Heaven On Earth Experience at Our Lady of Banneux

I went to heaven last weekend. There I was welcomed by Our Lady of Banneux.
I never planned to be in that BCOP Weekend. The only place I wanted to be in during that time
was Iloilo. But God had better plans, as usual.

You guessed it right, He did not surprise me with a ticket to Iloilo but He allowed me to
experience heaven on earth in San Mateo, Rizal.

The activity started with a trip to the "old land" where most of the "home partners" used to live.
During the walk, Tito Eric, shared with us how they struggled to survive the wrath of Ondoy.
Then the long journey to the "promised land" began. While traveling the long and winding road
to Silangan, San Mateo, I could only imagine what would meet us there. I had my expectations
already, but I was still open to God's surprises. Though I wasn't at all excited to be there, I
chose to believe that God has a message.

When we arrived, I was stunned by the beauty of the Our Lady of Banneux (both the image and
the community itself).
God spoke to me powerfully during Ate Karen Mangulab's talk when she shared her own story
of poverty and reliance on God's providence. Her words really struck me: "Nakatanggap ako ng
tulong dati. Sino ako para hindi tumulong ngayon?" (I received help before. Who am I not to
help now?) And I had this strong conviction: Pwede akong mapagod magmahal pero hindi
ako titigil, dahil ang Panginoon hindi napagod mahalin ako at kailanman, hindi Siya titigil
mahalin ako. (I may get tired of loving but I wont stop, because God did not get tired of loving
me, and forevermore, He will not stop loving me.)

I seriously need to be reminded of that. Lately I am being tempted to just stop loving. It has
already become too tiring for me. I even came to the point of telling God, "I cannot do this
anymore." Loving has already cost me too much that I feel I could no longer afford it.

But attending the BCOP Weekend humbled me and made me see how proud I have become.
Fr. Benedict would always tell me, kayabangang isiping ikaw lang ang nagmamahal at ikaw

lang nagbibigay. Mayabang na kung mayabang pero ganun talaga ang pakiramdam ko lately.
(You are being boastful to think that it is only you who loves and gives. They may think of me
that way but that is what I truly feel lately.) Then God showed me how false that belief is.

That weekend, instead of me blessing the people of Our Lady of Banneux, it was I who received
so much love from God through them. And because of them, once again, I realized how blessed
I am. Tito Nicole said, "Count your blessings, think of the things you have, and you'll
realize how rich you are. But if you focus on what you don't have, then you'll end up
being the most miserable, poorest person in the world."

According to a song, "in heaven, love comes first." By love, I mean the genuine kind of love
described in 1 Corinthians 13. Here's some good news: if you haven't experienced that kind of
love yet, go to Our Lady of Banneux and you'll taste, see, feel, and breathe that love. :) I got to
experience that and I felt so rich afterwards. :)

When asked why we are doing what we are doing or why we are in the place where we are, we
in the community often answer, "because we were called by the Lord" or "because we were
chosen by the Lord" or "because we love the Lord." Here's my answer: I went to Our Lady of
Banneux not because I love God but because God loves me so much that He wants me to
experience simplicity, service, sacrifice, and ultimately, heaven there.

Isn't it amazing? Amazing!

Isn't it surprising? Surprising!
By Aiza Garnica

Our Lady of Banneux in San Mateo, Rizal is an ANCOP community. ANCOP, which
stands for Answering the Cry of the Poor is a program founded by Couples for
Christ (CFC) for the purpose of consolidating efforts in building the church of the poor.
Click here to know more about the program and the many ways to help. :)

Aiza Garnica works full-time for Couples for Christ Global Mission Foundation, Inc. She
is an active Singles for Christ member from East B sector for 8 years now. She also
maintains a blog. Follow her at http://littlebigwonders.blogspot.com/.