Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Thursday, Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Year II, 15 October 2026 Ephesians 1:1-10 ><))))*> + ><))))*> + ><))))*> Luke 11:47-54
Photo by Ms. Kei Abad in Kyoto, Japan, October 2025.
Glory and praise to you, O God our loving Father in Jesus Christ our Lord!
Your words today through St. Paul are so reassuring and soothing amid all the many sad things going on in the world, in our country, in our family, and in ourn very selves:
… grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him (Ephesians 1:2-4).
What a magnificent prayer of blessing, a tremendous outpouring of blessing from you, Father, of your loving plan for each one of us, of your grand design of love inviting us to an open-hearted relationship of life and joy, not with our rigid and defensive approaches like the scribes and Pharisees in the gospel.
True blessedness is found only in you, Lord God, not in our imposed rigidity that prevents us from truly opening to you to be led back anew in Christ Jesus.
Teach us to have the faith and openness of St. Teresa of Avila who dared to disturb the complacency of her contemporaries, immersing herself in deep prayers to listen attentively in order to follow you closely and courageously in the path of reforming the Carmelites during her time; in doing so, she led the way in reforming their lives by being open to you, O God and thus allowed the richness of your grace to touch her heart and those of her companions and followers. Amen.
St. Teresa of Avila, let nothing disturb us, pray for us to completely trust in God. Amen.
The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa (1645 and 1652), a sculpture by renowned Italian artist Bernini now in Cornaro Chapel at the Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome based on St. Teresa’s vision of an angel who drove the point of a golden arrow repeatedly through her heart that caused an indescribable happiness and pain in her. The memory of this experience would inspire her for the rest of her life, becoming the motivation in her lifelong desire to identify with sufferings of Jesus expressed in her prayer, “Lord, either let me suffer or let me die.” Photo from artnet.com.
Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Wednesday, Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Year II, 14 October 2026 Memorial of St. Callistus, Pope and Martyr Galatians 5:18-25 ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'> Luke 11:42-46
Photo by author, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, QC, March 2024.
Be my everything, Jesus: it is not enough I follow you because along the way, I can still stop and roam around, following my many desires, the restless longings of my heart for selfish interests; teach how to imitate St. Paul in "crucifying my flesh with its passions and desires" (Galatians 5:24).
But, what is to crucify my flesh with its passions and desires?
Simply let me focus on you alone, Jesus, making you the measure of everything I shall do, to search for you in everyone I meet, to bring you out with everyone I meet; to see more the bigger picture of life by resisting the works of the flesh like "immorarilty, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like" (Galatians 5:19-21).
Keep me aware, Jesus, that as my desires for comfort and ease are bottomless, I shall never be satisfied within if I see more the things than the persons, or give much emphasis on my self than others like the sick and suffering; let me search for the bigger pictures of life's many realities like your plans for eternity so that I may strive more to crucify my flesh with its passions and desires by forgetting my little self I always inflate to look larger than others; may I give the chance for the Holy Spirit to win me over, bearing fruits of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). Amen.
Photo by author, Chapel of Our Lady of Ephesus, Bella Rosa Gardens, Silang, Cavite, 07 October 2026.
Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Tuesday, 109th Anniversary of Last Apparition of Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima Isaias 61:9-11 ><}}}}*> Galatians 4:4-7 ><}}}}*> Luke 11:27-28
From Pinterest.
We remember today the 109th anniversary of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s last appearance at Cova da Iria in Fatima, Portugal when the “Miracle of the Sun” happened before a crowd of 70,000 people.
It was the sixth and last apparition of the Blessed Mother to the three children – Sr. Lucia and her cousins St. Francisco and St. Jacinta Marta – that began on May 13, 1917. According to sworn accounts by many witnesses and attested by many journalists in their reports, it was past noon at about 1:30 PM when the Sun “danced” or zigzagged in the sky and then careened to the Earth while emitting radiant colors that lasted for about ten minutes. It was on this date when the Blessed Mother introduced herself to the three children as the Lady of the Rosary, telling them how World War I would soon end, that “People must amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins. They must not offend our Lord any more, for He is already too much offended!”
During her last interview in 1957 while already a cloistered Carmelite nun, Sr. Lucia revealed how during that last apparition to them (her two cousins have died in 1919 and 1920 during the flu pandemic), the Blessed Virgin Mary looked very sad and never smiled to indicate the gravity and seriousness of her messages to them.
Amid the many interpretations of the events of October 13, 1917, Fatima has remained so popular and very significant to this day because of its truth and relevance to our own situation and experiences from the not-so-distant-past. Three things I wish to share with you today:
From wikimedia.org.
First is to see the last apparition of October 13, 1917 not as the final one but the beginning of the unfolding of more revelations and realizations for us. Fatima is not about the end of the world but actually a new beginning for the world.
Very often, many people have always seen Fatima as a sign of the end of the world, of worldwide catastrophe that have instilled more of fear and even controversies that included doubts of the Vatican allegedly not fully revealing the Third Secret despite assurances from the visionary herself, Sr. Lucia who said before her death in 2005 that all Fatima Secrets have been fully revealed. It must also be kept in mind that after October 13, 1917, Sr. Lucia continued to receive private visions while in the convent as a nun in 1925 through the 1930’s.
The Blessed Mother appeared in Fatima not to scare us but to inspire us to turn away from sins, to be converted and be holy so that the world may truly find peace in Jesus her Son. Fatima’s main messages are hope and joy for the world, not fear and confusion.
Every ending, every destruction imply new beginning, new arising. That’s the meaning of Isaiah’s vision in the first reading, of how the destruction of Jerusalem with all its ruins shall usher in a better city, a blessed nation to be known and recognized by other nations. In the same manner, the last apparition at Fatima in 1917 was meant to usher in new hopes for us to become better persons who will build stronger families and more vibrant church communities.
Unfortunately, it is still far from being realized even 109 years ago have passed as we have not yet learned or heed its lessons. In that case, we and not God nor Jesus nor the Blessed Mother are to be blamed at why we are going through all these difficulties and miseries we are into in this modern age. Let us make today the beginning of our conversion and transformation in Christ Jesus with the help of the Blessed Mother, that simple Virgin of Nazareth who obediently accepted God’s will to bring forth into the world our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (second reading).
It is in this aspect where we wish to propose our second reflection for 109th anniversary of the last apparition at Fatima by confronting our true selves. If Jesus were with us today, he would have surely reminded us anew that his mother and brothers and sisters are those who listen and do his words (gospel).
Being Christian is more than a name or rites and rituals, even sacraments but more of witnessing Christ especially right inside our home, in our very family. It was in her last apparition at Fatima when the Blessed Mother revealed to the three children how the devil has been working, infiltrating every family and the church to mislead parents and priests into serious, grave sins like the rising incidents of divorce and separation of many couples as well as the continuing reports of sexual abuses by members of the clergy.
At Fatima 109 years ago today, the Blessed Mother invited us to focus more in revealing God’s will as experienced and prayed in the the Sacred Scriptures than wasting our time with politics and other worldly debates that often disregard the dignity of every person. Fatima is about our daily conversion from our sins, of choosing always what is good and just and charitable, not selfish and self-serving interests. This is very evident with the two elements that prevailed on that day: rains and the Sun.
The rains have soaked wet the people and the whole area for two days, October 12-13, signifying the call for inner cleansing and purification of our hearts and person. And when the Sun “danced”, the people were astonished how their clothes were dried along with the whole surroundings as if it had not rained the previous day after witnessing the spectacular display of colors and light. Let Jesus cleanse and purify us into better persons who witness his gospel always.
And thirdly, on this 109th anniversary of our Lady’s final apparition in Fatima, let us keep in mind the word “guidance” which stands for:
God U and I DANCE for life.
Like the dancing Sun on that day 109 years ago today, Jesus invites us to “dance” in life, following the steps and the way of the Cross like his Blessed Mother who remained with him until his death. Amen.Our Lady of Fatima, Pray for us.
Photo by author, National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, Valenzuela City, 25 February 2026.
Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Monday, Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Year II, 12 October 2026 Galatians 4:22-24, 26-27, 31-5:1 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Luke 11:29-32
Photo by author, Bella Rosa Gardens, Silang, Cavite, 07 October 2026.
Please excuse me, Jesus as I feel like singing one of the songs during our college days by Stephen Bishop for the movie "Tootsie" starring Dustin Hoffman:
Time, I've been passing time Watching trains go by All of my life Lying on the sand Watching sea birds fly Wishing there would be
Someone waiting home for me Something's telling me it might be you It's telling me it might be you All of my life
Photo by author, Bella Rosa Gardens, Silang, Cavite, 07 October 2026.
I could hear you speaking to me today, Jesus: "This is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah" (Luke 11:29); there are times I keep looking for certainty, asking for a sign from God for the things I have to do, for the mission I have to accomplish; but like your people, we today fail or refuse to see you, to find you, Jesus when you are right in front of us, always beside us; and it is true, Lord Jesus, I cannot find you in my life because I expect something more obvious or even something more dramatic like in the movies.
Keep me simple, Jesus, so that I may find you, I may recognize you in the most ordinary, the simplest occasions in my life, among the people I meet daily especially those I take for granted or refuse to relate with.
So many quiet walks to take So many dreams to wake And with so much love to make, oh I think we're gonna meet some time Maybe all we need is time
And it's telling me it might be you All of my life I've been saving love songs and lullabies And there's so much more No one's ever heard before
Something's telling me it might be you Yeah, it's telling me it must be you And I'm feeling it'll just be you All of my life
Photo by author, Chapel of Our Lady of Ephesus, Bella Rosa Gardens, Silang, Cavite, 07 October 2026.
Yes, it's you, Jesus... always you every time I wake up and make that sign of the Cross first thing in the morning; it is you, Jesus... when I see the light and feel the warmth of the rising sun; it is you, Jesus... when people and kids smile at me, when people ask for me, when people listen and speak to me; it is you, Jesus... when I still hope and love and desire for you. Help me in my unbelief. Amen.
Lord My Chef Sunday Music by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, 11 October 2026
Photo by author, The Manila House, BGC, June 2025.
There’s an old saying that goes “If you want to change the world, change yourself first and the world changes.”
So true. It is so easy to join the numerous advocacies today that range from care for environment and providing clean, drinking water for the poor, housing programs and feeding programs and almost anything you can think of but these are nothing if we do not first change our very self.
It is a call for us to make that important decision to always choose Jesus Chris and be clothed in his charity and service, justice and mercy, kindness and respect for life that all begins in us, in our heart and soul.
That is why we find Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror so appropriately related with this Sunday’s gospel. Though a part of his 1987 Bad album, it was only released as a single the following year that peaked at number 1 in the Billboard Hot 100, reaching the charts anew both in the US and the UK after Jackson’s death in 2009.
We were growing up in the 70’s when MJ first mesmerized us as that youngest among his brothers making up the Jackson 5; as we matured into teens and adulthood, MJ was always there as the soundtrack of our lives reaching his highest heights in hit albums Thriller and Bad.
Without any intention of downplaying his talents and genius, for me, MJ’s true artistry finally came out after his death; it was after 2009 as we have seen in the many features and recent movies about him that MJ was more than a superstar and cultural icon. He is an artist par excellence. I realized this most whenever I would listen to his music that has become a classic in the truest sense. And there are three songs I have come to love so much only after his death: Man in the Mirror, They Don’t Care About Us (1995), and Black or White (1991).
Photo by author, Our Lady of Ephesus Chapel, Bella Rosa Gardens, Silang, Cavite, 07 October 2026.
We loved listening to his songs when he was still alive because they were groovy, great to the senses, danceable and really hot. But after his death, I just felt surprised he sang these three songs. Unlike his other songs mostly about love and relationships, Michael ventured into social issues that touched souls and consciousness. From being a hit-maker, MJ had transformed into someone who hits our inmost being, awakening our consciousness of deeper truths and realities like equality of everyone regardless of color or race or creed.
Exactly like Man in the Mirror that was actually composed by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett who were asked by the late Quincy Jones to write another hit for MJ. But Garret had other things in her mind when she thought about the concept of a man looking in the mirror – into one’s self first to change the world. Jones loved the lyrics and music by Ballard and Garrett while MJ embraced it as his anthem – of the need for self-reflection to change the world. He even asked the two composers to expand and modify the lyrics that included gospel vocals by the Andrae Crouch Choir.
Moreover, its music video is the most unique of MJ’s other productions that always featured him: he never appeared in Man in the Mirror that is actually a montage of suffering people in sepia and black and white as well as the personalities behind the great events – for better or for worse – in history as well as other social realities that invite us to look into ourselves what have we done for the advancement of peace, justice, and equality among peoples.
The opening music is so haunting with keyboards sounding like chimes or winds blowing in the cold that right away stirs your soul, making you wonder in retrospect, did MJ sing this and why did we not realize right away its deeper meaning? Here is a Michael who had matured as a person. And an artist. Even activist. A music that moves you not only to sing and dance but reflect and meditate. Just like the parable of Jesus this Sunday.
I'm gonna make a change For once in my life It's gonna feel real good Gonna make a difference, gonna make it right
As I turn up the collar on my favorite winter coat This wind is blowin' my mind I see the kids in the street with not enough to eat Who am I to be blind, pretending not to see their needs?
A summer's disregard, a broken bottle top And a one man's soul They follow each other on the wind, ya know 'Cause they got nowhere to go That's why I want you to know
I'm starting with the man in the mirror I'm asking him to change his ways And no message could have been any clearer If you wanna make the world a better place Take a look at yourself and then make a change
Na-na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na-na Uh-huh
I've been a victim of a selfish kinda love It's time that I realize There are some with no home, not a nickel to loan Could it be really me pretending that they're not alone?
A willow deeply scarred, somebody's broken heart And a washed-out dream (a washed-out dream) They follow the pattern of the wind, ya see 'Cause they got no place to be That's why I'm starting with me
I'm starting with the man in the mirror (who?) I'm asking him to change his ways (who?) And no message could have been any clearer If you wanna make the world a better place Take a look at yourself and then make a change
I'm starting with the man in the mirror (who?) I'm asking him to change his ways (who?) And no message could have been any clearer If you wanna make the world a better place Take a look at yourself and then make that change
I'm starting with the man in the mirror (oh, yeah) I'm asking him to change his ways (oh, you better change) No message could have been any clearer If you wanna make the world a better place Take a look at yourself and then make the change
You gotta get it right while you got the time 'Cause when you close your heart (you can't) Then you close your (your) mind (that man, that man)
With the man in the mirror, oh, yeah (that man, that man) I'm asking him to change his ways (that man, that man, that man) Oh, you better change (you know, that man) And no message could have been any clearer If you wanna make the world a better place Take a look at yourself and then make that change
I'm gonna make a change It's gonna feel real good, shamone (change) Just lift yourself, you know You've got to start with yourself (yeah)
I gotta make that change today (Man in the mirror) you've got to You got to start with yourself, brother (Yeah) you know
I've got to be that man, that man (Man in the mirror) you've got to You got to move, shamone, shamone You got to stand up (yeah), stand up (make that change), stand up Stand up and lift yourself now (man in the mirror)
Go make that change, shamone (man in the mirror) You know it, you know it, you know it, you know (change) Make that change
The song is more than five minutes and if you went through the lyrics, it is truly like a gospel, a good news that disturb and move us to be dressed in Jesus Christ’s simplicity and humility to truly make a change in the world. The music speaks loudly and clearly the silence of that man not dressed in wedding attire in the parable. May it do the same to us!
Lord My Chef Sunday Recipe for Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A, 11 October 2026 Isaiah 25:6-10 ><}}}}*> Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20 ><}}}}*> Matthew 22:1-14
Photo by author, Our Lady of Ephesus Chapel, Bella Rosa Gardens, Silang, Cavite, 07 October 2026.
We are a nation always in all kinds of crises: financial crisis, water crisis, energy crisis, transportation crisis, moral crisis. We are practically a nation of crises because we never face every crisis that confronts us!
Crisis is from the Greek word krisis, a time for decision; every crisis calls for a decision to resolve the situation. And that’s the problem with us Filipinos: we either refuse to make a firm decision or waste an opportunity to decide properly that would have solved the many crises we continue to endure to this day like reelecting incompetent and corrupt public officials.
Photo by author, Our Lady of Ephesus Chapel, Bella Rosa Gardens, Silang, Cavite, 07 October 2026.
The Gospel accounts these past three weeks may be considered as “parables in times of crisis” because each calls us to decide and choose God: the parable of the two sons reminds us of harmony in what we believe, in what we think, what we say, and what we do; the parable of the wicked tenants tells us we are the Lord’s vineyard, everything is God’s including our very lives meant to be fruitful in Christ.
Today we hear the last installment of parables narrated by Jesus to the elders and chief priests of Jerusalem at the temple area, the parable of the wedding feast that clearly shows anew how God invites everyone to come to Him, to make that decision of choosing Him. There are many similarities in the three series of parables but this Sunday, Jesus injects a “mini-parable” towards the end during the wedding feast of his son:
“But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was reduced to silence. The king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ Many are invited, but few are chosen”(Mt.22:11-14).
Photo by author, Our Lady of Ephesus Chapel, Bella Rosa Gardens, Silang, Cavite, 07 October 2026.
I grew up in a generation when dressing properly and decently were deeply inculcated both at home and the school. It has always been considered in our time as a sign of maturity when we come properly attired in every occasion. Those days are now gone along with the expression “Sunday’s best”.
For some, it may seem to be so trivial but if we truly regard the Eucharist as the highest form of worship, of encountering God through the sacraments and one another, how come we could not even prepare our external appearances? Why can’t we give that proper importance to meeting the Lord and one another in the supposed to be holy occasion of the Mass?
What a tragedy that some priests lead the pack in this aspect of coming not properly, even shabbily dressed during the Mass, saying it is too hot to wear those vestments. Everyone is bragging that fallacy there is more beneath the clothing we wear of who we really are; that is not totally true because how we look outside is indicative of what ‘s inside us, of who we are, of what we value, and what we believe in.
Photo by author, Bella Rosa Gardens, Silang, Cavite, 07 October 2026.
How we dress – not the clothes we wear – speaks of ourselves as the Lord’s parable this Sunday teaches because external appearances are indications of the internal realities.
If we push that further, if we seem to find it so difficult in dressing properly for the Mass, how much more difficult we could find it turning away from sins, in dressing our souls properly?
Jesus said in his parable the man was “reduced to silence” when confronted by the king; he could not speak a word because deep inside him he knew something was wrong, something was missing, that he should not be there at all! Maybe he is a Filipino who must have thought baka makalusot as we always reason out in life. Unfortunately, as we all learn later, there are no shortcuts in life: we either hit the mark or miss it.
Our Sunday Eucharist is a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy calling on all peoples to come to the mountain of the Lord where He shall provide us with “rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure choice wines. On this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, the web that is woven over all nations; he will destroy death forever. The Lord God will wipe away the tears from every face” (Is.25:6-8). Every Sunday Mass is an invitation to celebrate with the Lord this great feast of salvation, a foretaste of the coming heaven!
But, are we properly dressed for the occasion?
Photo by author, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, QC, 20 March 2026.
Related with being properly dressed is another similar English expression, of “wearing different hats” which means we must learn to adjust and adapt to the many circumstances in our lives where we take on multiple jobs and roles and responsibilities.
We find this present in our Filipino expressions of ilagay sa lugar ang pagkilos or matutong maki-bagay like when we have to professional especially with superiors in the office but remain friends when outside unwinding in a cafe or when parents act strictly as disciplinarians because they are the father or mother but sometimes as a friend or an Ate or Kuya to their children.
This is what St. Ignatius of Loyola expressed in his teaching of “positive indifference” where we choose to become poor than rich, sick than healthy that is not to be taken literally but of being open in imitating Jesus Christ’s simplicity. It is the attitude of contentment in life choosing Jesus above all like St. Paul in today’s second reading:
Photo by author, Our Lady of Ephesus Chapel, Bella Rosa Gardens, Silang, Cavite, 07 October 2026.
Brothers and sisters: I know how to live in humble circumstances. I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need. I can do all things in him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:12-13).
In this highly consumerist society, many of us sadly live in crises because of so much desires and wants for material things. We see everywhere the glaring realities of some living in super abundance of wealth while majority are in dire poverty.
Peace does not come from abundance of material goods anymore than a lack of such goods can deprive one of peace. The key is living with one’s circumstances especially when they cannot be changed and are beyond one’s control. That is learning to wear one’s hat and dressing properly in every situation.
Let us close this reflection by going back to the word crisis. According to my Chinese friends, crisis is represented by two characters in Chinese, indicating danger and opportunity. Like its Greek counterpart, crisis in Chinese calls for a decision too because of the dangers present; it is only in making that decision when one can experience the many opportunities life offers. Are you ready to make that decision of choosing Jesus, of putting on His clothes of love and kindness, mercy and forgiveness as He invites you in His banquet in this Sunday’s Mass?Amen. A blessed week ahead to everyone!
Photo by author, Bella Rosa Gardens, Silang, Cavite, 07 October 2026.
Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Thursday, Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year II, 08 October 2026 Galatians 3:1-5 ><))))*> + ><))))*> + ><))))*> Luke 11:5-13
Photo by Mr. Raffy Tima, GMA News, Batanes, October 2018.
Your words today, O Lord through St. Paul speak directly to us in this time too:
O stupid Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus was publicly portrayed as crucified? (Galatians 3:1)
O how we your people hate to hear those words these days because they are hurtfully true - it is plain stupidity on our part to abandon all your teachings to adopt all these strange ideas about life that overstretch our rights without any regard to what is true and good; to insist that only matter matters without accepting the fact that the most profound realities in life are those felt than seen; and, to believe more in ourselves than in you, Lord Jesus Christ.
We have been so bewitched, enthralled, and amazed by new ideas and beliefs that are clearly self-serving and untrue, "budol" or fake in every sense, totally forgetting how you have never left nor abandon us all these years through thick and thin, doing only what is best and good for us only to follow the fascinating special effects of those trash peddled in social media, fabricated by AI.
Awaken us, dear Jesus to the realities of your loving presence in us, in our lives, to follow our hearts where we find peace and joy despite pains and sacrifices than follow our flesh and whims of pleasures and convenience so temporary, ephemeral, most of all superficial; ignite our hearts to seek and follow you in a life of prayer that changes primarily us, not the situations. Amen.
Photo by a friend at Seabrook, Washington, 06 September 2026.
Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Wednesday, Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year II Memorial of Our Lady of Rosary, 07 October 2026 Acts 1:12-14 <*{{{{>< + ><}}}}*> Luke 11:1-4
Photo by author, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, Quezon City, March 2024.
After leaving the minor seminary in 1982, I felt my priestly vocation anew in 1990 while working as a reporter at GMA News. And one of the stumbling blocks that delayed me in finally deciding to give it another try had something to do with the Holy Rosary: I could not believe if God was really calling me to become a priest because I did not pray the Rosary. Fact is, I did not like the Rosary at all while in high school seminary because it was repetitive and too long to pray.
All the priests I consulted during that time clarified that the Rosary is a devotion that is distinct from the priesthood, that it is not a determinant whether one has a priestly vocation or none at all. Eventually, I resigned from GMA News, went back to the seminary in 1991, becoming a priest in 1998 along with my six classmates.
And I must confess, I still did not have that devotion with the Holy Rosary until I was assigned to a parish of my own in 2011. It was a devotion that did not happen instantly but slowly in 2016 as demands in the ministry grew, I felt the need for more prayers aside from our Liturgy of the Hours and daily meditations before the Blessed Sacrament. It was during the COVID pandemic when I found myself praying the Holy Rosary daily until I literally fell in love with it becoming an integral part of my prayer life. It was a coming into full circle for me, from being a big question mark before, now the Rosary has become an essential response to my priesthood.
The Rosary of the Virgin Mary… still remains, at the dawn of this third millennium, a prayer of great significance, destined to bring forth a harvest of holiness. It blends easily into the spiritual journey of the Christian life, which, after two thousand years, has lost none of the freshness of its beginnings and feels drawn by the Spirit of God to “set out into the deep” (duc in altum!) in order once more to proclaim, and even cry out, before the world that Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour, “the way, and the truth and the life” (Jn 14:6), “the goal of human history and the point on which the desires of history and civilization turn” (St. John Paul II, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, Introduction).
Photo from canningliturgicalarts.com, painting of the Battle of Lepanto Bay with our Lady of Victory or Rosary.
On this Memorial of the Our Lady of the Rosary that had its origins in after Pope St. Pius V attributed to it the victory of the Christians forces agains the Ottoman Turks at Lepanto Bay in 1571, countless devotees worldwide will pray the words that Jesus taught his disciples.
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come…” (Luke 11:1-2).
It is one of the most beautiful requests by the Apostles to our Jesus Christ, “Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples.” Who else can teach so well how to pray even us today but Jesus, the Son of God?
In calling God Our Father, Jesus taught us the basic truth of every prayer that it is never alone nor solitary but always implies a community, a family — that we are all called and gathered to be one in God. It is a prayer that is all about relationship with the Father, reliance on the Father, faith in the Father.
Again, we read St. John Paul reflecting on the nature of the Holy Rosary that at every mystery starts with the Our Father:
After listening to the word and focusing on the mystery, it is natural for the mind to be lifted up towards the Father. In each of his mysteries, Jesus always leads us to the Father, for as he rests in the Father’s bosom (cf. Jn 1:18) he is continually turned towards him. He wants us to share in his intimacy with the Father, so that we can say with him: “Abba, Father” (Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6). By virtue of his relationship to the Father he makes us brothers and sisters of himself and of one another, communicating to us the Spirit which is both his and the Father’s. Acting as a kind of foundation for the Christological and Marian meditation which unfolds in the repetition of the Hail Mary, the Our Father makes meditation upon the mystery, even when carried out in solitude, an ecclesial experience (#32, Rosarium Virginis Mariae).
Painting by El Greco, “Pentecostes” (1597) from commons.wikimedia.org.
This communitarian aspect of the Our Father we see in the first reading during the Pentecost when the disciples gathered at the Cenacle room in Jerusalem praying with the Blessed Virgin Mary who is our constant reminder of the importance and need to pray always to God our Father.
Next to Jesus, his Mother taught us in her later apparitions to bring all our needs before the Father who loves us so much – especially those trials and sufferings and challenges we face each day because it is in prayer that we truly find our connections.
Notice how the disciples in asking Jesus to teach them how to pray that they mentioned “just as John taught his disciples” because they must have noticed a big difference in their ministry, of John’s connection with his disciples. The Twelve must have felt this connection with Jesus missing that they asked him to teach them how to pray too.
Here lies the gift and challenge of every prayer: it leads to our “connectedness” with God. Both the Rosary and the Our Father are learned by rote and spoken by heart but – do we pray with the heart? What is the our connection with prayer in general, with the Rosary and with the Our Father? Is it an expression, a witness, something that happens only with others as in a community or when we have time or, something deeper and personal?
The Blessed Cardinal Fulton Sheen who was beatified recently used to teach that it is in our prayer life that we become like Jesus Christ. It is most true with the Holy Rosary:
The contemplation of Christ has an incomparable model in Mary. In a unique way the face of the Son belongs to Mary. It was in her womb that Christ was formed, receiving from her a human resemblance which points to an even greater spiritual closeness. No one has ever devoted himself to the contemplation of the face of Christ as faithfully as Mary. The eyes of her heart already turned to him at the Annunciation, when she conceived him by the power of the Holy Spirit. In the months that followed she began to sense his presence and to picture his features. When at last she gave birth to him in Bethlehem, her eyes were able to gaze tenderly on the face of her Son, as she “wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger” (Lk2:7) (#10, Rosarium Virginis Mariae).
By praying the Holy Rosary, may we learn through Mary to contemplate the face of Jesus Christ so we may be faithful to our call and mission especially in this 24/7 world of continuous action and noise that have left many of us empty and without meaning in life, no connections and so scattered in life. Amen. God bless you with Mary our Mother!
Photo by author, St. Paul Spiritual & Renewal Center, Bgy. Tanyawak, Alfonso, Cavite, 19 August 2026.
Quiet Storm by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, 06 October 2026
While preparing my homily yesterday for the second day of the novena in honor of the 109th apparition of the Blessed Virgin in Fatima, Portugal, I came across this interesting piece of information in my Facebook feeds about the two American space probes, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 having “left” our solar system and now the farthest man-made objects from planet Earth.
According to NASA, Voyager 1 had covered about 25.6 billion kilometers as of August 2026 since its launch September 5, 1977 – that’s 49 years and two months ago!
Its travel speed is expected to slow down due to some intergalactic forces which would take time for me to understand and explain; nonetheless, NASA engineers say it would continue sending data from deep space to planet Earth until 2036.
From NASA.gov.
Meanwhile, also found this report yesterday that scientists have detected for the first time a radio signal from an “exoplanet” – a planet outside our Solar System; however, it is not from an intelligent life or some alien but from “a colossal magnetic field”.
These are very interesting bits of information from space science that show us how far we have advanced technologically. You could just imagine where our latest technologies would bring us! Fact is, all these techs and gadgets we now enjoy were science fiction to us when we were growing up like phones capable of sending videos anywhere, anytime.
From Facebook, 05 October 2026.
What I like most in these developments is that great wonder of how vast is this universe indeed – so unimaginable. The more they prove to us the existence of an all-knowing, all-powerful God. Here we find science actually corroborating the truth that the Bible has been telling us of who made the heavens above us.
And the good news is, in this vast universe, our God is not only omniscient and omnipotent but most of all, all-loving God who chose to love and care for us earthlings in this tiny planet called Earth.
In an apparent conspiracy by the universe in my favor as I prepared my homily yesterday for the Fatima novena, my laptop suddenly alerted me after lunch of a new article on space travel but this time from a spiritual writer I follow at WordPress.com called The Devotional Guy by Rainer Bantau!
As I read Rainer’s thoughts on the relationships of faith and science fiction, what caught my attention was this part of his blog, of how would you explain Christianity to an alien?
What happens when someone encounters Christianity who has absolutely no Christian context?
Imagine trying to explain the Gospel to someone who looks at you and says:
“Wait. You believe the Creator of the universe became one of His creatures?”
Suddenly, Christianity sounds pretty astonishing again. We’ve heard the story so many times that we forget how completely outrageous and beautiful it actually is.
When humanity rebels against the God who created it, God doesn’t walk away. Instead, He enters our world.
Love takes on flesh as grace meets us in our mess. Just as death appears to win, Jesus walks out of the grave.
Photo by a friend at Seabrook, Washington, 06 September 2026.
Let us read anew these words by The Devotional Guy: “When humanity rebels against the God who created it, God doesn’t walk away. Instead, He enters our world. Love takes on flesh as grace meets us in our mess. Just as death appears to win, Jesus walks out of the grave. That’s not small. It’s cosmic.”
So lovely! But, sadly too, considering the great amounts of money and time and talents humans have spent sending people and objects into space to detect life forms outside our planet, we still ask the same question of the scribe to Jesus, “who is my neighbor?”
There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho” (Luke 10:25-30).
How sad that while we are awed by the vastness of the universe that envelop us whether at night or at daytime, here we are separated by an equally great space often with those supposed to be closest to us like family and friends and colleagues at home or anywhere.
Photo by Mr. Chester Ocampo, 2019.
As a chaplain giving recollections and talks to our students, I have seen many young people today are over thinkers but not critical thinkers.
I remind them that critical thinking is about comprehension and analysis of data and information gathered.
Over thinking is different. It is a vice when we worry a lot – over think – because we lack trust with others and with ourselves. And ultimately with God!
The scholar of the law was overthinking when he asked “who is my neighbor?” because for them at that time, their neighbors were just their fellow Jews. Until now we think the same way, putting people into categories like ice cream with the old rich and famous as “all-time favorites”, the popular as “flavor of the month” and the ordinary folks as “dirty ice cream” cheaply sold in carts.
Over thinking happens when we forget to feel more the other person, when we feel different from them instead of being same kin from which the word kind came from. A kind person is one who treats you as one of his kin, and kind.
From forbes.com, 2019.
St. Therese of the Child Jesus whose feast we celebrated recently wrote in her journal more than a hundred years ago, “I have understood that true greatness is found not in the name but in the soul.”
If we look more into our heart, into our soul, we find Jesus, we find our true self, and we find everyone our neighbor to be loved and respected, cared and understood.
Twenty years ago there was a popular TV series called The X-Files of two good looking detectives handling cases of paranormal of paranormal nature like aliens and other out-of-this-world things. Its famous line says “The truth is out there.”
Nope. The truth is not out there. It is right here inside our heart, always longing for the ultimate truth that leads to eternal life, beyond this vast universe.
That truth is a person, our Savior Jesus Christ dwelling in our hearts, leading us back to heaven by first being a neighbor to everyone. After all, greater than the stars we marvel above us, we are a universe in ourselves, a vast network of interrelated galaxies of immense beauty so closely within our reach. Amen.
Photo by author, St. Michael Retreat House, Antipolo city, 21 July 2026.
Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Tuesday, Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year II Memorial of St. Bruno, Priest, 06 October 2026 Galatians 1:13-24 ><}}}}*> + ><}}}}*> + ><}}}}*> Luke 10:38-42
Photo by Ms. Kei Abad in Kyoto, Japan, October 2025.
Welcome, Lord Jesus.
Welcome and thank you, Jesus, for coming to us, for visiting us even if we are always "out" so busy with our many tasks we feel so important even when you come to visit us; forgive us Jesus when we are like Martha welcoming you into our home, into ourselves but so occupied with ourselves too.
Teach us to be like Mary, Martha's sister, truly hospitable to you welcoming you by sitting at your feet - that is, getting down to pray to truly meet you, to truly experience you, to truly listen to you.
Like Mary, may we learn to get down to your feet, Jesus, by setting aside my plans and agenda to give way to your plans for me; most of all, may we learn to get down too like Mary to truly welcome and relate others we meet whom you use to come to us.
Like St. Paul in the first reading when he narrated how you found him and eventually he searched and followed you first before eventually turning to the apostles and first disciples; that is true hospitality - welcoming you first in our lives in prayers, in silence like St. Bruno and his followers the Carthusians who sought to "seek God assiduously, to find God promptly, and to possess God fully." Amen.
