Non Standard Issue: The Feast

Whenever someone asks me how I came to know about The Feast, I tell them that it all started in our library back in college. I was browsing the shelves when I came across a thin book entitled “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bo Sanchez. I curiously flipped the first pages and before I knew it, I was at one of the nearby tables, enthralled by what I was reading. I borrowed the book over the weekend, and before long, became an avid follower of Bo’s writing.

I learned about The Feast while reading one of Bo’s blogs. It is described “as one of the happiest places on Earth.” Depending on your imagination, you may envision something Disneyland-esque, or at worse, think that is some kind of a cult (gasp!) which enjoys human sacrifices, ergo the term “The Feast.”

None of the options are correct, of course. But I guess they are also true in two ways.

First – there are no roller coasters and Seven Dwarfs to entertain you, but you feel young and happy and energetic just the same. Note: No entrance fees required.

Second, once you attend The Feast, you can get easily hooked into it. But, it is a kind of “addiction” you will happily welcome into your life. In fact, I have been getting my weekly “fix” for quite some time now. Note again: Free medicine for the soul, mind, and spirit.

Before I tell you more about my Sunday habit, let me share something that I had not really told anyone. My version of a “skeletons-in-the-closet” confession, though it may not be that ultrasupermega shocking.

Confessions of a teenage part-time drama queen

At that time in college when I was reading my first Bo book, I was in one of my “mini-depressions,” or what I sometimes call as my “early life crisis” period. It started in high school, and eventually tapered off when I grew older. Still, there are times it goes behind my back and stabs me with a dose of unwelcome emotions.

I was never the suicidal type, and would frown at the thought of carving a scar on my wrist. There is so much to live for. Imagining how my face would look like in my casket when I am already dead is also hilarious. (Sorry for my weird sense of humor. But I really cannot envision myself looking that grave and serious!)

Nevertheless, the kind of melancholy that hits during those on-and-off periods makes you feel like you are detached from the world. You seem to be looking at others’ happiness behind a wall of glass. (Tap…tap. Invisible wall!) You see, you hear, but you can barely feel. You wonder, you get confused, and you wonder some more.

The exact emotions and circumstances surrounding them are hard to explain. Perhaps, those periods get triggered by the oddball of the pressures and stress of growing up, of accepting and dealing with the situations I am born with, of my sometimes lingering obsessive-compulsiveness, and of the difficulties of discerning what I really want in life.

How I came across the recipe for the Feast

Now, because I do not want to get melodramatic again, I visited our university library to look for books to perk me up. I frequently go to the fiction department but I also spend some time at the self-development section. I said hello to two of my favorite authors, Og Mandino and Dale Carnegie (unashamedly recommending them), and eventually went to the “How To” categories. I managed to browse and dispose a few titles before I saw Bo’s book. The rest of the story you already know.

Now, what caught my attention is that the stories and insights are all down-to-earth and relatable. Bo’s jokes are also worth laughing at (pun intended). It was a refreshing and enjoyable book. The stories are also easy to read, which I believe gave the book its charm (and in general, Bo’s writing too), because it allows you to see and feel God in the simplest of things.

Thirsty for more, I read Bo’s blogs during my free times and whenever I need some words of wisdom to revitalize me or just to keep the blues away. It was also while reading where I was introduced to The Light of Jesus Family and The Feast.

Unfortunately, because all The Feasts are held in Metro Manila and I am in the cool mountains of the Cordillera, I cannot attend one. I have to be contented reading about it, curiously wondering what activities are happening that are causing those people in the pictures/videos to look so happy. Thereby, attending The Feast made its way into my bucket list, with me wondering when I will be able to cross it out.

A year and some months later, I am now in Metro Manila pursuing a career in IT. Because I was still starting then in the big city, it took me the better part of two months after arriving before I was able to work on my dream of attending The Feast. I Googled for the venues and schedules, and picked The Ortigas Feast because it is the nearest to our place in Mandaluyong.

Before 10 a.m. in a Sunday morning, I was there at Robinsons Ortigas headed for Cinema 3. A smiling usher greeted me, gave me a Feast Bulletin, and lead me inside. The mass was just starting, and so I sat there in prayerful silence, wondering a bit how it was different from the masses I have attended before, and if I will be able to see Bo. After the mass announcements were over, my questions were answered. The atmosphere suddenly changed, and the Music Ministry went to the center to lead the attendees to worship. The venue transformed into a beehive of energy and activity.

Vic Español, Ortigas Feast Builder, entered and greeted all the Feast attendees. (Second question answered – Bo can be found at the Feast in PICC. But for the record, Bro Vic is a great Feast Builder and has a penchant for storytelling and jokes too). The next hour was then filled with a lively talk about connecting with other people.

The Feast contains the same formula that I had admired in Bo’s books and writings – practical, straight-to-the point, and fun but also reflective. The talks are all related to the things we encounter in our everyday life – whether it is about our relationships, our dreams, or even our finances. Kids are also welcome; because they have activities waiting for them after the mass while their parents are attending the talks. There is a theme for every particular series, and the creativity and effort pour into each one of the series is really admirable.

To top it off, you can shift from being a Feast attendee to “serving in the kitchen” (as Bo had written in one of his blogs). Ortigas Feast (and other The Feasts) is welcoming everyone to be part of their Music Ministry, Dance Ministry, Writing Ministry, and/or their Technical Ministry. You can also join a Caring Group(a.k.a Children’s Group because it is much fun) where you can find new friends who will guide and accompany you in your spiritual journey.

Kerygma Conference 2012

Fast forward again, and I am now in my fourth month of attending the Feast Ortigas. One of these days, I would also want visit other Feast venues such as PICC. But what I am really looking forward to right now is the Kerygma Conference on November 24 to 25, 2012 at SM MOA Arena/ SMX Convention Center. I have my KCon ticket secured in my wallet already.

Since it is my first time to attend, I will not be able to share that much. But let me do my best, and hopefully I will be able to encourage you to join too.

Kerygma Conference is an annual Light of Jesus Family event which features various talks from experts covering topics about the different aspects of our life. There are a lot of streams (i.e. topics to choose one, with many options offered per day. (For me, I have chosen “Business” for the first day and “Inner Healing” for the second day.)

What I really appreciate is that I know that these talks will not only feed my mind , but will also nourish and enrich my heart and spiritual being as well.

Unlike the weekly Feast, there will be a fee. But, beware the second thoughts because as Bro Vic has said, attending the KCon is a worthwhile investment, aside from the fact it will help them cover the expense of organizing an event as big as this. In my humble opinion, the two-day event is worth more than those hour-long concerts (at a cheaper price too). In fact, I had even sacrificed watching Phantom of the Opera in exchange for the KCon Ticket.

There are three sets of tickets, Premium, Regular, and Student discount (1/3 the cost of the Premium tickets). For further details, you can check out the KCon website. Please click the link even if your interest was not that triggered. Your mind may change once you discover the wonders that await you.

At the same time, if you really cannot be a KConer (a term I have coined), then I am still inviting you to attend the Grand Feast, 2 pm Sunday afternoon after all the streams are finished. No ticket needed for the Grand Feast. Please drop by and share in the experience and fun. If the Weekly Feast is already awesome, then I can imagine that being multiplied in the Grand Feast.

Anways, whether you are able to attend the KCon or not (but I wish you really do), you can attend the various Feasts available in Metro Manila, nearby provinces, and even in some countries too. For those in other parts of the Philippines and the world far from the Feast venues, there are live streamings during Sundays. Hopefully, Bo’s dream of 1000 Feasts will be realized sooner than later so that more people can join us in our wonderful weekly habit.

Please say hello if you see me in the KCon or at one of The Feasts.

P.S. If you are wondering if The Feast is open to all – yes, an absolutely big YES. It was conceptualized to welcome everyone, whatever religion (or non-religion), race, gender you may be. If you are non-Catholic and are uncomfortable in attending the Mass but want to hear the talks, then why don’t you come in during the second part? I repeat and emphasize, everyone is invited!

* All of the images/videos in this blog are from the Light of Jesus Family website/Youtube account. Hopefully, I will be able to share my own pictures/videos in the future too.