Lord My Chef Sunday Music by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, 21 June 2026
A blessed happy Father’s Day to all the dads this third Sunday of June, the 12th in Ordinary Time of the Church calendar when we heard Jesus telling us in the gospel today to “fear no one” for he is our strength in this journey in life (https://lordmychef.com/2026/06/20/brave-and-gracious-like-alex-eala/).
At the end of our Masses this Sunday before blessing the fathers present, we reminded them of this call by Jesus to fear no one especially their wife – huwag matakot – to tell them they are not doing the laundry today because it is a Father’s Day. Assure them you will do it tomorrow…
But kidding aside, it is only now that I am 61 years old, a senior citizen, that I have truly realized and felt how difficult it must be in being a dad or an “unwed” Father like me, a priest.
My father died on my mom’s 61st birthday, 17 June 2000; it was the eve of Father’s Day making it so painful especially for mommy died in 2024.
Every morning whenever I face the mirror preparing for a Mass or a class and I see my wrinkles and white hair so similar with my dad’s, I do not just remember him: very often I reflect and imagine those many sacrifices he had for us, for me in all those years until he died suddenly of a heart attack on mom’s birthday in year 2000. I try hard imagining the many moments he had spent praying, thinking about his next moves to keep us safe and secured and comfortable.
It is only now that he is gone that I have felt his great love for us all, silently carrying all that tremendous weight of fatherhood on his shoulders, without ever complaining to us about life’s difficulties nor spoke of his problems and difficulties he was going through all those years.
Every dad is like Jesus Christ not just telling but assuring his family to have no fear, to be not afraid because he had everything covered.
Like Ely Buendia of Eraserheads when he wrote “Huwag Kang Matakot” in 1999 at the birth of his son Eon.
Huwag kang matakot
'Di mo ba alam, nandito lang ako
Sa iyong tabi?
'Di kita pababayaan kailanman
At kung ikaw ay mahulog sa bangin
Ay sasaluhin kita
Huwag kang matakot na matulog mag-isa
Kasama mo naman ako
Huwag kang matakot na umibig at lumuha
Kasama mo naman ako
Huwag kang matakot (huwag kang matakot), ah-ah-ah-ah
Huwag kang matakot
Dahil ang buhay mo'y walang katapusan
Makapangyarihan ang pag-ibig
Na hawak mo sa 'yong kamay
Buendia narrates the typical joyful tasks of every father to his child in always being present especially in difficult situations starting with sleeping alone as a child, falling and later getting hurt in the game of love. And life.
Very amusing too are the lines of how a father would always be present, loving and supporting his child even if it is foolish:
Huwag kang matakot na magmukhang tanga
Kasama mo naman ako
Huwag kang matakot sa hindi mo pa makita
Kasama mo naman ako
Huwag kang matakot (huwag kang matakot), ah-ah-ah-ah
Fatherhood is about facing all fears because of love. And that is why Jesus taught us to call God “Father” because like every dad, God gives us life, protects this gift of life and if ever we lost it to sin and mistakes, he restores this life so we live anew. Blessed happy Father’s Day again!
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