I’ve Met The Most Beautiful Specimens Of Humanity

Preaching In the West Coast For 10 Days


Hi friends,
With a subtitle like that, you may be wondering if I’m talking about beautiful blonds with curvaceous bodies in tiny red bikinis sunbathing in the beaches of California.
Nope.
Yes, I write this from Los Angeles, USA, but I’m not “beaching”. I’m in my 10-day West Coast Preaching Tour and having an awesome time. Yep, that’s ten days of non-stop preaching, jumping from one city or county to another.
Yesterday, someone asked me, “Bo, where do you get all the energy? Don’t you get tired?”
It’s so glib for me to say “God”.
So cliché. So corny. So expected.
But I guess it’s a cliché because it’s so true.
I breathe in God and He’s my energy.
Oh, I also breathe in God in the phenomenal people around me. Everywhere I go, I meet the greatest specimens of humanity.
First, we’re travelling as a team. I’m travelling with five gorgeous people: Light of Jesus Foreign Missions Director Roy Pasimio and his wife Rorie, Kerygma Preacher Arun Gogna, and our preacherinblujeans.com videographer Edwin Marcelo.
Second, my local team who help organize things and welcome me in their homes is just 100% fantastic. Angie, Dawn, Em, Cris and Alfe, Bobot and Merle, Norie, Cora and Ed, Louie, Aunt Eunice and family, Mario and Tessie… They’re my family here and I feel God’s love through them.
One day, one woman complained to me, “Bo, whenever you talk of someone, I also hear words like fantastic, phenomenal, awesome… Don’t you ever meet people who are obnoxious, rude, and selfish?”
Oh, I have.
But I don’t focus on them.
You see, I insist on seeing the best in people.
Other people like looking (focusing, meditating, contemplating) on the bad sides of people.
My gosh, why do that? You’ll end up miserable.
What you focus on grows!
Long ago, I’ve made a decision that whenever I meet a human being, I’ll check out their inner beauty. Their divine goodness. Their core innocence. And it’s just been glorious so far.
Oh yes, because of this attitude, I get mugged sometimes. Cheated. Abused.
But I have now developed enough self-respect to walk out on the first sign of abuse. (Took a long time to learn that lesson.) But even at those times when I have to end a friendship, I don’t condemn or nurture bitter feelings inside me.
Even as I walk out, I inwardly bless that person, whishing only the best. Because deep inside that (%&#*^@!!!) person, God is there. The same God that dwells in me too.
So I walk out not only because I’m getting hurt, but also because the “hurter” is getting more hurt if I allow him to continue to hurt me. Ultimately, it is love for self and love for the other that makes me walk out on a friendship.
I’ll email again on what’s happening here.
In the meantime, keep seeing beauty
I remain your friend,
Bo Sanchez

PS. Our weekly Feast is now at Valle Verde Country Club, beside the ULTRA, every Sunday at 9am, complete with Holy Mass, lively worship, and preaching. I hope to see you in our new home!
PS2. Are you already a KerygmaFamily member? 12,000 people have now joined! If you’re not yet a member, you don’t know what you’re missing! We give a ton of stuff for FREE for your personal growth. Log onto http://www.kerygamfamily.com/ now!

Marian Pilgrimage Diary: Last Day

Day 12: Pilgrims Live In Tents, Not Castles

Another Day In Rome:

St. John Lateran, Scala Santa, & A Visit To OFWs

Let me begin with a story I love to share.
One day, a tourist with a camera visited a monastery—and saw how austere the room of a monk was. He could only see a single bed that looked more like a bench, an old table and a wooden chair that wasn’t very comfortable. Nothing else.
When a monk came by, he asked him, “Father, how could you live this way? Where are your things? Your computer? Your refrigerator? Your stereo?”
The monk smiled at him and asked, “Where are your things, my friend?”
The tourist said, “My things? I’m just passing by here. I don’t have my stuff with me. It’s at home.”
The monk said: “So am I. I’m also passing by here. My stuff is at home as well.”
Friend, you’re a pilgrim.
And your stuff is at home. And God is your home.
If you forget that you’re a pilgrim, you are prone to live in castles instead of tents (Hebrews 11:9-10).

– 0 –

Today, we visited St. John Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome—another beautiful church that will blow your mind. Remember that the Pope is also the Bishop of Rome, so this is his Cathedral. Thus, St. John Lateran is the mother of all churches. (Who is St. John? Both John the Baptist and John the Evangelist. Who is Lateran? Just the name of the family who owned that piece of land confiscated by Emperor Constantine and who gave it to the Church. At least, after 1700 years, their name is still remembered.)
We also visited the Scala Santa or Holy Steps. This is the entire staircase of the palace of Pontius Pilate. It was “imported” from Jerusalem by St. Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine. (I told you her balikbayan box is huge.) It was the stairs that Jesus walked on when Pilate before the Crucifixion tried him.
Through the centuries, they’ forbade any human being to walk on these steps. You have to kneel all the way up. And that’s what we did. Beautiful. Very painful, mind you, but still beautiful.
In the afternoon, we paused our pilgrimage to do ministry. I preached at a gathering of the Filipino OFW’s here in Rome. Kerygma Preacher Adrian Panganiban led worship, Fish Editor George Gabriel gave a song, and Fr. Joseph Skelton celebrated the Mass.
I know we inspired them. But I feel they blessed me more by their strong faith amidst their hardship. I was leading 70 people in my pilgrim group, but my gosh, these OFW’s are the real pilgrims!
You see, many of them are domestic helpers, caregivers, drivers, and janitors in Rome. But back home in the Philippines, they worked in offices and taught in schools. But for the sake of their kids, they came here, forgot their pride, and worked in whatever job they could find.
I marvelled at their extreme sacrifice.
I was touched when the organizer of our event, a lovely woman by the name of Judy, showed her callused hands to me. “Brother Bo, my hands have been cleaning for 17 years. But I’m proud of these hands. And God has blessed me here.”
Today, my pilgrim group from the Philippines walked up the steps of the Scala Santa on our knees—once. But I realized that these OFW’s do it every single day, kneeling their way up to God as they scrub the homes of rich Europeans. For the love for their children.
(One day, I pray that my OFW friends outgrow their jobs here, discover their God-given core gifts and use them to earn a living.)
Friends, when you love, you live in tents, not castles.
If you love, you get out of your comfort zones.
If you love, you keep on growing.
Here are the other “castles” that we build when we forget that we’re pilgrims on this earth:

Example #1: Poverty
Why do many Filipinos not get out of poverty? Here’s one of the biggest reasons: They’ve become accustomed to it. (I hope you read my book, 8 Secrets of the Truly Rich, so you can learn how to be financially blessed.)

Example #2: Abuse
Even chains, no matter how painful, become comfortable if it has become an identity. I was talking to a woman who was beaten violently by her husband for 17 long years. For her, there was no other home but this one 60% of battered wives were abused children. It’s absolutely nuts. But here’s the truth: We recreate our childhood homes, no matter how painful it was. So we marry spouses who will replicate the weaknesses of our parents.
People choose certainty, no matter how painful, over uncertainty. For many people, uncertainty is more painful than the greatest pain of certainty. (Read another book I wrote, Your Past Does Not Define Your Future. It will change you.)

Example #3: Bondage
Addictions are castles. We grow comfortable with them, they become our identity. As pilgrims, we’re called by God to move on, to get out of our addictions, and live a life of freedom.

Example #4: Present Success
I started preaching at age 13 and that blew my mind; A year later, we started our own prayer group called Light of Jesus and again, that excited me tremendously; But when I was 20, I published my first book—and I thought that was wonderful; At 24, we published Kerygma magazine; So I thought that was my life—preaching, community building, and publishing work; But when I was 30, we were inspired to build Anawim, our home for the poor.
And now, we’re on TV, Radio, the Internet….
I could have gotten stuck with early success and stayed there. Because it is so easy to be comfortable with what you’re doing now. Why learn something new? Why take a new challenge? But that’s what my team have been doing year after year after year.
Friend, never make your present success your castle. Because castles are very difficult to expand. Tents, however, are more flexible. You can extend the borders of your tents anytime.
God may want you to move.
Don’t be too comfortable.
Get out of your comfort zone and stretch your boundaries for God!
Once in a while, pray, “Disturb Me, Lord.”

Tomorrow, I write my last diary entry on the pilgrimage.

Abangan…

I remain your friend,

Bo Sanchez

PS. Get inspired. You can watch me on KerygmaTV on ABC Channel 5, every Tuesday, 10pm. Spread the word!

PS2. I am preaching in the United States on the following dates and places:

May 21, 2007 St. Christopher Catholic Church Moreno Valley, CA 92553-4373
May 22, 2007 St. Ciprian Church Long Beach, CA 90808
May 23, 2007 St. Patrick’s Catholic Church North Hollywood, CA 91606
May 24, 2007 St. Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Church Walnut, CA 91789
May 25-27, 2007 Northern CA Charismatic Convention
Santa Clara Convention Center
May 27 , 2007 All Saints Church (7pm Mass), Hayward, CA 94541
May 28, 2007 St. Paul of the Shipwreck Church, SF, CA, 94124
May 29, 2007 St. Augustine’s Catholic Church, SF, CA 94080

For more details, click here. Tell your friends to go!

PS3. Each month, I send to my partners FREE issues of Kerygma magazine plus my Life Dreams Success Journal, also for free. (The Life Dreams Success Journal is a small powerful tool I made that has already helped thousands of people fulfil their goals in life.) Yes, I give these to all KerygmaFamily members who support the ministry through a monthly love offering of at least P100 (local) or $20 (international). If you’re not yet a KerygmaFamily member, log onto http://www.kerygmafamily.com/ now and receive Kerygma magazine each month plus the Life Dreams Success Journal as my thank you gifts. Don’t miss this month’s issue! Log on at http://www.kerygmafamily.com/ now.

Marian Pilgrimage Diary: Day 12

Day 12: Pilgrims Live In Tents, Not Castles

Another Day In Rome: St. John Lateran, Scala Santa, & A Visit To OFWs

Let me begin with a story I love to share.
One day, a tourist with a camera visited a monastery—and saw how austere the room of a monk was. He could only see a single bed that looked more like a bench, an old table and a wooden chair that wasn’t very comfortable. Nothing else.
When a monk came by, he asked him, “Father, how could you live this way? Where are your things? Your computer? Your refrigerator? Your stereo?”
The monk smiled at him and asked, “Where are your things, my friend?”
The tourist said, “My things? I’m just passing by here. I don’t have my stuff with me. It’s at home.”
The monk said: “So am I. I’m also passing by here. My stuff is at home as well.”
Friend, you’re a pilgrim.
And your stuff is at home. And God is your home.
If you forget that you’re a pilgrim, you are prone to live in castles instead of tents (Hebrews 11:9-10).

-- 0 --

Today, we visited St. John Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome—another beautiful church that will blow your mind. Remember that the Pope is also the Bishop of Rome, so this is his Cathedral. Thus, St. John Lateran is the mother of all churches. (Who is St. John? Both John the Baptist and John the Evangelist. Who is Lateran? Just the name of the family who owned that piece of land confiscated by Emperor Constantine and who gave it to the Church. At least, after 1700 years, their name is still remembered.)
We also visited the Scala Santa or Holy Steps. This is the entire staircase of the palace of Pontius Pilate. It was “imported” from Jerusalem by St. Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine. (I told you her balikbayan box is huge.) It was the stairs that Jesus walked on when Pilate before the Crucifixion tried him.
Through the centuries, they’ forbade any human being to walk on these steps. You have to kneel all the way up. And that’s what we did. Beautiful. Very painful, mind you, but still beautiful.
In the afternoon, we paused our pilgrimage to do ministry. I preached at a gathering of the Filipino OFW’s here in Rome. Kerygma Preacher Adrian Panganiban led worship, Fish Editor George Gabriel gave a song, and Fr. Joseph Skelton celebrated the Mass.
I know we inspired them. But I feel they blessed me more by their strong faith amidst their hardship. I was leading 70 people in my pilgrim group, but my gosh, these OFW’s are the real pilgrims!
You see, many of them are domestic helpers, caregivers, drivers, and janitors in Rome. But back home in the Philippines, they worked in offices and taught in schools. But for the sake of their kids, they came here, forgot their pride, and worked in whatever job they could find.
I marvelled at their extreme sacrifice.
I was touched when the organizer of our event, a lovely woman by the name of Judy, showed her callused hands to me. “Brother Bo, my hands have been cleaning for 17 years. But I’m proud of these hands. And God has blessed me here.”
Today, my pilgrim group from the Philippines walked up the steps of the Scala Santa on our knees—once. But I realized that these OFW’s do it every single day, kneeling their way up to God as they scrub the homes of rich Europeans. For the love for their children.
(One day, I pray that my OFW friends outgrow their jobs here, discover their God-given core gifts and use them to earn a living.)
Friends, when you love, you live in tents, not castles.
If you love, you get out of your comfort zones.
If you love, you keep on growing.
Here are the other “castles” that we build when we forget that we’re pilgrims on this earth:

Example #1: Poverty
Why do many Filipinos not get out of poverty? Here’s one of the biggest reasons: They’ve become accustomed to it. (I hope you read my book, 8 Secrets of the Truly Rich, so you can learn how to be financially blessed.)

Example #2: Abuse
Even chains, no matter how painful, become comfortable if it has become an identity. I was talking to a woman who was beaten violently by her husband for 17 long years. For her, there was no other home but this one 60% of battered wives were abused children. It’s absolutely nuts. But here’s the truth: We recreate our childhood homes, no matter how painful it was. So we marry spouses who will replicate the weaknesses of our parents.
People choose certainty, no matter how painful, over uncertainty. For many people, uncertainty is more painful than the greatest pain of certainty. (Read another book I wrote, Your Past Does Not Define Your Future. It will change you.)

Example #3: Bondage
Addictions are castles. We grow comfortable with them, they become our identity. As pilgrims, we’re called by God to move on, to get out of our addictions, and live a life of freedom.

Example #4: Present Success
I started preaching at age 13 and that blew my mind; A year later, we started our own prayer group called Light of Jesus and again, that excited me tremendously; But when I was 20, I published my first book—and I thought that was wonderful; At 24, we published Kerygma magazine; So I thought that was my life—preaching, community building, and publishing work; But when I was 30, we were inspired to build Anawim, our home for the poor.
And now, we’re on TV, Radio, the Internet….
I could have gotten stuck with early success and stayed there. Because it is so easy to be comfortable with what you’re doing now. Why learn something new? Why take a new challenge? But that’s what my team have been doing year after year after year.
Friend, never make your present success your castle. Because castles are very difficult to expand. Tents, however, are more flexible. You can extend the borders of your tents anytime.
God may want you to move.
Don’t be too comfortable.
Get out of your comfort zone and stretch your boundaries for God!
Once in a while, pray, “Disturb Me, Lord.”

Tomorrow, I write my last diary entry on the pilgrimage.

Abangan…

I remain your friend,

Bo Sanchez

PS. Get inspired. You can watch me on KerygmaTV on ABC Channel 5, every Tuesday, 10pm. Spread the word!

PS2. I am preaching in the United States on the following dates and places:

May 21, 2007 St. Christopher Catholic Church Moreno Valley, CA 92553-4373
May 22, 2007 St. Ciprian Church Long Beach, CA 90808
May 23, 2007 St. Patrick's Catholic Church North Hollywood, CA 91606
May 24, 2007 St. Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Church Walnut, CA 91789
May 25-27, 2007 Northern CA Charismatic Convention
Santa Clara Convention Center
May 27 , 2007 All Saints Church (7pm Mass), Hayward, CA 94541
May 28, 2007 St. Paul of the Shipwreck Church, SF, CA, 94124
May 29, 2007 St. Augustine's Catholic Church, SF, CA 94080

For more details, click here. Tell your friends to go!

PS3. Each month, I send to my partners FREE issues of Kerygma magazine plus my Life Dreams Success Journal, also for free. (The Life Dreams Success Journal is a small powerful tool I made that has already helped thousands of people fulfil their goals in life.) Yes, I give these to all KerygmaFamily members who support the ministry through a monthly love offering of at least P100 (local) or $20 (international). If you’re not yet a KerygmaFamily member, log onto http://www.kerygmafamily.com/ now and receive Kerygma magazine each month plus the Life Dreams Success Journal as my thank you gifts. Don’t miss this month’s issue! Log on at http://www.kerygmafamily.com/ now.

Marian Pilgrimage Diary: Day 11

Day 11: You Are A Holy Site

A Day In The Vatican

              Today, we visited The Vatican and St. Maria Maggiore—one of the four major basilicas of Rome. 
              And man, was it overwhelming.  I’ve been here four or five times before, but each time, it still hits me with a force of a tsunami.
              No words can describe the Vatican’s beauty and splendor.
              Imagine: One million statues dating as far as back as the Roman empire.  The Sistine Chapel (where the cardinals elect a new pope) with jaw-dropping frescoes from Michaelangelo himself, one of the greatest artists of all time.  And of course, St. Peter’s Basilica—the largest Catholic Church in the world.
              A few centuries ago, the Pope had enormous political power—and you could see remnants of this past glory in the Vatican.  Once upon a time, there were Papal States, and kings of nations would bow low before the Pope, following him as they would a real emperor.
              One feeling I had as I walked through all this glory—I thank God my Church has roots dating back to the apostles.  I will always appreciate this fact.  Friends, the Catholic Church has spiritual wealth we usually take for granted.
              And there lies the rub: It’s spiritual wealth.
              Let me answer the question I posed yesterday: Does God live in Rome?
              Yes, He does.  In a very special way.
              But you see, God’s greatest temple isn’t made of marble and stone, or brick and mortar.  Instead, God’s most important home is every human heart that beats in this world.  In God’s mind, you are more valuable than all the material wealth of the Vatican put together. 
              Many times in this pilgrimage, our jaws dropped in breathtaking awe whenever we saw a great basilica or cathedral.  Some of us were even moved to tears.   But what’s the truth?  God’s jaw doesn’t drop at the sight of a majestic church.  He isn’t impressed by a piece of marble encrusted in gold.  Instead, it’s the sight of the human heart that made that church beautiful that moves God to tears and joy.
              Indeed, God’s fingerprints are all over Rome.  And Assisi.  And Lourdes.  And Fatima.  He worked miracles in these places.  But I believe pilgrims should visit holy sites to study these fingerprints so that they can see these same fingerprints in their personal lives.
              Friend, you are a holy site!
             God’s fingerprints are all over you.
             He has worked in your life.  Right now, He’s within you, busy blessing your life.  And more than any church building in the world, God’s presence is within you.
             Because of this, I believe the Catholic Church will continue until the end of this age.  Buildings may decay.  (Churches in Europe are being sold and turned into bars, restaurants, and homes.)  Structures may change.  Externals may change.  But God’s Presence in the human heart will never change.
            I repeat my message: You are holier than any holy site you visit.
It’s useless to see God in a sacred site—and not discover the same God at work in your life, in your heart, and in your family. 
            It’s useless to visit hometowns of the saints—if you will not hear the same sacred voice within you calling you to be holy and great as well.  Friend, you are called to do great things for God.
            See yourself as a holy place!  Respect yourself.  Value yourself.  Love yourself.  Never destroy yourself with sin.
 
            Tomorrow, we will talk about our tendency to build other castles.
 
            Abangan…
 
            I remain your friend,
 
            Bo Sanchez
 
 
PS.  I am preaching in the United States on the following dates and places:
 
May  21, 2007  St. Christopher Catholic Church Moreno Valley, CA 92553-4373 
May  22, 2007  St. Ciprian Church Long Beach, CA 90808 
May  23, 2007  St. Patrick's Catholic Church North Hollywood, CA 91606 
May  24, 2007  St. Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Church Walnut, CA 91789
May  25-27, 2007 Northern CA Charismatic Convention
                            Santa Clara  Convention Center
May 27 , 2007  All Saints Church (7pm Mass), Hayward, CA 94541
May 28, 2007   St. Paul of the Shipwreck Church, SF, CA, 94124
May 29, 2007   St. Augustine's Catholic Church, SF, CA 94080
 
For more details, click here.  Tell your friends to go!
 
 
PS2. If you’re a parent that’s interested in homeschooling your kids, you can email me at catholicfilipinoacademy@gmail.com and I’ll send you an article that will explain the whole world of homeschooling.
 
PS3. Get inspired.  You can watch me on KerygmaTV on ABC Channel 5, every Tuesday, 10pm.  Spread the word!
 
PS4. Each month, I send to my partners FREE issues of Kerygma magazine plus my Life Dreams Success Journal, also for free.  (The Life Dreams Success Journal is a small powerful tool I made that has already helped thousands of people fulfil their goals in life.)  Yes, I give these to all KerygmaFamily members who support the ministry through a monthly love offering of at least P100 (local) or $20 (international).  If you’re not yet a KerygmaFamily member, log onto www.kerygmafamily.com now and receive Kerygma magazine each month plus the Life Dreams Success Journal as my thank you gifts.  Don’t miss this month’s issue!  Log on at www.kerygmafamily.com now.
 

Marian Pilgrimage Diary: Day 10

Day 10: Does God Live In Rome?
Assisi To Rome
Before telling you what we did, let me tell you a story.
One day, a man was in Paris and attended Mass. After communion, he went to the altar to light some candles. He was surprised to see a golden telephone on the altar, and with this message: “$10,000 per minute”. He shook his head, shocked at how expensive it was. He asked the priest in the Church why it was so expensive, and the cleric said, “Because that’s a call directly to God.”
“Wow,” the man gushed and went on his way.
The man went to Germany, England, Spain, Portugal, etc., and was fascinated to see exactly the same golden telephone in all the churches, all of them charging the same $10,000 per minute for a phone call to God.
But finally, when he went to a church in Rome, he saw the same golden telephone on the altar, but with a different message: “50 cents per minute.” Shocked, he asked the priest, “Father, why is it cheap here? All over Europe, it was $10,000 per minute? Why is yours only fifty cents per minute?”
The priest smiled, “Son, you’re in Rome. It’s a local call.”

-- 0 --

From quiet, rural, hilltop Assisi, we drove two hours and suddenly found ourselves right smack in the middle of noisy, busy, bustling Rome.
Each year, 15 million tourists visit this city.
For many people who haven’t been here, Rome is the Pope. Rome is the Vatican. Rome is the Catholic Church. And yes, it seems as though God lives here too, so a phone call to Him is a “local call”.
But when you stay in Rome, you realize it’s not that simple.
In fact, you realize there are actually three Romes living beside each other.
First, there’s the Ancient Rome. With 2500+ year-old palaces of the emperors, the giant coliseum, violent gladiators, and one of the greatest empires ever known to man.
Second, there’s Christian Rome. The great Martyrs shed their blood here for their faith. And Emperor Constantine welcomed Christianity here as well. His mother, St. Helena, lived in Jerusalem for three years and returned with shiploads of holy relics. Pieces of true Cross. A rusty nail used on the body of Jesus. Two thorns of his crown. And 28-steps of the stairs of the palace of Pontius Pilate. (If you’re the mother of an emperor, I guess your balikbayan box is pretty big.)
Finally, there’s Modern Rome. A busy city and economic powerhouse. And like any modern city, there’s dirty graffiti on the walls, drugs, prostitution, and syndicated crime. The Mafia, just in case you forgot, comes from Italy.
Many years ago, my father took a pilgrimage here, and a man accosted him on the street and stole his watch. That shook him to the bone. Why, of all places, in Holy Rome?
Two of our pilgrims, while walking on the street, met two men who claimed to be policemen. They asked for their passports—and wallets. Thankfully, they had very little money and left them unharmed.
Don’t get me wrong. Crime isn’t much more in Rome than in other cities. (I’m sure Manila has more petty crimes than Rome.) And the Italians I met in my trip were wonderful people.
But crime in Rome is disturbing for a pilgrim because pilgrims expect it to be a holy place. For crying out loud, this is where God and his assistant, the Pope, live!
Here’s another thing about Rome—and Europe as a whole—that you may not know about. Twice in this trip, we visited giant basilicas on a Sunday. My heart broke as I saw less than two hundred people attending Sunday Mass—almost all of them above the age of sixty.
If not for pilgrims from all over the world, churches would be empty. Many of them have become museums.
Most Europeans no longer go to Church.
So we ask a difficult question: Why? Isn’t this where most of our favourite Saints come from? Isn’t this where God’s church has its headquarters? Wasn’t our faith exported from Europe? Why are they losing it?
A more difficult question: When the aging generation who still go to Mass pass to the next world, will Christian Rome become part of Ancient Rome? Will everything simply become a museum?

I will answer my question tomorrow.

Abangan…

I remain your friend,

Bo Sanchez


PS. I am preaching in the United States on the following dates and places:

May 21, 2007 St. Christopher Catholic Church Moreno Valley, CA 92553-4373
May 22, 2007 St. Ciprian Church Long Beach, CA 90808
May 23, 2007 St. Patrick's Catholic Church North Hollywood, CA 91606
May 24, 2007 St. Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Church Walnut, CA 91789
May 25-27, 2007 Northern CA Charismatic Convention
Santa Clara Convention Center
May 27 , 2007 All Saints Church (7pm Mass), Hayward, CA 94541
May 28, 2007 St. Paul of the Shipwreck Church, SF, CA, 94124
May 29, 2007 St. Augustine's Catholic Church, SF, CA 94080

For more details, click here. Tell your friends to go!


PS2. Get inspired. You can watch me on KerygmaTV on ABC Channel 5, every Tuesday, 10pm. Spread the word!


PS3. Each month, I send to my partners FREE issues of Kerygma magazine plus my Life Dreams Success Journal, also for free. (The Life Dreams Success Journal is a small powerful tool I made that has already helped thousands of people fulfil their goals in life.) Yes, I give these to all KerygmaFamily members who support the ministry through a monthly love offering of at least P100 (local) or $20 (international). If you’re not yet a KerygmaFamily member, log onto http://www.kerygmafamily.com/ now and receive Kerygma magazine each month plus the Life Dreams Success Journal for FREE. Don’t miss this month’s issue! Log on now at http://www.kerygmafamily.com/

PS4. I’m still receiving a lot of questions on why I homeschool my sons. If you’re interested in homeschooling your kids, you can email catholicfilipinoacademy@gmail.com and ask for an article I wrote about homeschooling, and we’ll email it to you.

Marian Pilgrimage Diary: Day 9

 Day 9: How Radical Is Your Love?

A Day In Assisi


I love Assisi. It’s simply gorgeous. But I guess you know that I’m biased. (More on this later.)
It’s a 2000-year old Roman city atop a hill, with winding cobbled roads and fortress walls. But it was St. Francis and St. Claire that has made this place extremely special some 800 years ago.
If you’ve been reading my books, you’d know that Francis has such a tremendous impact on my life. Because I was 13 years old when I read his biography, and my life has never been the same. Instantly, I wanted to pray like him, dress like him, sing like him, and serve the poor like him.
After reading his life story, I gave away my clothes to the poor, and welcomed street kids and abandoned elderly people at home—giving my mother one terrible headache after another. I also tried to mimic his “beggar look”, which didn’t make me very popular with girls, but I figured that was the idea. (I called it an anti-attraction device. As if I needed it.)
In the meantime, I lived and served in the slums. Like Francis, I preached in the streets, befriending bums, addicts, gamblers, and alcoholics. I will never forget living in a tiny room with 9 people, sharing a muddy toilet with four other families.
Eighteen years later, with my friends who also loved Francis, we built Anawim, a home for the abandoned elderly built on a 5-hectare property. I lived there with the poor for three whole years, until I finally got married. We named our Anawim chapel St. Francis of Assisi Chapel, and his brown statue is on the left side of the altar.
As you can see, Francis turned my life upside down.
Visiting his hometown—where everything took place—felt like going home.
I prayed at the tiny chapel that he built with his own hands, after he heard God tell him, “Rebuild my Church”. (Much later, Francis realized that God wasn’t referring to the tiny, rundown chapel—but the people themselves.)
Can you imagine?
Francis changed my life—and the lives of countless others who fell in love with God because of him.
One simple life, lived radically, can bless the world.
Friend, your life can do the same. By the way you live, you can change the lives of many people.
But you need to live radically.
Unless you do, nothing much will happen.
Ask yourself: How radical is my love?

Tomorrow, I ask a very difficult question.

Abangan…

I remain your friend,

Bo Sanchez



PS. I am preaching in the United States on the following dates and places:

June 19 7pm St. Ignatius Oxon Hill, Fort Washington, MD
June 20 7pm St. Charles Borromeo, Arlington, VA22201
June 21 7pm Our Lady of Victories Church. Jersey City,NJ 0734
June 22 7pm St. John Evangelist Church, Bergenfield, NJ07621
June 23 whole day 1^st Day - 40th Anniversary Celebration of Charismatic
Movement, Sheraton Hotel
June 24 whole day 2^nd Day - 40th Anniversary Celebration of Charismatic
Movement, Expo Center
June 25 7pm St. Mary's Church, Rahway, NJ 07065
June 26 7pm Saint Rock Church (Hall), Staten Island, NY 10302

For more details, click here. Tell your friends to go!


PS2. Each month, I send to my partners FREE issues of Kerygma magazine plus my Life Dreams Success Journal, also for free. (The Life Dreams Success Journal is a small powerful tool I made that has already helped thousands of people fulfil their goals in life.) Yes, I give these to all KerygmaFamily members who support the ministry through a monthly love offering of at least P100 (local) or $20 (international). If you’re not yet a KerygmaFamily member, log onto http://www.kerygmafamily.com/ now and receive Kerygma magazine each month plus the Life Dreams Success Journal for FREE. Don’t miss this month’s issue! Log on now at http://www.kerygmafamily.com/

Marian Pilgrimage Diary: Day 8

Day 8: To Succeed In Life,
You Need To Use Your Failures
From Pisa To Sienna To Assisi


From our hotel, the leaning tower of Pisa was a stones throw away. It was utterly beautiful; I kept walking to it just to stare at it one more time.
As a child, I loved reading about the leaning tower of Pisa.
It was an odd monument. It was so unique, Leonardo da Vinci used it for his experiments on the law of gravity.
And there it was, right in front of me, in all its failed glory.
Because that’s what it was: A giant failure of the grandest proportion. This cathedral bell tower built 700 years ago began “sinking” on one side a few millimeters each year, causing it to lean. Efforts to repair the tower’s foundation were also dismal failures—the tower kept on leaning on its side.
Friends, I can imagine how many sleepless nights the leaning tower gave its builders, architects, designers, owners, contractors, and engineers down through the centuries. When you think about it, the tower was one failure after failure after another failure.
But precisely because of this failure, it has become a phenomenal success. Because of its oddity, for centuries now, millions of tourists have visited her—making Pisa a very prosperous city. If the tower didn’t “fail” and instead stood straight, it would just be one of the many bell towers in Italy—nothing special at all.
Lesson? I’m sure you have already failed many times in many areas of your life: Family failures, job failures, spiritual failures…
Friend, if you want to be a great success, don’t avoid failures. Instead, use them. When you’re able to use your failures, you bless the world with your unique gift.
As a child, I was sexually molested. As I grew up, I developed a sex addiction. I wish these tragedies never happened to me. But God has healed these wounds. And today, I’ve used these failures to bless the world. I allow my wounds to heal others who have also been abused. I preach about my experience, and written this part of my life in a book (entitled, Your Past Does Not Define Your Future) which is blessing thousands.
From Pisa, we visited Sienna and prayed with St. Catherine. And as we walked out of the city, that was when we failed miserably: We got lost! Imagine 70 people walking around aimlessly in the city.
We lost 3 hours of our day being lost.
After asking for directions and a couple of phone calls, we finally packed a public bus to where our tourist bus was parked.
Great failure, right?
Yes and No.
Because as I told you, my pilgrims are pilgrims, not tourists.
One of our pilgrims was a Mother Superior of the Poor Claires. She was visibly tired walking. But I heard her say with a huge smile, “I will not let this—or anything else—destroy my day.”
Wow. What spunk. What spirit.
Everyone in the group used the failure of getting lost to chisel the character of Jesus in their souls.
We rode our bus with great delight.
After two hours of driving, it was already dark when we entered the enchanting town of Assisi—one of my most favorite spots on planet earth.
I’ll tell you more about it tomorrow.

Abangan…

I remain your friend,

Bo Sanchez
PS. Each month, I send to my partners FREE issues of Kerygma magazine plus my Life Dreams Success Journal, also for free. (The Life Dreams Success Journal is a small powerful tool I made that has already helped thousands of people fulfil their goals in life.) Yes, I give these to all KerygmaFamily members who support the ministry through a monthly love offering of at least P100 (local) or $20 (international). If you’re not yet a KerygmaFamily member, log onto http://www.kerygmafamily.com/ now and receive Kerygma magazine each month plus the Life Dreams Success Journal for FREE. Don’t miss this month’s issue! Log on now at http://www.kerygmafamily.com/

PS2. I’m still receiving a lot of questions on why I homeschool my sons. If you’re interested in homeschooling your kids, you can email mailto:catholicfilipinohomeschool@gmail.com and ask for an article I wrote about homeschooling, and we’ll email it to you.
PS3. Get inspired. You can watch me on KerygmaTV on ABC Channel 5, every Tuesday, 10pm. Spread the word!

PS3. I am preaching in the United States on the following dates and places:

May 21, 2007 St. Christopher Catholic Church Moreno Valley, CA 92553-4373
May 22, 2007 St. Ciprian Church Long Beach, CA 90808
May 23, 2007 St. Patrick's Catholic Church North Hollywood, CA 91606
May 24, 2007 St. Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Church Walnut, CA 91789
May 25-27, 2007 Northern CA Charismatic Convention
Santa Clara Convention Center
May 27, 2007 Mass at All Saint's Church, Hayward, CA 94541
May 28, 2007 St. Paul the Shipwreck Church, SF, CA 94124
May 29, 2007 St. Augustine's Catholic Church, SF, CA 94080
For more details, click here. Tell your friends to go!

Marian Pilgrimage Diary: Day 7

Day 7: Find God In Unexpected Places

From Nice, France, To Pisa, Italy

This is ironic.
Because our pilgrim group was going to Rome, our bus had to pass the French Riviera and stay one night in Nice. Does that place ring a bell?
I don’t know about you, but I only hear “French Riviera” when I read about Hollywood stars taking vacations there. And right next to Nice is Monaco and Monte Carlo, very famous for its casinos, glamour, and Grand Prix racing.
From the French Riviera, we crossed the Italian border, and by late evening, we entered the old town of Pisa—and spent the night there too. Yes, the one with the famous leaning tower. (I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.)
But as this was part of our road journey, we had to pass these “worldly places” and find God in them too. We could of course have taken a plane and “jumped” from one holy city to another. For example, we could have flown from Fatima and jumped to Lourdes, and from Lourdes hopped to Rome.
But that wouldn’t reflect real life.
Because human life consists of the sacred and the secular. Not everything we do is outwardly religious.
But here’s what I’ve realized: As we mature in our spirit, these boundaries blur. The mature Christian sees everything as sacred.
Why? Because God is everywhere.
Let me say something shocking here: A spiritually mature person is equally at home in her prayer meeting and doing her laundry; She is spiritually at home attending Holy Mass and shopping in a mall. Why? Because if God is her home, and if God is everywhere, then she is at home everywhere.
As heretical as this may sound, how does one know if a prayer meeting or Mass becomes “effective” in our lives? Only if they train our spiritual eyes to recognize the same Presence of God in other people, in nature, especially in the poor, and in ourselves.
Of course, someone could quote my words above out of context and say “Bo is telling us not to go to Mass anymore”. On the contrary, I believe it is our highest praise. But unless you’re a monk, you can’t stay in church 24 hours a day.
Friend, do you find God in your job? In the mall? In the gym? In the restaurant? In the movie house?
Concentration Camp survivor Victor Frankl talks about another woman in the prison with him who knew she was dying. She spoke about the one thing that gave her joy each day—a tree outside her window. It gave her so much comfort. The woman said that she spoke to the tree each day—and the tree spoke to her. She said that before her days in prison, she never had the time to see how beautiful something as simple as a tree is. It was God’s Presence, God smiling at her.
Friend, you and I are so busy, we no longer see God in the simplest things. But if we look deeply, in these simple things, we see God smiling at us.

So smile. He is smiling at you.

Tomorrow, I’ll talk about the power of failures.

Abangan…

I remain your friend,


Bo Sanchez

PS. I’m still receiving a lot of questions on why I homeschool my sons. If you’re interested in homeschooling your kids, you can email catholicfilipinoacademy@gmail.com and ask for an article I wrote about homeschooling, and we’ll email it to you.

PS2. I’m giving a workshop on How To Be Truly Rich Seminar on May 5, 2007, from 8 to 12noon, in Quezon City. Thanks to generous sponsors subsidizing the cost of this event, from what was originally priced at P975, we were able to bring down the seminar fee to P475 only per person. Change your financial life. Call Tel. 7229562 (look for Beckie) or email beacon@philonline.com for more information.

PS3. Each month, I send to my partners FREE issues of Kerygma magazine plus my Life Dreams Success Journal, also for free. (The Life Dreams Success Journal is a small powerful tool I made that has already helped thousands of people fulfil their goals in life.) Yes, I give these to all KerygmaFamily members who support the ministry through a monthly love offering of at least P100 (local) or $20 (international). If you’re not yet a KerygmaFamily member, log onto http://www.kerygmafamily.com/ now and receive Kerygma magazine each month plus the Life Dreams Success Journal for FREE. Don’t miss this month’s issue! Log on now at http://www.kerygmafamily.com/

PS4. Get inspired. You can watch me on KerygmaTV on ABC Channel 5, every Tuesday, 10pm. Spread the word!

PS5. I am preaching in the United States on the following dates and places:
May 21, 2007 St. Christopher Catholic Church Moreno Valley, CA 92553-4373

May 22, 2007 St. Ciprian Church Long Beach, CA 90808
May 23, 2007 St. Patrick's Catholic Church North Hollywood, CA 91606
May 24, 2007 St. Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Church Walnut, CA 91789
May 25-27, 2007 Northern CA Charismatic Convention
Santa Clara Convention Center

For more details, click here. Tell your friends to go!

Marian Pilgrimage Diary: Day 6

Day 6: How Can You Be Healed?
From Lourdes To Nice, France
This morning, we had a lovely open-air Mass at the Lourdes Grotto itself. We were all in hats and raincoats under the gentle rain. It was simply beautiful.
It was a concelebrated Mass—with priests from America, Ireland, France, and the Philippines leading us. Around me were beautiful people of faith—Koreans, French, English, Africans, Americans... It was amazing. There were moments I felt I was in Heaven.
Imagine: All races, all cultures, all colors side by side, shoulder to shoulder, wearing different clothes, speaking different tongues, all praying to one God.
As expected, the Filipino pilgrim group was the choir of the international Mass. After the Mass, the main celebrant praised us as a “world class choir”. (Naks. I notice this phenomenon everywhere I go around the planet—Filipinos are the Mass choirs of the world!)
After last minute shopping for religious stuff, we left enchanting Lourdes.
It was a long 700+ kilometer drive to Nice in the French Riviera. That was one long ride in the bus, which gave the pilgrims ample time for sharing. We asked them, “What was the most memorable thing that happened the past six days?”
Almost to the last person, each one said, “Bathing in Lourdes.”
Here are their words to describe this incredible experience: “I was revitalized”; “I wept like a baby”; “I felt changed”; “I was healed…”
Yes, healing did happen. One of our pilgrims is Lola May. At 77-years old, Lola May was suffering from glaucoma and cataracts. She was scheduled to have an eye operation, but Lola May decided to spend her money on the pilgrimage instead.
This is what happened after the healing waters touched her eyes. She said, “I could now read without my glasses!” We were in tears as we heard her story.
Let me describe the bathing ritual of Lourdes to you.
In pools located inside small, private chambers beside the Grotto, each person undresses and wears a wrap-around cloth. Volunteers assist you all the way, praying for you and helping you step down the freezing waters. A few seconds later, they help you rise out of the pool. Because of the huge difference of temperature between the water and your body, you don’t have to wipe your body dry. Your body dries up by itself in seconds.
The pilgrims shared how this simple experience was utterly transformational. Much more than physical healing, I’m sure many experienced spiritual and emotional healing.
But friends, you don’t have to go to the waters of Lourdes to receive healing. Because I’ve seen God heal countless of people by simply being prayed over, by a simple prayer meeting, or by the Holy Mass. The effects are the same anywhere around the world.
How does one get healed anyway?
First, by a deep trust that “something good is going to happen to me”. By opening yourself to miracles, by visualizing the healing, and ultimately by surrendering yourself to God’s love.
Second, healing usually happens when we remove the psychological roots of the disease, such as bitterness, anxiety, worry, fear, and too much stress.
So take a spiritual vacation and “de-stress”. Step back from your daily routine and unload your emotional burdens. Forgive your enemies. Surrender your problems. Expect miracles. And deepen your relationship with God.
Everyone can get spiritually healed, which is the most important healing. And when the spirit is healed, our bodies usually follow, because our bodies and spirits are one.

Friend, receive your healing today!

Tomorrow, I’ll talk about how to find God in unexpected places.

Abangan…

I remain your friend,


Bo Sanchez


PS. I’m giving a workshop on How To Be Truly Rich on May 5, 2007, from 8 to 12noon, in Quezon City. Thanks to generous sponsors subsidizing the cost of this event, from what was originally priced it at P975, we were able to bring down the seminar fee to P475 only per person. Change your financial life. Call Tel. 7229562 (look for Beckie) or email beacon@philonline.com for more information.

PS2. Each month, I send to my partners FREE issues of Kerygma magazine plus my Life Dreams Success Journal, for free. (The Life Dreams Success Journal is a small powerful tool I made that has already helped thousands of people fulfill their goals in life.) Yes, I give these to all KerygmaFamily members who support the ministry through a monthly love offering of at least P100 (local) or $20 (international). If you’re not yet a KerygmaFamily member, log onto http://www.kerygmafamily.com/ now and receive Kerygma magazine each month plus the Life Dreams Success Journal for FREE. Don’t miss this month’s issue! Log on now at http://www.kerygmafamily.com/

PS3. KERYGMA TV will be back starting May 8, 2007 at 10:00 p.m. on ABC 5. Don’t miss it!

Marian Pilgrimage Diary: Day 5

Day 5: Let Rivers Of Love Flow Out Of Your Life

From Loyola, Spain, to Lourdes, France

From Loyola in Spain, we crossed the French border. It was Sunday when we drove into beautiful Lourdes.
Our Mass was at a convent near our hotel. But Fr. Joseph Skelton had to do a 30-minute Sunday Mass (I’ve never seen him do that!) as another pilgrim group from Ireland was going to use the chapel.
Yes, Lourdes is always filled with pilgrims. Each year, 4 to 6 million people visit Lourdes. (Just as a point of comparison: The entire Philippines—with our Boracay, Bohol, Palawan, Cebu, etc.—attracts only 2 million tourists a year.)
I later learned that Lourdes is the 2^nd most visited religious site in the world. (Ganges of India is 1^st, and Mecca in Saudi Arabia is 3^rd.)
What makes them come to Lourdes?
Because in 1858, a poor girl named Bernadette saw Mary in a Grotto. This young visionary would see Mary for a total of 18 times. This visitation would change Lourdes—and the world. (From a small town of 4,000 people, it now has 400 hotels.)
Today, I observe the thousands of pilgrims around me. All are sick. Physically. Spiritually. And all are filling up their water bottles with the healing water from the Grotto, drinking, washing, and blessing themselves and their friends.
This sight causes me to cry. Because 150 years ago, in one of those 18 apparitions, Mary told Bernadette to “drink from the spring”. But there was no spring around her. So the young girl dug the soil beneath the grotto—and saw only mud. But she kept on digging, until clear spring water came out.
Since that first trickle 150 years ago, the miraculous waters continue to flow at the rate of 122,000 liters an hour! It rages with abundance—like God’s wild river of love for you.
Isn’t this a perfect picture of your life?
You were once but dirt.
And your sins remind you of your origin.
But your life, what was once dirt and mud, can now become a powerful river of healing for millions of people.
How?
By allowing God to use you to bless the world.
Friends, let your life be a pilgrimage site for others.
When you love others genuinely, from the heart, I’ve discovered that many thirsty people will come to you. They will drink deeply from the stream of healing, flowing out of your life.
Love, my friends.
And the world will be healed.


PS. People have been writing me, asking where I preach regularly. If you live in Metro Manila or its suburbs, don’t miss the FEAST—a powerful weekly gathering designed to bless your life. With inspiring preaching, lively worship, and Sunday Mass. See you every Sunday, 9am-12noon, at The Arena, Pinaglabanan, San Juan. For more information, call Tel. No. (632) 7259999 or email us at support@kerygmafamily.com.

PS2. I hope you don’t mind receiving a daily email from me for my 15-Day Marian Pilgrimage Diary. But I decided to email you daily so that you can forward this email to your friends who may need to read this message.

PS3. I wish to thank all those who have written to me, thanking me for sending them each month the inspiring Kerygma magazine for FREE, plus my Life Dreams Success Journal. (The Life Dreams Success Journal is a small powerful tool I made that has already helped many people write their dreams, thus helping them fulfil their goals.) Yes, I give away a FREE all-year subscription of Kerygma magazine plus the Life Dreams Success Journal to all KerygmaFamily members who support the ministry through a regular monthly love offering of at least P100 or $20 only. If you’re not yet a KerygmaFamily member, log onto http://www.kerygmafamily.com/ now and receive Kerygma magazine each month plus the Life Dreams Success Journal for FREE. PS4. KERYGMA TV will be back starting May 8, 2007 at 10:00 p.m. on ABC 5. Don't miss it!