Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 07 August 2025
Wednesday, Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year I
Numbers 20:1-13 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Matthew 16:13-23
Lord Jesus Christ,
today I pray for the grace
and virtue of listening
especially in this world so filled
with noise with everyone
and everything speaking
even machines like cars
and elevators and phones;
how sad that photos about
listening are images
of headphones and ear pods
that are not totally about listening
which is more than hearing the sound
but also hearing the silence.
That is why
listening is a virtue,
a grace,
and an art.
Why, even prayer is listening!
And that is what we must pray more
these days that we learn to listen
more in order to truly pray,
hear your voice in silence.
The responsorial psalm
says it so well this day,
"Today if you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts."
Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father” (Matthew 16:13-17).
You always ask us,
Jesus and we can easily
answer you when it concerns
other people
but when you ask us
personally,
when your question is
addressed as "YOU" -
we rarely can answer because
we do not listen both to you
and to ourselves.
Without listening,
we cannot answer and
follow you, Lord;
without listening,
we cannot obey you, Lord;
without listening,
we cannot stay and
and remain in you, Lord.
Yesterday in the Feast of
the Transfiguration,
the voice of the Father was
clearly heard,
telling us to listen to you,
O Lord Jesus,
his Chosen Son
(Luke 9:35)
and we still do not listen.
Why was only Peter able
to answer your question?
Maybe because he was the
only one who truly listened
and understood your question,
Lord; and maybe, he was the
only one who truly listened and
heard the answer from the
Father.
Even Moses refused to listen to you, Lord when he struck twice the rock at Meribah for water contrary to your command that cost his denial of entrance into the Promised Land; forgive us, Jesus for the many times we have refused to listen and failed to faithfully do your work in the way you want it be done; forgive us, Jesus, in listening more to the ways of the world than to the ways of God. Amen. Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Our Lady of Fatima University Valenzuela City
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