Can a healer heal himself?

When Fr. Fernando Suarez said a healing Mass followed by a healing session in Catarman, Northern Samar, two of my townmates from Las Navas claimed that they were healed. One was suffering from prostate cancer and the other myoma. Magic? They believed it was a miracle.

My doctor-friend was downhearted when his wife was diagnosed with cancer of the ovary. In addition to the medical treatment, he sought out Fr. Joey Faller to pray over his wife. Soon, the cancer was gone. Magic? The couple believed it was a miracle.

Somebody I know was into tube-feeding after suffering from a stroke. His relative requested Fr. Corsie Legaspi to pray over him over the phone. In an instant, the patient could swallow solid food and did away with the tube.

The Monte Maria Shrine of Fr. Fernando Suarez in Alfonso, Cavite, where a ground-breaking ceremony and Mass were held last Monday, Aug. 22.

On a recent working trip to Bangkok to interview Thai pop star Mario Maurer, my friend Raoul Tidalgo and I paid Fr. Corsie a visit at a room where he conducts healing sessions once a month. Fr. Corsie looked at Raoul’s arms and said, “Raise them.” The left arm was five inches shorter than the right. Whereupon, Fr. Corsie prayed over Raoul’s arms and then asked him again to raise them. The two arms were equal in length.

Magic? It could be a miracle.

There are non-believers and then again there are hundreds who believe and so they flock to the healing Masses/sessions of these three healing priests, who are among the most popular in the country. That’s the key word — believe. Faith can move mountains, can’t it?

I’ve been wondering if a healer can heal himself, so I asked Fr. Suarez and Fr. Faller (Fr. Corsie couldn’t text or e-mail his answers from Bangkok) about it. Here’s what they said:

Fr. Corsie Legaspi during a healing session

Do you feel the symptoms of the sick after a healing session?

Fr. Suarez: I’m just a plain conduit, so it’s one way. The power comes from God and is coursed through me to the people, so walang bumabalik sa akin. After a healing session, I don’t get tired, I don’t feel drained, siguro nangangalay lang ang paa ko which is normal kasi most of the time I am on my feet.

Fr. Faller: Every time I touch people I can feel their sickness in the form of heaviness in my heart… and pain in my head if the sickness is great. In a way, I absorb negative energy.

Can a healer heal himself?

Fr. Suarez: No. This gift is not for me; it is for the people. Siguro other healers can heal themselves. When I get sick, I have to consult another healer. I have chronic pains and migraine but I can’t heal them while with other people, one touch from me and they say that those pains are gone.

Fr. Joey Faller says regular Masses on Mondays and healing sessions at his Kamay ni Hesus Shrine in Lucban, Quezon

Fr. Faller: I believe that a healer can’t heal himself. As a charismatic gift, it is to be used on other people and not on myself, for the building up of the church. Normally, I would ask somebody who has the gift of healing to pray over me.

Have you ever been ill and how did you recover?

Fr. Suarez: Common colds, flu and sinus, yes, but nothing more serious than that.

Fr. Faller: Yes, I get sick, too. Prayers, medication, rest, diet and exercise are my means of recovery.

Last Monday, Aug. 22, Fr. Suarez led the ground-breaking of his Monte Maria (“Mother of the Poor”) Shrine in Alfonso, Cavite, which has a large auditorium where he says Mass. Sunday nights, from 6 to 8 p.m., he hosts a program on Radio Veritas after which he gathers street-children (more than a hundred when we were there) and treat them to dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Fr. Faller has been expanding his Kamay ni Hesus Shrine in Lucban, Quezon, which is dominated by a huge statue of The Risen Christ on top of a mountain, said to be the third largest such religious statue (after those in Brazil as the first and Bolivia as second). Kamay ni Hesus now includes a dormitory and retreat house built like Noah’s Ark.

Briefly noted

Carissa Cruz Evangelista and daughters Isabella and Gabrielle

• Ever heard of the Buzz Away anti-mosquito patches and bracelets which are embedded with pellets to ward off mosquitoes within a 15-day period? Very useful and timely now that the country is suffering from a dengue epidemic. Buzz Away is exclusively distributed by Aeonyx Marketing Corporation which specializes in sourcing and distribution of several other consumer products. Aeonyx is headed by Carissa Cruz Evangelista who has showbiz connections because she’s the granddaughter of the Sampaguita star-builder Dr. Jose “Doc “ Perez. Carissa performed in concerts until she decided to join the government as DTI undersecretary. She’s never too busy to attend to her kids, Isabella, 3, and Gabrielle, 1. No wonder Pangasinan Rep. Gina de Venecia is proud of her daughter Carissa.

• Good news from Brazil where the 2011 Miss Universe Pageant will be held on Sept. 12: Our bet, 2011 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe Shamcey Supsup (photo) has been tapped as one of the five candidates who are promoting the pageant, together with Misses China, Venezuela, Brazil and reigning queen Ximena Navarette of Mexico. Last year’s bet, Venus Raj, who finished fourth runner-up, was also among the five chosen to do the honors. Incidentally, you can help make Shamcey advance to the semis. Here’s how: 1) Log on to www.missuniverse.com, 2) Go to contestants page, 3) Under Philippines-Shamcey Supsup, click on to VOTE, 4) Complete the form and give Miss Philippines a 10 rating, and 5) Click on “submit vote for Philippines.” Reminder: Voting period started at 4 a.m. last Aug. 20 and will end at 6 a.m. on Sept. 12 (Manila Time). You can vote up to 10 times a day. The contestant with the highest average gets a spot in the semi-finals.

•Corrections, please: From Mary Josephine R. Cruz, OIC, Promotions Division: This is regarding the caption of a photo showing Sen. Manny Villar holding a chair which was featured in Funfare Update yesterday, Aug. 26, issue. The caption reads: “Below: Sen. Villar inspecting a piece of furniture by Cobonpue.” The information given to you regarding the designer of the chair was incorrect. Said chair was designed by Redemptor Bitantes who designed it for A. Garcia Crafts, a furniture exporter and manufacturer from Pampanga, The chair, named PAMELA, is a powder-coated wire chair which is A. Garcia Craft’s best-selling export item to the US, Europe and the Middle East… From John Dave P. Dueñas, management representative, Quality Management Department of Chef Jessie Restaurants: It’s Chef Jessie and not Chef Jeenie as erroneously mentioned in the article about Aga Muhlach’s birthday dinner last Aug. 22.

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