Category: Prayer/Spirituality

Our Parents and Grandparents, God’s Presence

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul
Friday, Feast of St. Joachim and St. Anne, 26 July 2019
Song of Songs 44:1, 10-15 >< }}}*><*{{{ >< Matthew 13:16-17
Photo by Jim Marpa. September 2018.

On this feast of the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joachim and St. Anne, we praise and thank you almighty Father for the gift of our dear parents as well as grandparents.

In your Ten Commandments, immediately after the first three laws pertaining to you, you commanded us to “honor our father and mother” to stress that “charity begins at home”, that before we can love anybody else in this world, it must first be our parents and grandparents.

Before we can love any other person, we must first love our parents and grandparents for they are the signs of your presence with us, O God. From them we receive our first religious instructions, and most of all, we experience first from them your love and mercy.

Bless us, O Lord, to respect and love them, especially when they are old.

Give us strong hands and arms always ready to reach out to them when they could no longer move well. Let us return that favor this time for us children to help them walk.

Give us more patience and understanding with a lot of kindness when our parents become forgetful and sometimes childish in their ways. Let us be loving to them in their old age and senior moments in the same way they were so fond of us when we were kids and knew nothing at all.

Give us also, O Lord, the eyes to see those white hair and wrinkles they have, including those sickness they now bear were all partly because of us when they have to suffer so much, work so hard to give us a brighter today.

Remind us always, Lord, that of your Ten Commandments, the fourth is the only one with a promise, “Honor your father and your mother and I shall bless you in your old age.”

Remind us, Lord, that even if we are older and wiser, or even if we are already parents too, we always remain children of our parents.

Likewise, we pray for those parents who refuse to take on their roles as mother or father to their children, for those who refuse to be responsible enough to be truly parents teaching their children what is true and good and right.

We pray for all parents that they may all bring you forth, Lord Jesus Christ, onto the world through their children and grandchildren. Amen.

From Google.

Growing in Christ

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul
Thursday, Feast of St. James the Greater, 25 July 2019
2 Corinthians 4:7-15 >< )))*> <*((( >< Matthew 20:20-28
St. James the Greater. From Google.

Praise and glory to you, O God our loving Father! In sending us your Son Jesus Christ, you have shown us the path to you is being truly human, accepting our weaknesses and sinfulness by relying in your mercy and forgiveness.

Thank you for the gift of St. James the Greater, one of the Twelve Apostles who started out very much like us in the beginning as a sinner than a saint. He had shown us a wonderful path of growing in faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

We always remember him as the brother of your beloved disciple, sons of Zebedee also known as “sons of thunder” for their quick temper like proposing to scorch a Samaritan town that have refused to allow you to pass through on your way to Jerusalem.

Together with his brother again but this time with their mother, they were so proud to support her request that they be seated at your left and your right in your Kingdom, claiming they could drink from your cup of suffering (Mt.20:20-28).

But, after witnessing your Transfiguration and your Agony in the Garden, everything changed in our beloved St. James the Greater.

Transfiguration by Raphael, From Google.

At the Transfiguration along with his brother and St. Peter, St. James the Greater witnessed your divine glory with the two greatest prophets of Israel, Moses and Elijah.

He must have not understood it so well at that time, including your command not to speak about the event until you rise from the dead.

But what a beautiful first-hand lesson about your divinity, O Lord, for St. James the Greater!

Agony in the Garden by El Greco. From Google.

Then, on the night before you were betrayed, he was again with the two privileged disciples to witness your Agony in the Garden.

This time, you have given St. James the Greater a first-hand lesson about your suffering and humiliation about to happen on the Cross.

Like in the Transfiguration, St. James the Greater may have not fully understood the meaning of the Agony in the Garden; but, it must have helped him discern the balance between your divine splendor and humiliation. Most of all, he had witnessed your humble obedience unto death to the Father.

These two distinct paths would finally merge into one after the Pentecost when St. James the Greater became the first bishop of Jerusalem.

And true to his bold claim when he was still young and ambitious, he became the first Apostle to suffer martyrdom by drinking your “cup of suffering”, Lord, when King Herod Agrippa had him killed with the sword (Acts 12:1-2).

St. James the Greater, so many people have found peace and solace, growth and maturity in faith in Christ in their pilgrimage to Compostela, Spain. Like them, help us to follow your path to Jesus Christ that is filled with so many difficulties and sufferings. Amen.

Hallowed ground

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul
Wednesday, Wk. XVI, Yr. I, 24 July 2019
Exodus 16:1-5, 9-15 >< }}}*> <*{{{ >< Matthew 13:1-9
Clouds over the Egyptian desert, May 2019.

The Lord spoke to Moses and said, “I have heard the grumbling of the children of Israel. Tell them: in the evening twilight you shall eat flesh and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread, so that you may know that I, the Lord , am your God.” In the evening, quail came up and covered the camp. In the morning, a dew lay all about the camp, and when the dew evaporated, there on the surface of the desert were fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground.

Exodus 16:11-14

Like the psalmist, so often I wonder O God when I see the heavens the work of your hands, I ask what are we humans that you are mindful of us, mere mortals that you care for us (Ps. 8:4-5)?

You could have remained there in the heavens, O Lord, and yet you choose to stoop down upon us, listening to our voices, even to our cries and senseless grumblings.

Most wonderful of all, you have blessed us and our land when you decided to be one with us on the ground with the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ, the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us.

You have never stopped like the sower in the parable patiently sowing your seeds of love and mercy among us.

Open us, O Lord, and make us like the fertile ground so your word may grow and bear fruit abundantly in us with good works.

Make us fertile ground for your seed that we may become your presence and bring your healing and justice on your people who until now grumble, refusing to pause in silence to experience your presence on these hallowed grounds we have desecrated with wars and hate. Amen.

The power and grace from stretched hands

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul
Tuesday, Wk. XVI, Yr. I, 23 July 2019
Exodus 14:21-15:1 >< }}}*> >< }}}*> Matthew 12:46-50
Holy Family Chapel, Sacred Heart Retreat and Spirituality Center, Novaliches, July 2017.

Thrice in our readings today, O loving Father, we heard “stretching of hands” to impart your power and grace. What a beautiful gesture so that today, we also stretch our hands in praising and thanking you God for all your love and kindness.

Stretching of hands is a gesture we usually do to you and others when we are pleading for something or when we express surrender or submission. We also stretch our hands over people and things to show our power or your power passing through us.

Moses stretched out his hand over the sea ,and the Lord swept the sea with a strong east wind throughout the night and so turned it into dry land…

Then the Lord told Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may flow back to the Egyptians, upon their chariots and their charioteers.”

Exodus 14:21, 26

In our gospel, when your Son our Lord Jesus Christ identified his family, he used the same gesture to show his grace and blessing of making us his family, making us one in him and with him.

And stretching his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, my sister, my mother.”

Matthew 12:49-50

Keep us always in the protection and care of your powerful and loving hands, Lord, that are always stretched upon the sick especially the bed-ridden and seriously ill, to those who have to work far from their loved ones, those who have to deal and handle with delicate matters and situations.

Continue also to stretch your hands upon us, Lord, to shower us with your blessings especially the fresh graduates, for the newly weds, for those working hard for their families, for those pursuing their stars and dreams with passion and determination, and for those getting tired and weak with their many burdens and load on their shoulders.

Help us also, Lord, to be like you on the Cross when you stretched your hands to express your deep love and mercy for each one of us. Give us that power and grace to stretch our hands in your name to be your instruments of change, healing and joy to everyone especially those in pain and sufferings. Amen.

Holy Family Chapel, Sacred Heart Retreat and Spirituality Center, Novaliches, July 2017.

Remaining in the Lord

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul
Monday, Wk. XVI, Yr. I, Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, 22 July 2019
2 Corinthians 5:14-17 >< }}}*> >< }}}*> John 20:1-2, 11-18
Jesus telling Mary Magdalene not to touch him in a painting at the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Italy. Photo from Google.

What a beautiful way to start our week of work and studies today with the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, O Lord!

In St. Mary Magdalene we see, O Jesus, your infinite love and mercy and forgiveness no matter how dark is our past. In St. Mary Magdalene we also see, O Jesus, our new life and relationship with you especially when you called her by her name “Mary” on that Easter morning.

Open our hearts every morning, especially when we feel everything is lost, when everything is so dark to that we too may hear your sweet voice calling us by name.

One beautiful lesson we have learned from St. Mary Magdalene is the need to remain in you, Jesus. After being converted, Mary never left your side along with the other women who have come to follow you and help you in your needs.

On the Cross when your disciples have left you, St. Mary Magdalene remained at your foot along with your Mother and beloved disciple John.

On the first day of the week, it was also St. Mary Magdalene who remained faithful to you by coming to your tomb to bring spices and perfume; and, when she found it empty, she was the one who remained faithful to your teachings by informing St. Peter of the situation.

Most of all, during that dark morning at the empty tomb, it was St. Mary Magdalene who remained outside, remaining faithful to you, waiting in tears for developments as she asked everyone around in the hope of finding and retrieving your missing body.

The scene may be funny, Lord, but embarrassing and shameful to us your disciples who always leave you especially when the cross becomes too heavy and bloody! And when everything is dark and empty, unlike St. Mary Magdalene, we are nowhere to be found.

From Google.

Let us remain in you, Jesus, like St. Mary Magdalene especially when everybody else is leaving or had left you at the cross or the empty tomb.

Let us boldly proclaim not only in words but most especially in deeds like St. Mary Magdalene that we have seen you, that we are now a new creation in you. Amen.

St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us!

We shall “pass over” in the Lord

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul
Friday, Wk. XV, Yr. I, 19 July 2019
Exodus 11:10-12:14 >< }}}*> <*{{{ >< Matthew 12:1-8
Sunset from Bgy. Dapdap, Tagaytay City, 03 July 2019.

Another Friday, another week passing, another new week coming. Thank you so much, O Lord and we are able to move on, to pass over so many challenges and trials.

Every day indeed, O Lord, is an Exodus – a passing over with you leading us, saving us, delivering us from darkness into light, from ignorance into knowledge and wisdom, from sinfulness into grace.

“It is the Passover of the Lord. For on this same night I will go through Egypt, striking down every firstborn of the land, both man and beast, executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt – I, the Lord!”

Exodus 12:11-12

Keep us always ready to go with you, to follow you in every passing over from our Egypt of slavery into freedom of your Promised Land.

We pray, O God, for those among us who are like the Pharisees in the gospel today who see only your laws and rituals but not YOU.

Open our eyes that we may see the main distinction of your every pass over in us is mercy and love.

Come to us Jesus, the Lord of sabbath, and show us the true meaning of your sacrifice which is to find you more among our brothers and sisters.

Let us rediscover anew the beauty and value of life that comes only from you, especially the people around us regardless of their status, color, and creed.

We pray also for those who are struggling in life, those who find it so difficult to make ends meet, those who have to pass over great distances in life just to survive because we have refused to find you among them. Amen.


Flowers at our altar, 19 July 2019.

When you feel like giving up…

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul
Thursday, Wk. XV, Yr. I, 18 July 2019
Exodus 3:13-20 >< )))*> <*((( >< Matthew 11:28-30
Taal Lake and Volcano from Tagaytay City. Photo by author, 03 July 2019.

Praise and glory to you, our loving Father for always remembering us, for always loving us. So many times, people doubt you. They feel you do not care at all, that you do not listen to their prayers, that you do not visit them anymore.

We pray today most especially for those losing hope and meaning in life amid their many pains and sufferings, those about to give up on their dreams due to many failures and disappointments, and those who refuse to believe and trust others anymore due to betrayals by family and friends.

Let us be your Moses today to announce to them that you are concerned with us, that you care for us.

“I am concerned about you and about the way you are being treated in Egypt; so I have decided to lead you up out of the misery of Egypt into a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Exodus 3:16-17

Open our hearts and our minds to realize this great truth of your concern for us that you have given us your Son Jesus Christ to help us in our burdens, calling us to receive him in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass every day, especially on Sundays.

Our altar, 18 July 2019.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

Send us a new Moses, Lord, to lead us out of our modern Egypt today that enslave us, making life so difficult for your people especially those in the margins.

We have become a nation without any sense of sin anymore that we do not care at all with the many deaths going on around us. Our mouths have become so filthy with languages too vile as if you do not exist anymore. Nobody seem to care anymore, no one is concerned.

We pray for our leaders in government as well as in the Church who are like the Pharaoh who make it so hard for the people to go and come to you. Do wondrous deeds among us again, Lord, so we may remember anew that you keep your covenant forever. Amen.

Detaching from self, attaching to God

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul
Wednesday, Wk. XV, Yr. I, 17 July 2019
Exodus 3:1-6, 9-12 >< )))*> >< )))*> Matthew 11:25-27
Mt. Sinai range from St. Katherine Monastery in Egypt. Photo by author, 07 May 2019.

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

Exodus 3:11

It has always been our answer to your every command and mission given to us, O God our loving Father: “who am I to do this thing?” or “who am I to go there?”

Forgive us for our pride, God, when we ask you such questions with some tinge of sarcasm, or worst, when we seem to dare to make you look so dumb as if you have never thought well of every thing you entrust us with.

Yes, there are times when we ask you that way like Moses when we play god better than you, almighty and living, true, God.

We could not believe and accept that you have planned everything well, that all we need to do is trust you like a child.

Like Moses, O God, tell us to remove our sandals to always remember and be reminded that the whole earth where we stand on is a sacred ground, your very presence among us.

Teach us take off things that detach us from you and prevent us from completely trusting you.

Most of all, take away our pride and fill us with your humility so we may be open to your revelations to fully know your will and how to make it happen. Amen.

Inside of this structure is kept remnants of the burning bush Moses saw at Sinai. 07 May 2019.

Smile upon us, O sweet Lady of Carmel!

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul
Tuesday, Wk. XV, Yr. I, Feast of Our Lady Of Mt. Carmel, 16 July 2019
Exodus 2:1-15 >< )))*> <*(((>< Matthew 11:20-24
Photo from the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart, Los Angeles, California via Google.

O blessed and sweet Mother Mary of Mt. Carmel! Thank you for coming to us to remind us of your Son Jesus Christ’s great love for us.

Like the Pharaoh’s daughter who was “moved with pity” (Ex.2:6) upon finding the child Moses on the river, have pity on us too your children here in our own river of sorrows and darkness.

Pray that we may find life and joy like Moses and family in a river flowing with dangers and destruction.

Pray that we may return to God in Christ Jesus so that we may live through daily conversion and repentance of sins.

O Mother of Mt. Carmel, give us a glance of your sweet smile on this feast day of yours to experience the Father’s immense love and care for us. Amen.

When life gets harder…

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul
Monday, Wk. XV, Yr. I, 15 July 2019, Feast of St. Bonaventure
Exodus 1:8-14, 22 >< )))*> <*((( >< Matthew 10:34-11:1
The Sphinx and Pyramids of Egypt. Photo by author, 09 May 2019.

It is that time of the year again, Lord, when life gets harder with the rains, with all the expenses piling up along with a hosts of so many other problems besetting us.

Others call these months of July until August as the “ghost months” when so many difficulties come along our way. But of course, we believe more in you.

Like in our Responsorial Psalm today, we sing “Our help is in the name of the Lord.”

Most of all, like the people of Israel living in Egypt long after Joseph had gone who were subjected to cruel slavery by the Pharaoh and his men, “the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread” (Ex.1:12).

Our almighty Father, keep us close to you through your Son Jesus Christ.

Let us rely more to you in him through the Holy Spirit when life gets harder for us.

May we learn more from him so we may follow him closer than ever especially during times of trials and difficulties.

Keep us faithful in Christ for “whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Mt.10:39).

Amen.