Our parish, our priests

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Wednesday in the Tenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year I, 14 June 2023
2 Corinthians 3:4-11   ><}}}}*> + ><}}}}*> + ><}}}}*>   Matthew 5:17-19

Lord Jesus Christ,
as we approach the Solemnity
of your Most Sacred Heart,
we pray today for your flock
and their shepherds,
we your priests.

How lovely if we 
your priests could only
speak boldly like St. Paul about
our ministry, our priesthood
in you made manifest in our 
own sufferings and sacrifices,
in our efforts to reach out to everyone,
especially the weak and the sick,
the marginalized and forgotten,
in our being one with you in your
Cross, Lord Jesus.

Brothers and sisters: Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that of ourselves are qualified to take credit for anything as coming from us; rather, our qualification comes from God, who has indeed qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter brings death, but the Spirit gives life.

2 Corinthians 3:4-6

Keep us, your priests, 
faithful to your new covenant,
Jesus; let us bring fulfillment
to the many laws we have
by being a leaven for your people
to grow in faith, hope, and love;
set us free from the chains
of legalisms and rubrics
that forget you in every person.

Most of all, let us not forget
to lovingly serve your flock,
your people, O Lord;
may we always be present with
them especially in moments of 
their trials and weaknesses,
when they are seeking directions,
when they are lost and could not
find you.

May they be transformed into your
image, Lord Jesus Christ,
so that like St. Paul we may also
tell our parishioners,
"You are our letter, 
written on our hearts,
known and read by all" (2 Cor. 3:2)
when the works we have done as
your minister, Lord, 
speak for itself.
Amen.