Discipleship, not membership

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B, 29 September 2024
Numbers 11:25-29 ><}}}}*> James 5:1-6 ><}}}}*> Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

*Photo by author, ongoing works on the stained glass of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, Valenzuela City, 24 July 2024.*

Our Sunday gospel is getting more exciting each week as Jesus gets closer to Jerusalem in fulfillment of His mission with His Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

One thing we see these past Sundays is how Mark followed a certain series of contrasts in the trajectory of his reportage. Note the contrasting scenes with every Sunday as we find today the Twelve appeared united as one unlike last week when they debated on the way who was the greatest among them.

More than that, Mark narrated today two strongly contrasting components of the Lord’s teachings to His disciples about discipleship and membership.

*Photo by author in Magalang, Pampanga, 23 September 2024.*

First is His tolerance on those who do good even though they do not belong to His fold, telling us to let everyone do what is good because no one has a monopoly of serving.

At that time, John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us” (Mark 9:38-40).

Then in a sudden shift, Jesus severely criticized those who cause scandal, strongly urging His disciples including us today to totally eradicate whatever that leads us to sin and evil. Rejecting sin is discipleship in essence, not membership.

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the un quenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna” (Mark 9:42-43, 45, 47).

*Jesus teaching his Twelve Apostles, from GettyImages.*

What a lively discussion the Twelve must have had that day with Jesus. This scene is a favorite of many Christians when discussing the scriptures, of how they are to be understood and interpreted with our ready excuses that Jesus did not literally mean what He said about cutting off our sinful hand or sinful foot and plucking out our sinful eye.

But, have we really reflected on its meanings and implications to our lives today?

Jesus reminds us this Sunday that discipleship is more than membership because in doing what is good, “the sky is the limit” so to speak. No disciple of Christ can lay claim to a monopoly in doing what is good, serving others; moreover, no disciple of Christ can belittle the good works of others even if they do not belong to the same religion or church.

When our good deeds become “exclusive” and selective, then, that cease to be good.

Our ability to do good is always a grace of God, a gift poured out upon us by God daily so that we can be more loving and caring, more understanding and forgiving to one another. The moment we forget that, then, we start playing God.

In telling His disciples to let that man exorcize those possessed even he were not among the Twelve was clearly a command for us to recognize all who do good as brothers and sisters even if they do not necessarily share our beliefs and traditions. It is a call to respect one another.

Recall how in John’s gospel Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd who has other sheep not in this fold. And we cannot deny that many times those who do not belong to our Church or group are doing better in serving others than us who are so entangled with bureaucracy and programs or procedures, not to mention fame and other selfish motives.

This attitude of having a monopoly of ministries and charities is one serious malady afflicting parishes today. Very often, the people with this attitude are the cordon sanitaire of priests who most likely are a Jollibee or a pabida since they were seminarians. They are the epal for short who volunteer in everything leaving nothing else for others to do, eventually spawning more pabida and epal in the church. Many parishioners refuse to serve not because they are lazy nor indifferent nor afraid but simply they are never given a chance to serve due to the monopolistic attitudes of some. It is a sad case of ministry and service based on membership than discipleship.

Jesus is telling us this Sunday that there should be no divisions in doing good. Allow others to do good! Give them the chance to enter heaven too with their services and charities.

God wants us all to be “prophets” as explained by Moses to Joshua in the first reading when Meldad and Eldad prophesied even though they were not present in the Lord’s meeting tent. Moses rightly identified “jealousy” as one reason for such monopolistic attitude of good works by some believers.

Sin is the only obstacle in doing good, not membership. That is why, Jesus was severely stern in His words, telling how better it is for one causing others to sin to be thrown into the sea with a great millstone around one’s neck. Or, to cut off one’s hand or foot, and pluck out one’s eye that cause anyone to sin.

*Photo by author at Fatima Ave., Valenzuela City, 25 July 2024.*

If doing good were “sky is the limit” among disciples of Jesus, sin definitely has no room among us.

See how in this Sunday gospel Jesus implied to John and other disciples including us today of the grave sin of pride when we have that attitude of having a monopoly of good works, of relying more on membership than discipleship. It makes us proud and bloats our ego, leading us to more sins along the way until later on, we succumb to what the Greeks called as hubris.

That is why St. James in the second reading instructed us to examine our attitudes on social ills like poverty and inequality because wealth, like fame and glory, are always stained by sin.

A good disciple is always a good member of the Church – or any team and organization for that matter. Most of all, in our own family and circle of friends!

From Caesarea Philippi down to Capernaum that began three Sundays ago, Mark has continued to show us who Jesus really is, as the Christ who invites us with a personal answer to His same question to the Twelve, “who do you say that I am?” (Mk. 8:29).

The contrasts we found in Him today are not opposed to each other like His meekness with the sick and toughness with those who cause sin. Jesus is very open with anyone doing good, being kind and helpful but amid all these contrasts, He remains firm on His demands on discipleship rooted on His Cross, not just membership or being called a Christian.

When we look on His face, on His person, we find integrity and coherence, wholeness and holiness for Jesus is the Christ who had come to make us all divine, to become holy like Him “filled with His spirit” (Num. 11:29). Amen. Have a blessed week and October ahead!

*Photo by Ka Ruben, the new stained glass at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, Valenzuela City, 13 September 2024.*

“Take nothing”

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Wednesday in the Twenty-fifth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 25 September 2024
Proverbs 30:5-9 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Luke 9:1-6

*Photo by author, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, QC, 20 March 2024.*

Jesus said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic” (Luke 9:3).

Lord Jesus,
bless me to continue
in this journey with You,
in You,
taking nothing
but You;
at first,
I could not believe
it to be true
that many times,
I doubted,
taking so many things with me
in this journey;
but, as we walk farther,
Lord, the more I realized,
that indeed,
I need to take nothing.

The farther we journey,
Jesus, the more I take
and bring,
the more difficult,
the slower I move;
so true that the truly
rich among us is the one
whose who needs least in life;
grant me the grace,
O Lord,
the grace of integrity,
of wholeness
and harmony between my
inner self and
 outward behavior;
like the author of the Proverbs,
"give me neither poverty nor
riches; provide me only with the food
I need; lest being full,
I deny you or being in want,
I steal, and profane the name
of my God"
(30:9).
Amen.

Jesus openly speaking

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B, 15 September 2024
Isaiah 50:5-9 <*{{{{>< James 2:14-18 ><}}}}*> Mark 8:27-35

There is something very striking with the similarities and differences in our gospel last Sunday and today that greatly reveal to us the person of Jesus Christ whom we all imitate and follow as His disciples.

In Decapolis last Sunday, Jesus separated a deaf man – “took him off by himself away from the crowd” – to heal him by putting his fingers into the man’s ears, then spitted and touched his tongue as he groaned “Ephphatha” – be opened – and the man was healed as “he spoke plainly”.

Further up north of Decapolis which is the chief pagan city of Caesarea Philippi, the Apostle Peter took Jesus away from the crowd after the Lord spoke openly of His coming Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

But unlike the deaf mute healed when separated from the rest, Jesus rebuked Peter as He returned to the crowd as He continued to speak openly of His coming Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” (Mark 8:31-33).

*Photo by author at Petra in Jordan, May 2019.*

I love the contrast of these two events Mark tells us so succinctly without missing details that speak so well of God’s ways and man’s ways, of what is to think and act like Jesus and how the devil tricks us into its devious and insidious ploys.

See also how last Sunday the healed deaf-mute “spoke plainly” in Christ while today we are invited by Mark to “openly speak” like Jesus of life’s sufferings and death.

When God separates us from the rest of the people and our usual routines like what happened at Decapolis last Sunday, it is because He wants us to experience Him more closely, for us to be healed, and for us to touch base with Him anew who is the very root of our being. Like that nameless deaf man, we need to separate once in a while from the world for us to be healed of our many deafness so that we may listen more intently to God’s voice and words right in our hearts, in the scriptures, and in the cries of the poor and suffering among us.

Actually, Jesus was continuing in Caesarea Philippi His method last Sunday of “separating” when He first asked the Twelve “Who do people say that I am?” that prompted them to tell Him the many misconceptions about His identity. In a similar way with the deaf at Decapolis, Jesus took off the Twelve in Caesarea Philippi when He asked them the more specific question “But who do you say that I am?” and Peter rightly answered Him, “You are the Christ.”

Matthew has a similar story probably with some additions from other sources that we find Jesus praising Peter for his answer, entrusting to him the church, and promising him with the key to heaven. The rebuke of Peter would happen later in their journey.

Mark had none of that considering his gospel was Matthew’s basis. We find in Mark’s brief account of Peter’s confession at Caesarea Philippi Perhaps how often just as when we feel so close with God like Peter, it is the same moment when the devil comes to trick us to break away from God and follow our own ways, not His.

*Photo by author near ancient city of Caesarea Philippi, May 2017.*

The event at Caesarea Philippi gives us clearest sign to identify Jesus as the Christ, that is when Jesus speaks openly of His coming Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly (Mark 8:31-32).

Jesus never hides us from the realities of life as He speaks “openly” of His Pasch. From Caesarea Philippi, Jesus and the Twelve would head back south towards Jerusalem making a stop over on Mount Tabor for the Transfiguration where Christ’s glory was revealed to Peter, James and John.

It was during His Transfiguration that that Father and the Son made clear that Christ’s glory cannot be separated from the Cross. It was after Caesarea Philippi when Jesus announced thrice to the Twelve His coming Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

Notice too that qualifier “must” – that He “must suffer greatly”.

Just one word but so powerful, showing us the consistency of Jesus in speaking about His Pasch, the Cross, and later its relationship with discipleship, of the need for us to forget ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him.

*Our motorized procession of the Blessed Sacrament in our previous Parish at the start of the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020. Photo by Ms. Anne Ramos.*

It saddens me when some priests and people in the Church shy away from talking openly about life’s many sufferings. We recognize their good intentions of not forgetting the beautiful and brighter side of being a Christian but to look at the Cross negatively and all its other implications is totally unChristian.

We cannot disregard the pains and darkness that come in being a disciple of Jesus; the Cross is the life of a disciple because it is the center of Christ’s person and teachings as expressed in yesterday’s Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. All these “health and wealth” style of many preachers even in the Church are red flags of the devil’s ploy, of Peter separating Jesus from the Cross.

We act like Peter rebuking Jesus in Caesarea Philippi whenever we try to soften or hide, even cover the corruption and abuses going on in the society and families, the Church and our communities. That is clearly thinking in man’s ways not in God’s ways.

We cannot arrive at the truth and beauty of life disregarding the falsehoods and negativities around us. That was the problem with the people in mistaking Jesus as one of the prophets who were seen more as miracle workers who instantly healed them of their sickness.

*Photo by author in my previous parish, 2017.*

And here lies the danger too to us that we will never be able to have a good answer to Christ’s question “But who do you say I am?” if we avoid the many passion and death of this life in Jesus.

To openly speak like Jesus and embrace the sufferings and death we must endure is our first expression of faith with works we heard in the second reading from James.

To openly speak like Jesus and embrace the sufferings and death we must endure is the fulfillment of the first reading’s Song of the Suffering Servant who is Jesus Himself.

When we openly speak and embrace life’s daily sufferings and deaths like Jesus is to trust completely in God like Him. Let us speak openly of the Cross, of love and mercy, of God like Jesus Christ! Let us pray:

Lord Jesus Christ,
let me continue to follow 
you closely by separating
from the rest often 
to hear you more,
to love you more,
to trust you more;
let me know you more clearly
so that I may love you more dearly
and follow you more closely
speaking plainly,
speaking openly
without sugarcoating your call,
your Cross.
Amen.

Bearers of light

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Tuesday in the Twenty-third Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 10 September 2024
1 Corinthians 6:1-11 <*[[[[>< + ><]]]]*> Luke 6:12-19

*By Kay Bratt, Facebook, 13 December 2023.*

Thank you,
Lord Jesus Christ
for continuing to call us
to be your disciples
and apostles,
inviting us to get closer
with You like the Twelve
to share your light
first of all to our fellow
disciples and apostles 
who have lost their will
to burn.

Now indeed then it is, in any case, a failure on your part that you have lawsuits against one another. Why not rather put up with injustice? Why not rather let yourselves be cheated? Instead, you inflict injustice and cheat, and this to brothers. Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the Kingdom of God? That is what some of you used to be; but now you have had yourselves washed , you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:7-9, 11).

Forgive us, Lord Jesus,
when many times we live and
act like the Corinthian Christians
forgetting our new person in You
received in Baptism,
when we turn to the courts
to get justice that often terribly
end in bitterness and recriminations;
instead of bearing your light of
justice and mercy,
love and equality,
kindness and tenderness,
we resort to the ways of the world,
endlessly debating on technicalities
that we forget the person and the
wrongs and evil done;
let us return to you,
Jesus, the true Light of the world
to dispel the darkness of sin
and evil around us
by being your witnesses 
of the good news of salvation
as your new chosen people.
Amen.

Learning, following, sending… again. And again.

Homily, Baccalaureate Mass, College Students
Our Lady of Fatima University-Antipolo City, 10 July 2024

Our gospel today speaks so well of your graduation when “Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and even illness. The names of the Twelve Apostles are these…” (Matthew 10:1).

See how Matthew distinguished the Twelve: first, as disciples then as Apostles, a beautiful reminder to us all that first we learn and then we are sent out like you upon graduation.

“Disciple” is from the Latin word discipulos or follower which came from the verb discere, to learn. A follower or tagasunod in Filipino is a learner, someone who learns from a teacher. From it came also the word discipline; that is why, a disciplined person – one who is masunurin – is one who follows and obeys always not only persons but also the truths and new learnings he/she may have learned.

On the other hand, the word “apostle” is from the Greek apostolos which is to be sent forth. In the gospel, the Apostles are the Twelve members of Christ’s inner circle, those closest with Jesus. Though the gospel would always have that distinction between a disciple and an apostle, they are essentially inseparable because before one is sent forth, he/she has to be learned first. Therefore, every baptized person is both a disciple and an apostle, a learner of the Lord’s ways and teachings who is sent out to proclaim the Gospel to others in words and in deeds.

Every Christian is a disciple and an apostle with a special relationship with Jesus Christ.

That is most specially true with you, my dear Fatimanians, students and graduates of Our Lady of Fatima University here in Antipolo City.

*“The Exhortation to the Apostles” painting by James Tissot (ca.1886-1894) from commons.wikimedia.org.*

Being a disciple and an apostle is a continuous process of learning, following and sending.

Don’t ever think that graduation is the end of your studies. The more you get into your professional life, the more you must pursue learning to follow new trends in your fields of specialization as you are sent not only across the Philippines but even abroad, across the globe like most of our alumni.

Being a disciple and an apostle, learning and following and being sent, are more of the inside than of the outside. Remember that first lesson of the pencil: what is inside is most important, not the outside which today is given more importance and prominence especially in social media.

Puro palabas. All about the outside and externalities that are superficial like having the most likes, becoming viral and trending. It is all show which is what the word palabas means. Showbiz na show biz tayo pero walang laman.

When you look at the mirror like what the BINI would sing, “salamin, salamin…”, what do you see? Are you a reflection of a man or a woman of depth and meaning or one who is empty?

Learning is not about stacking information and data inside the brain like a computer; learning involves the education of the heart, of becoming “man as man himself” as we say here at OLFU. “To rise to the top” is not to rule over others but becoming “the glory of God in man fully alive”, reflecting our mottos Veritas et Misericordia.

As you leave the portals of our beloved alma mater, ask yourself: am I more loving and understanding with all the knowledge and learning I have gained after years of studies here at OLFU?

Education literally means “to lead out”… from darkness into light, from slavery into freedom, from ignorance into wisdom. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote that the more we gain knowledge, the more we become intelligent, the more we must become holy. A truly intelligent person is one who does what is good and avoids evil and sinful. But, why are we as a nation of so many graduates still kulelat in many aspects in life?

*From The Valenzuela Times, 02 July 2024.*

You must have seen that photo of our nursing student carrying on his back his girlfriend while crossing the flooded McArthur Highway in Valenzuela City last week.

At first I was so happy seeing that chivalry is still alive in this modern age; later that night, I felt disappointed and so sad when I saw the negative reactions. Most netizens clicked the LOL emoticons with others commenting the girl was OA, saying, sana nagholding hands na lang sila. At least some were honest enough to admit their jealousy, commenting sanaol!

Why the negative reaction these days when somebody does something good like sacrificing? Why do people seem to approve when we see videos and reels of wrongdoings and stupidities? Have we become a nation of delulu?

Even the words we use are being altered. I cannot understand why a girl is now spelled as gurl? Somebody asked me who is my bias among the lovely members of BINI; why say bias when you mean favorite?

Call me old and conservative but the trend these days seem to be rejoicing in what is negative and wrong and frowning at whatever is good and beautiful. Clearly it is not generation gap but more of a symptom of a sick society and generation, exactly like what Hosea mentioned in the first reading, of how people have turned away from God worshipping idols. Who and what are these modern idols we worship and follow these days? Do we still call on God our Father and to His Son Jesus Christ our Savior?

*Photo by author, Our Lady of Fatima University, Valenzuela City, 2023.*

If there is anything most important we must have learned in our university, it is the value of prayer, of opening to God like those three children at Fatima in 1917. See how the Blessed Mother, our Patroness, came to see and teach St. Francisco and his sister St. Jacinta Marto with their elder cousin Sr. Lucia for six consecutive months every 13th day to pray, do penance and celebrate the Mass.

It is my hope that you continue to pray the Rosary, you continue to celebrate Masses on Sundays after your graduation to always learn and follow Jesus who actually sends you to serve those most in need as nurses, medical technologists, pharmacists, accountants, and criminologists. Be the loving hands, the healing hands of Jesus Christ!

Remember what I have been telling you since I came here in Our Lady of Fatima University: even now that you are professionals, continue to study hard, work harder, and pray hardest. God bless you, dear graduates of 2024!

*From the cbcpnews.net, 13 May 2022, at the Parish of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, Valenzuela City.*

First we learn, then we are sent

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Wednesday in the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 10 July 2024
Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Matthew 10:1-7

Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. The names of the Twelve Apostles are these… (Matthew 10:1-2).

Latin "discipulus" from "discere" which is to learn,
is a follower, someone who learns from a teacher;

Greek "apostolos" from "apostello"
is someone sent ahead out on a mission,
deputed to disseminate the teaching of
the master to others.

Lord Jesus Christ,
teach us to patiently learn
your lessons,
following and obeying
your instructions always
as true disciples
so that eventually,
You could send us out
like the Twelve Apostles
to carry out your mission
in this highly complicated and
competitive world.

How sad the words
 of the Prophet Hosea
are still happening these days
among us:
"Israel is a luxuriant vine
whose fruit matches its growth.
The more abundant his fruit,
the more altars he set up"
(Hosea 10:1-2).

Sad to say, O Lord,
those You have sent
have refused to learn,
have ceased from being
disciples because they too
have been lured into the ways
of the world; like yesterday,
many disciples follow the calls
of the world instead of God;
that is why, we have no more
Apostles who could be sent ahead
of You, Jesus, to proclaim You;
many of us have never learned
truly from You,
lacking discipline
in prayer and discerning
your will and plans;
let us seek your face
always, Lord,
so we may do your will
not the ways of the world;
let us seek your face,
Lord, among your people
especially the weak and marginalized
so we may be able to proclaim
"the Kingdom of heaven
is at hand."
Amen.

The gift of communion

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Wednesday, Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle, 03 July 2024
Ephesians 2:19-22 <*{{{{>< + ><}}}}*> John 20:24-29

*From the the Catholic Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas, dolr.org.*

Praise and glory to You,
God our Father
for your gift of the Church,
the Body of Christ built on the
foundation of the Apostles as a
community of faith,
hope,
and love!

Thank You for the gift
of St. Thomas also known as
Didymus; though he was not
present on the evening of Easter
when the Risen Lord appeared
to his fellow disciples,
he joined them eight days 
later to be with them,
most especially with Jesus;
what a beautiful gesture
of him who could not
believe of the Resurrection;
what a gift of courage for him
to submit himself to actual tests
to prove to himself that
Jesus had risen;
most of all, 
his goodwill to be one
in communion 
with his brother Apostles
and Lord Jesus.

Brothers and sisters: You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord, in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:19-22).

Let us keep those words
of St. Paul, dear Jesus, 
"Through him 
the whole structure 
is held together 
and grows into a temple 
sacred in the Lord, 
in him you also are being built 
together into a dwelling place 
of God in the Spirit":
what will happen if we
destroy this communion
in You and with You through
one another? 
What could have happened
if St. Thomas remained adamant
with his "doubts" and never came to join
the other Apostles on that eighth day after
Easter?

*Caravaggio’s painting “The Incredulity of St. Thomas” (1602) from en.wikipedia.org.*

Lord Jesus Christ,
teach me to have the 
healthy doubts of St. Thomas,
to dare test himself,
not You nor others, 
to find You, the Truth;
grant us the humility to
accept and embrace 
not only your wounds
but also those wounds
of our fellow disciples
because the twofold communion
with God and with one another
is inseparable -
wherever communion with God
in the Father, and the Son, 
and the Holy Spirit is destroyed,
the root and source of our communion
with each other is destroyed too;
whenever we do not live communion
among ourselves, communion with
God is not alive and true either.
Like St. Thomas,
enlighten us with your light
and truth, Jesus, 
to see you
among one another
to live in communion.
Amen.

St. Thomas the Apostle,
Pray for us!

Mary, Mother of the Church, our model disciple & companion in the mission

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Monday, Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church, 20 May 2024
Acts 1:12-14 ><}}}}*> + ><}}}}*> + ><}}}}*> John 19:25-34

*Icon of Mary “Mater Ecclesiae” (Mother of the Church) in St. Peter’s Square from opusdei.org.*

What a wonderful way 
of assuring us today, dear Jesus,
at the resumption of Ordinary Time
of Your presence and guidance
throughout this year in giving 
us Your Mother the Blessed Virgin Mary
as "Mater Ecclesiae",
Mother of the Church.

From the very beginning,
during Your public ministry
until Your death on the Cross,
Mary Your Mother has always
stood by Your side, Jesus;
when You sent the Holy Spirit
on that Pentecost day in Jerusalem,
Mary was also present with
Your disciples praying in the
Upper Room: "All these
devoted themselves 
with one accord to prayer,
together with some women,
and Mary the mother of Jesus,
and his brothers" (Acts 1:12).

What a beautiful portrayal
of the Church on its very first day
as Your Body, O Christ, 
gathered in prayer with Mary 
whom You have given to us through
Your beloved disciple at the Cross:
"When Jesus saw his mother 
and the disciple there whom he loved,
he said to his mother, 'Woman,
behold your son.' 
Then he said to the disciple,
'Behold, your mother'" (John 19:26-27).

As we resume today
Ordinary Time,
may we imitate Mary
Your Mother, O Lord,
in being a faithful disciple,
open to welcome
and accept You, Jesus,
saying "Yes" to Your will
like at the Annunciation;
let our faith in You be firm
like hers at the wedding at Cana
when she told You immediately
how the newly-weds have ran out
of wine, instructing the servants
to do whatever "he tells you";
most of all, like Mary,
let us remain intimate with You,
Jesus in prayers,
her most important trait
as Your faithful and model disciple.

Teach us, dear Jesus,
to be like Mary,
deeply absorbed in You
in prayers;
her standing at the Cross
was not a result of a spur in the moment
but the fruit of her long, vibrant prayer
life centered in You her Son;
unlike us, we come and pray
 to You only when we are
 going through trials and difficulties
but when everything is going well
in life, we hardly remember You, Lord,
nor pray at all.

All her life,
Mary lived in prayer,
in communion and oneness
in You, Jesus
that is why when the Church
was born on Pentecost,
Mary was there.
She has always been
with us as our Mother
and companion in mission;
let us be like Mary
in her discipleship that
is essentially 
a prayer life.
Amen.

*Photo by author, Della Strada Chapel, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, QC, 20 March 2024.*

Replacing the Judas Iscariots among us

The Lord Is My Chef Easter Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Tuesday, Feast of St. Matthias, Apostle, 14 May 2024
Acts 1:15-17, 20-26   ><)))'>  +  <'(((><   John 15:9-17

Dearest Jesus,
please pardon me
in telling You
how it saddens me 
when I hear of so many
stories of Judas Iscariots
among us especially
in our ministry;
why You chose
and called them is a total mystery,
and I am so sorry
how they came out to be;
I have no claims to
holiness nor being perfect
but I thank You, Jesus,
for this feast of St. Matthias
whom You have called
to replace Judas Iscariot
to show us how much You
love us, most of all,
believe in us and 
trust us even if You know
so well we could be unfaithful
to You and Your call like
Judas Iscariot.

I pray, therefore, O Lord, 
for the gift to be faithful always
to Your call,
to fully participate in Your choices,
in Your choosing me
to Your mission
despite my sins
and weaknesses;
let me keep in mind
and heart it was You
who chose me
and not me who chose You:

“It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.”
John 15:16

How lovely,
O sweet Jesus,
to find in St. Matthias
Your choice to replace 
Judas Iscariot, a reminder from
You of that fact that while
there is no lack of unworthy 
and traitorous Christians 
everywhere like unfaithful spouses,
corrupt officials,
callous and self-centered priests
and bishops,
You still call each of us to
counterbalance the
evils they have done
with our faithful witnessing
to You, 
our Eternal Priest,
Lord and Savior.

Like St. Matthias,
let us value Your call, Jesus
to continue Your mission
so maligned and destroyed
by the many Judas Iscariots
among us; like St. Matthias,
let us nourish Your choice
by remaining in You, Lord,
by keeping our choices
according to Your
holy will; in making choices 
in this life, help me, Jesus
to be discerning,
to be most prayerful
like the Apostles.

So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this apostolic ministry from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.”
Acts 1:23-24

Lastly,
I pray today on this
feast of St. Matthias
for people having difficulties
praying to finally realize
Your choices for them;
for those afraid to accept
Your choices;
for those who keep looking
for other options
despite Your clear choice for them;
please enlighten their minds
and fill them with courage
and trust in
You, sweet Jesus.
Amen.

Outside man, inside Jesus

The Lord Is My Chef Easter Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Friday in the Second Week of Easter, 12 April 2024
Acts 5:34-42 ><))))*> + ><))))*> + ><))))*> John 6:1-15

What an amusing
incident again in our readings
today, Lord Jesus,
when You teach me when
to continue and when to stop;
how to find God's will
and to keep doing Your
work among us:

A Pharisee in the Sanhedrin named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up, ordered the Apostles be put outside for a short time, and said to the Sanhedrin, “Fellow children of Israel, be careful what you are about to do to these men… For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” They were persuaded by him.
Acts 5:34-35, 38-39

Lord Jesus,
teach me to distance myself
sometimes from the heat
of issues and arguments,
even of personalities
like when Gamaliel ordered
the Apostles be put outside
for a short time;
many times
it helps a lot
in freeing my mind and my heart
from my many ideas and biases
that prevent me from
distinguishing endeavor
or activity of human origin
and those from God
that cannot be stopped at all.

Most of all,
Lord Jesus,
keep me close to You,
let me seek You
only and always,
even if I have to go inside
your circle
just to be involved
like Andrew the brother of Peter
when he joined Your conversation
with Philip on where to find
food for the people;
any thing coming from God
surely has You, Jesus
at its center
and essence;
You know exactly what to do,
Lord,
whenever we are facing
difficult situations
but still just the same
the suggestion by Gamaliel,
we need to separate
sometimes
to determine the Father's will
that so often we presume
be what we think,
what we believe,
and what we must do.

Let us not forget
finding you Jesus
in every activity
and endeavor
because that is when
people are not only fed
but also nourished
and fulfilled.
Amen.