Fighting life’s battles

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Thursday, Week I, Year II in Ordinary Time, 13 January 2022
1 Samuel 4:1-11   ><]]]'> + ><]]]'> + ><]]]'>   Mark 1:40-45

As we go into another year
with a new surge in COVID-19, 
teach me, dear Lord,
how to fight life's many battles;
just when we thought we are almost
done with the pandemic, recent 
events indicate more battles are
still coming our way for sure.
May we learn from the lessons of the
past two years to equip us better
this 2022 by deepening our faith in
you and stop manipulating you.

So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned upon the cherubim. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were with the ark of God. When the ark of the Lord arrived in the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth resounded. The Philistines fought and Israel was defeated; every man fled to his own tent. It was a disastrous defeat, in which Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were among the dead.

1 Samuel 4:4-5, 10-11

Forgive us, God our Father,
whenever we remember you most
when we are losing life's battles; 
and worst, when we manipulate
you to turn the tide in our favor!

Forgive us, God our Father,
when we behave and act like
pagans, believing more in our
images and signs of your presence
than in your very Person.

How foolish like lately in an
accident in Brazil, many among us
even questioned why you have allowed
a boat named "Jesus" crushed by a 
falling rock that killed ten people on
board including a child?!*

Teach me, O Jesus, to have the same
attitude of that leper who approached
you and humbly pleaded for healing,
"If you wish, you can make me clean."
And you were so moved with pity that
you stretched out your hand and touched
the leper, telling him, "I do will it.  
Be made clean" (Mk.1:40-41).

You have come to join us in our battles,
Lord Jesus; let us then fight with you, 
and give us the courage
to approach you and humbly beg you,
trusting you which is in itself a way of
fighting our life's battles.  Amen.  

* For the article, click https://aleteia.org/2022/01/11/boat-named-jesus-crushed-by-falling-rock-in-brazil-why-did-god-allow-it/