Permitting, not permitting

Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Wednesday, First Week in Ordinary Time, Year II, 14 January 2026
1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20     <'[[[[><  +  ><]]]]'>     Mark 1:29-39

How lovely are your words
today, Lord Jesus Christ,
the Word who became flesh
and dwelled among us!

Thank you very much 
in sharing with us the power 
of your words; in fact,
we are the only ones with whom
you have gifted with this power;
the world and everything in it
was created simply by God speaking
the words that came to exist.

Teach us, Jesus
the value of listening to you,
letting you speak first
so that like Samuel,
you may "not permit any word
we speak to be without effect"
(1 Samuel 3:19); may we truly share
in your prophetic ministry
by "enfleshing" the words we speak
by walking our talk;
likewise, heal us,
dear Jesus 
of our many infirmities
and sickness due to sins
and evil that make us 
speak too much 
that instead of building up
others we destroy one another;
like those demons you drove out
from the sick you have cured
in today's gospel,
keep our mouths shut,
"do not permit us to speak"
(Mark 1:34)
when not necessary.
Amen.