Only Jesus, always Jesus

Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Monday, Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time, Year II, 31 August 2026
1 Corinthians 2:1-5     <*((((><  +  ><))))*>    Luke 4:16-30

Teach me Lord
to "know nothing except
Jesus Christ crucified" like St. Paul,
not just "looked intently at you"
like your folks in Nazareth 
when you preached in your synagogue;
it is not enough to just look
intently at you,
imitating you and your manners
and style but not your life,
your self-sacrifice on the Cross;
what a shame in this age of social media
we speak and preach about you
merely to chase clout for ourselves
using sublimity of words
or persuasive words of wisdom
used by demagogues and
influencers for followers
and shameful profits.

Help us realize,
Jesus, that our faith
rests on the power of God
best shown in your Crucifixion,
not in our personality
nor eloquence in speech
nor being savvy with new
technologies that blind us from
the realities of life
like love and sacrifice,
kindness and patience,
justice and truth.
Amen.