Our home Nazareth

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Friday, Feast of St. John Marie Vianney, Patron of Priests, 04 August 2023
Leviticus 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34-37   ><}}}*> + <*{{{><   Matthew 13:54-58

Praise and glory to you,
God our Father for the gift of
St. John Marie Vianney,
our Patron Saint, 
your priests!
Oh what a glorious day
is this day falling on a
First Friday, 
a day special to the 
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
our Eternal Priest.

Thank you,
thank you,
thank you, Lord.

From the very start
as we have heard from
the Book of Leviticus 
in the first reading,
you have set special 
days of celebrations
to remember you and
your saving works;
at its service are
your priests.
Always.

But, no...  
We are not the center 
of your festivals, Lord,
but your mere servants;
how sad that since then
in the wilderness
down to your Temple
up to our own time
in these beautiful churches
we celebrate the Holy Mass,
we your priests have
consciously or unconsciously
turned attention and focus
onto ourselves.

Mea culpa, mea culpa,
mea maxima culpa!

Forgive us your priests
for playing God,
O merciful Father.
Help us to keep coming back
to Nazareth like your Son Jesus;
let us get lost in the hiddenness
and silence of Nazareth;
let us be at home with you
in the obscurity and nothingness
of Nazareth;
let us welcome too the 
rejections of Nazareth
like Jesus our Eternal Priest.

In all these 25 years as a priest,
my prayer to you dear God 
remains the same:
Lord, you have given me
with so much
and I have given you so little;
teach me to give more
of myself,
more of YOU.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.

St. John Marie Vianney,
pray for us priests!