ANGEL THOUGHTS

"Serenity —

To walk when others are running;

To whisper when others are shouting;

To sleep when others are restless;

To smile when others are angry;

To pause when others are hurrying;

To pray when others are doubting ;

To think when others are in confusion;

To face turmoil yet have composure;

To have inner calm inspite of everything;

To sleep in the middle of a storm.

This is the test of serenity.

This is the Christ Life."

— Alice CanlasAvancena

He came like a meteor in the sky bearing the good news of God’s love and then, he was gone. He went to the US to touch people’s hearts and pray over their wounded and bruised minds and bodies.

It was no coincidence, although it was not planned, that priest-healer Fr. Fernando Suarez of the Companions of the Cross said his last mass on this brief visit to the country at the Rockwell Tent of The Power Mall in Makati, on the feast of the Triumph of the Cross.

To Fr. Suarez, "CROSS" meant Christ calling us to C–ome to Him , R–econcile with Him, O–ffer our S–elf and S–ervice to Him. Simple, direct, easy to follow.

The tent was full to capacity, spilling out to the outside grounds where chairs were thoughtfully provided by the Rockwell management.

I had gotten used to seeing thousands turn out for Fr. Suarez’ masses, from the Lipa Cathedral, to St. James in Ayala, to SM Megamall (where a reported 10,000 people crammed the fifth floor of both A and B buildings), the Resurrection church in BF and then the tent.

By word of mouth, and text messages and through our column and his web site www.fatherfernandosuarez.com, people looking for hope and healing were flocking to his masses.

In Lipa, he was the only ordinary priest to speak with two cardinals (Guadencio Rosales and Ricardo Vidal), archbishops (Ramon Arguelles and Angel Lagdameo), and other church dignitaries in the cannonical coronation of Our Lady as Mary, Mediatrix of All Grace.

The fact awed him, and he shared his "nothingness" with those who went to his healing masses.

In Lipa, more than 10,000 people filled his healing mass which lasted until the wee hours of the morning. For all his masses here in his five day stay, close to 30,000 people were prayed over.

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I watched the cripple walk away, pushing their wheelchairs down the aisle in Ayala Alabang’s St. James, the deaf hearing again, the blind seeing. People with pains witnessed how they were cured after he prayed over them.

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On his last evening in the Rockwell tent, businessman Jun Tambunting, Martha’s Vineyard president Juda Liu and Glenda Barretto of Via Mare stood up to share their healings as did ordinary people.

Fr. Suarez urges people who have experienced the love of God through spiritual and physical healings to share these with others. (Those who wish to do so many send their brief testimonials to me at the Manila Bulletin or at my email address — dees_day @yahoo.com)

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(At Ayala Alabang I also met asthma specialist Dr. Manuel Canlas after he testified how his cancer disappeared after Fr. Suarez prayed over him. Praise God!)

I was as delighted with the rest of the mass goers in the Rockwell tent when a Carmelite nun who was in a wheelchair literally danced her way down the aisle and out of the tent!

Her exuberance at being touched by the Holy Spirit and experiencing a physical healing was wonderful to see.

So many more testified that evening leaving everyone "high" on the healing love of the Holy Spirit. You could almost feel His presence during the mass and the healing afterwards.

There were lots of healings and so many "rested" in the Holy Spirit that "catchers" from the Mary Help of Christians Community led by elder Rommel Alcantara could hardly cope.

They were reinforced by the Martha’s Vineyard ladies who sponsored the mass in cooperation with the Rockwell management.

Several friends and mentors concelebrated with Fr. Suarez and heard confessions during the healing period.

They were Fr. Jeff Shannon, his "assistant" from the Companions of the Cross , Fr. Carl Abesamis, S.J., Fr. Dennis Paez, Fr. Mike Samaniego, and Fr. Angel Pusikit whom I had previously met in Fr. Suarez’ hometown in Taal, Batangas last January.

Fr. Paez, also gifted with the charism of healing, told me that he heard many good confessions and if only for those who reconciled with the Lord that evening, there were already so many spiritual healings that took place.

Visibly inspired by the Holy Spirit when he delivers his homilies, Fr. Suarez in his enthusiasm for his faith is able to touch hardened hearts and prepare them to receive God’s love.

It sounds simple but to me, that’s what happens when he speaks at masses. Each homily is spontaneous with one constant theme — the healing miracle is ours in the Holy Eucharist which proves God’s love for us.

He brings hope and the gift of his priesthood to the people through the masses and the "bonus " is the healing that occurs.

Often, he does not remember those who have been healed through him, but he tells them, "Don’t worry. I may not remember you, but God remembers you!"

Hearing this is really reassuring, don’t you think so? I don’t know about you dear readers, but I feel "safe" knowing God loves me.

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Fr. Suarez will be back on Dec. 19, and will stay until Jan. 7, 2007. This will be the first time in many years that he will spend Christmas with his family in Butong, Taal.

He will also be going to Iloilo, Bacolod and Cebu for healing masses during the Christmas season.

I was able to interview him for the second time and tape it for my show at Via Mare, where he loves the longaniza, the sinigang and bibingka and puto bungbong.

"Dee’s Day" will be aired on Thursday, Sept. 28 over channel 9 at 12 noon. The replay will be at 8 a.m. the next day. Fr. Suarez will give a general healing prayer during the show.

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On the home front… we announce with deep sadness the death of Monet de Villa, wife of former AFP Chief of Staff (during Pres. Cory Aquino’s term) and PGMA"s first executive secretary Renato de Villa.

Her cremated ashes are in the San Antonio mortuary chapels.

She was a charming, low-profile lady who was very active with the Bigay Puso ladies during the Aquino years. She had battled cancer for many years, and died peacefully last Sept. 17.