My first meeting in February 2012 with Manny Pacquiao
in an interview at the Pacquiao Mansion for this article.
The article as originally written:
Oh Lord my God, when I, in
awesome wonder,
consider all the worlds Thy
hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Here is the man
who declared that he would retire from boxing when he turned 29 five years ago.
But it took God who appeared to him in a dream this January for him to decide
on retiring. God told him, "You have done enough. You have made yourself
famous but this is harmful."
Indeed, Manny
Pacquiao has become a preacher of the Good Word these days, much to the
surprise and dismay of many of his fans worldwide. And here he is, in a v-neck
orange and white striped t-shirt, at the living room of the Pacman Mansion
in Barangay Lagao, General
Santos City,
leading the group in rehearsing the praise songs for the prayer meeting that
night. The group is composed of Mommy Dionisia, wife Jinkee, their kids and
their playmates, pastors, some politicians and their wives, family and personal
friends, neighbors, a group of businessmen, employees, a sprinkling of media
people and a few curious onlookers.
Pinupuri, sinasamba kita
Dakilang Diyos at Panginoon
Tunay ngang ika’y walang katulad
Tunay ngang ika’y di nagbabago
Tunay ngang ika’y di nagbabago
Mabuting Diyos na sa aki’y nagmamahal
The pastor starts
the prayer meeting and with gusto discusses what it means to belong to the body
of believers or the Body of Christ. Manny listens intently to him and nods in
agreement to what he says. His hunger for the word of God is palpable in his
face. From time to time, Manny opens the Bible in his hand to read the verse
mentioned by the pastor. He also shares his thoughts and feelings to the
discussion of issues raised by the pastor. His fervor is evident in his eyes
and in the way his right hand punches the air before him.
I love you with the love of
the Lord,
I love you with the love of
the Lord.
I can see in you the glory of
my King,
And I love you with the love
of the Lord.
Later, he stands
to lead in the distribution of several bags containing Bibles to those present
when it was needed during the prayer meeting. His voice soars with every hymn
being sung. Towards the end of the prayer meeting, he serves, along with
others, the juice in caps and crackers for the communion.
When the prayer
meeting wraps up, several people go to him, convinced and pleased by the
changed man before them. Mommy Dionisia and Jinkee look at him with obvious
pride and pleasure.
Matthew 16:26: What good will
it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can
a man give in exchange for his soul?
Here is the
changed man who now repentantly admits his worldliness in the past and
declares, “No more womanizing, no more gambling, no more over-drinking of
liquor!”
Here is the man who gained wealth and fame as a leading sports figure
and a showbiz celebrity and got elected to the House of Representatives to
serve his people, saying he believes he had been chosen by God to use his fame
to spread His Word.
Here is the man who for all his street smarts and slick
moves in the ring could not say “no” when God appeared to him in a dream and
said, “Come follow me.”
Here is the man whose eye is now on the Kingdom of Heaven and whose intent is investing in
eternal life. Here is the man who now wears his heart on his sleeve so that
everyone knows where his faith stands.
 |
| The article published as the cover story of the July 2012 issue of It's a Good Life @ KCC Mall of Gensan |
The article as edited and published:
Oh Lord my God, when I, in
awesome wonder,
consider all the worlds Thy
hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
He declared that he would retire from boxing when he turned 29 five years ago but it seems God had other plans for him. He recounts a dream last January that made his decision for him. God told him, "You have done enough. You have made yourself
famous but this is harmful."
The man's name is Manny
Pacquiao and he has become a preacher of the Good Word these days. Some in his worldwide fan base are pleasantly surprised, while others are dismayed. In a striped orange and white striped v-neck t-shirt, at the living room of the Pacman Mansion
in Barangay Lagao, General
Santos City,
he leads a group in rehearsing the praise songs for the night's prayer meeting. The group is composed of Mommy Dionisia, his wife Jinkee, the Pacquiao couple's kids and
the kids' playmates, pastors, some politicians and their wives, other members of the Manny's and Jinkee's extended family, personal
friends and neighbors of the Pacquiao family, a group of businessmen, employees, a sprinkling of media
people and a few curious onlookers.
Pinupuri, sinasamba kita
Dakilang Diyos at Panginoon
Tunay ngang ika’y walang katulad katulad
Tunay ngang ika’y di nagbabago
Mabuting Diyos na sa aki’y nagmamahal
The pastor starts
the prayer meeting with gusto and discusses what it means to belong to the body
of believers or the Body of Christ. Manny listens intently to him and nods in
agreement. His hunger for the word of God is palpable and clearly reflected in his
face. At appropriate times, Manny opens the Bible in his hand to read the verse
mentioned by the pastor. He also shares his thoughts and feelings to the
discussion of issues raised by the pastor. His fervor is evident in his eyes
and in how his right hand punches the air before him.
I love you with the love of
the Lord,
I love you with the love of
the Lord.
I can see in you the glory of
my King,
And I love you with the love
of the Lord.
Later, he stands
to lead in the distribution of several bags containing Bibles to those present. His voice soars with every hymn
being sung. Towards the end of the prayer meeting, he serves, along with
others, in the communion rites.
When the prayer
meeting wraps up, several people go to him, convinced and pleased by the
changed man before them. Mommy Dionisia and Jinkee look at him with obvious
pride and pleasure.
Matthew 16:26: What good will
it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can
a man give in exchange for his soul?
Here is the
changed man who now repentantly admits his worldliness in the past and
declares, “No more womanizing, no more gambling, no more over-drinking of
liquor!” Here is the man who gained wealth and fame as a leading sports figure
and a household name and who serves his constituents as a member of the Philippine Congress, saying he believes he had been chosen by God to use his fame
to spread The Word. Here is the man who, for all his street smarts and slick
moves, in the ring could not say “no” when God appeared to him in a dream and
said, “Come follow me.” Here is the man whose eye is now on the Kingdom of Heaven and whose intent is investing in
eternal life. Here is the man who now wears his heart on his sleeve so that
everyone knows where his faith stands.
