finger of God

Teach me Lord
to "know nothing except
Jesus Christ crucified" like St. Paul,
not just "looked intently at you"
like your folks in Nazareth
when you preached in your synagogue;
it is not enough to just look
intently at you,
imitating you and your manners
and style but not your life,
your self-sacrifice on the Cross;
what a shame in this age of social media
we speak and preach about you
merely to chase clout for ourselves
using sublimity of words
or persuasive words of wisdom
used by demagogues and
influencers for followers
and shameful profits.

Help us realize,
Jesus, that our faith
rests on the power of God
best shown in your Crucifixion,
not in our personality
nor eloquence in speech
nor being savvy with new
technologies that blind us from
the realities of life
like love and sacrifice,
kindness and patience,
justice and truth.
Amen.

Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 10 October 2025
Friday in the Twenty-Seventh Week of Ordinary Time, Year I
Joel 1:13-15; 2:1-2     <*((((><  +  ><))))*>     Luke 11:15-26

*Photo by Mr. Raffy Tima of GMANews in Batanes, 05 October 2018.*

Your words today
are so powerful, Jesus:
the Prophet Joel called it
"the Day of the Lord"...

Let all who dwell in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; yes, it is near, a day of darkness and of gloom, a day of clouds and somberness! Like dawn spreading over the mountains, a people numerous and mighty! Their like dawn has not been from of old, nor will it be after them, even to the years of distant generations (Joel 2:1-2).

What a moment
of blessed desolation,
Lord: tangible darkness
everywhere that comes from
within, that feeling of being 
afraid because you are calling me
to return to you, O Lord;
it is a blessed desolation
because despite the darkness
and emptiness, you are here
within me, Lord when  
your darkness is light,
your emptiness is fullness;
it is blessed desolation for
in the stillness and silence
of losing everything,
you are present, Lord,
within me
in every crisis,
in every turmoil
extending your hand
to make me experience
your power - "the finger of God"
that make realize all good things 
come only from you 
and nothing bad could ever
come from you as some in the crowd
accused Jesus.

Let your day, 
O Lord, come!
It is not enough that
we do not sin
but we must always
be filled with your Spirit,
always in your state of grace
so that there is no space for
evil to return and occupy us;
let us not be complacent
with your presence
and friendship, Jesus:
renew us daily in you
so we revere you daily,
ever ready 
to follow you.
Amen.

Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Our Lady of Fatima University
Valenzuela City
(lordmychef@gmail.com)

Category: finger of God

Only Jesus, always Jesus

Blessed desolation