Every Kinda People

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Prayer-Recipe, Tuesday

10 July 2018, Week-14/Year-2 Ordinary Time

Hosea 8:4-7, 11-13///Matthew 9:32-38

How easy for us Lord to always pray like the psalmist that we trust in You but, in reality we rely more with our very selves and with material things! Like what You told Hosea in the first reading, “we make kings not by Your authority and we make princes without Your approval (Hos.8:4)” for we are so self-centered.

Most of the time, we forget that what we really need here on earth are people – persons like each one of us with equal dignity created in Your image and likeness who must be respected regardless of creed and color. Whenever something good happens with our brethren like when Jesus healed a demoniac in today’s gospel, we are like those people of His time who were either struck in awe or doubtful and suspicious without realizing that You come to us with every person who loves and cares for the sick and the poor.

Move and stir our hearts, let us be merciful like Jesus Christ who said “the harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”(Mt.9:37-38) Teach us to stop praying for more things and start praying for brothers and sisters capable of loving and caring for one another. AMEN. Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II,Parokya ni San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria,Bulacan 3022. Photo from Google.

Pray this with the late Robert Palmer’s “Every Kinda People”, have breakfast and be kind with everyone you meet today.

“You Are Everything” by Marvin Gaye with Diana Ross (1973)

Photo from Google.

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Music

Week XIV-B, 08 July 2018

Recognizing Jesus

In my homily today I have mentioned that “people took offense at Jesus for they lacked faith because they do not love Him… To believe in Jesus, like with any person, demands love. When we truly love a person including Jesus, our eyes are always opened, recognizing them even in their shadows or footsteps. When we truly love anyone, there is no need to see because in our hearts, that person is already present in us.”

In fact, we would never even see the one we truly love because they are already in eternity like Jesus and our dearly departed. But even if we do not see them, we truly recognize them because we love. That explains why so often, we thought we “see” the ones we love. Loving, believing, seeing and recognizing are all interconnected; when there is a breakdown in our love, we stop believing, we become unfaithful as we fail to recognize our beloved. That is when we also sin. And that is the pain of not being seen and recognized by those closest to us like our family and friends because they refuse to love us in return. But even if it happens, just keep on loving and believing because in Jesus, we are His everything. Miracles can only happen and joy would start to overflow when we love, believe, and recognize Jesus in Himself and in others.

Today I saw somebody

Who looked just like you

He walked like you do

I thought it was you

As he turned the corner

I called out your name

I felt so ashamed

When it wasn’t you

Wasn’t you.

You are everything

And everything is you

Oh you are everything

And everything is you

‘Cause you are everything

And everything is you.

How can I forget

When each face that I see

Brings back memories

Of being with you

I just can’t go on

Living life as I do

Comparing each girl with you

Knowing they just won’t do

They’re not you.

Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye – You Are Everything (Audio)

Recognizing Jesus

Photo from Google.

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe, Week XIV-B, 08 July 2018

Ezekiel 2:2-5///2Corinthians 12:7-10///Mark 6:1-6

These past weeks we have seen the growing success and popularity of Jesus Christ. People were amazed with Him that great crowds kept on following Him wherever He would go to hear Him preach and most especially to touch Him or be touched by Him to be healed of all kinds of sickness. Jesus was “viral” and “trending” in every town He visited around the Lake of Galilee except in His hometown of Nazareth which is His next stop today.

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. When the Sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands? Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.(Mk.6:2-3)

In spite of the popular enthusiasm He had aroused during His ministry, Jesus was no stranger to bitter disappointments and failures. All four evangelists tell us of the many times Jesus was rejected by people, reaching its highest point in His crucifixion. See how Mark noted in our gospel today how the people refused to recognize Jesus Christ, “And they took offense at him.” It was an attack on the very person of Jesus, not on His works! See how the people’s queries about Him were tinted with malice and suspicion. This is the ugly side of that adage “familiarity breeds contempt” when those closest to you, when those who are supposed to know you more and better are the ones who refuse to believe you. This is the reason Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.”(Mk.6:4)

But it is also here where we find the good news for us this Sunday: when we feel rejected or unaccepted or doubted by those closest to us, do not despair. Not all days are bright and sunny for us that in everything we do we are accepted and appreciated. Sometimes, there are dark clouds of doubts and suspicions cast over us, on our very person by those closest to us like family and relatives, friends and neighbors. And in those moments of rejection, try to feel in your heart Jesus Christ who always believes in you because He Himself sent you as His prophets, His spokesperson. Like Ezekiel in the first reading, we are all prophets sent to speak of God’s love and mercy in this world where everything and everyone is doubted, questioned and examined like microorganisms under a microscope. It does not matter “whether they heed or resist – for they are a rebellious house – they shall know that a prophet has been among them.”(Ez.2:5) Like all the prophets, keep doing what you believe is good. Keep pursuing your dreams and keep striving to be better not to prove yourself and disprove those around you but because it is a mission from God Himself to express His love and concern for everyone. Even if others refuse to believe in us, even if they refuse to accept us, we continue to speak to them, we continue to serve them, we continue to love them, we continue to be among them just like Jesus because we believe. Most of all, because we love.

This was the moving spirit behind St. Paul’s enthusiasm amidst many sufferings and rejections: “I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak then I am strong.” (2Cor.12:9-10) In imitating Jesus Christ, St. Paul realized power is made perfect in weakness on the Cross. When we let go of our power and strength, God fills us with life and resurrection. Recall the days you relied more on God, when you refused to fight back or resort to violence so as not to go down to “lowlife” level – those are the same moments of your sweetest victories and maturity because those were the moments we have truly loved. When we love, it means we believe. We have faith! Note how Mark ended his story today with a note that Jesus “was not able to do any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hand on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.”(Mk.6:6)

The people took offense at Jesus for they lacked faith because they do not love Him. The problem is not with God if nothing good is happening in our lives like when we cannot experience healing and forgiveness. We have to believe in Jesus first for us to see Him present. To believe in Him, like with any person demands love. When we truly love a person including Jesus, our eyes are always opened, recognizing them even in their shadows or footsteps. When we truly love anyone, there is no need to see because in our hearts, that person is already present in us. And so we believe. Then miracles happen, joy overflows. A blessed week ahead of you! Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya Ng San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan

“He Touches Me” by Lisa Stansfield (2004)

Photo from Google.

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Music

Week XIII-B, 01 July 2018

When I was still teaching at our diocesan school for girls in Malolos City (ICSM-Metropolis), one of the things I used to tell my students was to never be fooled by a man’s looks and “porma”. Always look for a man who would truly love you, respect you, care and protect you. Find a man who really touches you as a person, as a woman.

He don’t bring me anything but love
He don’t bring me anything but love
If you offered me the stars I would decline
I don’t need ’em I got mine
I don’t know where to start
But I know what’s in my heart
So keep your silver and your gold ’cause I got my man to have and hold

For this Sunday Music by Lisa Stansfield, imagine that man is Jesus touching you, touching each one of us. Touching Jesus and being touched by Jesus is always a step into an intimate relationship with Him that calls for faith in us. But we should not stop at simply touching Jesus – let us be touched by Jesus too! When we allow Jesus to touch us, then we get in touch also with our true selves. And when we are in touch with God and with our self, we get in touch with life’s realities and most especially in touch with others. That is when we are transformed because Jesus had touched us.

No poetry, no diamond ring
No song to sing
He don’t bring me flowers, oh no
But he touches me, he touches me
No crazy dreams, no limousines
He makes me feel I can do anything
And that’s power, oh yeah
When he touches me, he touches me

In this age when our communications and interactions are always mediated by gadgets and things, we have forgotten the power and impact of personal touch. What really matters in this life are not only what we can touch like things but those who touch us like family and friends, persons who love and care for us, persons who make us whole. Enjoy Sunday!

I know they’ll say I’m crazy letting you go

Of a man like you

Who seems to have it all

But they don’t see what I see

No, they don’t feel like me

And even…

Attachments area

Preview YouTube video ♥He Touches Me♥

♥He Touches Me♥

Touching Jesus, Being Touched by Jesus

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe, Week XIII-B, 01 July 2018

Wisdom 1:13-15;2:23-24///2Corinthians 8:7,9,13-15///Mark 5:21-43

Experts claim that touching another person for at least five seconds is worth more than 300 words of encouragement. At the same time, they say that the sense of touch can hasten the healing process among people recuperating from illnesses and surgery. That is the power of touch that even the word “touch” itself is so powerful that it may be used in literal and figurative sense. We tell others to “keep in touch” to mean to stay connected, to make our relationships and bonds grow stronger. The same thing is true when we say we are “touched” by words or gestures of kindness as they strike deeper realities that connect us within. This explains why we always try to touch things literally because figuratively, every touch leads to bigger, inner realities that link us with persons and whatever they represent. That woman in today’s gospel suffering in hemorrhages believed that by touching even the clothes of Jesus could heal her. In fact, it was more than enough for her as it was the closest thing she could do to relate with Jesus who was always being followed by a vast crowd.

There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction (Mk.5:25,27-29)

What is so beautiful with this story that St. Mark had sandwiched with the healing of the daughter of Jairus is the sensitivity of Jesus with our touch: He felt power had left Him that He stopped to ask among the crowd “Who touched me?” Jesus is not contented with just being touched as He wants a more intimate relationship with us. Jesus wants more than touching us but even hugging us, embracing us to feel the warmth of His love and mercy for us. More than a touch, Jesus wants a personal connection – a relationship – with everyone. That is why when He went into the room of the dying daughter of Jairus, He tenderly addressed her with the words “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” It is a connection of far more significance as it leads to more fulfillment and freedom, a relationship filled with life.

Touching Jesus and being touched by Jesus is always a step into an intimate relationship with the Lord calling for faith in us. How sad that most often we stop at touching Him, like with what we always see inside churches where people touch all statues and images of Jesus, His Mother Mary and the saints. Yes it is an expression of faith but that faith needs to grow more into a relationship. How many would really stop to stay for an hour or half an hour or mere 15 minutes to be in touch with the Lord and be touched by the Lord? Can we lay bare ourselves openly to Jesus, allowing Him to touch those sensitive nerves inside us that make us seethe with anger or jealousy? Can we allow Jesus to touch our closely guarded secrets and hurts so we could finally confront the ghosts within us and remove blocks in our relationships with God and with others?

The author of the Book Wisdom had reflected how God had wanted since the beginning to keep in touch with us that He made us in His likeness, “the image of his own nature to be imperishable. But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world, and they who are in his possession experience it.”(Wis.2:23-24) Recently the whole nation was disturbed and rose in indignation when the man in Malacanang called “God stupid” after he had wrongly interpreted the story of the Fall in the Book of Genesis. There is no doubt his words were blasphemous but after all the noise, we must also start reflecting about our own faith and personal relationship with God whom we also blame for all the sufferings and miseries in the world. There are times during funeral Masses I felt tearing apart my clothes when I hear priests claiming the death of a beloved as “God’s will.” Three years ago, I wished having a laser sword so I could chop off the brainless head of a priest declaring it was “kalooban ng Diyos, tanggapin natin” the deaths of the two brothers of a priest who were peppered with Armalite bullets by a neighbor. Both their bodies were mangled by the Armalite bullets, the other cut into half and then the priest saying the crime was the will of God? My God… And that is how stupid some of us Christians are including some priests who believe that sufferings like cancer and dying in a freak accident are willed by God. Our first reading is very clear today, “God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.” (Wis.1:13)

Let us be like St. Paul in the second reading who was definitely in touch with God and reality when he tried addressing the question of suffering with the Corinthians by encouraging them to share their wealth with those in need. St. Paul did not glorify suffering for its own sake nor did he encourage the Corinthians to seek suffering in this part of his second letter to the Corinthians. Instead, he tried explaining to them that suffering is part of the process of our inner transformation that leads to glory: “Not that others should have relief while you were burdened, but that as a matter of equality your abundance at the present time should supply their needs so that their abundance may also supply your needs, that there may be equality.” (2Cor.8:13-14) If we truly touch God, He would touch us too, experiencing His love and mercy that in turn becomes natural for us to personally touch others with the loving service of Christ. In this age when our communications and interactions are mediated by gadgets and other things, may we bring back that personal touch of love and kindness with others. May God bless and touch you today and the whole week through! Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ni San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan 3022

Photo from Google.

We Are All A John the Baptist: A gift of God, herald of Jesus Christ

Baptism of Christ by John the Baptist in the Jordan River (mosaic) - Ravenna, Italy

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe, Birth of John the Baptist, 24 June 2018

Isaiah 49:1-6///Acts 13:22-26///Luke 1:57-66,80

Today we take a break from our series of readings in Ordinary Time to give way for the Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist. Solemnity is our highest liturgical celebration as it shows a direct link with the salvific work of Jesus Christ like the birth of St. John the Baptist who prepared the way of the Lord. This is the reason he is the greatest of all prophets according to our Lord Jesus Christ Himself who declared “Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”(Mt.11: 11) But, here we also discover our own greatness though we are the least in the kingdom of heaven because as disciples of Jesus Christ, we are tasked like John the Baptist to make way for Him whom we proclaim by preparing His path, showing Him to those who seek Him. We are all a precursor, a forerunner of the Lord like John whose name means “God is gracious” who is so good to call us for such a mission despite our sins and weaknesses. Three things I wish to share with on being another John the Baptist, a forerunner of the Lord: rejoicing, being amazed, and becoming strong in spirit.

“When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her and they rejoiced with her.”(Lk.1:57-58)

They rejoiced with her. How sad that in our world today characterized by affluence and convenience, there is that growing trend of dissatisfaction and gloom among us, giving rise to depression that leads to suicide. For the past couple of years, we have been shocked by news of celebrities here and abroad ending their lives. They are the people we looked up to for making our lives better with their thoughts and creations, people who have made us laugh and cry in the movies and arts, and people who have simply inspired us with their success. Joy is more than being happy; it is having that firm conviction within that no matter what happens in our life, there is always God who loves us despite our sins and shortcomings. Joy is always a gift of the Holy Spirit, a result of our faith in God. The neighbors of Elizabeth rejoiced because they have felt the spirit of God in the birth of John. Unless we are able to go back to our grounding in God, we can never experience joy. Wealth and fame, gadgets and other things can make us happy for a moment but never joyful which comes only from within. Pope Francis explained “Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God’s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades. This is a very real danger for believers too. Many fall prey to it, and end up resentful, angry and listless.”(Evangelii Gaudium, 2)

He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed.(Lk.1:63)

All were amazed. Joy always leads to amazement or surprise and sense of awe. The neighbors were amazed not only with the miraculous birth of John by his mother who was not only old but also barren. Likewise, they were more amazed because when they asked his father what name to be given him, he wrote “John”. Immediately, Zechariah spoke anew after being deaf and mute as punishment in doubting the angel’s announcement of Elizabeth’s giving birth to their child. Being surprised or amazed is an expression of a sense of wonder that indicates our recognition of God and His presence. Remember how Isaac’s son, Jacob fled to Bethel where he slept and upon waking up from a dream, “he exclaimed, ‘Truly, the Lord is in this spot, although I did not know it.’ In solemn wonder he cried out: ‘How awesome is this shrine! This is nothing else but an abode of God, and that is the stairway to heaven!’”(Gen.28:16-17)

See how in our world today we are losing that sense of awe due to “demystification” when everything has to be empirical to be true. No more surprises, no more patient waiting, no more spiritual because when something cannot be dissected or explained, it is dismissed as untrue. What amazes us these days are often the extraordinary, the ones at the extremes of the scale like longest or shortest, bestest or worst. We have forgotten to appreciate and be surprised by the usual and ordinary things that actually make up real life! The most significant things in life are not the “pinaka” and “bonggacious” (spectacular) but the most ordinary and average things we experience and encounter like the usual people we meet day in and day out, the sunrise and sunset, the plants and trees we see around us, the gentle breeze on our face or simple sights of kids playing on the streets, licking an ice cream cone. Without that sense of awe in us, then we stop “taking things into our hearts” and everything becomes fleeting and temporary that we no longer pause to reflect on the meaning of life. It is that taking things into our hearts that truly enrich us, always surprising us to go on with life amidst all the pains and difficulties and uncertainties. Every time we are surprised in life, that is when God is beside us.

The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel. (Lk.1:80)

The child grew and became strong in spirit. Becoming strong in spirit is being holy. Again, Pope Francis reminds in his latest letter “Gaudete et Exultate” (Rejoice and Be Glad) that holiness remains our call as Christians. He writes, “We are frequently tempted to think that holiness is only for those who can withdraw from ordinary affairs to spend much time in prayer. That is not the case. We are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves.”(14) The Holy Father stressed that holiness is “oneness in Christ” (20) which is the meaning of our celebration today in the birth of St. John the Baptist: we have to see our life as a mission in Christ. Sometimes like Isaiah, we feel discouraged because we “thought we have toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly spent our strength”; but, that is our task, to lead others to God, to be a light on their path to God (cf. Is.49: 4-6) that when they find Him, we vanish from the scene like John who said “He must increase; I must decrease.”(Jn.3:30) Continue to rejoice in the Lord always, be amazed of His love and mercy, grow and be strong in the spirit for God remembers His promise to His people like Elizabeth which means “God promised” and Zechariah that means “God remembered.” God be with you! Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ni San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan 3022

*Photo from Google, mosaic detail of the Baptism of Christ found in Ravenna, Italy (c. 451 AD).

“Wichita Lineman” by Glen Campbell (1968)

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Music

Week XI-B, 17 June 2018

Father’s Day

I know. Our LordMyChefSundayRecipe for today is titled “Sowing the Seeds of Love” from the 1989 hit by Tears for Fears. But even before I have written that, I already had “Wichita Lineman” in my head as our Sunday Music on this Father’s Day because it best describes every father including me. Even in this age of wireless communications, people are still essential to enable the proper function of technology that connects people with one another. There would always be a “lineman” to ensure connectivity.

I am a lineman for the county and I drive the main road

Searchin’ in the sun for another overload

I hear you singin’ in the wire, I can hear you through the whine

And the Wichita Lineman is still on the line.

Every dad, every priest is a lineman, trying to connect people with others and with God. One of the earliest seeds of my vocation was actually planted by my father without him knowing it. Even I did not realize it only later in life. Every morning before leaving for office, I always woke up seeing him in front of our “Cristo Rey” praying. Upon arrival from work before we would pray the Angelus in front of our grotto, dad would be in front of Cristo Rey again praying. Until his retirement, he never failed to pray in front of our altar at home. And now he is gone, I could still feel him praying for me and the family. Maybe, that is the reason why most fathers die ahead of mothers: they are the first to go beyond life, to link us with this world and the next world. They never stop connecting us because a father is always a “lineman”.

I know I need a small vacation but it don’t look like rain

And if it snows that stretch down south won’t ever stand the strain

And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time

And the Wichita Lineman is still on the line.

Real fatherhood is 24/7, thinking more of the children than one’s self. Above all, it is keeping the lifeline open, near or far, all the time because of love. Hail to all the dads and Rev. Fathers here and above us in heaven. Amen. Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ni San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan 3022

https://youtu.be/AxSarBcsKLU

Photo from Google.

Sowing the Seeds of Love, the Gift of Fatherhood

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe, Week XI-B, 17 June 2018

Ezekiel 17:22-24///2Corinthians 5:6-10///Mark 4:26-34

Thank you very much for your “happy father’s day” greetings. Thank you for considering me your “spiritual father” in the parish. However, I hope you don’t mind me telling you that I do not really feel the celebration of “father’s day” every third Sunday of June because 18 years ago on the Saturday before this civil celebration, my dad passed away shortly before dawn due to a heart attack. It was also the birthday of my mother, June 17, 2000.

Last Friday, I again realized another sad note of this “happy father’s day” for me as a priest when Fr. Richmond V. Nilo was laid to rest in San Antonio, Nueva Ecija. As you all know, Fr. Nilo is the third priest to be shot and killed in the country in six months. Another priest was also ambushed last month but survived the attack.

Am I bothered? Not really for myself but for others, for the nation. Suffering and death is our life as priests. Too often you only see so little of who we are as priests but for those who truly take a deeper look into why we chose to become priests, why we do all these sacrifices, why we refuse to follow the current of the world today, then you start to wonder why we have chosen to be a priest of Jesus Christ.

And there is no easy answer except the Lord. Dominus est!

It is the same for every dad out there: why work so hard, sacrifice so much, love so much, suffer so much for the children and for the mother? Why not must leave everything and everyone behind like others have done? Every time a dad would claim that he bears everything because of love, that he strives hard to keep his family alive and secured, it is simply because of the Lord! It is not being simplistic but simply because it is the truth. That is why when Jesus taught us to pray, He told us to call God, Abba or Daddy. That is who God is, Somebody always around us, ensuring our safety and security, enabling us to fulfill our dreams and aspirations.

Our first reading today beautifully captures this enigma of fatherhood, of priesthood, of our life of love and suffering as a follower of Jesus Christ. “Thus says the Lord God: I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar, from its top most branches tear off a tender shoot, plant it on high and lofty mountain… and become a majestic cedar. And all the trees of the filed shall know that I, the Lord, bring low the high tree, lift high the lowly tree, wither up the green tree, and make the withered tree bloom. As I, the Lord, have spoken, so will I do.” (Ez.17: 22, 23b,24)

Recall, fathers, that day when you got married, pledging to love your wife “for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part”? I also felt like you when I was ordained, saying yes to every question of our bishop particularly to proclaim the Gospel, to be obedient to him and his successor, and to remain celibate and not get married. We were all young and perhaps blinded of the whole reality but we all said yes, we vowed before God to be faithful and true without realizing fully what it totally meant. We were like St. Paul and continues to be like him, “walking by faith, not by sight.”(2Cor.5:7) We were nobody. We had nothing to boast in life during that time we were ordained or when you got married. Or when you stepped into college or senior high school, or when you moved out of town or out of the country to work and pursue your dreams in life. Look back to those days and we all realize we were nothing but fresh green shoots of the crest of the cedar tree plucked by the Lord and planted where we are now, fulfilled in our lives amid all the pains and sufferings. God has always been present in our lives though many times we never noticed Him or refused to recognize Him. He makes everything possible and most especially so beautiful. And that is why we forge on despite the many hardships and difficulties our chosen path in life entail. Deep inside us we are convinced “God is greater than our hearts.”(1Jn.3:20)

This Sunday, we continue our journey in Jesus Christ with Mark as our guide. Last week, we have seen ourselves among the relatives and family of Jesus who also misunderstood Him, yet still believed Him as the Christ. Today Jesus begins to teach us in parables, inviting us to be open in receiving Him like a seed sown in the land wherein we would “sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, with us not knowing how.”(Mk.4:27) This is the time of being patient in listening more to Jesus especially in prayer as we discern His mystery for only He knows the secrets of the kingdom of God. Indeed, Jesus is asking us like St. Paul to “walk by faith, not in sight” because the most important things in life are not always visible with the eyes, always hidden in the heart of every person whom we must always love and respect as a brother or a sister.

In 1989, the British pop duo Tears for Fears released their third hit single called “Sowing the Seeds of Love.” Like their previous hit “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”, it had political undertones that remain so relevant up to this day. Its opening line right away leads us to the urgency of their call to sow seeds of love, “High time, we made a stand, And shook up the views of the common man.” Today’s gospel is a call for us to sow seeds of love, to make a stand for Christ, to shake up our views on real love for God, real love for others, and real love for country. There are times we priests like married fathers fail to live up to our vows, even causing others to sin. But, there is no amount of any wrong doing or sin, or whatever differences we may have with others can give anyone the power to destroy that seed sown in each of us because it is only God who makes that sprout into life, germinate and grow until it bears fruit for harvesting. Cheer up your father, thank your dad, and start sowing seeds of love in everyone! A blessed week to everyone! Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ni San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan 3022

Praying with Anthony, the Saint of Padua

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe-Wednesday

13 June 2018, Week-10/Year-2 Ordinary Time

1 Kings 18:20-39///Matthew 5:17-19

Thank You, God our Father in giving us St. Anthony of Padua who is renowned in interceding for anything that is lost – perhaps, including lost faith in You, lost values and lost selves. So many times, we are like the Israelites in our first reading today who are lost in our faith in You. Like them, we have become “wishy-washy” in following and trusting You, relying more with the modern Baals of wealth and fame.

We are so lost with the worldly things that we have become callous and insensitive with the plight of the poor and the suffering among us. Help us to find our way back to you, Father, through Your Son Jesus Christ who is the fulfillment of the laws and the prophets. Amen.

St. Anthony of Padua, pray for us! Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II,Parokya ni San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria,Bulacan 3022.

Praying with Anthony Bourdain

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for Tuesday

12 June 2018, Week-10/Year-2 Ordinary Time

1Kings 17:7-16///Matthew 5:13-16

God Almighty, You never fail to surprise me: last night while praying, You sent me the late atheist (?) celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain to inspire me in my homily and prayer.

He said, “Food and sin are two words that have long been linked.”

It is true. You banished Adam and Eve from Paradise after they have eaten the forbidden fruit. Then, You sent us Your Son Jesus Christ to redeem us from sin by giving us His Body and Blood as our food and drink in this long journey back home to You in Paradise.

It is very amazing that our faith is always tested and strengthened through food. A non-believer in You like Bourdain, the widow of Zarephath became Your instrument to deliver Elijah from hunger and thirst. For a year amid a drought, the widow’s “jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry” as You have foretold through Elijah, keeping them alive and strong.

So often, we who are supposed to be religious, who are supposed to believe and trust in You are the ones who also doubt You and Your providence. We refuse to share our food along with money and other treasures because we are afraid of having too little of these gifts. Not only that. So many times we are selfish to share Your love and joy, mercy and forgiveness, kindness and warmth, including knowledge and guidance with those suffering and who are lost, those who have forgotten the real taste of life, pushing some of them to suicide.

Make us the salt of the earth, Lord, so that through our loving presence with others, we may become food to nourish their tired body and soul, to let them taste the goodness of life despite its many pains and sufferings, preserving them wholly until Jesus comes again. Amen. Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II,Parokya ni San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria,Bulacan 3022.

Photo from Google.