Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 14 August 2025
Thursday, Memorial of St. Maximilian Kolbe, Priest & Martyr
Joshua 3:7-10, 11, 13-17 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Matthew 18:21-19:1
Praise and glory to you,
God our Father!
Your words today are so lovely
so touching
so personal;
I could feel Joshua leading
your people at the banks
of Jordan River
ready to cross.
The people struck their tents to cross the Jordan, with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant ahead of them. No sooner had these priestly bearers of the ark waded into the waters at the edge of the Jordan…than the waters flowing from upstream halted, backing up in a solid mass for every great distance indeed… while those flowing downstream toward the Salt Sea of the Arabah disappeared entirely. Thus the people crossed over opposite Jericho (Joshua 3:14-15, 16).
Many times, Lord
I am afraid to make
that first step forward
onto the banks of the river of life,
afraid to step on water itself;
many times,
that one little step forward
is all I need but so often
I balked
even chickened out
wasting many opportunites
to grow in faith and trust
in you;
many times, Lord
I am afraid to give
to share
to forgive
because I cannot trust
there would be still enough
for me.
O dear Jesus,
have mercy on me!
Embolden your gift of courage
in me to imitate
the modern saint
Maximilian Kolbe
who was like Joshua
who dared to make that
bold step forward onto the banks
of Jordan River;
like the priestly bearers
of the ark,
St. Maximilian Kolbe
literally stepped forward too
into death by giving himself
for another prisoner at Auschwitz;
what a beautiful imagery
in modern time's darkest moments
that St. Maximilian Kolbe
brought and carried
Jesus Christ
the new ark of the covenant
to bring life not only to
the prisoners of Auschwitz at that time
but even to many among us these
days so lost and trapped
in the gas chambers of
modern forms of
human abuses and exploitation;
Lord Jesus Christ,
grant me the grace
to walk faithfully,
trusting God
who always makes a way
through what seems to be
impassable.
Let me be
the bearer of Christ
to enable others
pass through
from death to life,
from grief to joy,
from hopelessness to love.
Amen.
St. Maximilian Kolbe,
Pray for us.
Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Our Lady of Fatima University
Valenzuela City
(lordmychef@gmail.com)
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