Rekindle my zeal for you, O Lord…

Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Monday, Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, 09 November 2026
Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12  ><}}}}*>  1 Corinthians 3:9-16-17  ><}}}}*>  John 2:13-22     

Let your zeal 
for your house
consume me, Lord Jesus!

On this feast of the dedication
of the St. John Lateran Basilica
which is the "mother and head 
of all churches of Rome 
and the world",
I pray for a thorough
cleansing of ourselves
and of the Church
from the inside;
as I pray on that scene
when you "made a whip
out of cords and drove out 
all the money changers with
their tables" along with the
animals and doves being sold
there, I see the present situation
of your Church, Jesus;
yes, we have made the Father's house
a marketplace - 
everything has become a business 
because we are
so afraid of having less,
of being poor,
of going hungry and thirsty
that is why we have gravitated
towards the rich and powerful,
including corrupt politicians 
we love rubbing elbows with
totally forgetting the poor and
the hungry, the very people themselves
we are meant to serve
we have actually detached from.

Cleanse our very hearts,
Jesus, for we your clergy 
are your vessels and instruments 
to make known your gospel 
but sadly we have become so busy 
with so many other works
we have justified, 
leaving us without time with you
in personal, daily prayers
that have made our celebrations
of the Mass empty,
becoming selective in dispensing 
the sacraments especially
Confession and Anointing
while our lives drift apart from
your ways, we becoming the 
influencer,
the star.

Reignite our zeal
for your Church, Jesus
that we finally make 
a firm stand against sin
and evils perpetrated by brothers
hiding in cassocks and vestments;
we pray for every bishop
not to dilly dally in their being
teachers of faith that they may
defend always the teachings of
the Church instead of being 
accommodating with the ways of
the world; we pray for every bishop
to use their staff in disciplining
wayward priests
while being fair and just
with all their priests.

Let us overturn,
Jesus, the systemic 
culture of silence among us
your priests so that we may 
walk our talks,
do away with clericalism
and petty turf wars that bloated
our ego to forget our calling
to bring life
and joy
to those suffering
and in pain
especially those
at the margins.
Amen.