Last Monday?s The STAR sports story about Fr. Marlon Beof advising Manny Pacquiao to spend more time in training, to be more dedicated than ever and stay focused on God in preparing for his Dec. 6 appointment with Oscar de la Hoya drew a common question from readers.
How did the Catholic priest meet Pacquiao? Before we relate that story, here?s some background on Fr. Marlon. He was born on May 19, 1968, in Panacan, Narra, Palawan and grew up in Aborlan. Fr. Marlon went to Aborlan Central Elementary then entered the Seminario de San Jose in Puerto Princesa for his first two years of high school. He eventually graduated from high school at Palawan State College in 1985.
Fr. Marlon spent a year at San Sebastian College in Manila then entered the Seminario Mayor-Recoletos where he studied the next four years to earn a degree in philosophy in 1990.
After a year in an Augustinian Recollect seminary in Mexico City, Fr. Marlon was sent to Navarre, Spain, where he was a novitiate and a student at the theological seminary for four years up to June 1996. He was ordained a priest in Mexico City on Jan. 19, 1997, and was assigned a parish in the capital until August 2000 when he was brought to the Tagaste Monastery in Suffern, New York, to become the prefect of Augustinian seminarians on their final stage of formation.
Fr. Marlon?s father Jose, a Visayan, was a US merchant marine and mother Lolita Potongan, a court stenographic reporter from Pangasinan. They are now retired and living in Palawan.
* * * * Fr. Marlon is the fifth of nine children all of whom, except a sister Imelda, are based in the US. The eldest Marichu Matthews is a computer programmer in California. Four brothers ? Jose, Jr., Rusty, Lito and Bernard ? followed in their father?s footsteps and are US merchant marines. A sister Alyn Rodriguez works in the room food service department of a California hotel and another sister Margarita is a nursing aide in New York. Imelda is a housewife in the Philippines.
Fr. Marlon?s parents migrated to the US in 1989. Four years later, Fr. Marlon?s brothers and sisters joined them. Fr. Marlon?s last visit to the Philippines was in July. ?When I can, I go home to spend my annual vacation with my parents, relatives and friends,? said Fr. Marlon in an e-mail.
As to how he became Pacquiao?s spiritual adviser, Fr. Marlon said it was by accident.
?I met Manny at the airport in Manila in 2003,? said Fr. Marlon. ?I was flying to L.A. and so was Manny. He was to start training for the first (Marco Antonio) Barrera fight. I approached him and told him that my family watched and enjoyed his fights in the US against Ledwaba, Julio and Lucero. Then, I had a picture taken with him as I thought of showing it to my boxing aficionado brothers and dad, who by the way was an amateur boxer.
?Manny invited me to visit and watch him train at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood which I did whenever he was in California and training. One time, they asked me to bless the gym. Another time, to bless the boxers and trainers. We talked more on the phone mainly when he was around training for a fight. Manny showed interest in inviting me during the first Morales fight but I had a scheduled meeting in Spain that time.
?Again, Manny invited me for the Morales rematch and asked me about the possibility of having a Mass the day of the fight. After some thought and validation of its significance, I said yes. What happened was, he also asked for the Sunday Mass which traditionally became a thanksgiving Mass every time he fights.?
* * * * Fr. Marlon has now celebrated Mass in Pacquiao?s hotel suite before and after six US fights all of which he won ? the second and third Morales fights, the Jorge Solis fight in San Antonio, the Barrera rematch, the Juan Manuel Marquez rematch and the David Diaz demolition. The Masses were held on the morning of the fight and the morning after. In his homilies, Fr. Marlon spoke emphatically about Manny?s blessings from God, how he should always give glory to the Lord in anything he does and on the call for all Filipinos to rally behind the champion in praying for peace, goodwill and prosperity throughout the nation.
?I always pray before preparing a homily and I ask God to enlighten me as I ask Him to speak to the hearts of those who will listen to me,? said Fr. Marlon. ?Of course, we had our remote preparations when we studied the Scriptures and the Christian Doctrine during our seminary life. We also have immediate preparations which include studying the Sacred Scriptures and praying with the Word of God day after day.
?For each of Manny?s fights that I go, I start preparing my homily a few weeks before. I think of the context of the celebration, liturgical season, the actual Philippine context. I think of the boxers, trainers and their families and I think of the possible varied kinds of people present. I ask God, ?Lord, what is your message to all of us?? As much as I can, I just try to open my eyes and my ears, my heart and my mind. The Word of God, as well as the words, gestures or actions of persons can inspire me. So do the occurrences and events near and far. It?s inspiring to know that God can make us a true instrument of His loving and salvific presence with our ministry, particularly through the Sacraments.?
In a special message for Pacquiao as he prepares for the biggest fight of his life, Fr. Marlon quoted St. Augustine who said, ?Love and do what you like.? He explained: ?This is where the true hero comes out of us when we are able to truly love like our Lord, then, everything we do for the person we love is for his goodness. Remember our beautiful prayer to the Lord: ?Sacred Heart of Jesus, make our hearts like unto Thine.? The heart of our Lord loves us as we are, His love for us led Him to die on the Cross and it benefited us abundantly, especially in forgiving our sins and for our salvation. He is our Hero. He is the Hero to imitate and to follow. So, as our ?national hero,? Manny, may your prayer be ?Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like unto Thine.??
