Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Tuesday in the Eleventh Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 16 June 2026
1 Kings 21:17-29 <*[[[[>< + ><]]]]*> Matthew 5:43-48
God our loving Father,
grant me the grace to love you more,
to follow you more closely,
to be like you,
"perfect" and "holy";
I feel so sad especially
these days as I continue to grapple
with your mystery,
of your immense love for us all,
even ton our enemies and oppressors.
Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father… So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:43-45, 48).
What is most difficult
for me, O Lord, is when your
"anger" subsides,
when your mercy prevails
on those who do evil against us
like King Ahab in the first reading;
oh yes, Father,
sorry but it is true,
we enjoy you "castigating"
evil doers like King Ahab;
but, why Oh why,
after he had realized his sins
and be sorry,
you suddenly change your mind?
Then the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite,
"Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself
before me?
Since he has humbled himself before me,
I will not bring the evil in his time.
I will bring the evil upon his house
during the reign of his son"
(1 Kings 21:28-29).
Forgive me,
Lord Jesus Christ
when sometimes I see
vengeance as a form of justice,
forgetting your lesson yesterday;
but, help me learn
and realize to embrace fully
your words that are so extravagant,
asking far more than anyone
might ever think possible
not only in loving our enemies,
or doing good to our persecutors
but mystery of all mysteries is
when perpetrators of evil seem
to get away with their sins
like King Ahab
by simply being sorry?
But, on deeper prayer
as peace and tranquility
take over my anger,
then I realize your call Jesus
to be perfect like the Father
is also a call for me to be vulnerable
like him in offering kindness
because he is a Father,
not because of any worthiness
of anyone among us
for we are all sinners;
indeed,
we do not deserve anything at all
but because of your love,
you have made us deserving.
May we find your love and kindness and mercy in us, Jesus, instead of look for these on those who hurt us for indeed, what good is it really if I can love only those who love me or hate those who hate me? With you dwelling in my heart, Jesus, it's no good at all, no good at all for what is truly good is to love like you: help me Jesus to bear witness to your loving presence in the world. Amen.
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