The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Prayers in the storm and after the storm, 24-25 July 2024
We did not sleep well Tuesday night, worried with the serious impact of heavy rains to our brothers and sisters living in shanties and low-lying areas. Electricity was cut off early yesterday as we received reports of widespread flooding in the Parish. Immediately, the Parish Priest with the Parish Pastoral Council gathered dry clothings, jackets, and blankets for the evacuees in a nearby school, sending some breakfast too. This was our prayer on that rainy Wednesday:
God our loving Father,
we thank you for the rains
we have long been waiting for
to fill our dams,
to water our fields and plants,
to cool our climate;
but because of our continued
disregard for your creation
and for one another,
these blessed rains have brought
many problems too
especially floods that
are getting worse every year;
forgive us for we never learn
to respect not only nature
but especially one another;
rich and poor alike failed
to take care of each other
thinking only of one's self.
May these rains wash away
our selfishness,
cleanse our conscience
to think more of others
and enable us to finally
take concrete steps
in changing our lifestyle
as Pope Francis had long
called for in Laudato Si
so that we may finally see
our interconnectedness in this
one home and planet we call
Earth.
Amen.
Rains heavily poured with a lot of thunders before noon yesterday; more parishioners sent help in kind and food for the 60 evacuees near the Shrine. This we composed for our noontime prayer during that thunderstorms:
God our Father,
thank you for the midday rest
on this stormy Wednesday;
many of us are bearing with
the discomfort of no electricity,
of not being able to move around,
of idly staying at home;
forgive us for the complaints
especially when we forget there are
more who are going through severe
tests and sufferings at this time:
dilapidated and leaky homes with
still more moving to evacuation
centers; many people have nothing
at all in their pockets for these rainy days;
help us reach out to our poor brothers
and sisters especially the children
who haven’t have breakfast nor have rested
at all since last night!
Father, we pray for the daily wage earners
who could not work today
due to bad weather;
we pray also for those living alone
as well as those who could not come home.
Bless every home,
fill us with more love and kindness
to keep warm everyone in this time
of calamity.
We ask this in Jesus Christ’s name
with the Holy Spirit. Amen.
O blessed Mother Mary,
our Lady of Fatima,
Pray for us!
There was still no electricity and rains continued to pour in the afternoon with a handful people celebrating the 6PM Mass at the Shrine. Up in our rectory, our staff and PPC officers were busy preparing packed meals for the families evacuated in a nearby school. This was our prayer that afternoon:
God our loving
and merciful Father,
thank you for bringing us to the
end of this day;
thank you for the gift of life,
for the selfless people who served
in all rescue and relief efforts
for those affected by the heavy
rains that still continue;
thank you and bless those who remained
faithful to their call of duty especially
those in the police and military,
the journalists who risked their lives
to keep us informed of the situations,
our weathermen who tracked Carina
and the habagat;
most of all, we thank you
for the doctors and nurses
who came to hospitals as
extensions of your healing hands in this
time of calamity.
Keep them all safe.
Bring us all home safely tonight
guided by your light of love and care
in Jesus Christ
in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Mary our Mother,
Our Lady of Fatima,
Pray for us.
Darkness enveloped the whole city of Valenzuela by nightfall as we remained without electricity but the good news of rains finally stopping with the ebbing of the floods were most welcomed news to bring joy to many among us. We continued with our prayers and this is what we shared:
Most loving Father,
many of us will not sleep tonight:
some are working overnight
to ensure tomorrow we’ll have
food and power while others are
keeping watch for everyone’s
safety and wellbeing;
bless them,
give them the strength to do their
tasks and duties,
and keep them safe.
It has been a very long,
cold, and wet day, Father;
help us set aside our worries,
to trust and hope in You
that it is always after the rains
and the storms leaves are greenest;
it is after the floods when rich top soil
are deposited, conducive for farming;
it is during calamities when love
and charity surprise us most.
Amen.
Jesus, King of Mercy,
we trust in You!
Our Lady of Fatima,
Pray for us!
Finally, we saw the sun at the start of this new day still with some rains and the heavy tasks of cleaning and clearing the debris left by the floods. Will we ever learn to respect nature which is actually an expression of our respect for each other too?
Our prayer after the storm:
Praise and glory to you,
God our loving Father!
Thank you for this new day,
thank you for the gift of life,
thank you for guiding us
during these stormy days.
Bless our doctors and nurses,
the selfless volunteers and staffmembers
of rescue and emergency units
along with our police and military
personnel as well as the weathermen
who continue to work and serve us
today after the storm.
Help us to do better
in responding to emergencies
next time while we finally learn
to change our lifestyles in caring
for the environment and ultimately,
for one another.
Let us appreciate
each one’s giftedness
in Christ Jesus our Lord
as we celebrate life
in the Holy Spirit
today.
Amen.
Our Lady of Fatima,
Pray for us!
St. James the Great,
Pray for us!
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