Our worship, our life

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Sunday in the Thirty-first Week of Ordinary Time, Cycle A, 05 November 2023
Malachi 1:14-2:2, 8-10 ><}}}}*> 1 Thessalonians 2:7-9, 13 ><}}}}*> Matthew 23:1-12

*Photo by author, Malagos Orchid Farm, Davao City, 2017.*

More than 18 years ago when we were assigned to a parish in our concurrent positions as school administrators in Malolos, an older priest offered to help us think of “gimmicks” so people would come to our parish. He insisted how the Church must have “marketing strategies” to attract more people celebrate Mass especially on Sundays.

After that older priest had left, I told our Rector to dismiss everything he had heard. I explained to him we do not need any marketing strategies because we have the best to offer – God in Jesus Christ. I stressed to him that only two things are essential in the parish: good liturgy that flows to good service.

A few years later, I was assigned to a parish of my own and held on that conviction. Modesty aside, that parish entrusted to me grew and became so vibrant during my nine years of stay there. Even during the pandemic lockdown, we continued with our good liturgies on line and in the ground that enabled us to serve everyone, especially the poor regardless of their religion. We never asked donations but people volunteered to give cash and goods to sustain the parish and our outreach programs.

*Photo by Ms. Ria De Vera, Christ the King procession in November 2020.*

Our readings today are very timely as the Synod on Synodality concluded in Rome recently that sought new ways in getting everyone in the Church especially those in the margins may journey together in Christ, with Christ to God our Father.

Although we priests and bishops remain as the biggest problems in the Church since the beginning like the Pharisees and scribes during the time of Jesus, having a good and meaningful liturgy that is living and fruitful is everyone’s responsibility.

And now, O priests, this commandment is for you: If you do not listen, and if you do not lay it to heart, to give glory to my name, says the Lird of hosts, I will send a curse upon you and of your blessing I will make a curse. You have turned aside from the way, and have caused many to falter by your instruction; you have made void the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 2:1-2, 8

How appropriate were the words by Prophet Malachi spoken in 480 BC who invites us too today to examine the manner we celebrate the liturgy in our communities, the spirit and seriousness that animate us, the image of God our celebrations project.

Is God still among us in our liturgy that after every celebration, we find him in our midst?

Is there still a sense of awe and wonder, of mysterium fascinans or we – priests and people – have replaced God in our worship?

Malachi was right on target then and now in echoing God’s anger and frustrations at the sight of our degenerate and perverted worship where anything goes as if God does not see us. And worst, as if we could fool him when our hearts are divided and so far from him and from one another which Jesus tried fixing these past two Sundays.

*Photo by Mr. Gelo Nicolas, Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan, February 2020.*

Jesus had silenced his enemies today in our gospel, he took it to unleash to them – and us – powerful tirades against their hypocrisies (and ours too), of how far our hearts been from God and one another, lacking in love due to its being so divided.

What a way to conclude his teachings these past two Sundays after failed attempts by his enemies to trick him into saying things that could lead to his arrest and execution.

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen.
Matthew 23:1-5

These past two Sundays, Jesus stressed the need of purifying our hearts so that we may give to God what is due to him which is our total selves. To purify our hearts, to have a clean heart to see God as in his beatitudes we heard proclaimed on All Saints Day means to enter into a communion with Jesus Christ, the One with the purest and cleanest heart who truly loves God and all of us.

*Photo by author, St. Scholastica Retreat House, Baguio City, August 2023.*

Today Jesus is calling us to walk our talk, to mean what we believe and say, to be true as his disciples who choose to love and suffer for God, who finds value in God dwelling in our hearts not in things outside like names and ranks, titles and designations, clothes and other signs.

Today Jesus is calling us to live and relate honestly with others wherein our whole selves – words and actions, body and soul – are united by hearts inclined, resting in God.

Today Jesus is calling us to focus on him alone for he is our only true Teacher and Master who lovingly humbled himself as servant of all to lead us to God our one Father in heaven.

Of course, Jesus is not asking us to disregard nor dismiss all titles and designations that define our roles and functions not only in the liturgy but even in the family and society. When we learn to give what is due to Caesar and what is due to God, then we discover that our proper “seat” is in this life is in the place of a servant and that our true “place of honor” is at God’s kingdom where everyone is equal. When we have this clearly in our minds and in our hearts, then, our words and deeds are no longer in opposition like the Pharisees and scribes who did not practice what they preached because we have become witnesses to integrity of self as disciples of Christ.

*Photo by author, Our Lady of Fatima University, Valenzuela, 13 September 2023.*

Vatican II rightly and beautifully called the liturgy as “fons et culmen” – the fount from which all blessings of our faith flow and the apex or summit of our lives as Christians, as disciples of Christ.

How true is our worship of God?

St. Paul gave us a glimpse of their living worship in Thessalonica, picturesquely telling them how “they were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children. With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our very selves as well, so dearly beloved had tou become to us” (1Thes. 2:7-8).

How I wish we priests could be so sincere like St. Paul to the people and most especially to our Lord! This Sunday, may our worship be our lives too in Jesus like the admonition of St. Augustine to his congregation when distributing the Holy Communion, “Become what you receive: the Body of Christ”. Amen. Have a blessed new week!

Praying for a clean heart like the saints

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Wednesday, Solemnity of All Saints, 01 November 2023
Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 ><}}}}*> 1 John 3:1-3 ><}}}}*> Matthew 5:1-12

*Photo by author, Tagaytay City, 07 February 2023.*

God our loving Father,
on this great feast of All Saints
those now enjoying your
Divine presence in eternity,
we pray for the gift 
of a clean heart
in each of us
so we may see you
too like the Saints.

Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
Matthew 5:8

Oh yes, dear God,
if there is one thing we need
most these days is a clean heart,
a heart that is able to see
more the deepest truths of life,
of every person,
and of you;
out intellect is not enough
for us to see everything
because so often,
our minds are muddled
and darkened by malice
and selfishness;
our heart is the center
of our being,
cleanse our hearts of its
impurities especially of our ego
so it may harmonize our whole
body systems,
our person
so that what we know,
what we feel
is what YOU know,
what YOU feel too!

In Jesus,
with Jesus,
through Jesus,
take away our stony hearts
and give us natural hearts
that beat in firm faith in Christ,
fervent hope in Christ,
and unceasing charity in Christ!

Like all the Saints UP there
before you in heaven, Father,
make our hearts one in Jesus,
willing to go DOWN 
like him on the 
Cross to be "washed 
and made white
in the blood of the Lamb"
(Revelation 7:14) on whom
our hope is based for 
us to be pure like him
(1 John 5:13).
Amen.

*Photo from en.wikipedia.org, painting by Fra Angelico called “The Forerunners of Christ with Saints and Martyrs”.*

Our divided hearts, divided lives, divided world

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A, 22 October 2023
Isaiah 45:1, 4-6 ><}}}}*> 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5 ><}}}}*> Matthew 22:15-21

We are now getting closer toward the end of our liturgical calendar with our gospel scenes of Jesus still at the temple area in Jerusalem where his enemies were growing more intense in banding together to trap him for his arrest and crucifixion.

Many times, that same die-hard religious conceptions of the Lord’s enemies continue to distort our way of Christian living today. First of these is the apparent division between the realms of the world or Caesar and of God and his kingdom.

The Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech. They sent their disciples to him with the Herodians saying, “Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” Knowing their malice, Jesus said, “Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin that pays the census tax.” Then they handed him the Roman coin. He said to them, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” They replied, “Caesar’s.” At that he said to them, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”
Matthew 22:15-16, 17-21

*Photo by Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images in Laoag City, 08 May 2022.*

It’s election fever again in the country (does it ever end?) when talks on the separation of the Church and the state abound in every corner of campaigns and discussions. What is very funny is despite everyone’s insistence of such separation, candidates keep on going to every church and chapel of all faith to meet their religious leaders and followers who in turn endorse some of them!

Then and now, the division was more clearly in our hearts than in religion and political life. Despite everyone’s endless quoting of the Lord’s declaration to “repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God”, we remain more divided as a people and individuals right in our hearts where the first casualty is Jesus Christ. Then us and our loved ones.

The way of God as Jesus had shown and taught us is not found in opposing civil and religious or spiritual realms of life but in giving ourselves for the good of others in all areas of life, first to God and everything follows. Jesus Christ came to the word to heal our divided hearts, to make us whole again (and be holy) by showing us how we are all one in God, our origin and end. St. Francis of Assisi saw this unity of God’s creation and was so central in his life and teachings that he was able to literally live out the gospel values of both material and spiritual poverty.

There are no divisions between the material world and the spiritual world because everything is created by God, came from God and will ultimately end in God. “Caesar” is everything of the world we so often give more emphasis in life, more attention and more focus. Primary is our own self as we consciously and unconsciously stamp with the image and inscription of “Caesar” as we try to hide and remove God’s image in us.

See how Jesus in many instances did not bother himself with our worldly affairs like being a judge to divide the share of inheritance of feuding brothers (Lk. 12:13-15) or of James and John asking him to have them seated at his sides when his glory comes (Mk. 10:35-45) because those things separate us from God and each other.

One tragedy of Christ’s time that continues today is when we the supposed religious leaders and guides are divided within each of us, so concerned with our own pride and other priorities in life like fame and wealth. Forgive us your priests and bishops whose lifestyle and way of relating to others betray like the Pharisees who and what is first in our lives.

Keep in mind how the Pharisees were not supposed to have anything that bears semblances of idolatry in the temple area like the Roman coin with image and inscription of the Caesar considered as god and emperor by the Romans. We priests and bishops still have that “Roman coin” today in the form of social media especially Facebook that show and prove more than ever how we are a church for the rich and not of the poor no matter what the gospel and documents say. What a scandal of our time to find priests and bishops shamelessly posted on social media always present, readily available especially for funeral Masses of the rich but never or so rare with the poor! These only prove to the people of the existence of the great divide among us Jesus had supposedly healed more than 2000 years when churchmen continue to play these days the very game of the Pharisees, scribes, chief priests and elders of Christ’s time.

When we examine world history, it has actually felt easier for us to divide our lives into the material and spiritual realms by giving what is due and proper to each one. This has been the way of the world especially in the past 300 years at the start of the Industrial Revolution that resulted in so many inventions and scientific breakthroughs that have spawned various thoughts and philosophies.

On the outside or in the realm of Caesar, we seem to be better with more technologies and affluence but as persons, we have remained lost and more hurting inside that drive many into suicides and depression. How ironic when we are supposed to be better, crimes against human persons get worst these days with wars and atrocities still happening. Life may had drastically improved especially in the fields of medicine and communications but the gaps among us peoples have grown wider especially these last 20 years known as the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” characterized by digitization and robotics that include Artificial Intelligence or AI. Like in the parable of the wicked tenants, we have usurped everything from God, even our very lives and the world itself.

Of course, the obligations to Caesar and to God are radically different: to the state we pay taxes, but to God we give our undivided hearts, our total being. This is what Isaiah told us in the first reading that everything in history is directed by God for the good of his people. He is the God of history. Let no one mistake any god for God because “I am the Lord, there is no other” (Is.45:6).

When Jesus asked his enemies to show him the coin that pays the census taxes, he is also asking us this Sunday to bare our hearts before him to let him heal us of the divisions within that are reflected by the many wars and divisions in the world. The deepest divide within us in this time is when we live and act like the Pharisees and Herodians with insincere hearts living a big lie of living in “accordance with the truth” (Mt. 22:16).

Let me end this reflection with those beautiful words by St. Paul in our second reading today:

We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father, knowing, brothers and sisters oved by God, how you were chosen. For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.
1 Thessalonians 1:2-5

*Photo by author, Church of St. Anne in Jerusalem, May 2017.*

So lovely! St. Paul is also talking to us today, assuring us how despite our many sins, of being slaves of Caesar and other gods like the Thessalonians who were pagans before, we too were willed by God to be called as his children in Jesus Christ.

We in the Church are a people despite our many flaws and imperfections especially us your priests were called out of sin and darkness to be God’s own people, beloved children. He has given us life in the Holy Spirit that when we look back in our lives, we are convinced in our hearts it was him who worked in us in the realm of material world. God has always been the “invisible hand” leading us when we felt so down and lost, defeated and almost dead. Here we are, still alive and forging on amid the many difficulties we encounter within and outside us.

When we cooperate with the grace of God and focus more on him than to the many Caesars, when we live in faith in Christ, laboring in his love for others, God becomes more present in our material world, enabling us to endure further life’s challenges in hopes that Jesus Christ will come again. Amen. Have a blessed week ahead.

True belonging

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Tuesday in the Twenty-fifth Week of Ordinary Time, Year I, 26 September 2023
Ezra 6:7-8, 12, 14-20 ><))))*> + ><))))*> + ><))))*> Luke 8:19-20

*Dome of the sanctuary of the Malolos Cathedral.*

God our loving Father,
thank you for the gift
of the sense of belonging;
every one of us long 
to be one with others,
to belong and
be accepted
in one's own family,
circle of friends,
and in various
groups and clubs
that help us grow and
mature as persons.

Sad to say,
many times our sense
of belonging is hinged
on its physical and
outside appearances.

The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join because of the crowd. He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you.” He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”
Luke 8:19-21

More than our
blood relationships
and other basis of
ties as family and friends,
as peoples and a nation,
make us realize 
dear Father that our
belongingness is more
in our hearts;
true belonging is
when our hearts 
are linked together
feeling and believing
in you through
Jesus Christ.

Teach us the same
lessons learned by your
people who were exiled
and have to rebuild the 
temple of Jerusalem upon
their return:  nothing indeed
is permanent in this world
except change; only you,
O God, who does not change!

May we continue
to change into a better
person, a more loving
and kinder fellow,
more understanding
and faithful to 
family and friends
in you through Christ;
we pray for our beloved
family and friends
whose hearts have been
far from us because
of hurts and misunderstandings
in the past; we pray for those 
physically present with 
everyone yet
emotionally
and spiritually absent,
living so far away
from those by their side.

Enable us to open
our hearts anew to your
Holy Spirit that we may
be healed of our hurts
and begin to feel one 
again with others
in faith,
hope and
love in Jesus.
Amen.

Face-to-Face with Christ’s glory

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Cycle A, 06 August 2023
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 ><}}}*> 2 Peter 1:16-19 ><}}}*> Matthew 17:1-9

*Photo of the mosaic inside the Basilica of the Transfiguration on Mt. Tabor, Israel* (from *commons.wikimedia.org).*

Today we take a break from our gospel readings to celebrate the Feast of Transfiguration (August 06) that falls on a Sunday this year. The segue fits perfectly the series of parables we heard these past three Sundays that mentioned judgment day at the end of time.

Recall how Jesus interpreted his parables especially the separation of the weeds and wheat at harvest time as well as keeping the good fish caught in the net, throwing the bad ones that all evoke of judgement day in the end of time. For Matthew, the transfiguration of Jesus is exactly about the end of time when Christ’s glory is revealed at his Resurrection and ultimately in his Second Coming.

Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.
Matthew 17:1-2

*Mt. Tabor, believed to be the site of the Transfiguration of Jesus. Photo from iStockphoto.com.*

In the Gospel according to Matthew, major events in the life of Jesus Christ mostly happened on a mountain: his temptation (Mt. 4:8), his inaugural teaching, the sermon on the mount (Mt. 5:1) and the sending of his apostles on their mission throughout the world until the end of time (Mt. 28:16).

Here at his transfiguration on top of the “high mountain” of Tabor we find glimpses of Christ’s explanation of the parable of the weeds among the wheat when he said that “the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Mt. 13:43). See how this transfiguration of the elect at the end of time that was shown to Daniel in the first reading is expressed exactly in the same way as that of the face of Jesus on Mount Tabor that had “shone like the sun” as witnessed by the three apostles. Peter strongly attested to it later as we have heard in the second reading.

Last week in the daily readings from Exodus we have heard how the face of Moses also shone like the sun after he had conversed with God on Mount Sinai and every time he would see God at his tent called the dwelling in their journey in the desert. That is the context why Peter volunteered to build three tents for Jesus, Moses and Elijah during the transfiguration. The Jews have a celebration called feast of booths or tents they called sukkoth. The tent is the dwelling place of God in the wilderness that eventually became the temple of Jerusalem. It was the closest thing they have with God and with heaven. At the transfiguration of Jesus, the three apostles were enthralled at the experience and sight they did not want to go down because it was literally heaven, being with God. The transfiguration event itself for them was the fulfillment of their faith and everything in the Old Testament.

They would realize later that to dwell with God means to continue the journey in Christ, with Christ marked with many ascents and descents happening not just in space or physically but more of the interior kind. That is how we are transfigured, always inside. Right in our heart and soul. That was the deeper meaning of Moses entering God’s dwelling in the desert – of him being one in God, with God – that his face would shone after, prompting him to cover it because people were scared.

*Photo from custodia.org, Basilica of the Transfiguration on Mt. Tabor, Israel.*

Whatever is found on the face is always a reflection of what is in the heart and soul. No amount of cosmetics and beauty procedures can ever bring out that glow and radiance of anyone’s face beaming with joy and fulfillment, peace and contentment.

The face is the reflection of the depths – or shallowness – of one’s heart and soul. There is an English word used to describe this inner dynamics of the face – countenance. Any change in our countenance indicates something is being transformed within us as a result of our communion with God. That is why we describe some people even we do not know them as malalim or deep, or magaling magdala ng problema because of their countenance. In the same manner, we easily notice something rotting inside a person when despite one’s having good features like flawless skin or aquiline nose, beautiful eyes and the like. This is what the young people would call as “uma-aura” when they pose for FB or IG. Aura is the spirit within evoked by one’s face that cannot be manipulated.

The face of Jesus shone like the sun at his transfiguration primarily because deep inside him is his complete and perfect union in the Father. Jesus would always insist on this reality within him, his perfect communion in the Father from which also flows his total obedience which will reach its highest point at his Passion and Death on the Cross, his own Pasch or exodus.

There at Mount Tabor in his transfiguration, we are shown that Christ’s glory cannot be separated from the Cross. His majesty and triumph shall come from his pasch. And so are we his disciples. That is why the voice heard by the apostles said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to him”. From now on, Christ would be speaking of his coming Passion, Death and Resurrection. All his lessons after Mount Tabor are about our participation in his paschal mysteries. Do we listen?

The apostles learned and embraced all these lessons in a process slowly with the guidance of the Holy Spirit after Pentecost. That is why Jesus told them to come down from Tabor to continue their journey to Jerusalem to fulfill his mission. Through them we have believed despite our not having seen Jesus that is how he would appear as “Lord” on the mountain that we the faithful are climbing to participate in the ultimate manifestation of his return at the end of time.

And there lies the good news of this Feast of Transfiguration happening in this dry month of August, often described as ghost month too. As we go through the last half of Ordinary Time’s remaining 17 weeks, may we continue to ascend in Christ, with Christ with his Cross in sharing his paschal mysteries in our daily lives. After the euphoria of Easter Season that had closed on Pentecost Sunday, we are reminded anew this sixth of August to never lose sigh of the Cross of Good Friday as our path to glorious transfiguration of Jesus Christ.

To journey with Christ, listening and obeying his voice is something of the inside and not just of space or place. Discipleship demands persistent practice of the Lord’s teachings and examples as we shall hear from the gospel these coming Sundays.

As COVID-19 virus wanes that we resume most of our activities minus the many protocols before while still being cautious and careful, may we face our inner issues in Christ and the Holy Spirit to be transfigured in him. Amen. Have a blessed week ahead. It is a Sunday, celebrate Mass with others in your Parish, pray for those still suffering from the effects of typhoon Egay and Falcon.

*Painting of the Transfiguration by Italian artist Duccio di Buoninsegna between 1308 and 1311 from commons.wikimedia.org.*

Face-to-face with our face

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Wednesday in the Seventeenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year I, 02 August 2023
Exodus 34:29-35 >><)))*> + >><)))*> + >><)))*> Matthew 13:44-46

God our loving Father,
let our face reflect your
glory and majesty,
your love and mercy
like Moses as described
in our first reading today.

How lovely
and awesome too
that after meeting
with you face to face,
the skin of Moses'
face was radiant
that they were afraid
to approach him;
very clearly
you have left traces
of you on his face
whereas we on the other
hand, despite our
coming to you,
listening to your word,
and receiving your Son
Jesus in the Eucharist,
our face remain the same?

More sad is how
we could not find
or refuse to recognize
your face on everyone's face
especially those nearest
to us like family and friends;
despite our
coming to you,
listening to your word,
and receiving your Son
Jesus in the Eucharist,
our face could not reflect
the joy of finding you, Lord,
like a hidden treasure
buried in the field or
a fine pearl finally
found by a merchant.

God our Father,
let us face squarely
our problem with our
face; it is not merely
the skin nor its lines
nor its glow that
creams and cosmetics
may hide for sometime;
like you and Moses
meeting face-to-face
in your tent,
may we realize
whatever is found
in our face is a reflection
of what is truly inside 
our hearts,
when there is union
of life and love
that happens
in our union in you
through Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Becoming the good soil

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Friday in the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year I, 28 July 2023
Exodus 20:1-27 ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'> Matthew 13:18-23

*Photo by Ms. Nikki Vergara in Victoria, Laguna, July 2020.*

God our loving Father,
make me a good soil,
a real "good earth" who
welcomes your word
to penetrate my heart.

Let me be a
good soil, O Lord,
by allowing myself
to be absorbed 
by your word, 
your seed.

Let your word,
O God, grow
and bear fruit 
in my heart!

Forgive us
that until now
from Mount Sinai
where you gave us
your Ten Commandments
to the shores of Galilee
where Jesus spoke to us
in parables of your kingdom
up to now in the comforts
of our homes and 
parish church amid
the squalor of our many
brothers and sisters
without decent home,
your words seem to have
fallen on deaf ears.

O how you amaze me
so greatly, loving God
for your patience in 
continuing to speak to us,
inviting us to enter into a 
dialogue and relationship
with you; and yet, here we 
are, not listening,
still stubborn;
teach me to give myself
to you completely so
you would absorb me
and fill me with your life
and energy.
Amen.

The parable of our lives and time

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Thursday in the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year I, 27 July 2023
Exodus 19:1-2, 9-11, 16-20 <*{{{{><< + >><}}}}*> Matthew 13:10-17

*Photo by author, Mt. Sinai in Egypt, May 2019.*

You said it perfectly well,
Lord Jesus Christ,
our very own parable
of life
and of time:
"because they look but do not see
and hear but do not listen or understand"
(Matthew 13:13).

Why, O Lord,
 despite the modern communications 
meant to bring us closer,
the more we have actually
grown apart from each other?

Why, O Lord,
despite the great speed
 of our communications,
the more we cannot be reached,
or slower we have become
in reaching out, 
in coming to everyone
especially those in need?

Why, O Lord,
despite the clarity of signals
of communications, the more things
and persons are blurred,
including our relationships?

When you spoke 
to your people in the Old Testament
with peals of thunder and lightning,
they were scared to death;
when your Son Jesus came 
and lived among them, 
speaking their language,
they found him too ordinary, 
even a nobody;
today, you continue to speak
to us in nature and in person,
through our many experiences,
through the people we meet,
through the sacraments,
through many means and occasions
even right in our hearts
but still, 
we neither see,
nor hear nor listen.

What a parable we live!
Open our hearts, O Lord,
so we may believe,
hear and listen,
allow ourselves to be surprised
and amazed by you with the 
most simple things to make us
realize you are 
true and so real
right within us.
Amen.

*Photo by PhotoMIX Company on Pexels.com*

When we drag words down

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Sunday in the Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Cycle A, 16
Isaiah 55:10-11 ><]]]]'> Romans 8:18-23 ><]]]]'> Matthew 13:1-23

*Photo by author, Bgy. Bahong, La Trinidad, Benguet, 12 July 2023.*

Surely you will hear in almost all homilies today something about that blasphemous drag version of the Lord’s Prayer trending in social media. What a coincidence that our Scripture readings this Sunday say a lot about words that teach us so much in dealing with this new kind of pandemic sweeping the world, the “LGBTQ+ woke” syndrome happening in the realm of words and languages.

In the light of recent things happening in our society, today’s readings tell us two important things we have forgotten or have deliberately disregarded: the power of God’s word and the need to listen.

Thus says the Lord: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to him who sows and bread to him who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:10-11

*Photo by author, Bgy. Alno, La Trinidad, Benguet, 11 July 2023.*

The power of God's word

Our short reading from Isaiah perfectly introduces us to the sequence of Christ’s teachings in the next three Sundays beginning today about the power of God’s word, a preparation for us to understand the parable of the sower.

Here we find from the Prophet Isaiah God’s word as totally “other” – ibang-iba sa lahat – as it reveals and acts because it is the truth and effectiveness in one. See how Isaiah picturesquely expressed the power of God’s word, “Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful… so shall my word be; it shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.“

The Bible never fails in attesting to this conviction, of how God means what he says that has become the very basis of our hopes in him since the very beginning. Everything flows from God’s word, from the creation of the world and the universe to its fulfillment in Jesus Christ until he comes again at the end of time. God’s word creates history with power to renew and restore life, the power to save us as experienced by the thief on the Cross when he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Lk.23:42).

*Photo by author, Camp John Hay, Baguio City, 12 July 2023.*

Contrast God’s word with our human experience aptly expressed by Shakespeare in Hamlet’s famous quote, “words, words, words!” – of how we use so many words in the belief more is powerful when in fact our words are vain and empty, lacking in substance. Instead of giving life, many times our words hurt and even kill others. In this age of social media, see how we use words to distort truth with lies and deceptions. Its worst aspect is not found in the words we use but in us who pronounce them when we say things without any commitment at all so that many times, our words never stood the test of time because they are easily forgotten when spoken or heard.

St. Paul said it so well in the second reading, of how “all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now” (Rom.8:22) especially when we distort the truth of our words, when we do not mean what we say, when we our words divide instead of unite, when our words destroy instead of build.

See how sin entered through the “words” of the devil that deceived Adam and Eve with the first “fake news” in history that they would not die if they ate the forbidden fruit but instead become like God. Sin took on its ugly face in the use of words again after the first crime of murder committed by Cain who dared to say to God “am I my brother’s keeper” when asked of the whereabouts of Abel.

Words continued to be the means through which sin permeated humans reaching its lowest point when people played God again by building the Tower of Babel to reach the heavens. God punished them by making them speak different languages that resulted in confusion and the collapse of the tower.

How sad that these days, human words are made louder, spread faster by technologies try so hard to undermine God’s word. There is no doubt on the power of the word of God for he himself had shown and assured it. For his words to be fully operational and experienced, we must first listen to Jesus, the word who became flesh.

Listening to the word of God

“Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
Matthew 13:9

Jesus used these words seven times in the synoptic gospels, usually in connection with parables like in Matthew chapter 13 which we shall be using in the next three Sundays. We heard it first today and again next Sunday when Jesus explained the parable of the weeds.

His command to “hear” requires more than just taking in the words he speaks to us. To truly hear what Jesus is saying especially within the context of the parables, we must profoundly ponder what he wishes us to know. Just like in our prayers: what is essential is to be able to listen more to God than to tell him our needs which he already knew.

This can only happen in the spirit of silence and openness to God when we suspend our many preconceptions and other ideas especially about the parables we have been so familiar with.

The seed is the word of God and Jesus is the Sower who comes to us everyday, speaking to us, telling us the most important things we need to know and do in this life for us to be fulfilled and joyful.

But, do we have our ears attuned to the word of God? Many of us practically live in media, so hooked with gadgets either or both the cellphone and headsets or pods. Nobody seems to listen anymore as we are so engrossed in our own little world centered in the endless me, me, me and I.

In the parable, it does not really matter where the seeds fell; it is always good, at least even as food for the birds! Wherever it fell, the seed always sprang into life! That is the power of the word of God! We just have to give it a chance to grow and mature to bear fruits of “a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold”.

To hear the word of God means also to have our hearts opened to receive God so we can gain insight into the kingdom of God. It is in our hearts where the word of God is sown. Stones and thorns refer to the hardness of our hearts, our refusal to welcome Jesus Christ because we have been dominated by fame and power and other cares of this modern world.

Receiving the word of God is a process, not just a one-shot deal. It is a relationship we have to cultivate in Jesus Christ, just like the ones we try to have with our plants. The Lord himself had warned us repeatedly in the gospels of how there would always be opposition and indifference, even mockery and blasphemy right in the very places where his word should manifest its effectiveness like in our country, the only Christian-nation in this part of the world. If ever the word is not fruitful, it is primarily due to our dispositions and attitudes to God and his word.

How timely that at this particular moment in our country we heard again this classic parable of the sower by Jesus Christ.

We, especially in the Church, are being reminded anew to humbly open ourselves to God and his word, to give it a chance to grow and bear fruit, including our rules and other documents especially in the liturgy.

In spending so much time about the posture the laypeople should take in praying the Our Father in the Mass notwithstanding what the rubric says, the devil sneaked into the scene with this drag cover of the Lord’s Prayer. This is something we must reflect. Why even the drag queen had joined the discussion of the Our Father that have deeply hurt us all! With this recent decision by the bishops, the more it seems that the drag version of the Lord’s Prayer is partly our fault too. Let us go back to God and trust his word anew. And the words of the liturgy too. Amen. Have a blessed week ahead!

Speaking our hearts out

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Thursday, Memorial of Sts. John Fisher & Thomas More, Martyrs, 22 June 2023
2 Corinthians 11:1-11 <'[[[>< <'[[[>< + ><]]]'> ><]]]'> Matthew 6:7-15

*Photo by author, sunset over the Caloocan-Malabon-Navotas-Valenzuela district, January 2023.*

Glory and praise to you,
God our almighty and loving Father
for the gift of two great saints,
John Fisher and Thomas More
whose memorial we celebrate today
after giving their lives in defending
the gospel of Jesus Christ
before the powerful king of England
in 1535.

Like St. Paul in today's first reading,
St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More
spoke their hearts out to everyone,
opposing King Henry VIII's divorce
and call to break away from Rome;
for standing for what is true and good
like the sanctity of marriage 
and primacy of Rome,
they were both beheaded.

What a beautiful example for us
to emulate today when so many of us
professing to be Catholics yet 
have turned their backs from
the Church and especially from the Gospel,
choosing to be oblivious 
to you dwelling in our hearts;
like St. Paul, they have taught us
that standing firm on our faith 
is the best expression of our love
not only for God but for everyone;
help us realize that when we allow
ourselves to follow modern trends 
that are contrary to the life and teachings 
of Jesus our Lord,
that is when we do not love at all
because that is when we allow evil and sin
to spread its errors and destruction
of persons and life in general.

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts may be corrupted from a sincere and pure commitment to Christ. For if someone comes and preaches another Jesus than the one we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it well enough.
2 Corinthians 11:3-4

Forgive us, dear God,
when we would call you "Father"
but could not stand for what is
true and just, good and holy
there in our hearts;
forgive us, dear God,
when we would call you "Father"
but would keep on holding to our
anger and bitterness, 
refusing to forgive
from our hearts;
forgive us, dear God,
when we would call you "Father"
but would always push the lines
and limits in our hearts
until we fall into temptations and sin.

Forgive us Father,
in Jesus' name.
Amen.

St. John Fisher
and 
St. Thomas More,
pray for us!