will
be cushioned when it
creeps up our door.
3. Learn to handle
anger and guilt. Our emotions
should not be our boss. We can
conquer them by learning how
to constructively respond to it.
The formula I mentioned earlier on:
setting boundaries, assertiveness and being
forgiving is an effective way to handle anger.
Of course, it is a process that may take us
many months or years to learn. As long as
we are going through the process, theres
progress, theres growth and were farther
away from depression.
4. Challenge your mind. As I was discussing
forgiveness earlier, I was applying this step. I
was putting the challenge to think differently.
We know that one cause of depression is
cognitive, so to fght it is to train our minds
to think differently.
5. Find support and reach out. Even monks
and contemplatives have each other.
Total isolation is not healthy and invites
depression. We grow and mature from healthy
relationships. a relationship characterized
by give and take.
6. Encourage physical ftness.
This is to ward off the biological
causes of depression. A healthy
body can equal a healthy mind.

Sources: Twelve Steps to Managing Depression,
author unknown. Christian Counseling by Gary
Collins.
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D
ont we all experience getting the blues? And sometimes, no
matter what we do, we just cant shake it off?
From the clinical point of view, if we experience at
least fve of the symptoms of depression for a minimum
of two weeks and if our relationships and work are affected, then
we are depressed. In this interview, Dr. Elizabeth E. Rondain, a
psychiatrist at the Makati Medical Center for 17 years, explains
the different types and levels of depression and some points on
how to cope, survive and manage our depression.
Lets start with the different types and levels of depression.
What are these?
Dr. Rondain: Ill try to explain it as
simply as I can. First, there is major
depression, which is the most serious
type of depression in terms of number
and severity of symptoms. The symptoms
include loss of sleep, loss of appetite,
too much sleeping, too much eating,
feeling tired/fatigued even early in the
morning upon waking up, slowness in
movement or psychomotor retardation,
suicidal thoughts, loss of concentration,
and many others. Five such symptoms
should be present and experienced
by the patient for a period of at least
two weeks to be able to classify it as
depression. (Editors Note: Refer to page
22 for a checklist of the symptoms of
depression.) Then theres the bipolar
disorder, which is a mix of mania and
depression. The patient exhibits manic symptoms, the opposite
of depression. The patient is hyper-talkative, hyper-active,
doesnt want to go to sleep, very productive, but can also be very
irritable, quarrelsome, argumentative or physically assaultive.
After going through a manic period, the patient then goes into
depression. Next is dysthymia, a low-grade chronic depression,
where the patient exhibits mild symptoms of depression but over
a period of at least two years. We also have cychlothymia, a
lesser degree of bipolar disorder, in which the symptoms of mania
and depression are present to a lesser degree. In both dysthymia
and cychlothymia, people can still function at work, but they
need to exert a lot of effort to function well.
Given all these types and levels
of depression, how can one cope?
When does one need to seek help?
If one doesnt seek help, what are
the dangers?
Dr. Rondain: There are many ways of
coping. First is to seek help especially
if the person cannot function at work,
is disruptive at home, and is getting
suicidal or simply having suicidal
thoughts. If the depression is severe
but the patient does not seek help,
he can go into psychosis or attempt
suicide, or because his relationships
and work are affected, its possible
that he could be terminated at work,
or worse, his spouse may abandon
him.
In our country, there is
special
section
An Interview with Dr. Elizabeth E. Rondain
by Tess V. Atienza
{testimony}
Getting Out of the Blues
As to other forms of
self-therapy or self-
help regimen to get
out of depression,
one should get regular
exercise, avoid alcohol
and drugs, reduce
coffee intake, eat a
balanced diet, get a
support system (like
friends, family).
still a stigma attached to people who go to a
psychiatrist. They are thought to be mentally
ill. This is because of the lack of education or
awareness about the topic of depression. Of
course, there are other professional helpers a
depressed person can go to, like a counselor or a
psychologist. The difference is that a psychiatrist
can prescribe medications when needed, while
the counselor or psychologist cant.
Can one employ self-therapy?
Dr. Rondain: Just as in any ailment, awareness is
a precious key toward healing. Therefore, whether
one seeks professional help or not, it helps if
the patient and his caregivers know the basics
of his ailment. As to other forms of self-therapy
or self-help regimen to get out of depression,
one should get regular exercise, avoid alcohol
and drugs, reduce coffee intake, eat a balanced
diet, get a support system (like friends, family).
Praying surely helps and, for some, letting out
ones thoughts in a diary or journal can be very
helpful and illuminating.
Does depression completely go away, or does it
come back after some time?
Dr. Rondain: Illness-related depression, such as
hypothyroidism and diabetes, depression after a
stroke, coronary bypass surgery, and post-partum,
normally go away when the principal ailment is
eliminated. In most other cases, depression
comes back after some time, usually when theres
crisis, changes, adjustments or transitions in
ones life. Only in a small number of cases does it
completely go away.
Can one survive a depression? When can you say
that a person is over it?
Dr. Rondain: Yes, one can survive a depression.
The basic gauge would be when he is able to
function well at work and is able to maintain
healthy relationships. And thats our aim as
psychiatrists the wellness of our patients for
a healthier world.
Dr. Elizabeth E. Rondain is a long-time psychiatrist at the
Makati Medical Center. She also teaches at the Center for
Family Ministries (CeFam), a ministry undertaken by the
Society of Jesus and its lay partners. CeFam seeks to
promote family well-being, healing and growth. Their
services include counseling for individuals, couples and
families; marriage preparation (pre-CANA) and parenting
seminars; academic programs and trainings for persons
engaged in pastoral care of couples and families.
Contact CeFam at 426-4289 up to 92 or cefam@admu.
edu.ph. You may also visit their website www.ateneo.
edu/cefam.
By Anthony Lim, M.D.
Depression can hit anyone at any given time.
Thats why its important to know if your
personality type is inclined to be depressed.
Clinical depression is a very common disorder and afects both men and
women equally. It is also very prevalent within families. Although its cause
is still unknown, several theories are being proposed:
1. Psychological theory circumstances wherein an individual
experiences an early loss like loss of a spouse or child, poor
parenting, punitive superegos (such as very conceited people
who are actually insecure inside) and extreme feelings of guilt.
2. Biological theory this theory involves the hypothalamic-
pituitary-adrenal-thyroid axis, the endocrine organs in the body
that regulate hormones. The hormone called noradrenaline is
responsible for boosting our energy level, while serotonin makes
us relax and slows our system. Most prescription drugs manipulate
these hormones to control depression.
3. Genetic theory reports based on the Stella Chess Studies show
a predisposition of an individual to depression if someone within
the same family has the disorder.
How do you know if you have it?
Clinical depression presents in a variety of signs and symptoms wherein an
individual displays a marked change in mood, a deep feeling of sadness,
and a noticeable loss of interest or pleasure in activities he previously
enjoyed. Symptoms must however be present for at least two weeks
before being considered a potential sign of depression.
American psychiatrist Hagop S. Akiskal described seven groups of
depressive traits:
1. Quiet, introverted, passive and non-assertive;
2. Gloomy, pessimistic, serious and incapable of fun;
3. Self-critical, self-reproaching and self-derogatory;
4. Skeptical, critical of others and hard to please;
5. Conscientious, responsible and self-disciplined;
6. Brooding and given to worry;
7. Preoccupied with negative events, feelings of inadequacy and
personal shortcomings.
Patients with clinical depression would complain of chronic feelings
of unhappiness, admit low self-esteem and fnd it very difcult to discover
anything about which they are joyful, hopeful or optimistic in their lives.
They are likely to put down their work, themselves and their relationship
with others. Their appearance refects their mood where they present
with poor posture, depressed faces, hoarse voice and sometimes even
psychomotor retardation (or a marked slowdown in their thoughts and
actions).
Source: Kaplan and Sadocks Synopsis of Psychiatry 6
th
edition.
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ARE YOU PRONE
TO DEPRESSION?
HEALED
IN GODS
OWN
TIME
A listening ear, full support
from loved ones and
faith in the Divine Healer
will help you overcome
depression.
Editors Note: Our subjects for this story requested to be
anonymous. The names used in this article are not their real
names.
special
section
I
m goIng out, saId don, I cant sleep agaIn.
Do you want me to go with you? Stella
asked.
No need. Go back to sleep, he replied.
It was another sleepless night for Don. He had
been tossing and turning in bed for several nights already.
It upset him that sleep evaded him. In the past few nights
he had been going out in the middle of the night to fnd
something to do eat goto (porridge) or drive around.
He had shifting moods. Some nights hed get angry with
himself and cry. After crying, hed lash out at himself again.
Though Stella observed that something was wrong with
her husband, she avoided bringing the matter up with him.
She was then in the second trimester of her frst pregnancy,
and she chose not to be afected by his strange behavior,
thinking she didnt need the added stress.
When she woke up the next morning, she found him
sitting on the bed wide-awake. I havent slept again, he
said.
Don was showing
signs of depression and
Stella knew it. Once she
tried to talk him into
seeing a doctor, but it
only ended in a heated
discussion. Don knew,
too, that something
was wrong with him, and not knowing what it was caused him
further frustration.
The couple lived in a tiny apartment then. Stella says that
they even had to move to her mother-in-laws house for a few
days for a change of environment, if only to help him get some
sleep.
Then he had this feeling of getting sick every now and
then, says Stella, and he started reading my medical books.
She was a physical therapy graduate, and had kept her books for
sentimental reasons. Don tried to fnd answers in those books
and read up on so many illnesses and their causes. Stella says he
used to suspect he had whatever illness he read about. Once he
had a white streak on both arms and he experienced numbness
on his hands and feet. When he felt like he was having a heart
attack, he believed he could be sufering from angina a
medical condition in which lack of blood to the heart causes
severe chest pains. They consulted a cardiologist. Later on, they
went to see a dermatologist and a neurologist. In each of those
consultations and medical tests that he underwent, he was
negative of any illness. It was as if his physical symptoms were
psychosomatic, and that brought about paranoia.
I recall going to the E.R. with him in the middle of the
night to have those symptoms checked, Stella narrates. He
had himself CT scanned without prescription. Every doctor
we consulted told us to see a psychiatrist. And naturally, Don
refused to accept that his was a psychological case. This pattern
of sleeplessness, feeling ill, and going to the hospital happened
in a span of two months. But his bouts of depression lasted for
nearly two years.
During those trying moments, Stella says she resolved
to treat him as she would any normal person. Because of her
knowledge and experience in the medical feld, she took things
in stride.
I had seen psychiatric cases, and he
was far from it, Stella says. I saw that he
was trying to solve his problem. He wrote
down his thoughts in a little notebook that,
to this day, I havent read. She adds, I was
pregnant and it wasnt easy dealing with
him in that condition. I couldnt even aford
to be emotional about it. I wouldve ended
up being depressed, too. I simply gave him
{testimony}
By Nova Arias
a listening ear when he needed to vent.
When their son Andrei was born, Don thought the presence
of his child would heal him instantly. It didnt happen. He felt the
baby was a complete stranger. Stella recalls that he changed
the babys diaper only once. It was all me waking up every two
hours to feed Andrei and change his nappies. He seldom carried
him because he was so afraid to drop him, and I understood
that.
Soon, Don agreed to see a psychiatrist. The doctor
diagnosed him with depression. His advice to Don: Go out
and run. Don couldnt take that he was sufering from that. He
requested to be put on Prozac, and it became his comfort pill.
Later, he agreed to attend sessions with the doctor, but after
fve meetings, he quit.
Though she kept her faith, Stella says that when she was
in that situation, she couldnt even pray. It was a one-day-at-
a-time thing, and in one day, it was full... like you couldnt pray
anymore because youve got a lot going on in your mind. But
we tried attending Sunday services.
With Andrei around, Stella went about each day as if
nothing was wrong. In her mind, Don was old enough to face
his problem, and he needed to solve it on his own. One day, he
just said NO no to what he was going through, no to Prozac.
He got into a hobby (remote control cars and the like) to keep
him preoccupied when he wasnt at work, and little by little, he
got better. Today, over eight years since that episode began,
Dons condition is normal as normal could be.
A listening ear and her full support for Don helped them
beat depression. When he wanted to eat out in the wee hours
of the morning, I joined him. When he wanted to go to the
hospital even if there was no need for it, I went with him. I didnt
even give him advice because that angered him. Stella says
that sometimes, doing what you think is the ideal solution for
a depressed loved one doesnt help at all. With Don, she had to
show him that she was just all right, that she wasnt shaken by
his condition, so that he, too, would keep himself together.
Don says he realized years later that his depression stemmed
from his anxieties about being a father. He grew up without his
father, and resented him for leaving them behind. Because of
this, he was apprehensive about becoming a parent since he
didnt really know what a father should be like. He believes its
impossible for a depressed person to not know why he gets
depressed. I knew it all along, says Don, but I was in constant
denial.
Since Dons depression was not severe, Stella says how she
dealt with her husband may not apply to other families whose
loved ones are sufering from extreme psychological cases.
Thats a diferent ballgame that involves a lot of sacrifce, she
states.
Her experience in physical therapy was enough for her to
deal with the situation calmly. She kept her patience with and
had no expectations of her husband. But she defnitely knew
that there was one goal to reach: to help him get well. And that
was what she focused on.
Today, in gratitude for overcoming that trying experience,
the couple, together with their son, actively serves in their
Christian church. Stella believes it was divine intervention
that put things into place. Though Dons healing was slow, she
strongly states, Everything has its own time... Dons healing
came in Gods own time.
For more info call Mitzie @ tel no. 4117874 to 77
(And
Becoming
a Wounded
Healer)
By Danny Mendiola as told
to Tess V. Atienza
I Am an Ex-Priest
f
or more tHan 30 years, i kept it a secret. Only my family,
my parish priest and my immediate superiors in my
previous jobs knew about it. Why did I keep it a secret?
It was the only way I thought I could get by after I
left the priesthood. But hiding my real identity has caused me
depression then and until now.
By Gods design and through the confuence of recent
events in my life, I am now sharing my story to acknowledge
and reclaim that part of my life that I have hidden for so long.
Perhaps it is Gods way of healing me of my recurring depression
so I may be free to live out His purpose for the remaining years
of my life.
Living with My Dilemma
I entered the seminary because my parents could not send me
to college. A priest offered a scholarship in the seminary. I
bloomed intellectually but not emotionally. I already had
doubts whether I was meant for priesthood. I wanted to leave
but could not decide I felt I was too young to decide and
I wanted the decision to come from my superiors. But they
said, Youre doing well. Thats just a temptation. You stay. My
parents said, Nakakahiya! (Its a shame!)
I stayed, and at 26, I was ordained a priest. When the
honeymoon stage waned, doubts about my vocation revisited
me even as I performed my priestly duties well. I felt restless,
unhappy and imprisoned, unable to do what I wanted to do. At
that time I had desires of raising my own family even if I didnt
have a girlfriend. Two years into my ordination, I requested for
a leave of absence to sort things out, but my superior said, Oh,
maybe you just need a boost
in your academic life.
So he sent me to Manila
to study. The guidance
counseling course that I
took helped me see that
I was not really meant for
priesthood. Still, I could
not decide to leave and I
lived with my dilemma for
fve more years.
In August 1976, a
very strong earthquake hit
Mindanao. The building I
was staying in collapsed.
Fortunately, I was able
to escape. I gathered my
students and we helped
other victims. After a week
of doing that, I started
vomiting and had fever for
no reason at all. The doctors
did not fnd anything wrong
special
section
{testimony}
with me. But one perceptive lady doctor said, Father, you
better leave the city. You should not see any trace of the
earthquake. I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
I approached my superior and requested for a leave of
absence, not just to recover, but to think things through.
The words fnally came, Father, I want to leave the
priesthood. He approved my leave of absence.
I looked for a job to support myself but faced rejection
from many of the companies where I applied because of
my status. In between short-lived jobs that I was lucky
enough to get, I went through psychiatric tests, counseling
and guided retreats. These gave me the courage to make
a decision. When my one-year leave was up, I went back
to my superior and applied for a dispensation. Six months
later, it was granted.
Traces of an Unhealthy Childhood
Born during the war to a poor family, a middle child among
seven siblings, lacked parents affrmation and attention,
didnt excel much in school, and had to be content with
hand-me-downs these characterized my childhood. I
came out of it with a very low self-esteem, prone to self-
pity and introspection. When a problem came my way, the
frst thing I would do is to think of the worst scenario.
Unknowingly, a lot of unresolved issues were operating in
me and they affected the way I faced crises in my life.
Life After Priesthood
Finding a job was my frst priority after the priesthood. As
in the previous year, when potential employers learned that
I was an ex-priest, they told me to look for a job elsewhere.
One even said, Go to a priest, confess your sins and go
back to being a priest. It didnt make any difference to
them that I had my dispensation already. This caused me
so much pain and pushed me to hide my identity as an ex-
priest. I deleted it from my resume and buried it in a
secret corner of my heart.
A couple of years later, I got married and raised my
own family. My wife was, and still is, a blessing to me. She
gave me the much-needed support as I adjusted back to
being a layman.
Coping with Depression
I am not yet completely healed from my past hurts. I still
go into fts of depression and I cry to God, When will this
end? Why dont You just show Yourself and tell me what
to do?
Prayer, physical exercise, writing, talking to trusted
friends these are my coping mechanisms whenever I feel
depressed. I fnd joy in sharing my thoughts in my blogsite
(www.mytaketwo.com). I dont take anxiety-reducing pills
because of my allergies.
Wounded Healer
Just thinking what other people would say now that I
have decided to reveal my past causes me anxiety. A fne
priest once told me, It is not your obligation to explain to
the world why you left the priesthood. You left because it
wasnt for you. People evolve, and so do you. I fnd peace
in that thought.
These days, I am taking it slow as I recuperate from
my open-heart surgery last year. I nearly died of heart
attack while serving as a volunteer chaplain in a hospital
in Hawaii. Luckily, 911 came just in time.
Today, I serve as a volunteer counselor in our parish in
Quezon City. Seeing a counselee walk out of the counseling
room feeling hopeful about his life brings me hope, too.
Still, whenever I feel depressed, I ask God, Why didnt you
just let me die last year?
Now I know why. I still have a mission to fulfll. I have
become a wounded healer even as I slowly try to embrace my
lost identity and rise up from my own woundedness.
Danny (second from left) with CPE participants in Hawaii
Danny (second from right) with co-participants in Clinical
Pastoral Education in Hawaii
heroes
of
faith
An interview By Bo Sanchez
Back to God,
Back to the
Philippines
Rey Vargas, second-in-command
to Bro. Mike Velarde in El Shaddai,
fnds peace and fulfllment in
serving the Lord in his homeland
{bo}
sanchez
Bo: Bro, I heard that you belong to quite a big
brood?
Rey: Yes, Bo. I have 21 brothers and sisters.
Bo: Thats amazing.
Rey: And were all alive.
Bo: I admire your mom and dad, especially your
mom.
Rey: Thank you, Bo. You know my parents raised three
nuns and two priests among their brood of 21 children.
By the way, Im the youngest.

Bo: Rey, youre very humble. When Bro. Mike Velarde
is away, you take care of everything. What are your
responsibilities in El Shaddai?
Rey: In short, Im just Bro. Mikes helper. I follow what
he tells me to do. Im also in charge of training our
workers and I handle our preachers.
Bo: How many preachers are under your care?
Rey: In the Amorsolo group, we have around 100. As
for our preachers all over the Philippines, we have
around 500 to 600 preachers.
Bo: Wow! Thats amazing 500 to 600 preachers.
Rey: We also have some preachers outside the
Philippines. Before, they used to come here during
anniversaries to update their education, to attend
seminars and to join our retreats also.
Bo: You were telling me that before joining El
Shaddai, you were already in the United States with
your wife and two kids, and that you had a good
life there.
Rey: Yes, we were already stable because weve been
in the States for the past 12 years. All of us in the
family are American citizens. But when I met the Lord
Yahweh, I decided to come here to help Bro. Mike. I
wanted to be like him. I decided to come back with
my entire family.
Bo: Bro. Rey, many of our countrymen want to go to
the States, to look for greener pastures. And here
you are, youre all U.S. citizens in the family and you
decide to come home. Thats amazing. Thats quite a
sacrifce. And that is what I call a life decision.
Rey: Its a decision where you can feel a sense of
fulfllment. Theres peace. And you know, that sense of
fulfllment is much more important.
Bo: You know that money is easy in the States and
theres a provision and all of that, so how was your
experience coming over here and working for the
Lord these past nine years?
Rey: I came back home in 1999. Theres a big difference
in our way of life. Now we live by faith. Before, I used
to have a salary to budget and, at the end of the year,
you can decide if you want to go to some other part of
the world. But here, we dont budget because we have
to live by faith every day.
God is more than enough. I can really prove it
because its my experience every day. When I was in
the States, I had so many debts. Now, Im debt-free,
because God provides. God said in Ephesians, I will
give you everything you need.
Bo: Alleluia!
Rey: Whats most amazing is God really fulflls His
promises.
Bo: Thats the message for you trust in the Lord
and believe He is there to provide for you.
Bo: Bro. Rey, youre a fantastic preacher. Ive heard
you preach. Youre a very humble servant and I
dont think Bro. Mikes ministry would be this way
if you didnt have a great team behind him. Behind
every successful man is a team of humble people
who work hard. And youre one of those humble and
hardworking people .
Rey: Well, its so hard to work by yourself. Christ Himself
chose 12 disciples to work with Him. And thats why
its really good to work in a team. And thats one of
our secrets here. Even Bro. Mike really believes in the
importance of teamwork.
Bo: What a privilege to have a fellow missionary
and partner in the Lord share his life of service to
our readers. Thank you, Rey.
Rey: Thank you, too, Bo. Its also a privilege to be
with you.
w
hile many of our countrymen leave for greener pastures abroaD, here is one man who chose to Do
the opposite: go back home anD Do his share in builDing the kingDom of goD.
Bro. Rey Vargas , a humble and steadfast servant of God, serves in El Shaddai,
next in line to Bro. Mike Velarde. Know more about him in the interview below.

By Marjorie Ann Duterte
gawad
kalinga
Engineers Without Borders Find Love in a GK Village
t
He first time i came to barangay pinagsama in western bicutan in
july 2006, tHe slums area Here was just beginning to be transformed
into a gk community. The place was in a bit of a mess with
a concoction of wood, metal and cement waiting to be
put into their respective houses while their residents patiently
waited for three months in temporary makeshift shelters in the
middle of the road. Yet all were happy, the benefciaries and the
employees alike, along with their families who worked together
to give birth to GK Fuji Xerox Village in the city of Taguig.
What I distinctly remember coming here were the airplanes
fying overhead almost every twenty minutes because of its nearness
to the international airport. Who knew that the same airplanes
which regularly plied the skies of Fuji Xerox GK Village would actually
someday land lovely people from other parts of the world who will
happily call this GK village their Philippine home?
A year and a half later, I found myself back in the now fully
transformed GK community, with 17 Australians
and 2 Canadians, in tow. They were members
of Engineers Without Borders in Australia who
wanted to lend a helping hand. GK Pinagsama
had other homes in adjacent areas waiting to be
built and needed more volunteers.
Meeting of Cultures
Complete with a full Filipino festa
band and Mabuhay ladies, the EWB group
was greeted by all that was good about the
Philippines: fun music, good food and lots of
smiles. For most, it was their frst time in the country
and were pleasantly surprised to be welcomed so warmly.
Refreshed with the Filipino hospitality, the volunteers
nervously but eagerly awaited their would-be families who they
will be living with for a whole week. It was the frst time for
the GK residents to adopt foreign sons and daughters, and all
were excited. After some awkward nose-bleed moments trying to
understand each other, both parent and adopted child eventually
got to know each other in the language of love.
A week of cold showers using a dipper and bucket and their
lives were never the same, they said.
Being Cared For
They later shared how their
families gave the best of what little
they had. Their adoptive parents
cared for them as they would their
own children, making sure they had
something to eat and drink while
they built the septic tank under
the heat of the sun. The foreign
volunteers had never felt so much
concern that they felt they were children again. As one
volunteer would later joke, I would feel so unloved when I get
back to Sydney! after having kids clinging to his legs and arms
everywhere he went.
Many experienced love as they have never experienced
before. Some of their families insisted on sleeping on the foor
to give them their beds and they wouldnt take no for an answer.
Once, the GK residents
pooled whatever money they
had to buy Jollibee burgers
to feed them. They were
physically poor but they
were so rich in love. One
child who received a nice
necklace from his father as
a gift after he arrived from
work, right then and there
decided to give it to his
adopted foreign brother as
a souvenir. Such thoughtfulness and generosity from a four-year
old moved this brother to tears.
Language of Play, Language of Love
Our foreign volunteers, for their part, provided joy with their
warm and happy presence, bringing happy memories
to the whole community. Their kindness
brought formerly shy children out of their
shells who talked to them as both tried
to understand what the other was saying.
And then they understood each other in the
language of play and they played patiently with
them until they were exhausted. Still, there
were many nights spent building relationships
inside homes, sharing stories and forging bonds.
The GK benefciaries were truly enriched by the
cultural exchange and it has given them so much
confdence to face their struggles in life.
In turn, the benefciaries provided their guests with what
they needed most in their lives, flling the emptiness which the
volunteers would call emotional poverty so prevalent in most
Western countries. Some who did not believe in God opened
themselves up to the possibility that there is a loving power behind
all this. The love they felt made them miss their own families all
the more, making them eager to go home and share the love they
have received. Many realized, too, the numerous blessings in life
they had taken for granted, learning how to live simply so that
others in other parts of the world may simply live.
Their last night on the village was spent enjoying a sumptuous
feast of Filipino food with the whole community. The foreigners
surprised their families by preparing Australian desserts for them.
A fun program followed. A Hawaiian dance where the benefciaries
performed with their volunteers, most of whom were boys, who
gamely dressed in draw strings costumes and put makeup on,
brought the house down!
So it was not a surprise that their last day at Fuji Xerox GK
Village were flled with tearful goodbyes as they prepared for the
next leg of their journey to Sorsogon. After a week in Bicol, they
missed their host families so much that they went back to Taguig
and surprised them. It was a much needed reunion, the residents
later told me, since the community had been like a ghost town
after their guests left. Suddenly, there was life again.
I will never forget my Filipino family in Taguig, a volunteer
shared with me. Neither would they, I am sure.
Te Bo Sanchez
Soulfood Letter.
Receive Bos
weekly email letter
for FREE!
If you want to grow in your spiritual, family,
emotional, and fnancial life, each week
Bo Sanchez writes
Its consistently powerful, often funny, and
always inspiring.
By the way, its absolutely free.
Log onto www.bosanchez.ph now
and click on SOULFOOD.
Bo Sanchez
Catholic Lay Preacher
and Best-selling Author
I
HAVE GONE ON
A FAST MANY
TIMES. Most, if
not all my fasts
were request-based.
The fasts I offered
had to do with
beseeching God for
something. At each
mealtime, I prayed,
As I crave for food,
so I crave for this or
that breakthrough
to happen,
for this or that door to open. I got my prayer intentions
answered, albeit not always according to my specs.
As this year opened, I went on a fast but didnt ask for
doors to open. I just asked God to show me how I could
be more pleasing to Him. I asked, Where do I need to
grow, Lord? And I purposed to grow into that for the year.
Ooooooohlala, this was beginning to look like a holy
and halo-producing kind of a fast. I felt cozy. However,
my fangs came out when God began to point at something.
He pointed to something in me and named it self-righteousness.
I squirmed. Self -righteous? As in Pharisee? Seriously Lord? Cmon.
Agitatedly, I scribbled on my prayer journal. Lord, its not
really that its not so much self-righteousness as it is yadda yadda
yadda. (What was I doing? I was trying to adjust His spectacles
because He wasnt
seeing something right.)
Then I looked up
the concordance for
Pharisee. I got this.
Two men went
up into the temple to
pray, one a Pharisee
and the other a tax
collector. The Pharisee
stood and was praying
this to himself: God,
I thank You that I am
not like other people:
swindlers, unjust,
adulterers, or even
like this tax collector
(Luke 18:10-11).
Thank you that I
kitchen
scribble
am not like other people. Truth to tell, that sounds like me.
If Ive not actually said that out loud, Ive defnitely thought it.
To disrupt this train of thought confronting me, I left to
check on the coffee maker. When I got back to my desk, my
husband was playing some music as he got ready for offce.
A Gary Granada song was on and one line grabbed me by
the shoulders and shook me. At iadya Mo kami sa lahat ng
pagmamataas (And deliver us from all kinds of haughtiness.)
Sa lahat ng pagmamataas. Good grief, if the
end of the world came today, Id be in serious trouble.
Using Luke 18:10-11 and this song, God held
up a mirror to me that I might see my refection.
I looked into this mirror. Aaargh ang pangit! (How ugly!)
I saw in that mirror the many times I looked upon
other people critically. I saw myself evaluating other
peoples lives and deciding that they had bigger sins,
bigger faults, bigger character faws than my own.
God took my frst fast for the year seriously.
This year, God will show me other areas He wants
me to grow in. This year, He will surface the
unpleasing ways my heart is set. This year, He will
show me character faws that I tolerate and justify.
When in a jam like this, I pray in Pilipino. I scribbled,
Lord, Mayo pa lang ang dami mo pang ipapakita
sa akin sa mga darating na buwan. Naway biyayaan
Ninyo ako na huwag ko lang pagnilay-nilayan. Naway
biyayaan Ninyo ako na isabuhay ko. (Lord, its only
May. So many more months lie ahead for You to speak to
me. Grace me to not just refect on it. Grace me to live it.)
When you ask
the Lord to point
out your faults,
He doesnt mince
words.
{rosanne}
romero
Me, a
Pharisee?
With Catholic lay Preacher
Bo Sanchez
Every Sunday, 10:00 a.m.
Replay: Tuesday, 4:30 p.m.
on ABC 5
Cebu Catholic Television
Network Channel 47
Every Saturday, 6:30-7pm
Balamban Cebu ATD Cable
Channel 27
Mon, Wed, Fri and Sunday @
4:00pm
Replay on same day
@ 8 to 9pm
Tara Na Pinoy at Cable Link
Channel 18
Every Sunday, 8pm with
replay on Wednesdays,
9:30am
(Paraaque and Las Pias
areas only)
Free Channel : AITV 5 -
Sorsogon
Cable TV (Simulcast) :
Sorsogon DCTV 5 ES V 2
Juban Casiguran Irosin:
CCRV 5
Every Saturday and
Sunday, 6-7pm
Caseres Cable 9 and Local
channel TV5 Naga
Every Tuesday, 4:30-5pm
Get your i nspi r at i on on TV!
N
E
W

T
I
M
E

S
L
O
T
!
p
eople wHo Hear my talks say i am a funny speaker. According
to them, I make them laugh and touch their hearts at
the same time. For me, this is a gift that I have because,
many times in my life, I have experienced a God who
does just that. The Lord makes me laugh and touches my heart
in the most unexpected ways. Let me tell you one unforgettable
story.
But wait a minute, a little backgrounder frst
My name is Arun. From the way my name sounds, you
might guess that I am not purely Filipino. Arun is an Indian
name which means sun. Why do I have an Indian name?
Because my father is Indian. One hundred percent. He was born
and raised in New Delhi.
Here in the Philippines, we Indians are commonly called,
Bumbay (pronounced boom-bye). And many Indians who have
found their home in the Philippines are somehow associated
with the numbers 5-6, a colloquial term connoting the
business of lending money. In my talks, whenever I say that
I am a Bumbay, people will jokingly and automatically (but
perhaps unintentionally) blurt out 5-6!
These numbers have another great signifcance in my life
too. (And heres that story)
A number of years ago, at the start of the semester, when
I was still a college professor, I had a little fnancial problem. I
depleted my savings during the summer. And my birthday was
a few days away. I wanted to treat my whole family to dinner
but I did not have the budget. It was two weeks to pay day. I
rushed to our chapel and prayed, Lord, please move heaven
and earth and provide for me
The day before my birthday, I still had no money. As I was
coming out of my class, the man in charge of our salary greeted
me and directed me to go to his offce, and line up for our
clothing allowance. With the speed of light, I was there. The
allowance I received was P1,600. I went back to the chapel and
immediately thanked God for His provision.
That same night I had a talk in a community. After the
talk, I was handed an envelope with a love offering. I thanked
the leaders and slipped it in my pocket. After saying my
goodbyes, I was walking
to the car ready to go
home, when a lady ran
after me and gave me
another envelope. She
said she just wanted
to bless me with this
gift. I accepted it with
gratefulness. When I
arrived home, I opened
the envelopes and found
P1,000 in each of them.
I looked at all my money
that day and computed
P3,600. I smiled and
said, Lord, thank You!
This is more than enough
to treat my family to a
sumptuous dinner.
The next day, my birthday, I was still in bed when I was
awakened by the familiar song Happy Birthday. My family
came to surprise me. Right after their greeting, my wife handed
me an envelope saying someone gave it to her the previous
night as a payment for a service I gave months ago. I opened
the enveloped and, to my surprise, P2,000 was in it. I looked
up and laughed. God was greeting me happy birthday! And He
sure made me laugh by giving me P5,600.
My friend, the Lord knows your funny bone.
He tickles you by providing for you, by His
healing, by His embrace.
Look around.
Look at your life.
God is making you laugh!
k
prea
cher
The God of
Funny Bones
{arun}
gogna
HIGH IMPACT COMMUNITY
Seminar on Keeping People in Community
(June 21, Saturday, 8a.m. 5p.m.)
There is no such thing as a plateau community. It is
either you grow or you die. What do you think Jesus wants
your community to be dying and mediocre, or a growing
community? Strategies are important to grow a high-
impact community. This seminar will teach you the different
practical techniques to increase your members. Truths and
myths of how to grow in number while maturing in the faith
will also be revealed.
For reservations and inquiries, contact Noel Gayas at
(02) 8239546 or 0915-4493600 / 0928-2109765.
With Catholic lay Preacher
Bo Sanc hez
Every Sunday, 10:00 a.m.
Replay: Tuesday, 4:30 p.m.
on ABC 5
Cebu Catholic Television
Network Channel 47
Every Saturday, 6:30-7pm
Balamban Cebu ATD Cable
Channel 27
Mon, Wed, Fri and Sunday @
4:00pm
Replay on same day
@ 8 to 9pm
Tara Na Pinoy at Cable Link
Channel 18
Every Sunday, 8pm with
replay on Wednesdays,
9:30am
(Paraaque and Las Pias
areas only)
Free Channel : AITV 5 -
Sorsogon
Cable TV (Simulcast) :
Sorsogon DCTV 5 ES V 2
Juban Casiguran Irosin:
CCRV 5
Every Saturday and
Sunday, 6-7pm
Caseres Cable 9 and Local
channel TV5 Naga
Every Tuesday, 4:30-5pm
Get your i nspi r at i on on TV!
N
E
W

T
I
M
E

S
L
O
T
!
hats this? Are we married? Why are you
there? Were married, so we should be
together.
These words were spoken to me by
my husband John when I was in the province taking care of
my dad who was diagnosed with colon cancer. Even before we
got married, I was already managing a restaurant business, and
practicing my dental profession in the province where I grew up.
After our wedding, we settled in
Manila. I, however, continued
to go to the province from time
to time and stayed there for a
month or two to look after my
businesses.
I had no choice. I had to
help John because his salary
wasnt enough. Initially, this
setup did not pose a problem.
It became an issue when I
overextended my stay in the province because I had to attend to
the needs of my sick dad. This tested his patience for he felt that I
was not getting my priorities straight.
I thought that after this, our lives would run smoothly. But on
our second year, our marriage was put to a greater test.
THE REVELATION
It was 7 p.m. and John wasnt home yet. I called him on his
cellphone.
Im here in the doctors clinic for a checkup, John replied.
Why? I asked.
I suspect I may have STD because its painful when I urinate,
he replied.
You come home now! I said.
When he got home, we went straight to our bedroom. I confronted
him.
Meron kang ginawa (You did something.) I stated, not
asking.
Meron, he admitted.
I wanted to shout to release the pain but I had to suppress it
because my dad was just outside the room. So I just cried.
I knew it. More than a month ago, I had this queer feeling that
John was doing something not right.
I received a text message from him when he was out of town. I
promise to change, my dear. Yes, women should be loved, not hurt.
Johns confession that night confrmed my suspicions.
That same night I accompanied him to the doctor. We learned
that it was not STD; his urethra was just swollen.
one
last
story
By John and Ruth*
as told to Judith Concepcion
Our love and
commitment for each
other was tested.
Would we pass with
flying colors?
THE CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
I (John) was on an out-of-town
assignment when a friend and I went to a bar
to unwind. After several rounds of beer, I got
drunk. I had a one-night stand with a bargirl.
The following morning, I became aware of
the mess I got into. I regretted it so much. I
had no peace.
Two weeks after, I contracted chicken
pox. It was physically agonizing. As I fell into
depression, my sins began to haunt me. Was this punishment for my
unfaithfulness? This illness gave me time to refect. I felt that Ruth
deserved to know about it but I didnt know how to tell her.
A week after I arrived in Manila, I decided to confess my sin to
Ruth.

THE RESOLUTION
Through the suggestion and referral of a friend, John and I
underwent counseling. The counseling session helped us to be more
open to each other. John assured me that what happened was not
planned. I could see that he was truly sorry for what he did but it took
me several months before I was healed of the pain. We also discussed
our issues regarding our long-distance relationship.
I (John) realized that even if it was just a one-night stand, it
could ruin a relationship. I had broken my wifes trust in me and it
was diffcult to gain it back. By Gods grace, Ruth forgave me and
accepted me.
I decided to resign from my job and seek employment
opportunities in Ruths province so we could be together, have a baby
and build a family. Besides, my work had become too stressful and
risky.
Maybe the Lord allowed this to happen for there were lessons
we needed to learn. Our love and commitment for each other were
tested and, through Gods grace, we were able to pass the test with
fying colors. The trials helped us to mature. We saw the value of
trust, faithfulness, openness and sacrifce in order for our marriage
to work. We are now writing a new chapter in our married life, with
God as our co-author.
* Names have been changed as requested by interviewees
I PRAY THAT GOD LIFT YOUR TRIALS, heal your diseases,
bless your problems and direct you to the path He wants
you to take. I pray that God remove your fears and
give you the courage to surrender your burdens to Him.
So place your hand over my hand, and lets
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, specifcally, I ask You for the
following miracles for my life....
I believe that You answer my prayer in the best way
possible! And I thank You in advance for the perfect
answers to my prayers. I also ask for the special
intercession of Mama Mary. I pray all this in
the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit, Amen!
SPECIAL INTENTION FOR THIS MONTH:
Lord, You know how busy our lives are. Bless the readers of Kerygma with the grace to appreciate the timeless things in life.
May they give primary time to the primary things in life. May they never forget that life is sacred and that delays are Your
gifts. May they learn to carve out special times each day to be with You, to be with their loved ones, to fnd themselves. May
all these make them appreciate and enjoy life more.
Praying for you,
Email your prayer requests to me at bosanchez@kerygmafamily.com
or write to me at Shepherds Voice Publications, #60 Chicago St.,
Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines 1109.
receive your miracles
in Jesus name!
I pray that you
point
of
con
tact
{bo}
sanchez

20080501

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