Feast Bay Area Morning Bulletin for September 16 2018

talk 3: Limp
“Praise be to the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus christ, the Father
of compassion and the God of all
comfort, who comforts us in all our
troubles, so that we can comfort those
in any trouble with the comfort we
ourselves receive from God.”
–2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV
“therefore, in order to keep me from
becoming conceited, i was given a
thorn in my flesh, a messenger of
Satan, to torment me. three times i
pleaded with the Lord to take it away
from me. But he said to me, “My
grace is sufficient for you, for my
power is made perfect in weakness.”
therefore i will boast all the more
gladly about my weaknesses, so that
christ’s power may rest on me. that
is why, for christ’s sake, i delight in
weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in
persecutions, in difficulties. For when
i am weak, then i am strong.”
–2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NIV
“therefore, in order to keep me from
becoming conceited, i was given a
thorn in my flesh, a messenger of
Satan, to torment me. three times i
pleaded with the Lord to take it away
from me. But he said to me, “My
grace is sufficient for you, for my
power is made perfect in weakness.”
therefore i will boast all the more
gladly about my weaknesses, so that
christ’s power may rest on me. that
is why, for christ’s sake, i delight in
weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in
persecutions, in difficulties. For when
i am weak, then i am strong.”
–2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NIV
Personal Reflection and
Group Discussion:
as you lead, how can you grow more
aware of your own brokenness,
and your desperate need for God’s
mercy?
Serve with Your ScarS
September 16, 2018 / SUNDAY / Philippine International Convention Center
One day, i was cruising the coast of california. (Sorry, i alliterate
by habit. it’s the disease of preachers who’ve been speaking for
too long. i’ll do it four times in this tiny essay.)
i visited a friend who was in a drug rehab.
the guy running the center was an amiable african
american. he shared to me his story, “i took drugs for 12 years and i have been
sober for 9. i now help younger guys get off this poison.”
“Your brokenness blesses the brothers,” i said. “Being an ex-addict
helps you help them,” i added.
“absolutely,” he said. “Because no one can bullsh*t me. i know when
these dudes are lying. Because i had done it. and worse.”
i’m reminded of a truth i’ve been preaching for some years now:a in
your scars is a ministry waiting to be born.
Because God will use you in your brokenness.
today, you’ll learn to lead with a limp.
have an awesome Feast!
May your dreams come true,
BO SANCHEZ
wheN weaK iS StroNG
Imperfection is a gift. if only we could see it as such.
the world has always capitalized on strength. we want to be
the strongest, to be on top, to be the best, to be correct – because
strong is salable while weak is worthless.
But there's nothing wrong if you're not strong. in fact, there is great
strength when you admit that you're weak, when you admit you make mistakes,
when you admit you're not always right because it humbles you and it creates
room for God to work on you.
Your weakness makes you desperate for God, who is the only true source
of strength.
Paul says that God’s “grace is sufficient for you, for his power is made
perfect in weakness."
"therefore, i will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that christ’s power may rest on me.”
a person’s greatest strength only comes from his weakness that says, “i want God in my life.”
You will be blessed today.
in him,
AUDEE VILLARAZA

YOUtH SPEAkS
the Day I Joined YH
Alyssa Noelle D. Ocampo
Seventh-grader Alyssa Ocampo (left) is happy to meet new and old friends at YH.
It was Sunday, and i was so happy because we were finally
going back to attending the Feast for the first time this
year after a long, long while.
i was taking my sisters, toni and annika, to awesome
Kids Ministry (aKM), and as i filled up a few forms for
them, my former aKM teachers started asking me questions –how old i
was (i’m 12.), my grade level (i’m in Grade 7.)... etc.
then, i told tita rita Yokingco, aKM head, “tita, i’m going to
the session for aged 10-12.”
But she told me, “No, you should go to Youth high!”
i was a bit confused because what i knew about Yh then was that
you had to be 13 years old to join. But apparently, as long as you were in
high School, you get to join Yh already.
i didn’t want to be a misfit at aKM so i just called my mom. well,
tried actually. My data wasn’t working. tita rita managed to call her after
a lot of failed calls on Messenger. and with mom’s permission, well, i
attended my first-ever session of Youth high!
i can’t tell you how excited i was. i was running so fast just to
reach the venue. when i arrived, i felt a bit nervous. it felt like my first day
in my new school all over again. i suddenly considered going back to aKM
10-12.
But i’ve gone too far to turn back (literally.). why waste my
efforts? taking a deep breath, i stepped inside Yh. it was cold!
i quickly found a seat in the back, near the side where i could
be invisible. when we started the worship... wow! i never experienced
anything like it! the music made me feel so alive! it was so lively, i couldn’t
help myself but dance around just like everyone else.
Kuya tony was such a great preacher. his talk was so relatable,
i sometimes wondered if he was talking to me personally. his sense of
humor was also present, he kept me smiling throughout the talk.
as i’m writing this, i’d like to invite other people my age to join
Youth high. why should you? well, let’s just say, if you miss it, you’re
missing out on a great experience.
He Was Asking for too Much
Angel Cody Damian
Coffee. Maybe it was just the coffee and the chilly weather
when a certain Niko capucion asked me, "Eh ano anointing
mo?"
ate Nika, his wife, looked at me and nodded. and at that
moment, all the dreams i've established for four years, built
on tears and hard work, and strengthened with conviction, trampled in
that one question: "Eh ano anointing mo?"
at 16, never did i imagine that i'd have an existential crisis when
all my life, i've been so sure of what i wanted to be. an Atty. in my name
would be great. it sounds very professional and sophisticated. it makes you
sound so intellectually threatening and high up.
But he didn't want that. he wanted my heart. and my heart
which for so long, has beat in timing with his, whispered, "Ministry."
he was silent that night. the first night when he didn't utter a
single word or even whispered an affirmation.
Youth high. we do indeed win when we kneel. i was shouting at
him, "You're asking for too much." then i felt it, that familiar tug in my
heart, the feeling of running out of breath when he crushes me with his
embrace. "You're asking for too much," i whimper. then a gentle voice,
from Someone who's at command the mountains tremble, "But i've given
you so much."
indeed he has. and with all my voice i still continued to praise
his Name.
he wasn't asking for too much. he was asking for what i have
left, everything i have left. and he'll make it enough and bring out his
best, in someone so unworthy, someone so unsure.
But i take heart in this, i rest in the thought that even if i don't
fully comprehend his Love, his Love fully comprehends me.
angel cody, a first-year-college student at the De La Salle university, shares how
she took on a new leadership role at Yh as warmth Ministry head.
Youth high, now on its 6th year, is the Feast for young people. Join the gang at the Picc Meeting room 2 from 10:45 aM to sawa with everybody’s kuya, Bro. tony valenzuela as builder and preacher.

SCENES FROM LASt SUNDAY
“For it is in giving, that we receive.”
St. Francis of Assisi
“Don’t just remember
what He has done for you,
but repeat it.”
–Bro. Bo Sanchez
RECAP
the Gospel according to Mark 7:31-37
Jesus heals a Deaf and Mute Man
“Love connects. Indifference divides.” – Fr. Alex Balatbat
Just like the deaf-mute in the Gospel, we sometimes feel
alienated. we struggle to listen to our Shepherd’s voice or we
sometimes have no one we can talk to. to make restoration
possible, all we have to do is open the door, listen and connect
with others.
Series: BLEEDERSHIP
How Leadership Is Sacrifice
talk 2: Lose
Big Message: Wash some feet.
Leaders, learn to serve. the Book of John did not focus on the first Mass or the
Last Supper. instead, it goes straight to Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. why? to
emphasize that Jesus wants us to remember what he has done for us so that we may do
the same for others.
kinds of people. according to author adam Grant’s Give and Take, there are three
kinds of people in this world:
taker. Gives and expects to receive more than what he has given.
Matcher. wants to receive equally as what he has given.
Giver. Gives without expecting anything in return.
At the start. Givers initially earn less than takers and Matchers. though not honored
or rewarded, Givers contribute to the success of the operation of businesses or
companies; knowing they are working not for the bosses but for God.
“When you meet Jesus, you will never be the same
again.”
–Fr. Michael Laguardia
that is why there is a need to spend more time with Jesus.
we need his guidance and wisdom to live our lives the way
we should. we need him to see what’s essential in our lives.
Bosses prefer Givers. Bosses likes a worker who is willing to sacrifice and work
overtime if necessary and not expecting a tap on the back because he just loves what
he is doing, his co-workers and above all, he is a committed leader who thinks of the
organization's success rather than being greedy with titles and positions. therefore, in
the long run, Givers win.
Real Givers. they have boundaries and a healthy sense of self-love. they serve, bleed,
sacrifice, and wash others’ feet, but while serving, they also honor their own needs.
Like God. God is a giver and a foot-washer. a great leader knows how to wash some feet.