Journey to Light

A New Age Fast Approaches
Life Without Light
The Center
Truth Can Be Found
What’s It All About
The Path Ahead

"Great changes are coming! This Center will be the Center of centers in this part of the world. Many will come to you. Everyone should make ready to receive them." This is the essence of repeated prophetic communications given by Archangel Michael, the Spirit Protector of the Centro Sermon dela Montaña (Center Sermon on the Mount) and other elevated Spirits.

Life without Light

It was June 1976. Getting older and getting nowhere, I looked back at the past. During my early years, I was blessed. Born to a middle class family, a lawyer father and educator mother, we weren’t rich, but I was enrolled in the leading public schools which were the best in the country, owing to the American influence. Besides always being near the top of my class, I had practically everything I needed or wanted. Everything came easily.

I was always in a hurry and was very materialistic in my outlook. I wanted to become a millionaire in my early twenties and retire at thirty. Fresh out of college with borrowed capital, I engaged in business, publishing books. From my first year earnings, I was able to buy a brand new car. After another two years, for ethical reasons, I left publishing, altogether, even though the money was still better than good. Then I began to trade in the stock market. In just about two years of trading, I made 40 times my small starting capital after deducting all my personal expenses during the same period.

While my classmates were struggling just to get by, I already had my car, complete with my own personal driver and was actually shopping to buy a house. I wined and dined in the best exclusive nightclubs and casinos. Young, confident and successful, without a care, I immersed myself in all the good things life could offer.

Then, suddenly out of nowhere in 1971, with the stock market crash just before the imminent declaration of Martial Law, it happened to me the way fortunes turn in every life — almost overnight, I lost everything.

I became so desperate; I even turned to fortunetellers for direction and guidance, which never was my practice before. Three of them in succession told me basically the same things and confirmed my worst fears. More hardships for the rest of my long life and I was just 26 years old. I had quite a ways to go. During one of the readings, I remember that in my panic, I trembled so uncontrollably. The table my arms rested on shook violently as it would in a prolonged earthquake. Those who were with me originally for the entertainment got a little scared, as well. I sat paralyzed except for the shaking, shell-shocked like a soldier in the thick of battle as I heard my future read.

During the next five years, I lived on charity and only barely managed to get by. Much of the time, I was almost totally immobilized by fear for every move I made seemed to spell disaster. And everything I tried failed. Where before, it came so easily, now it came not at all.

All that time, I could think of nothing but that I was a hopeless good-for-nothing and a total failure. Not being able to provide even for the basic needs of my family, I had failed my sacred duty toward God. Many times during that low period in my life, I even contemplated suicide. Since I was a burden to the family, at least, in death, I thought perhaps, my family would benefit more. But somehow, with a lot of help and encouragement from my wife, parents and close friends, I managed to pull myself together to survive.

Finally, tired and destitute, in debt and in despair, with a growing family to feed at that, I was hopelessly lost, confused and seeking for answers. Why, God? Why me? So many who don’t deserve it get all the blessings, why not me? What have I done? Where is God’s love and generosity? Where is God’s justice and fairness? Much of the time, I spent brooding, complaining and questioning, but the answers would not come. The prospects were nil. The future, bleak and gloomy. In times of plenty, I didn't give a thought about God, so now, I felt, God forgot about me. And I was filled with so much doubt and apprehension.

The Center

There had been some publicity or notoriety concerning faith healing and psychic phenomena that excited my curiosity. One afternoon, along with two friends, I attended a Sunday afternoon session of the Centro Sermon dela Montaña. It was the first time I witnessed what many called a seance. At the time, I thought seances were only held in darkness. I was wrong. And because I had some fear of the unknown and so many questions, I began to interview the members to resolve my confusion.

I learned that the Center was open to everyone who desired to develop himself, spiritually. It was actually a place for learning. There were no enforced dues but everything was on a purely voluntary basis. As a come-on to newcomers, most times, membership to an organization and the use of its facilities are usually free, but only at first. Later, after you get drawn in, you find that it always costs you a fortune to continue. I was a wise guy even then and was always on the lookout for small print and hidden strings. Having been in business since way back, I have always been cynical about many things, but always glad whenever I am proven to be wrong.

The discussions were very democratic. We could even reject any and all of the communications and teachings. I had always thought, according to the movies, that Spirits were very forceful and compelling. But not the genuine Spirits of Truth, we were corrected by the members. And once a member, we could join the training for the development of our psychic abilities, again, free of charge. This was a very good deal — One I couldn't refuse. Even at that time, psychic development courses cost a bundle elsewhere, something I could no longer afford.

Still, I continued to be very cautious and apprehensive. The Espiritistas, as they called themselves, were considered by many to be weirdos and fanatics. I thought so, too. Many of the members being ignorant and unschooled, the old superstitious practices were prevalent and much of what they did made no sense to me. I had my objections, serious ones at that. But because it was free except for the customary Sunday service voluntary donations, I was under no obligation and for plain curiosity's sake, I just played along, observing and trying to learn all I could. Something was making me stay and I didn't know what it was.

Truth Can Be Found

My third meeting with the group turned out to be quite a surprise. It was a training session and I was just an observer, not yet a member. The Sunday services and healing sessions were for the benefit of the general public. The training on the other hand was exclusively for members only, for their own personal development. But we were invited.

The training session was to run for three or four hours extending up to past midnight. The activities included among others: meditation, or tuning in to the Divine, evangelization with emphasis on Biblical teachings, clairvoyance, or seeing non-physical objects and Spirits, automatic writing and trance mediumship to obtain a direct communication with the Guides, astral traveling, and healing arts, including the blessing of oil and water.

During automatic writing, a young medium named Zeny who was with the Forestry Department received a message addressed to me, personally. It said, "Joe, don’t let little things deter you in your search for Truth." It was signed "Ozuario," supposedly a Spaniard in the Philippines during the four hundred year Spanish Occupation of our country. Needless to say, the message occupied my thoughts for days.

At that time, I found Catholic and Protestant teachings to be illogical and unreasonable. I had just completed a "Cursillo," a mini course on Catholic catechism. My heart was very touched by the obvious deep devotion of "The Little Shepherds" but the ineffectual answers given to me there were not satisfying and I remained unconvinced. The explanations relied too much on blind faith while ignoring more practical considerations based on common sense and human reasoning culled from direct personal experiences. Possibly, this is why a Spirit entity who was not a known Christian advocate gave me my first message.

I was not consciously searching for Truth, nor did I realize that there was a Truth, to begin with. But then, wasn't I searching for answers? And were I not enjoined to continue, I might easily have desisted, especially in the face of "little things" which seemed to me insurmountable conflicts and inconsistencies. But apparently, the Spirits seemed to know me. And so, because of that seemingly innocent message, which to me was full of meaning and depth, I was fired up and I kept on.

My interest having been captured so masterfully and since training in the Center was scheduled for only once a month; I looked for other similar groups which trained more frequently. I found one presided over by a University of the Philippines English professor and member of Phi Kappa Phi at her home inside the campus. Meny was also an accomplished trance medium and telepath. But unlike many other mediums, she was highly educated. She had an excellent grasp of the Higher Teachings, comprehended them well and was able to explain the more elevated concepts and ideas more effectively, far better than most.

Archangel Michael must really know me well because the early messages were: "There is only One God. All religions are one. All Paths lead home." My silent questions were all being answered one by one, as if he could read my mind. "Accept only what is suitable, reject what is not apt. God is just. Everything has a reason. You (referring to me) have been guided here." And a personal shocker — the Archangel also told me that they were the ones who actually took away all my pretensions of worldly success, my entire livelihood and all my money from me. And what a job they did to me. "God gives and He takes away."

In a subsequent session, St. Paul, through a different medium asked me if I had a question to ask him. There were just too many of them that I didn't know where to begin so I begged off. I told him, "It's just that I don’t understand."

He replied, "Even though you don’t understand now, just continue with your studies. Life really is hard. Keep your thoughts pure and make yourself ready. Do you understand?" he asked me. I said yes and thanked him for his advice.

At that time, my money problems were compounding and weighing me down, and there was no relief in sight. Besides, I was an active young man like any other and I had many worldly inclinations which some would consider to be faults. So I understood that these character flaws and worldly desires required my special attention and correction. In the meantime, I continued with my outside reading during the lag time. I was appreciative of the guidance given to me. But the actual extent of their guidance was much more than I thought then.

In another session, St. Peter, through another medium, approached us all one by one. Turning to me, he said, "We have been closely monitoring your progress from the Spirit World. Open your heart and strive to realize what we have been trying all this time to help you realize." Then St. Peter blessed me. I felt the warmth of his love and powerful waves of energy enveloped my whole body and filtered through to the very core of my being. The feeling lasted for quite a long while and I stood in awe, for this was the first physical evidence of their undeniable presence that I was able to directly perceive.

From time to time, it was the custom for members of different Spiritist centers affiliated with the Union Espiritista Cristiana de Filipinas, Incorporada to come and visit other centers as exchange students or in the fulfillment of a mission. The visiting students are usually given an opportunity to participate in the proceedings.

During one of our study sessions, a visiting medium and elder from the Union Headquarters who didn't know me, nor I her, received the Spirit of John the Baptist who true to his name and calling then asked those present if they would like to be baptized. At that time, I was predisposed enough to accept his invitation.

When it was my turn, John the Baptist addressed me as "orador" (orator). Previous to this episode, there were other instances when hints were given to me concerning my supposed past lives. His pronouncement only served to subtly confirm to me that reincarnation is a basic teaching, even if, at the time, speaking in public was not easy for me, even up to now, and I usually keep my peace unless I really have something important to say.

Two months after I began these studies, as healing was a special feature of our training program, I submitted myself to a check-up. The Spirit who later identified himself as Dr. Jose Rizal, our national hero and "Manu"-in-charge of the Filipino race, who, in addition to his many superlative talents, was also an eye surgeon in that life examined my eyes through yet another medium. He asked me if I sometimes experienced dizzy spells. I told him, "Yes."

Then he asked me if I was willing to have some of my blood drained. He said my blood was thick and heavy, that draining it should help remedy the condition. Again, I said, "Yes, please." At the point where the invisible syringe penetrated my skin, I felt something like an ant bite. Then I felt my blood being drained from my body. On my other arm, I felt the same sensation. Although I could not actually see the syringe, a number of the clairvoyant members actually did see it. And these things were for me becoming easier and easier to accept. The Unseen World is the Real World was an oft repeated message.

Then he proceeded to do something in the vicinity of my forehead, as if inserting something inside. My eyes were closed but in my mind’s eye, I saw a miniature bolt of lightning enter me. When he was through, Dr. Rizal asked me if I knew what he just did. I didn’t and I told him so, respectfully. I was still a little afraid of Spirits even then. There was still a lot that I could not understand, but I felt comfortable enough to trust them. He told me he gave me a spark of the Light. Then he continued, "May you now be able to receive the inspirations we have been trying to send you." I thanked the Doctor for his help.

I did not have long to wait. For it is written, "The Truth will always be revealed."

Three days later on August 9, 1976, I was composing a letter of protest against the inconsistencies I had observed in the Center. I felt strongly that certain practices tended to confuse rather than clarify the basic teachings. It was in trying to help others, that I helped myself. Arranging my arguments to support my contentions, all the bits and pieces of information I had been storing in the back of my consciousness fell into place. And for the first time, I understood. And I had the answers I needed. All the mystery was gone and everything was clear.

What’s It All About

I became fully aware that God is alive and cares for us all. Even in the worst of times, He has been providing for the precise needs of all His children, only I didn’t understand how, until then.

Who are we, really? What are we doing here on this planet? What is the meaning of life and what is its purpose? Why are there conditions of war, famine, hunger and poverty? Why is nature allowed to wreak havoc on Earth? Why is there injustice, tyranny and oppression? How can God be said to be just when these circumstances persist?

Why are there so many religions, and yet, all are one? What do the teachings of the great spiritual leaders of all faiths actually mean? What happens after death, for evidently, spirit survives? Who are the Spirits of Truth? How can psychic abilities be normal and natural to everyone?

Jesus Christ stated emphatically, he is not of this world? What world is he speaking of? Why do we need to love everyone as we love ourselves? How do we receive by giving? What does it mean, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all things will be added on to you?" Are these statements true?

To these questions and all others, the answers are being made available through the inspired messages and divine guidance of the Spirits of Truth. Had Jesus Christ not said he would send the Holy Spirit to tell us of the future and guide us to All Truth? I write today merely to attest to the fulfillment of that promise.

The Path Ahead

Everyone has the right to be happy and be free from fear, doubt and ignorance. Everyone can begin to understand if he gives himself the chance. And if he seeks for the Truth, he will find it. This, too, has been promised.

As for me, I had my answers. But I realized that the really hard work still lay ahead. Knowledge is nothing without works, just as faith without works is dead. Everyone will be judged according to his deeds. Deeds are what count.

But don’t get me wrong. My life remains difficult with tremendous pressures to bear. I wasn’t the millionaire that I set out to be. In fact, I owed everybody to the tune of a few hundred thousand 1971 pesos and counting. Somehow, though, I was no longer as complaining as before, no longer as troubled, even at peace and willing to wait patiently and endure. The knowledge of the Truth made all the difference.

Settling down, I determined to buckle down to the real work ahead of me. After all, I owe it to God and to myself to prepare for my eternal future in the Greater Life Beyond. Heaven is beckoning to all. The Golden Age is upon us. The Age of Aquarius is knocking at the door.