By Willy E. Arcilla, Contributor
INQUIRER.net
THE AWARENESS and popularity of Canadian-based Fr. Fernando Suarez has been soaring in recent weeks as increasingly more Filipino faithful and Christians worldwide attend and bear witness to his healing ministry at which the disabled walk, the visually-impaired see, the deaf hear and the mute speak. There are patients with cancer and other diseases who are cured. Yet, despite a cult following that seems to rival local celebrities, Father Suarez remains admirably humble, insisting that “I am not a healer” amid persistent labels as the “healing priest” or “miracle priest.” Raising his voice somewhat to emphasize the point and ensure that all can hear clearly, “it is not me who heals, but our Lord Jesus Christ, and He uses me merely as an instrument for His grace.” He draws an analogy to Christ’s healing power with “water passing through one’s hands.”
During a healing mass held recently at SM Megamall’s Trade Hall, Father Suarez repeatedly said in his homily, “I feel so embarrassed whenever people reach out to touch my robes,” again emphasizing it is God’s omnipotence that heals both the body and spirit. But despite this self-effacing attitude, he urged all the faithful present “not to feel embarrassed in praying for compassion and healing” for all afflictions — physical or spiritual — for nothing is impossible with God. He explains that the miracles people see or personally experience are demonstrations of God’s love that serve to help strengthen the people’s faith. If the source of all evil in this world is pride, manifested in being self-centered and an egoistic “ownership” of one’s accomplishments, he says the source of all good must lie in being “Christ-centered” and complete abandonment and surrender to God. “If we rely on Jesus, we will not be disappointed based on His promise that He will not fail us if we trust in Him.” However, while he urged all brethren to implore good health and a fullness of life with total confidence as children of God, he also admonished that God wants “holistic healing,” and not just “partial healing,” including the healing of one’s heart and conversion of one’s soul. He went on to pray for the moral illnesses and social injustices that bedevil the country, specifically the graft and corruption plaguing government and the wrenching poverty oppressing millions; for the deepest divisions to be healed and discrimination of all forms banished. In offering a reason for why God does not seem to answer all our supplications, he said perhaps “sometimes, what we ask for may not be good for us.”
In an interview prior to the mass, this writer asked Father Suarez if he can share what God tells him in his personal conversations during private moments of prayer, to which he replied, “God says He loves me, and He is happy with what I do in sharing the gift of healing with all the faithful.” This writer later learned that Father Suarez interacts, touches and prays over each and every person in all of his healing services — regardless of how long it takes or how exhausting it can get.
Before an audience consisting of the sick and the curious, the faithful and the skeptics, captured on digital cameras and video recorders, shown live on closed-circuit TV and later on nationwide TV, Father Suarez performed his individualized healing ministry on thousands, moving constantly and laying his hands on the old and the young, many of whom rose from wheelchairs and spontaneously shared poignant stories, testifying to God’s goodness through Father Suarez.
When this writer asked Father Suarez what he would like to tell the millions of Filipinos who may have desperately wished to attend his healing sessions, but cannot because they are preoccupied with earning a living or do not possess the means, he says reassuringly, “God heals in different ways, so we must all believe in his goodness. While it is God who heals, it is faith that saves.” Fittingly, Father Suarez reminds us of the gospel passages when Jesus brings back to life a grief-stricken father’s only daughter, and a woman suffering from years of debilitating illness touches the hem of His cloak, in which He says “Take courage… your faith has made you well.”
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February 22nd, 2008 at 12:45 am
Rich Man,Poor Man
Thursday,February 21.St.Peter Damian
Jeremiah 17:5-10 / Psalm 1;1-4,6 / Luke 16:19-31
There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day.Luke 16:19
‘It is my prayer and belief that it will be answered,…healing!!!,oh…and oh how nice to surrender all our concern with peaceful heart to God.’ But with our alert minds and heart ready to act and in love.
so here again,one from my daily reflection booklet,…Living Faith.
Mahirap matamo ang ‘healing’ o biruan namin e “hiling”. mahaba ang sharing so,parang ganito ang kwento.Noon daw e me namatay na isang mahirap,ngunit pious peasant at sa langit napunta.Kasabay niyang dumating sa pinto ng langit e isang mayaman ding namatay.Lumabas si San Pedro and welcomed the rich man and took him into heaven,apparently not seeing the poor peasant.As soon as the gates shut,all kinds of rejoicing began inside.The poor man could hear the music,loud singing and great rejoicing inside heaven.
After a while all was quiet,and Saint Peter came out and ushered in the poor man.But the poor peasant got no grand reception.So he asked St.Peter why the same partiality shown to the rich and powerful on earth was also apparently shown in heaven.Putting his arms around the poor man,St.Peter said:”You are just as dear to us as anyone else,and your heart will be filled with satisfaction.But,you see,poor people like yourself come to heaven every hour.A rich man like that one…well,they do not come more than once every hundred years!”
from Fr.Edward Hayes-Pray All Ways
kahit biro marahil,pero napa-isip din ako,…n eto reflecting,kung ano ang mensahe at matutunan ko dito.’Habang ako’y patuloy na nakiki-isa sa communal prayer’ kahit sa aking sarili lamang ay,tutuo,napaka-rami pa ring katanungang dapat makita ang kasagutan,though alam na natin e yung kung paano ito isasagawa ng mapayapa,maayos at magiging isa nang tunay na pagbabagong makatarungan para sa lahat.Yun bang ang ‘healing’ na natamo natin e talagang ipagsasaya ng lahat,hindi lang ng mahirap o ng mayaman ngayong panahon natin, ngunit higit sa lahat e ng mga susunod pang mga kababayan natin.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
‘Dasal,communal prayer,…at makinig tayo sa direction,…sa ating mga sarili sa pamilya at tungo sa mas malawak,…”Pambansang Paghihilom”,…’healing,…pray and ask to the Healer-the true healer.’ Heal us Lord,our land,our people our country,our leaders.’ In Jesus name.Amen
‘Jesus,Jesus,Jesus’
‘My sacrifice,O God,is a contrite spirit.Psalm 51:19
February 12th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Nice work.
February 10th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Many bishops will really question the motive of this man because they are worried they may lose followings, income.and credibility. I guess our bishops should focus their attention to other kinds of religious denomination since the Catholic hierarchy is fast eroding. More failthful have become unbelievers and switch to other sect. The church has become less responsive to the members. Their activities are now more political in character than what they are supposed to do. In the Middle East, thousands of pinoys quit their religiou an embrace a strange belief for convenience sake. The church is not doing something to stop this grand harvest by other religions. The harvest is supposed to be plenty. Yet our own failthful are being harvested by other religious sects.
By the way, what is the church doing on the issue of family planning? If rythym method is the only acceptable means, then pursue it with vigor and make it a priority program. Without controling the growth of population, our country risks been taken over in the near future by a new of generation of prostitutes, squatters, holduppers, beggars and all kinds of social misfits as a result of extreme lack of proper education.
I’m just worried of my future grand children who will be living under this kind of environment.
February 10th, 2008 at 4:42 am
‘Healing…,ang isa sa biyaya na ating nakita at tinatanggap para sa akin ay ang naipalutang ng Ministry ni Fr.Fernando,ang isang magandang biyaya na masasabi kong kailangan nating lahat,matagal at patuloy ang pag-asam at matamo ang tunay na paghihilom,na kailangan natin.Pag-asa,ito ang isa sa aking unang nakita o natamo,paniniwala,na aking kailangan upang lalong higit akong kumapit sa aking kinilalang Panginoon at tagapag-ligtas.May katagalan talaga,at maraming karanasan at sa akin’y dumating ang isang salitang ‘If today you hear God’s word,harden not your heart.’ At naalala ko ang aking mga nakaraan,gawain sa Parokya,Cursillo,ang mga gabi ng ultreya,Word Ministry,at aking kawalan ng tutuong dedikasyon sa aking paglilingkod.Matapos ang ME naming mag-asawa,alam ko na ito ay isa na namang pagtawag sa akin.At sa LSS,alam kong ako’y muling kanyang hinipo,ng Banal na Espiritu.Sa kabila ng aking kalagayang pangkalusugan ay naisagawa naming mag-asawa ang mga kinakailangan naming gawin sa komunidad na aming sinamahan.Patuloy pa rin ang mga pagsubok,ngunit sa biyaya’y sa kanya kami natutok.At hindi ko na mabibilang ang kay-raming mga Banal na Misa at prayer meetings at mga teachings,healing services ant mga conferences ang aming nadaluhan,sa paniniwalang ang lahat ng ito’y kailangan namin hindi lamang ng katawan,kundi ng isang tunay na ‘healing’ at maging tunay na disipulo.Maraming beses din akong na-pray over ng komunidad at ng mga kasam na mula sa iba pang lugar,me sa telepono pa nga from California at ng hindi ko na mabilang na mga Pari sa aming mga healing mass,pati na ang mga Pari at Obispong galing sa atin na bumibisita dito at syempre ni Fr.Fernando at alam kong hanggang sa ngayon e kasama ako sa laging ipinagdarasal at kasama sa mga intensyon nila sa kanilang mga pagdiriwang ng Banal na Eukaristiya.Alam kong mahaba pa ang aking paglalakbay,ngunit alam kong may paghihilom akong natamo,una na ako’y pinagaling niya sa aking adiksyon sa sigarilyo at sa alak,at sa iba pa na aking tunay na mga struggle,at iba pa sabi ko nga e akin pa ring kinakaharap.At lalong higit sa aking karamdaman.Ngayon ay nagkaroon ako ng maayos na pananaw sa buhay bilang asawa at ama at lolo at kapatid,tiyuhin,in law,at bilang isang mamamayan at lalong higit bilang isang Kristiyano.Sa ngayon,e ito nga siguro ang isa ko pang kinakailangan kong ipagdasal,ang tila talagang pagharap at pagtulong upang magkaroon ng katarungan at pagkalinga sa mga mas lalong hirap sa kabuhayang mga ka-anak at kababayan.Kaya naman sa tuwing me malaking isyung kaharap tayo bilang isang bansa,e lalo akong nagdarasal na gabayan at bigyan ng lakas at direksyon tayo at malampasan ang mga ito.Sa nababasa ko mga forum at sa mga ilang diskusyon at sa mga umpukan at huntahan ng ating mga kababayan ay lalong lumakas ang aking paniniwala na kailangan natin ang magdasal at lumahok sa mga gawain na inihahain ng simbahan at ng mgacivic/civil societiety upang tayo’y matuto at lumago.At kung hindi man ay mag-aral,magbasa,lalo ngayon sa bagong teknolohiya,napakagandang mabasa ang mga aklat na magbibigay sa atin ng direksyon at kaliwanagan lalo na sa mga isyu sa ating kalagayan bilang isang Katolikong Kristiyano.Tuwing me mga pangyayaring tulad ngayon e,binubuklat ko at muli e binabasa ko ang ‘aklat ko na ‘An Introduction to Catholic Social Teaching,upang sa mga huntahan at sa tulad ngayon ay maibahagi ito sa iba bilang isang simpling mananamplataya.’Pastoral Care,at alam kong kulang,sa tao,kaya nga lalo akong naniniwala na kung ‘healing o paghihilom ng bayan e ito ang tunay at magaling na lunas,’hanapin muna ang kaharian lalo na at lahat sa atin ay ibibigay.’ at dyan lamang e napakatagal na,ngunit me pag-asa,ang sagot at kaligtasan.’Kailangan ang mga pulitiko,ngunit kailangan din ang iba pa,lalo na ang mga mangagawa sa simbahan,sabi ng isang guro sa paaralan,about our elected officials while working with them in some projects,’What I discovered was not how powerful those people are,but how limited their power really is.All they can actually do is rearrange the yard markers on the playing field of life.They can’t change a human heart.They can’t heal a wounded soul.They can’t turn hatred into love.They can’t bring about repentance,forgiveness,reconciliation,peace.’ Mga kababayan para po sa atin lahat at salamat po.