Unfair!

The Lord Is My Chef Easter Recipe by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Monday in the Octave of Easter, 01 April 2024
Acts 2:14, 22-33   <*((((>< + ><))))*>   Matthew 28:8-15

My dearest Lord Jesus Christ,
while everyone's greetings
of "Happy Easter" have waned
due to Monday's usual grind 
to the highest degree,
I found myself wallowing
in Your words today to thoughts
of things unfair
and feeling cheated;
In Tagalog, 
madaya!

The chief priests assembled with the elders and took counsel; then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.’ And if this gets to the ears of the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day.

Matthew 28:12-15

And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day.
O Jesus,
not only this story
but this vicious circle
of lies and cheating,
of being unfair
has continued to circulate
even among us your
followers right in Your
Church!

Everywhere
there is this glorification
of selves,
of dishonesty,
of excesses that result
in inequalities
and sadly
in desecration of Your liturgy,
of Your Body,
the Church made up of
so many who are misled
from You,
dear Jesus.

But this is why
You rose from the dead,
Jesus;
this is the reason there is Easter:
You turned over,
"binaligtad Mo, Panginoon
ang maraming pagkakataon
at sitwasyon
ng kawalan ng patas,
kawalan ng kaayusan" -
in Your rising,
You have given us more reasons
to persevere even amid
darkness and emptiness
like that early morning of Easter
because soon enough,
You are surely there at
the next turn,
at a corner,
awaiting those faithfully
seeking
and following You!

In this Monday
of Your Easter Octave
Jesus, help me pray
like the psalmist,
"Keep me safe, O God;
you are my hope."
Amen.