Courage Talk 3

Malapit sa akin ang storya na Prodigal son sa bible. Why? It’s
because I could totally relate. I have the same story with the son. I
also became the black sheep of the family. I was like the son who met
his rock bottom moment. A moment na wala na. A moment of giving
up. A moment of ayoko na.
At that moment of giving up, a light shone through the darkness...
pwede pa naman palang umuwi. Sa tahanan, matatanggap pa din ako.
Maaaring hindi na gaya ng dati but for sure they will accept me.
So at my moment of walking back, a man came running towards my
direction with arms wide open. I know this man, He is God. Just
like the father in the story of the prodigal son. Let me share to you
our conversation…
Me: God, I am so sorry.
God: Anak, namiss kita!
Me: Lord, tanggap ko na nagkamali ako.. (‘Di pa ako tapos magsalita
God: Excited na ako! Sobrang saya ko! Anak, sobrang ganda
ng plano ko sa iyo.
Me: Teka, Lord. ‘Di ata ako worthy sa... (Again, God cut me off)
God: Mahal na mahal kita, anak! Mahal na mahal kita, anak!
Mahal na mahal kita, anak!
God is crazy, deeply, truly, madly in love with you.
I would like to think that He is always wearing His
running shoes. Why? He is running towards
you and me. He is running after you. He
is running and chasing you. With arms
wide open, He is running towards us
with so much love.
Be mightily blessed,
Kuya Lep Sumera The Feast SM
Manila, MD
We live in a time when there are so many things
to fear; there are so many reasons to be afraid.
Nowadays, living out our faith in GOD and in the
teachings of the Catholic Church can lead to ridicule
and even persecution.
But listen up, my fellow followers of JESUS
CHRIST: Now, more than ever, is the best time
to be a Christian! Today is the perfect time
to be Catholic!
The HOLY SPIRIT of Truth and Grace shall wipe out our
fears and give us the courage to persevere in our
journey towards heaven! Onwards to the FATHER’s
Kingdom!
PRAISEcription:
Obey. Have faith. Love. Take courage.
Be well and make a difference,
RYAN B. CAPITULO, MD
The Feast SM Manila, MD

IF you’re a leader, you need courage.
And I believe everyone is a leader. Whether we like it or
not, we lead (impact) people around us.
And I believe it’s impossible to lead without courage.
I should know. I’ve been a leader for 40 years. I
started as a 13-year-old kid leading the Light of
Jesus prayer group in our garage. And I never
stopped. I went on to lead other ministries, orgs,
and businesses.
Do you know what I realized? In those 40 years
of leadership, there was never a time I could
remember when it was easy. Or comfortable. Every
year was tough. And sometimes, it was so bloody, all I
wanted to do was say, “I quit!”
But by grace, I didn’t.
And at a certain point, I realized that I had to embrace
the uncomfortable life as my life. The earlier you get this,
the better.
Why? Leaders are lovers. And love requires death.
Have a beautiful Feast today!
May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez
Talk 3: Courageous LOVE
Ephesians 3:17-19 NIV
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in
love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy
people, to grasp how wide and long and high and
deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that
surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the
measure of all the fullness of God.
Genesis 22:1-8, NIV
Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him,
“Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. Then God said,
“Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—
and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there
as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded
his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and
his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the
burnt offering, he set out for the place God had
told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up
and saw the place in the distance. He said to his
servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and
the boy go over there. We will worship and then we
will come back to you.” Isaac spoke up and said to
his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham
replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said,
“but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the
lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two
of them went on together.
Genesis 22:12-13, NIV
“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do
anything to him. Now I know that you fear God,
because you have not withheld from me your son,
your only son.” 13 Abraham looked up and there in a
thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went
over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt
offering instead of his son.
Personal Reflection And Discussion
Share specific moments in your life when you experienced in a very palpable way God’s great Love for you.
And share specific moments in your life where you shared this great love to others.

Homily by Father Toto Cerada, SDB
1st Reading- Acts 22: 3-16, Gospel Reading- Mark 16:15-18
“What you deny or ignore, you delay, What you
accept and face, you conquer.”—Robert Tew
Before St. Paul became Jesus’ follower, he
persecuted Jesus and ordered deaths of some
Christians. However, he had a bigger purpose,
so Jesus revealed Himself to Paul, and that
started his conversion.
Last Friday, Father Toto preached about denial
and conversion as he emphasized that true
conversions come by accepting that we have
sinned.
If we keep on denying our sins, we will just
keep on doing them over and over again.
Although, as humans, some of us don’t want to
admit the wrong things we have done because
we are afraid that people will hate us, or leave
us behind.
But let us remember that denial hinders our
growth in becoming better people. Moreover, it
keeps us away from Jesus, and the will of God
the Father.
We were reminded that we must choose those
who would not only understand us, but who
would love us regardless of what we do.
Therefore, along with those people who truly love
us, we should always choose God.
God loves us even though we continuously go
against his will. And as Christians, we have
to be with Him and be vulnerable at His feet.
Let us seek God, and seek to have a genuine
conversion.
It is written that God promised Abraham that he will
be the father of all nations. At his old age, God gave
Abraham a son that he named Isaac. One day, God
tested Abraham to set him free from his attachment
to Isaac.
God wants you to do the same. The ultimate goal of
life is spiritual growth.
Human life is a journey of letting go you Isaacs,
a.k.a. your attachments
Will you let go of your Isaac/s if it had to mean
gaining what really matters in the end?
What does God want you to let go?
1. Let go of the mindset that only material things
can make you happy. Material things are God’s
blessing. The key is to appreciate, but not to be
attached.
2. Let go of self-doubt. God will allow a Goliath to
cross your path to unleash the David in you. You are
in Team Jesus, and Jesus never loses.
3. Let go of people or things that hurt or break you.
It’s okay to be alone even on Valentine’s Day! Jesus
is your date.
4. Let got of all the hurts in your family. Families
are like branches on a tree. We grow in different
directions yet our roots remain as one, and that
root is love.
5. Let go of your mask. You only have one significant
identity. You are God’s child and He loves you.
Remember that, and let that sink in.
6. Let go of Titles. You don’t need a title to serve.
You serve because you love.
2 ways to let go of your attachments
1. By choice. Make a deliberate decision to let go,
2. By circumstance. Sometimes, the situations ask
for it, like when property, persons and positions
are lost.
God is inviting you to have courageous faith to focus
your eyes on Him and fall in love with Him above all
else. When you carry the baggage that makes you look
grand on the outside, you could pretend everything’s
in place, but once you let go of them, you exchange
temporary peace with the peace that comes from
Jesus, the Prince of Peace Himself -- perfect and
light in every way.
In letting go, you allow God to bless you more. In
letting go, you gain what really matters.
Are you ready to let go of your Isaacs? Have you
done so already?
Because it is only through having courageous faith to
let go of the temporary for the everlasting that we
could live out our dreams and make a difference.

“God has shown you his grace in many different
ways. So be good servants and use whatever gift
he has given you in a way that will best serve each
other.” -1 Peter 4:10
5 years ago, I saw the true image of the Catholic
Church at the Feast: a celebration not just a
ceremony, an encounter not just an ordinary
experience, and a Feast not just a gathering.
I started serving as a photographer in 2018. I
promised myself that I will let others see what I saw
5 years ago, and let them feel through the photos
I take the presence of our Lord, and testify how a
ministry can change a person’s life. -Adrian Reyes,
Photographer, Media Ministry
Before serving God, I was just relying on my own
strength, so I didn’t know which path I should take.
But ever since I started serving God 6 years ago,
I found my purpose. I was able to achieve what I
thought was impossible for me. I began to trust God
and His plans. I’m not where I am today without
God. And I will continue to worship and thank
Him through my service.-Caithlyn Juayong, Visual
Manager, Media Ministry
I just wanted to be published and see my name on
the by line, but God made me realize through this
service that I don’t write for myself. Now, exposed
man o hindi ang pangalan ko, my heart knows that
I am just a vessel, and I am writing for Jesus,
and for His people. -Alyssa Ilagan, Writer, Media
Ministry
Dancing is also my form of worship. Worship
songs are my battle-cry, and the stage is my
battleground. Whenever I dance, I offer every beat,
rhythm and step to the only One I want to please,
and the only one I want to praise: God. -Patricia
Reyala, Dance Ministry
I wasn’t really serious about serving Jesus. It
was more of gusto ko lang tumugtog. Now, I’ve
been serving for about 9 years, and I’ve had the
pleasure serving with other teams from other Feasts,
including Feast Worship. Being a part of the Worship
Team has played an integral part in my growth, not
only as a musician and a worshiper, but also as a
leader, a follower, a listener and a friend.” -Arien
Polumbarit, Music Ministry
Noong una, hindi ko agad ramdam ang service kasi
para lang akong taga-takbo, taga-abot ng mga mic,
at taga-tawag ng worship team. Naisip ko, “Bakit
ako nandito?” Pero as time goes by, na-realize
ko na hindi man ako nilagay ni Lord kung saan ko
gusto, nilagay naman niya ako sa kung saan ako mas
sasaya. Sa tinagal-tagal ng panahon, dito ko lang
pala makikita puso ko. -Clarenz Manag, Production
Ministry
Intercessory Ministry plays an important part in
my life. This may not be the one that planted faith
in my heart, but IM is one of those that waters me
with so much. It lead me to my home - to the twin
hearts of Jesus and Mary. -Maria Joselle Botacion,
Intercessory Ministry
I started small by helping my parents in preparing
the altar table, and the things to be used at home
because we were not allowed to celebrate masses in
the country we lived in. I’ve been faithful to God
since then. Serving as a butler here is a big thing
to me because I really love to arrange the altar
before the mass starts. -Cristine Cabalar, Butler,
Liturgical Ministry
Marami akong nakilalang mga kaibigan no’ng
nag serve ako. At higit sa lahat, mas lalo pa
akong napapalapit kay Lord. Kahit ano man ang
nararamdaman ko, ‘pag ako ay naglilingkod, lalo
pa akong nai-inspire na magpatuloy sa buhay, at
malagpasan ang aking mga problema. - Jeric Baciles,
Altar Server, Liturgical Ministry
I am serving at Feast SM Manila Finance Ministry
for almost 10 years now, and being here has always
blessed me whenever I see many generous people and
young people give their tithes and offer their love
offering to God.- Trixie Alix, Finance Ministry
Isa sa mga paborito kong trabaho no’ng nasa
corporate world pa ako ay ang maging secretary.
Pero higit na mas masayang gawin ito lalo na’t sa
bawat ginagawa ko, si Kristo ang pinagsisilbihan ko
sa pamamagitan ng Secretariat Ministry. Tinanggap
ko agad ito ng may galak at excitement sa puso ko.
-Mimi Galeno, Secretariat Ministry
For almost 4 years in the ministry, I have overcome
my fear of facing the crowd. I think what helped
me get rid of that is the task to pray for the first
time attendees before they go home. It’s my favorite
because it is also a way for me to pray for myself,
and talk to God through talking to them. For me,
that’s one of the best things a person could feel!-
Poleng Hernandez, Warmth Ministry
Sa pagiging isa sa mga usher, nagkaroon ako ng
tiwala sa sarili ko. Natutunan ko na magmahal at
magpamahal, at mag tiwala pa sa plano ng Diyos sa
buhay ko. At higit sa lahat naging miyembro ako ng
isang malaking pamilya na laging pinaparamdam
na ‘di ako nag-iisa.-Ynna Quinal, Usher, Warmth
Ministry
Service for boys lang daw, pero nandito ako, isang
babae na nagse-serve bilang security. ‘Yung akala
nilang nagpapacute sa tabi, nagmamasid na pala.
‘Yung akala nilang nagpapamacho lang sa pagbubuhat,
nagkakawang-gawa na pala. ‘Yung akala nila nag
se-secure lang, nagmamahal na pala. Strict,
pero loving! Serving with God, secured with love!
-Aaronica Cherubin M. Belza, Security Ministry
The FEAST SM Manila Bulletin, published by the Light of Jesus Family, is distributed during The Feast SM Manila, a weekly prayer gathering of the Light of Jesus held at the Cinema 4 of SM City Manila, every Friday, 3:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m., and 8:00 p.m.
The FEAST holds office at The Lighthouse, 60 Chicago St., Cubao, Quezon City, with telephone numbers 725-9999. Contact us thru www.lightfam.com.