Freedom and fidelity

Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Thursday, Memorial of St. Agatha, Virgin & Martyr, 05 February 2026
1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Mark 6:7-13

*Photo by author, Taiwan, 15 February 2019.*

Thank you, dear God
our loving Father
for the gift of freedom
we often misinterpret
as doing whatever pleases us;
the prophets and kings of
Old Testament like David before
his death reminded everyone to
remain faithful to you, O God,
to always choose you and your ways
and commandments but since then
until now, we abuse our freedom
and still refuse to choose what is good,
refusing to follow and obey you,
O God.

When the time of David’s death drew near, he gave these instructions to his son Solomon: “I am going the way of all flesh. Take courage and be a man. Keep the mandate of the Lord, your God, following his ways and observing his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees as they are written in the law of Moses, that you may succeed in whatever you do, wherever you turn, and the Lord may fulfill the promise he made on my behalf….” (1 Kings 2:1-4).

We know what happened with
Solomon and the rest of all
their kings with a few exceptions:
they all turned away from you,
O God that disaster fell on them
not as your punishment
but as consequences
of their abuse of freedom;
teach us in Jesus Christ
who had come to show us the way
to true freedom by choosing you,
O God,
doing your will,
doing and being good
by being faithful.

How wonderful,
O God,
that despite our abuse
of freedom,
you have remained faithful
to us,
loving us,
forgiving us like King David,
and still calling us to follow
you in Christ Jesus;
let us trust you more
by choosing you and your ways,
letting go of our baggage
and other false securities
so we can travel light
and preach effectively,
totally free
 and faithful 
to you through others.

Through the intercession
of St. Agatha who witnessed
Christ and his gospel
at a very young age,
may we have the courage
to remain true to your call
and teachings.
Amen.

*Photo by author, Mt. St. Paul Retreat House, La Trinidad, Benguet, February 2020.*

Awaiting in overflowing grace

Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 21 October 2025
Tuesday, Feast of St. Pedro Calungsod, Martyr
Romans 5:12, 15, 17-19, 20-21     <*((((>< + ><))))*>     Luke 12:35-38

Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through justification for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 5:20-21).

Your words today,
O Lord Jesus Christ
are so inspiring
so reassuring
and edifying in these
most troubled times of our lives;
everywhere we look
or turn, there is an
anomaly, a corruption
happening or unearthed
that sadly hurt most the
poor and marginalized.

Yet, despite our
many trials and
hardships in life these days,
we never run out of good
people going out of their ways
to help, to care, to guide
those in need; most wonderful
to hear most of these great
stories of love and care
are by simple folks,
so unlike those supposed to be
more educated,
more upward
and mobile!

It was the same situation
of persecution when
St. Pedro Calungsod 
kept his lamp lighted 
with good works
among the locals in Guam
where he met his martyrdom.
Keep us faithful, Jesus
overflow us with your grace
while awaiting your daily coming
especially during the most
trying times.
Amen.

Promises, promises…

Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for Soul, 01 October 2025
Wednesday, Memorial of St. Therese of the Child Jesus
Nehemiah 2:1-8     <*{{{{>< + ><}}}}*>     Luke 9:57-62

Promises, promises,
promises!
Forgive me, Lord Jesus
in making so many promises
to you for others
of great plans,
of grand designs,
of noble intentions
but never brought to
fulfillment due to
many excuses.

Many times,
I feel like those would-be
disciples in the gospel today,
coming to you,
offering to follow you
wherever you go but
when the road becomes
rough and steep, I leave you;
teach me to be like
St. Therese of the Child Jesus
to be simple,
to do my very best
with the little,
ordinary things
I can do.
Amen.

God remains

Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 02 July 2025
Wednesday in the Thirteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year I
Genesis 21:5, 8-20     <*[[[[><  +  ><]]]]*>     Matthew 8:28-34

*Photo by author, Pater Noster Church, the Holy Land, May 2019.*

Praise and glory
to you, loving Father
for always remaining faithful
with us,
for always staying with us
especially in those times
of expulsions,
when we are driven out,
when we are shoved off
by situations and occasions,
especially by people.

Sarah noticed the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had bore to Abraham playing with her son Isaac; so she demanded of Abraham: “Drive out that slave and her son! No son of the slave is going to share the inheritance with my son Isaac!” Abraham was greatly distressed, especially on account of his son Ishmael. But God said to Abraham: “Do not be distressed about the boy or your slave woman… God heard the boy’s cry, and God’s messenger called to Hagar from heaven: “What is the matter, Hagar? Don’t be afraid; God has heard the boy’s cry in this plight of his” (Genesis 21:9-12, 17).

How lovely of you,
God our Father
to be still there,
remaining,
staying
with Abraham so distressed
with Sarah's order to drive out
his son Ishmael and his mother Hagar;
many times,
we too are caught in such a bind
and dilemma when people close
and dear to us demand us to expel
some people dear to us;
stay on our side so we can make
the right decision;
most of all,
remain with us,
hear us and follow us,
Father when we are expelled,
driven out from our comforts
into life's wilderness like
Hagar and Ishmael.

Most of all,
be with us Jesus
when people drive us out
of their lives,
of our friendships
and relationships
when like you,
after driving out the demons
from those possessed
was the one expelled from the town.
There are times,
Jesus, when after doing what
is right,
what is just,
what is proper,
it happens that we are
the ones driven out.
Remain with us,
stay with us.
Amen.

Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Our Lady of Fatima University
Valenzuela City

*Photo by Dra. Mylene A. Santos, MD, Katmon Nature Sanctuary & Beach Resort, Infanta, Quezon, 2020.*

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.*

Keeping the love alive

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Friday in the Thirty-Second Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 15 November 2024
Memorial of St. Albert the Great, Bishop & Doctor of the Church
2 John 4-9 <*{{{{>< +++ ><}}}}*> Luke 17:26-37

*Photo by author, 20 August 2024, St. Scholastica Retreat House, Tagaytay City.*

Another short letter
for our first reading today,
Jesus but filled with wonder
and power that impacts our
daily life: help us to keep your love
Lord! The words of your beloved
disciple are strikingly so true to us
these days:

Anyone who is so “progressive” as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God; whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son (2 John 9).

Forgive us, dear Jesus,
with our so many excuses
and alibis along with our
endless arguments
for the sake of being modern
and progressive
to be excused from your only
law and command which is
to love;
let us love always
for to love is live in your presence;
without love,
there is disorder and sin,
and fear;
with love,
there is true freedom
to be who we truly are
as children of the Father.

Therefore,
open our eyes
that we may consider the wonders
of your laws,
O Lord
(Psalm 119:18).
Amen.

*Photo by author, Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria, Dumaguete City, Negros Or., 07 November 2024.*

Blessedness of desert

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Monday in the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 08 July 2024
Hosea 2:16,17-18, 21-22 <*((((><< + >><))))*> Matthew 9:18-26

Thus says the Lord: I will allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak to her heart… I will espouse you to me forever: I will espouse you in right and in justice, in love and in mercy; I will espouse you in fidelity, and you shall know the Lord (Hosea 2:16, 21-22).

Praise and glory to You,
God our loving Father!
Lead us back to You,
lead us back to the desert -
to that state of dryness,
of emptiness,
of nothingness
for us to find and 
experience You again;
lead us to the desert,
Father, for us to feel 
our heart again
that You are our first love
after all!

Forgive us, Father,
when life is in abundance
we are filled of our selves
we forget You and others;
when life is affluent,
we disregard what is right
and just, we become so greedy
with nothing enough;
when life is going on smoothly
without problems, we disregard
love and mercy as we see more
of things than persons as we veer
away from You,
sinking into infidelity,
not knowing You.

I do not ask for too much
pain and suffering;
just something enough to
knock our heads
like that father in the gospel
and woman suffering hemorrhages
for 12 years who both felt so 
isolated from the rest
like in a desert
to realize there is only You
in Jesus Christ to restore us
back to life,
back to community,
back to our real selves
and back to You.
Amen.

Why are you here?

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Friday in the Tenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 14 June 2024
1 Kings 19:9, 11-16 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Matthew 5:27-32

*Photo by Mr. Vigie Ongleo, Sagada, Mt. Province, 2014.*

O God, dear Father,
how I have loved so much
ever since today's story 
of Elijah fleeing from death 
at the hands of Jezebel's army;
so many times I have felt like Elijah,
so tired, fed up fighting,
hoping for death when the going
gets tough and rough; 
and so many times too, 
You have never forsaken me,
Father like Elijah,
asking me many times 
that question,
"Why are you here?" 
(1 Kings 19:9, 13).

Very often, I get confused, Father,
if I am that zealous for You 
like Elijah or just me so insistent 
with what I believe,
with what I know,
with what I hold so dear
in You and for You;
many times I do not know
if I am still doing your will
especially when it is so difficult,
so uncomfortable and,
yes, I have asked You many times
why not just make me
an ordinary man,
instead of being your prophet....

But your question remains,
Lord, that I rarely face nor
answer squarely: 
"Why are you here?"

You know me so well,
Lord: like Simon Peter in
Capernaum after your discourse
on the bread of life,
my favorite response to You is
"Master, to whom shall we go? 
You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe and 
are convinced that you are the
Holy One of God" (John 6:68-69).

But most of all,
I am here because like the
psalmist,
"I long to see your face,
O Lord" (Psalm 27:7-8);
and for me to see your face
means to love more
until it hurts me;
to see your face, Lord,
is to be still and silent
amid the noise of this world
for you are always there in our
midst among the weak
and voiceless,
among those in the margins
and underneath the heaps
of scraps and garbage;
to see your face, O Lord,
is to remember always
it is your work,
not mine that I must
accomplish.

Why am I here, Lord?
Because You told me so.
Thank you so much
in bringing me here this far,
no matter what
for as long I feel
 getting closer
with You.
In that case,
I shall always be here
for You!
Amen.

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

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

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.

Lent is keeping the ties that bind us

40 Shades of Lent by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Wednesday in the Fourth Week of Lent, 13 March 2024
Isaiah 49:8-15     <*(((((>< + ><)))))*>     John 5:17-30

Until now I still relish in delight,
Father that expression
I realized this Monday:
Lent is God always "now here"
and us people "nowhere";
your words today are about
your abiding presence among us,
of remembering and not forgetting,
of the ties that bind us together
of we your beloved children
and you our loving Father in
Christ Jesus our Brother.

Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.
Isaiah 49:15

Jesus answered the Jews, “My Father is at work until now, so I am at work… Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees the father doing; for what he does, the Son will do also. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed.
John 5:17, 19-20

How sad is the fact that
what we most often forget
and fail to remember is our
ties and relationships;
every sin,
every injustice,
every hurt
happens in the context
of our relationships disregarded:
with you God our Father,
we as brothers and sisters;
between husband and wife,
among siblings,
children with their parents,
parents with their kids;
persons of authority
with their subjects supposed
to protect and care for;
worst of all, Father,
we forget that marvelous truth
and reality of you always
finding ways to save us,
to free us,
to forgive us,
and to bless us
because we your beloved children!

Thus says the Lord: In a time of favor I answer you, on the day of salvation I help you; and I have kept you and given you as covenant to the people, to restore the land and allot desolate heritages, saying to the prisoners: Come out! To those in darkness: Show yourselves! Along the ways they shall find pasture, on every bare height shall their pastures be.
Isaiah 49:8-9

In this Season of Lent,
let us go back to our relationships
in you through Jesus with one another
for even if we forget our tasks and
responsibilities in life,
for as long as we remember 
the ties that bond us together
then, we shall never forget,
will always remember,
to be present like you 
"now here" never "nowhere"
filled with your love and
kindness for everyone.
Amen.