Category: End of Time

Every ending a beginning

Lord My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul, 16 November 2025
Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C
Malachi 3:19-20 >><}}}}*> 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12 ><}}}}*> Luke 21:5-19
Photo by author, Bosphrus Strait, Istanbul, Turkiye, 02 November 2025.

We are now in the penultimate Sunday of our church calendar that is why our readings remind us of the Lord’s Second Coming at the end of the world.

While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, “All that you see here – the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” Then they asked him, “Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” He answered, “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end” (Luke 21:5-9).

Imagine the scene. See that tinge of humor of Jesus in dousing his disciples with cold water as they marveled at the beauty and magnificence of the Jerusalem Temple only to tell them all shall perish. It reminded me of our recent pilgrimage to the home of the Blessed Mother and St. John the Beloved in Ephesus, Turkiye recently.

Ephesus was a coastal city in Turkiye founded by the Greek colonists hundreds of years before the birth of Christ and was later annexed by the Romans into their empire. It was a very prosperous city with a huge amphitheater that could seat 24,000 people. During the time of early Christianity, Ephesus was already a major city that is why St. Paul founded a Christian community there whom he later sent a letter now part of the New Testament. It was also in that city where the Church held its Council of Ephesus in the fifth century that defined Mary as the Mother of God because Jesus remained true God and true Man in his conception and birth.

Photo by author, original marble stone floors of Ephesus.

But, everything is now in ruins after Ephesus was overran by barbarians in year 600 and struck by massive earthquakes through the following years that literally pushed it farther away from the sea. Almost abandoned except for some locals selling good to tourists and pilgrims who come to visit this lovely ancient city designated in 2015 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Jerusalem suffered the same fate minus the earthquakes that have kept it inhabited for thousands of years when it fell into the hands of the Romans in year 70AD, then to the Moslems and other invaders until 1948 when the state of Israel declared independence from British Mandate.

Countries and cities come and go along with their civilizations due to varied reasons. It is the normal course of life. This is what Jesus was trying to tell his disciples and us today with the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple.

But of course, there was more.

Christ’s coming is not a spectacle like a show that the world is so addicted with; Christ’s coming is a presence felt and experienced day in, day out right in our hearts. It is a movement of grace upon grace within our very selves that often go unnoticed because we are so obsessed with physical things seen and heard. Jesus reminds us to see beyond, to have vision not just sight. To pray more, to feel more of God, of his truth and justice not only in ourselves but also in others by witnessing his gospel more than ever.

Earthquake survivor Jesiel Malinao sits beside the coffins of her two sons on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025 after a strong earthquake on Tuesday caused a landslide that toppled their hillside homes in Bogo city, Cebu Province, Central Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

This Sunday is designated by the Church as World Day of the Poor who are the ones who suffer most during calamities and man-made disasters as well as conflicts that abound where the powerful play and manipulate peoples for their own selfish ends.

For the poor, every day seems an end – last meal, last breath, last hope. For the poor, living is more of survival because so many of us have not only forgotten them but have totally disregarded them. They are the ones often used and fooled by the powerful like the corrupt politicians with some masquerading as religious leaders like in the aftermath of the ghost-project scam. See how those involved are now playing victims, diverting attention and misleading many of the poor with their calls for transparency and good-governance. It is to them that the words of Jesus are directed today – “Do not be deceived… Do not follow them!”

Let us heed the calls of Abp. Soc Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan for us to be guided by “wisdom, vigilance, and virtue” in these times when our nation is deeply in crisis in almost every aspect of life. Here we find in the warnings and reminders of Jesus that the end of time with its destruction is not something we have to resign ourselves with. We have to take a more active role to play in the course of history by making the right choices always.

Photo by author, Cantacuzino Castle, Romania, 06 November 2025.

And that is choosing Christ by being truthful, just, and charitable.

These are the calls of the Prophet Malachi and St. Paul in the first and second readings respectively today. For them, every day is the day of the Lord, a day of salvation, a day of thanksgiving. It is not a call for alarm nor cause us to fear but a call for active waiting for the Lord wherein we must remain responsible with our duties as followers of Christ, not falling into doubts and discouragement especially when things are getting rough and tough. These are precisely what the Psalms speak too this Sunday:

Let the sea and what fills it resound, the world and those who dwell in it; let the rivers clap their hands, the mountains shout with them for joy (Psalm 98:7-8).

To let the rivers clap their hands, the mountains shout with them for joy is for us to witness Christ, to give testimony to him and his gospel. Nothing is permanent in this world and life except God. As such, every ending is also a beginning in God. We are not only preparing for the end but also embarking on a new journey in Jesus we must persevere to follow especially in this time of our nation’s history to secure our lives and better future for the next generation.

Our liturgical calendar is about to end next Sunday with the Solemnity of Christ the King; like our Psalm, we embark this Sunday on a new journey in Jesus by witnessing his presence in this world so confused, so noisy, so dark. Amen. Have a blessed week ahead and keep cool! Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Our Lady of Fatima University, Valenzuela City.

Photo by author, Bucharest, Romania, 05 November 2025.

The ever-relevant sign of Fatima

Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 13 October 2025
Monday, 108th Anniversary of Last Apparition at Fatima, Portugal
Romans 1:1-7   ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'>   Luke 11:29-32

We celebrate today the 108th anniversary of the final apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Fatima, Portugal that made it the most relevant proof in modern times of the existence of God and of his immense love for mankind through his Son Jesus Christ.

It was on this date, October 13, 1917 when the “Miracle of the Sun” happened at Fatima as the Virgin Mary appeared for the last time to Lucia Santos and her two younger cousins now Saints Francisco and his sister Jacinta Marto along with an estimated crowd of 70,000 made up of believers and unbelievers as well as skeptics and hecklers. They all witnessed the phenomenon that many verified with sworn accounts of how the Sun “danced” in the sky and then careened to Earth while emitting radiant colors that lasted for about ten minutes.

It was the sixth and last apparition of the Blessed Mother to the three children that began on May 13, 1917 and since then, devotion to Our Lady of Fatima grew which also boosted the praying of the Holy Rosary after the Blessed Virgin Mary introduced herself as the Lady of the Rosary. It was on that last apparition when the Blessed Mother told the children how World War I would soon end with a warning that “People must amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins. They must not offend our Lord any more, for He is already too much offended!”

Though the Fatima feast is officially set on May 13, many churches and devotees around the world still celebrate the October 13 apparition not only because of the dancing sun miracle but most of all of the ever-timely and relevant calls of the Blessed Mother for penance and conversion that echo the teachings of her Son Jesus Christ in today’s gospel:

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah… At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here” (Luke 11:29, 32).

Procession of the National Pilgrim Image of Fatima at her National Shrine in Valenzuela, 13 May 2025. Photo credit to the owner.

With the recent calamities and corruption scandals that have been rocking our nation these past four months, the Fatima apparition of October 13, 1917 remains significant especially for us in the Philippines today for three reasons.

First, we have to see the last apparition of October 13, 1917 not as the final one but the start or beginning of the unfolding of more revelations and realizations for us. In fact, Sr. Lucia continued to received private visions while in the convent as a nun in 1925 through the 1930’s. During her last interview in 1957 while already a cloistered Carmelite nun, Sr. Lucia revealed how during that last apparition to them (her two cousins have died in 1919 and 1920 during the flu pandemic), the Blessed Virgin Mary looked very sad and never smiled to indicate the gravity and seriousness of her messages to them.

The Blessed Mother must be looking more sad than ever with us Filipinos since July this year with the wholesale corruption by DPWH officials in connivance with some former and current lawmakers that have caused so many people to suffer with perennial flood. Most especially because those involved in the worst corruption we have so far are Catholics and Christians! Imagine the pain of the Blessed Mother who is surely crying, saying, “mahiya naman kayo!”

One problem with the common perception of many people even up to now with the last apparition of Fatima is to equate it with the end of the world, of worldwide catastrophe that have instilled more of fear and even controversies that included doubts of the Vatican allegedly not fully revealing the Third Secret despite assurances from the visionary herself, Sr. Lucia who said before her death in 2005 that all Fatima Secrets have been fully revealed.

If we take the Fatima apparitions as a whole, we find in it more of messages of hope and joy for us in the Philippines and the world. The Blessed Mother appeared in Fatima not to scare us but to inspire us to turn away from sins, to be converted and be holy so that the world may truly find peace in Jesus her Son.

The last things do not necessarily mean destruction like when we say in Filipino it is the end or “wakas”, it usually means “wasak” or destruction; normally, when there is wakas and wasak, there is “bago” or new being built or established to replace the old one.

Therefore, the last apparition at Fatima in 1917 is also the signal of new beginnings, new undertaking, new opportunities, new hope in Jesus Christ who is the ultimate sign of God’s loving presence among us amid the trials and difficulties like these calamities and corruption in the country. It is not being simplistic but we just have to trust Jesus and his Mother Mary that we be sorry for our sins, stop doing what is sinful and evil, be converted and lead holy lives. Repentance leads to true wisdom because it is only in doing what is right when things would be right in order.

Photo by author, July 2023.

At the last apparition in Fatima 108 years ago, it is very interesting how two elements prevailed on that day: rains and the sun. And these are our second and third points of reflection on the sign of Fatima.

According to official accounts, rains have soaked wet the people and the whole of Cova da Iria in Fatima, Portugal for two days, October 12-13, 1917 before the Blessed Mother’s final apparition. How wonderful is the plentiful sign of rains, of water that signify the call for inner cleansing and purification of our hearts and person.

And when the sun “danced” later, the people were astonished how they and their clothes where dried along with the whole surroundings as if it had not rained the previous day and night after witnessing the spectacular display of colors and light!

May we see more of the light of Jesus in our lives so we may be cleansed and ready to work for another day of conversion and holiness just like St. Paul in the first reading today who reminds us to be witnesses of Christ:

… but established as Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we have received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Bentiles, among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ (Romans 1:4-6).

As witnesses of Christ and pilgrims of hope, we are invited today more than ever in the light of the Blessed Mother’s last apparition at Fatima in 1917 to usher in new hopes for us to become better persons who build stronger families and more vibrant church communities.

At Fatima 108 years ago today, we are invited by the Blessed Mother to be focused more in revealing God’s will as experienced and prayed in the the Sacred Scriptures than taking sides in politics and going down to the worldly debates on abortion and divorce as well as gender issues beyond male and female.

How true indeed are the words of Jesus that “this generation is an evil generation seeking so many signs” to stretch its concepts of justice and equality, of rights and freedom without recognizing the need for humility and acceptance, responsibility and maturity as exemplified by the three children at Fatima. Let us make today the beginning of our conversion and transformation in Christ Jesus with the help of the Blessed Mother. Amen. Our Lady of Fatima, Pray for us. Fr. Nicanor F. lalog II, Our Lady of Fatima University, Valenzuela City (lordmychef@gmail.com)

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

Begin with the End in sight

Lord My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C, 10 August 2025
Wisdom 18:6-9 ><}}}}*> Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19 ><}}}}*> Luke 12:32-48
Our new College of Medicine Building with the lovely flowers of Banaba trees welcoming the new academic year this Monday, 11 August 2025.

One of the remarkable trends in management these past two decades is the emphasis on values-based approaches like The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by the late Dr. Stephen Covey. Second in his list is the title of our reflection this Sunday, “Begin with the end in sight.”

Actually we mentioned that in our reflection last Sunday but we stressed the word “end” begins with a capital “E” to refer to things of God and eternal life as in the End of all in death. This is the theme of the Lord’s teaching today he presented in three parables with the last two calling us to be faithful stewards awaiting their Master’s return in the End while the first one expressing the summary of his lessons, “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” (Lk.12:34). But unlike most Sundays, we reflect today on the second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews that shows us Abraham’s faith journey as an expression of Christ’s teachings on setting our sights with the End.

Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Because of it the ancients were well attested. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go (Hebrews 11:1-2, 8).

Photo by author, RISE Tower, Our Lady Fatima University, Valenzuela City, 06 August 2025.

We all believe in something, whether it is something good or something bad. However, what or who we believe in makes the difference because what or who we believe in determines how we live.

That is why Dr. Covey’s declaration is most true, especially when we talk of our End that is actually a Who – God. It is our faith in God who drives us in this life especially when it is dark and difficult, even painful so that we may achieve our End to be with him in eternity. The author of Hebrews found Abraham’s faith journey so remarkable as it enlightens too our own faith journey in God through Jesus Christ our High Priest as a context.

First, the author of Hebrews defined faith as “the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” Faith is more than trusting God in Jesus Christ. For the author of Hebrews, faith is more of knowing and understanding of what lies ahead though it cannot be seen. Faith here is more of having vision than sight, of seeing beyond things, so convinced of its existence even not seen like Noah who built an ark on God’s command even if there were no dark clouds nor rains visible at all. Faith for the author of Hebrews is like our Filipino expression “a…basta!” of having the conviction God created the universe even though no one saw the act of creation. It is something real that “only the heart can see” because it is also borne out of a deep relationship with God and with those we love. See now the three instances cited by the author of Hebrews in Abraham’s faith journey that are similar with our own experiences.

Photo by author, RISE Tower, Our Lady Fatima University, Valenzuela City, 06 August 2025.

“By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents… for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God” (Heb.11:9-10). Abraham was a “pilgrim” – a wayfarer – not only from his place of birth into the promised land but also on the journey from the present into the future and eternity. See how Abraham looked into the End at the start of his journey in God and with God walking on the path of what is to come.

All he had was faith in God. Surely there were times of darkness and distress along the way which the author of the Book of Wisdom in our first reading accurately described as “night of the passover” that reminds us of darkness hovering the path of God. Jesus reiterated this “night of passover” literally and figuratively speaking. Have faith in Christ whenever our journey gets tough and rough, when there are detours or when we actually get lost. God will find us to reach his city he made for us.

“By faith he received power to generate, even though he was past the normal age – and Sarah herself was sterile – for he thought that the one who made the promise was trustworthy” (Heb.11:1). We all know the story of Abraham and Sarah having their own son in old age, of the many twists and turns in their lives before Isaac was finally born and thus fulfilled God’s promise that Abraham became the father of all nations. In Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus Christ, Abraham is mentioned first as a testament of his faith in God that led to the birth of the Messiah.

Photo by author, RISE Tower, Our Lady Fatima University, Valenzuela City, 06 August 2025.

Many times we ask why God takes so long in fulfilling his promises to us. We wonder if God really called us to a certain vocation or profession or wanted this and that for us especially when in our prayers we are convinced of God’s will. Why does God keep us waiting?

Experience had taught us that more than a test of our faith, those waiting moments for God’s answer to our prayers were grace-filled moments of our own transformation into better persons so that we may value more his gifts to us, whether they are persons or things or moments. God is faithful. Remember the words of St. Paul, “God’s gifts and call are permanent and irrevocable” (Rom.11:29).

“By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son…He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead, and he received Isaac back as a symbol” (Heb.11:17, 19). This is the most moving and touching in the story of Abraham’s faith: he never doubted nor questioned God at all when he was asked to offer his son Isaac. Imagine how Abraham must have felt after waiting for so long for a son, then suddenly God asked him to offer him back Isaac?

See the unfolding of this scene in Genesis 22 with Abraham totally silent going up the mountain with Isaac who asked what shall they offer to God? Abraham simply assured him God will provide. Everything proceeded in silence until Abraham was to kill Isaac when an angel stopped him and told him how God was so pleased with his fidelity. This scene reminds me of the pain of many parents, especially mothers at the funeral of their son or daughter. It is the most difficult Mass for me to celebrate; normally, it is the children who bury their parents, not the other way around. When parents bury their children, no matter how young or old they may be, it is beyond words. I just try to believe more, to have more faith in God that he would bless and comfort the grieving parents.

Photo by author, RISE Tower, Our Lady Fatima University, Valenzuela City, 06 August 2025.

Abraham’s faith is a gift from God we too have all received and must deepen. It is easier said than done but we have to accept that nothing in this life is really ours to keep for all is God’s. And if ever God takes something from us, it is because he is giving us something even more than what we already have. That is why Jesus asks us in the gospel this Sunday to give up everything for him for he is our only End.

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” (Luke 12:32-34).

This Sunday, Jesus invites us to examine where our treasure is for that is where our heart is, giving himself to be our treasure for he alone can lead us to our final End. Like Abraham, Jesus asks us to see beyond the present moment, to give up whatever we have, whether good or bad, people or things, even memories. It is very difficult and even painful but with faith in God, it could be our most liberating and grace-filled moment in life when we learn to forgive and be sorry, to be content, and finally start living by loving and be convinced we are loved because these are all we need in the End. Amen. A blessed week to everyone!

Photo by author, RISE Tower, Our Lady Fatima University, Valenzuela City, 06 August 2025.

Advent is going beyond, like a voice in the wilderness

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Second Sunday in Advent, Cycle C, 08 December 2024
Baruch 5:1-9 ><}}}}*> Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11 ><}}}}*> Luke 3:1-6
Photo courtesy of Mr. Jilson Tio, Archdiocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora De Guia, Ermita, Manila, 28 November 2024.

Two weeks ago I officiated the golden wedding anniversary of a friend’s parents where I said the best wedding homily is actually the couple themselves still much in love, filled with joy after 50 years as husband and wife.

“May forever pa rin,” despite all the celebrity break ups we feast on social media and the many separations happening among some couples these days. How I wish that more young people are invited to wedding anniversaries so they would aspire for lasting relationships too.

Photo by author at the Archdiocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora De Guia, Ermita, Manila, 28 November 2024.

Of course, it is never easy – that is why there is the Sacrament of Marriage where couples pray to God and promise Him to cooperate in His grace so that until death, they would remain together in faith, hope and love that would eventually bring them to eternity.

It is the reality not only of marriage but of life itself. God calls us to a particular vocation or state in life like marriage, priesthood and religious life, or single-blessedness in order to lead us to Him in eternity.

And that is the two-fold meaning of Advent too! We are preparing not only for the first coming of Jesus at Christmas but most of all to His Second Coming at the end of time (parousia). This is the second Sunday in Advent so beautifully presented by Luke.

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert (Luke 3:1-2).

Photo by author, Second Sunday Advent 2022, BED Chapel, Our Lady of Fatima University, Valenzuela City.

First we notice is Luke’s solemn account of how the Son of God Who is eternal entered through our own time that is temporal. If Luke were to write his gospel today, maybe he would simply change the names above into BBM and Sara Duterte, with Pope Francis and Cardinal Advincula representing the Church then spice it with some showbiz tidbits or whatever is trending in social media.

But, here also is the artistry of Luke when he segued to John the Baptist to direct our thoughts to the Second Coming of Christ without losing sight of the present moment, of the here and now.

John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:3-6).

“St. John the Baptist Preaching in the Wilderness” by German painter Anton Raphael Mengs (1728-1779) from commons.wikimedia.org.

Though John is the main character in today’s gospel and next Sunday, Luke is actually focused on Jesus Christ who had come, would come again, and continues to come to us today. All four evangelists were clear about John as secondary only to Jesus as His precursor.

However, only Luke of the four evangelists cited the Prophet Isaiah extensively regarding John’s unique mission with Christ to stress this future aspect of Advent, skipping only that part “the glory of the Lord shall be revealed” by closing it at “all flesh shall see the salvation of God” in Isaiah 40:3-5.

Luke is teaching us that Advent is looking beyond Christ’s birth but also to His Easter and most of all, to His Second Coming now happening.

For Luke, to be like John in the wilderness is for us to be bold and daring in opening ourselves to God in Jesus Christ amid the turmoils of our time like wars and pandemic, calamities and upheavals. No matter how much pains and disappointments we have had this year that made us doubt God’s love and presence for us in Christ, let us dare anew like John in the wilderness to believe and live out His coming and presence.

In citing Isaiah 40:3-5, Luke is reminding us that we shall all see and experience God’s salvation in Jesus Christ today while awaiting His Parousia. Notice the similarity of Isaiah’s prophecy with that of Baruch’s in the first reading when “every lofty mountain be made low, and that age-old depths and gorges be filled to level ground, that Israel may advance to secure in the glory of God” (Bar. 5:7). Both prophets spoke of the future expectation expressed by John already unfolding in Christ who had come.

Photo by author, Fatima Avenua, Valoenzuela City, December 2023.

A friend texted me last week complaining if Christmas would happen at all in their family after a serious rift with their youngest brother. “Dinaraan-daanan lang po ako Father ng kapatid kong bata, para akong patay na.”

Being the eldest in the family, my friend asked his younger brother to shape up and fix his life (ayusin ang buhay) after taking a third partner. He had dumped his first wife after the birth of their son who turned out to be a special child; then, took a second partner and had a daughter whose godmother, his kumare is now his third partner. My friend had taken upon himself to rear his special nephew and niece while his brother does not care at all.

With that situation at home, my friend told me he could not feel Christmas at all despite the material things they have. After a few hours, I texted him back and told him no one can take away the joy of Christmas because that is Jesus in our hearts. Keep Jesus alive in your heart, I texted him, asking him to continue to still love his wayward brother, never losing that hope in Christ that someday, peace would be restored among them in the family. I ended my texts reminding him that Jesus was born during the darkest night of the year.

That’s the voice of John in the wilderness – when we dare to open to God amid our many pains and sufferings, proclaiming and living out His love in Jesus who had come, continues to come and would come again at the end of time. That’s preparing the way of the Lord even when it is all dark, taking small steps at a time as we could not see the next distant scene. In times like these, let St. Paul’s desire in the second reading be our Advent prayer, “that your love may increase ever more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ” (Phil.1:9-10).

Photo by author, RISE Tower, Valenzuela City, 06 December 2022.

How lovely during this time of Advent when our days are getting shorter, dark earlier than usual because this is also the time sunsets are most awesome. Somewhere out there where the sun sets with skies redolent like embers of the dying day is the voice in the wilderness proclaiming to us Christ’s coming and presence even in the long dark night of waiting.

What do you long or desire most right now in your heart? Reawaken your hopes in Christ Jesus and be ready to be surprised as He shall straighten your path soon especially with your loved ones. Amen.

Advent: Reawakening our hopes amid a defiant history

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
First Sunday of Advent, Cycle C, 01 December 2024
Jeremiah 33:14-16  ><}}}}*>  1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2  ><}}}}*>  Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
Photo by author, Advent 2018.

Blessed happy New Year, everyone! We officially start the new year in the Church on this first Sunday of Advent; that is why the Mass we have every January 1 is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, not New Year as many believe.

This is the reason I insist on everyone to stop greeting “Happy New Year” after December 25 because Christmas is until Epiphany Sunday. And this is the problem with us every Christmas season – we have forgotten its very essence Jesus Christ, replacing Him with all the trimmings of this consumerist and materialistic world we live in.

Photo by author, Advent 2021 at BED Chapel, Our Lady of Fatima University, Valenzuela City.

The first Sunday of Advent is our new year, our new beginning in our journey in life in God through His Son Jesus Christ who had come, would come again, and continues to come daily in our lives. Beginning today until December 16, Advent invites us to focus on Christ’s Second Coming or Parousia at the end of time which nobody knows when except the Father in heaven; from December 17 to 24 and Christmas, we look back to the stories around Christ’s First Coming more than 2000 years ago. Between these two comings of Jesus is His coming in our daily living, in the here and now which St. Bernard of Clairvaux called Christ’s “Third Coming.”

There lies the tension in those three comings of Jesus Christ that have really taken so long that we get impatient or begin to doubt God especially with how world history has unfolded until now with wars as well as natural calamities. Just recently some parts of our country were devastated by a series of powerful typhoons while some parts of the world like Spain had its share of catastrophic flooding that claimed so many lives. Making things worst is how politics has rocked our country this week, trying to undermine our democracy as well as our sense of decency as a nation that had decayed during the past administration.

Photo by author, Dau, Mabalacat, Pampanga, November 2022.

Many are feeling disgusted everywhere in the world with how history is unfolding, wondering if life is going to get any better at all. Some have imitated Pilate in the gospel last Sunday, putting God on trial again, asking Jesus what He had done for all these upheavals and problems going on in history.

Like them, we are also tempted to ask, where is Jesus Christ? Or, the all-powerful and loving God our Father?

The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah. In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land. In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure, this is what they shall call her: “The Lord our justice” (Jeremiah 33:14-16).

Photo by author, Pulong Sampalok, DRT, Bulacan, 23 November 2024.

The Prophet Jeremiah sets the tone of Advent this Sunday, reawakening our hopes in God amid history’s defiance as seen in the many cycles of sufferings and calamities that continue to shake our lives.

Yes, the “days are coming” and indeed had come when God fulfilled His promise in sending us His Son Jesus Christ who redeemed us from our sins and renewed us in Him with fulfillment in life even while here despite the many trials and tribulations we go through.

The “days are coming” as foretold by Jeremiah long ago and most true these days because the promised Messiah Jesus is now with us, acting in subtle and and complex ways beyond our imaginations, always surprising us with how things turn out than what we believe or expected.

Yes, the “days are coming” – right now – as Jeremiah meant that day after Jerusalem had fallen that amid all the chaos around us, God is among us in Jesus Christ who works among visible realities we cannot see, always coming and going among us unnoticed. That time of great salvation is already among us, being accomplished now by Jesus in silence, in secret.

Hence, the need for us to be vigilant through prayers which Luke emphasized in his gospel account.

Jesus said to his disciples: “But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand. Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise… Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:28, 34-35, 36).

Photo by author, San Fernando, Pampanga, November 2021.

On this new liturgical year designated as “Cycle C”, all our gospel readings on Sundays will be from Luke (Cycle A has Matthew and Cycle B, Mark; John is used partly in cycle B and for great feasts).

Of the four evangelists, Luke is the one who emphasized the importance of prayer in his gospel account wherein he always portrayed Jesus in prayer; hence, not surprisingly, he tells us today that “praying at all times” is being “vigilant at all times” too.

And this we have been told ever since as prayer has always been central in all our teachings. It is in prayer when we are one with God in Jesus. It is in prayer when our senses are heightened that we become open to God’s subtle movements in us and among us.

Everything begins in prayer, both in our personal prayers and as a community like in the Sunday Mass where Christ’s presence is unveiled, where we experience Him most in us and among us and in the world that we are then filled with hope in God despite the darkness and sufferings going on.

Recently, our University joined the annual Red Wednesday celebration of the Church when we remember our Christian brothers and sisters persecuted in various forms in many parts of the world in this modern time. I was overwhelmed at the sight of the great number of our students who joined us, many standing outside our chapel.

What touched me was after the dismissal, some students remained inside the chapel lit in red with flickering candles at the altar, still praying. That for me is the sign of that “little shoot” God promised Jeremiah who would come to bring justice and peace on earth.

Photo courtesy of The Tribune, official publication of Our Lady of Fatima University.

To keep watch in prayer (which we mean as a way of life not just mere recitation of formula prayers) while remaining upright and abounding in love as St. Paul instructed us in the second reading is to be open to Jesus Christ, ready to receive Him without fear amid the tumults in the world when He comes in His final glory.

Yes, the world is still plagued with so many imperfections, even darkness and evil that may dishearten us even make us doubt God in His goodness why these bad things are happening. Advent invites us to reawaken our hope in the salvation that had come, that still comes now, and will surely come in the fullness of the Day of the Lord when Jesus comes again.

Lord Jesus Christ,
fill us with fervent hope
in You amid the many darkness
and sufferings in life;
reawaken our hope amid
our hopelessness and be surprised
with Your loving coming and presence.
Amen.
Photo courtesy of The Tribune, official publication of Our Lady of Fatima University.

God among us

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Friday in the Thirty-Fourth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 29 November 2024
Revelation 20:1-4, 11-21:2     <*((((><  +  ><))))*>     Luke 21:29-33
Photo by author, Pulong Sampalok, DRT, Bulacan, 23 Novebmer 2024.
It is the last Friday 
of November
and the final one too
of our current Church calendar
for tomorrow evening we begin
the new Season of Advent;
that is why, Your words, O Lord,
are more pronounced,
more detailed though deeply symbolic
of the coming end of time
and most especially,
of a "new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven
from God" (Revelation 21:2).
How will all these happen
and when, we do not know 
as Jesus Himself had insisted
nobody knows that except 
the Father; let us live,
therefore, O Lord,
doing Your Holy Will 
because in the end,
all "were judged according 
to their deeds" (Revelation 20:13).
Photo by Emilio Su00e1nchez on Pexels.com
Of course,
 every good we do
 does not really come from
us but from You, dear God;
if ever we are able to do
anything good,
it is because we have opened
our hearts and selves 
to You, Father
who transforms us into
better persons in
Jesus Christ.
Help us imitate the fig tree,
dear Jesus:
 continually transformed
in You by staying one with You
in Your Paschal Mystery;
make us better persons,
Jesus purified and cleansed
by the Cross
so that even while here on earth,
we may dwell in your house,
be one in You
to make You present
here and now.
Amen.
Photo by author, Pulong Sampalok, DRT, Bulacan, 23 Novebmer 2024.

An upbeat note to the end

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Thursday in the Thirty-Fourth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 28 November 2024
Revelation 18:1-2, 21-23; 19:1-3, 9     <*((((>< + ><))))*>     Luke 21:20-28
Photo by author, Pulong Sampalok, DRT, Bulacan, 22 November 2024.
God our loving Father,
have mercy on us your people
marching towards You
in Jesus Christ;
as we approach the closing 
of this liturgical calendar
to usher in the Advent Season,
let us see with an upbeat mood
the upheavals going on these
days especially in our own
country.

Keep us strong, Father,
in our faith in You and
in our firm resolve to persevere
in doing what is good and just
amid all the destabilizations
and noise going on;
keep us patient with all the
evil still going on,
aware always of the sufferings
and tribulations we all must
endure as part of our witnessing
to the Cross of Jesus Christ.
Keep us upbeat in Jesus Christ
our Lord,
to always live and share in the vision
and values of His Gospel despite
the many immoralities
and profanities by some in power;
may we strive to seek and find
and follow Jesus always
because truth and justice and
goodness have the final say in everything
in this life - not lies and malice and evil.
Amid all the hardships,
may we continue to sing the
song of the Lamb here on earth
so that eventually in the end,
we too may be invited to come
to the wedding feast of the Lamb
there in heaven
like what You have shown
John in Revelation.
Amen.
Photo by author, Pulong Sampalok, DRT, Bulacan, 23 November 2024.

Our approaching end

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Tuesday in the Thirty-fourth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 26 November 2024
Revelation 14:14-19     <*((((><  +  ><))))*>     Luke 21:5-11
Photo by author, San Antonio, Zambales, 19 October 2024
It happens so often,
Lord Jesus Christ -
just as when we are enjoying
something like a vacation,
exactly at that moment too
when it ends or, at least,
its coming end is felt and realized?

While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, “All that you see here – the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” Then they asked him, Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” (Luke 21:5-7)

What a paradox,
a mystery so beautiful
that inspires us to live more fully
than sulk with life's sure endings
like what your words tell us today:

I, John, looked and there was a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud one who looked like a son of man, with a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand (Revelation 14:14).

Endings are beginnings,
Lord; everything and everyone
shall end in order to begin anew;
despite the destruction, 
endings happen to build up
new beginnings,
to signal another start.
Teach us, dear Jesus,
to be ready always,
to prepare for our endings
by living fully,
celebrating life 
in your love that
banishes all fears
like death and
endings.
Amen.
Photo by KENJI IWASAKI on Pexels.com

The joy of endings

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B, 17 November 2024
Daniel 12:1-3 ><}}}}*> Hebrews 10:11-14, 18 ><}}}}*> Mark 13;24-32
Photo by author, the Mount of Olives as seen from the Temple of Jerusalem, May 2019.

We are now at the penultimate Sunday of our Church calendar ending on the Solemnity of Christ the King next week to usher in the four Sundays of Advent before Christmas. That is why every 33rd Sunday, we hear Jesus speaking about the end of everything to usher in new beginnings in Him.

Jesus said to his disciples: “In those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky” (Mark 13:24-27).

After spending a day of teaching at the Temple wherein the Twelve were so impressed with its beauty, Jesus warned them of its impending destruction, explaining it further as they proceeded to rest on Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem below with the magnificent Temple.

No, Jesus was not a “KJ” at all.

Jesus was simply telling His disciples including us today of life’s natural cycles of endings and beginnings. Actually, long before Jesus came, people have always been preoccupied with thoughts of the “end of the world” – with or without God – which persist to these days.

Photo by Emilio Su00e1nchez on Pexels.com

Jesus reminds us this Sunday that indeed, the world is going to end but, it is not just a catastrophic end destroying everything. It is an end with a direction, to God and eternal life. It is an end we have to joyously await and prepare for as a new beginning in Jesus Christ.

“Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, at the gates… But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 13:28-29, 32).

"Learn a lesson from the fig tree."

Again, Jesus spoke here in parable which is also the word for “lesson” in Mark’s original Greek writing of the gospel. A parable is a simple story with a deep, profound reality and lesson. That is why Jesus used it so often just like here a few days before His Pasch.

Photo by Muverrihhanim on Pexels.com

And this is the lesson or parable of the fig tree that Jesus spoke of: most of the trees in Jerusalem are evergreen that keep their leaves all year round despite the changing of season while fig trees are deciduous that shed their leaves in winter and summer. This changing condition made the fig tree a perfect parable about the end of the world that Jesus was speaking of – an end of the season to usher in a new one!

In theology, we call this study of the “end” or “last” things as eschatology. There are two kinds of last things in life that we deal in eschatology: our individual end in our death (particular) and the parousia which is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ at the end of the world (general).

Of course, it is always fearful to think of both endings. We hate endings because they are good byes. However, we know deep inside ourselves too that despite that “sweet, sweet sorrow” of every ending comes also a more wonderful hello, a more amazing new beginning. In reality, there are no endings but more beginnings: when children move out of the home to study, they begin their adult life in college; later on, they leave home for good to get married to start a family of their own. Life is a cycle of beginnings and ends that goes on and on and on.

The trick is really to learn the lesson of the fig tree, that is, to live our lives to the fullest in each season and phase, to learn to let go of the past, to savor every present and look forward to every tomorrow. Yes, it is easier said than done but, as we mature and age gracefully in Jesus Christ, we become fulfilled, less stressed amid the many things we are totally unaware and ignorant of what both particular and general endings would bring us.

Photo by Alina Vilchenko on Pexels.com

In presenting to us the parable or lesson of the fig tree regarding the end of our lives or the end of the world – both of which nobody knows when – Jesus is actually encouraging us to live more faithfully in Him and His gospel.

It is useless to know the precise date and hour of both endings nor the exact indications of its imminence; what matters most is that every moment of our lives, we live in Jesus Christ our High Priest who had offered Himself for our salvation (second reading). There is no point in interpreting even visualizing how St. Michael would battle the devil at the end of time; what the prophet Daniel is telling us is how we are assured of victory and salvation in the end if remain faithful to God (first reading).

Live fully by celebrating life. All throughout the year, we have heard Jesus reminding us, assuring us how much He loves us so immensely that is why He became human like us; in His coming, He joined us in all our sufferings except sin to show us that the path back to the Father in heaven is through the path of His Cross.

Despite my coming to Israel thrice, I have never tasted a fresh fig but have always loved it even better than dates. Its sweet taste and tiny bits of seeds inside make it always a pleasure to eat. If we can truly learn its lesson, we can end up like figs too – delightfully sweet inside.

Photo by Ella Olsson on Pexels.com

I recently bought an electric shave as an early Christmas gift to myself. I really don’t mind seeing my hair including mustache and beard turning grey and white; what bothers me lately is how my skin has become so easily irritated by my razor. Yes, I am getting older with skin sagging and add to that a vision getting blurred that shaving with a razor every morning is no longer fun but short of an agony.

As I examined my new shave set, I remembered a Japanese saying I used to tell young people before in my talks and recollections, “Growing up is nice, but sometimes painful.”

Indeed, growing up is nice – and ageing is even nicer though twice painful sometimes.

Like the fig tree, I can sense losing a lot of myself daily, yet becoming more tender and softer in the process, simpler and more joyful, perhaps. To my fellow 59ers and above, May the Lord Jesus lead us through the end in His loving embrace. Amen.

Photo by KENJI IWASAKI on Pexels.com