Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 21 July 2025 Monday in the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year I Exodus 14:5-18 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Matthew 12:38-42
Photo by author, Cabo da Roca, Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales, 15 May 2025.
It is a rainy, gloomy Monday, God our Father; like your people who have left Egypt led by Moses, suddenly we are again facing life's realities of work and struggles, of health and sickness, of challenges and problems bigger than us.
Pharaoh was already near when the children of Israel looked up and saw that the Egyptians were on the march in pursuit of them. In great fright they cried out to the Lord. And they complained to Moses, “Were there no burial places in Egypt that you had to bring us out here to die in the desert? Why did you do this to us? Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Did we not tell you this in Egypt, when we said, ‘Leave us alone. Let us serve the Egyptians? Far better for us to be the slaves of Egyptians than to die in the desert.'” But Moses answered, “Fear not! Stand your ground, and you will see the victory the Lord will win for you today… The Lord himself will fight for you; you have only to keep still” (Exodus 14:10-14).
Keep me still, Lord; let me stand my ground in you before my adversaries - primarily my self when I doubt you, when I lose hope, when I am disillusioned, when I am afraid, when I complain a lot when the realities of life start to kick in making me realize of your invitation and calls for me to welcome you into my life, to believe you, to trust you.
O dear Jesus, many times in the wilderness of this life I waste precious time and efforts like the Pharisees asking you for signs when each day, each waking from sleep is like me being a Jonah coming out alive from the belly of the whale; help me live your paschal mystery, Jesus, one day at a time. Amen.
Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Our Lady of Fatima University Valenzuela City
Lord My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul, 20 July 2025 Sunday in the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Cycle C Genesis 18:1-10 ><}}}*> Colossians 1:24-28 ><}}}*> Luke 10:38-42
Photo by author, Tagaytay City, February 2023.
After telling us what we must do to inherit eternal life through his parable of the Good Samaritan last Sunday, Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem with his disciples with a stop over today in the home of the sisters Martha and Mary.
The visit became an occasion for Jesus – the Good Samaritan – to expound on the more important things we his disciples must “do” as exemplified in the contrasting attitudes of the two sisters.
“Jesus in the House of Martha and Mary”, painting by Johannes Vermeer (1654) from en.wikipedia.org.
Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary had chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her” (Luke 10:38-42).
This is the third consecutive Sunday Jesus gives us the top things we his disciples must always “do”: two Sundays ago he instructed us to represent him well by greeting everyone with peace while proclaiming that the kingdom of God is at hand (14th Sunday); last week, Jesus asked us to consider everyone especially those in need as a “neighbor” with whom we must show mercy at all times.
Today’s teaching of Jesus is of capital importance in this series on discipleship before the Lord caps it next Sunday with the very foundation of discipleship which is prayer.
An icon of Jesus visiting his friends, the siblings Sts. Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Photo from crossroadsinitiative.com.
"Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said..."
Only Luke has this unique story in the home of Martha and Mary.
Far from the simplistic views of a distinction between “contemplative” and “active” approaches in discipleship, Luke invites us not only to enter the home of Martha and Mary but most of all our Lord and Master Jesus Christ to experience and realize the deeper realities of being his disciple.
There is more at issue here than a conflict of duties of listening to the Word like Mary and doing the work like Martha. Jesus is not telling us to be like Mary listening more to the word – and forget all about the work to be done and accomplished? Not at all.
Jesus reproached Martha for being anxious and upset about many things in life that she had forgotten the more essential which is to listen to Christ himself.
Luke’s gospel teems with instances where we find Jesus warning his disciples against being overwhelmed with cares of the world like in the parable of the sower where he mentioned those seeds that fell among thorns were choked by the anxieties and pleasures of the world that they failed to be fruitful (Lk.8:14). In chapter 12 we find Jesus twice repeating in asking his disciples “not to worry” on how to answer their persecutors for the Holy Spirit will teach them (Lk.12:11-12) and immediately after that, “not to worry” again about what to eat or wear for life is more than food and body is more than clothing (Lk.12:22-23). There are many other instances in all gospel accounts we find Jesus denouncing too much focus on things of the world that are passing and worst, detract us his disciples in confessing faith in him as the Christ who had come and will come again at the end of time.
“Jesus in the House of Martha and Mary”, painting by Erasmus Quellinus II and Jan Fyt (1650) from en.wikipedia.org. See the folly of Martha’s worries and distractions with the enormous amount of food being prepared.
Jesus clarifies in the example of Mary that the first priority of every disciple is to listen to the Word who is himself. More than the division of time allotted for “contemplation” and “action” by every disciple, Jesus reminds us that the more we listen to him, the more we do his work; and the more we do his work, the more we desire to return to him and listen again and again to him.
Contemplation and action always go together. We cannot overdo the other and neglect the other. The moment we make a distinction between the two, problems arise like what we find in the church.
When priests and bishops concentrate only in contemplation, oblivious to the social conditions of the people, their proclamation of the Gospel is diluted as they fail to represent well Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. When they are so immersed into social action and advocacies, business endeavors including entertainment in the Mass without contemplation, Christ is detached from the whole picture that people could no longer see nor feel the spiritual nature of the Church with everything becoming a show, empty of any sense of the divine and sacred. In both instances of abuses, either of contemplation or action in the Church, it is her credibility that is eroded as the Body of Christ with a growing number of the faithful disillusioned with priests and bishops more identified with the rich and powerful.
"There is need of only one thing."
Abraham in today’s first reading showed us the most beautiful example of discipleship. Like Martha, Abraham was also gracious in receiving his visitors at Mamre believed to be the Blessed Trinity in the form of angels; but, unlike Martha who was so concerned with her chores that she had forgotten Jesus, Abraham was intently focused on his visitors as “he waited on them under the tree while they ate” (Gen.18:8).
Like Mary listening at the feet of Jesus, Abraham was fully present in God while in Mamre. That is discipleship – to have that full presence in the Lord which is the “only one thing needed” of us which is to receive God’s gift of himself to us, of his Word who became flesh Jesus Christ who enables us to do his works by first recognizing him in ourselves and in one another as our neighbor.
This is the reason why even inside prison, St. Paul felt Jesus Christ’s coming and presence that he rejoiced in his sufferings as part of his ministry in proclaiming Christ as the hope for glory (Col.1:24, 27).
Photo by author, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, QC, 20 March 2025.
Last week I read in one of the blogs I follow by an American nun, of how she attended many years ago to a delivery man who died of a heart attack in the ER of a Philadelphia hospital. Part of her ministry was to gather the things found in the chest pocket of the man’s shirt so she could inform the relatives of his death: there was a well-used prayer book, a thin wallet with a few dollars inside, a lottery ticket and a picture of his grandchildren. It was so touching how she narrated these simple things found in the man’s chest pocket as those closest to his heart (https://lavishmercy.com/2025/07/12/the-amoroso-man/).
That hit me so hard because even in this age of smartphones, I still carry a little notebook and pen in my chest pocket where I write my schedules as well as occasional notes on everything I notice and read. Deep inside me after reading that blog, I wondered where is Jesus Christ in all those notes and activities in my pocket notebook closest to my heart.
Dearest Lord Jesus, make me fully present before you always, even in my activities and distractions for it is only in you I am fulfilled. Amen.
Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Our Lady of Fatima University Valenzuela City
Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 18 July 2025 Friday in the Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year I Exodus 11:10-12:14 <'[[[[>< + ><]]]]'> Matthew 12:1-8
Photo by author, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, QC, 20 March 2025.
How lovely are your words today, O God, on this dark, rainy Friday with many light and shadows that show life's many contrasts with you still remaining with us, in us, and among us.
Although Moses and Aaron performed these various wonders in Pharaoh’s presence, the Lord made Pharaoh obstinate, and he would not let the children of Israel leave his land (Exodus 11:10).
You know everything, dear God that is why you set the stage for the first passover at "evening twilight" just in time for the people to see the light of freedom in you; you sometimes allow storms to happen but you already have provisions for us beforehand:
Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began ton pick the heads of grain and eat them (Matthew 12:1).
What a beautiful contrast is today's gospel!
How did it happen the Twelve were hungry while with Jesus who had fed more than 5000 people with just five loaves of bread and two pieces of fish?
Right there under the glaring light and heat of the sun on a Sabbath when you "fed" on the Twelve with grains in the field; moreover, when criticized by your enemies, you defended the Twelve!
You are a God of
mystery, Jesus!
Truly "greater than
the temple" for you are
the Christ,
the Son of God
who became human like us
to show us you are with us,
in us,
and among us
when everything seems
so dark or so bright
that may blind our sights;
incline our hearts to you, Jesus
who "desires mercy,
not sacrifices"
so that when we grapple
in light and shadows,
it is solely you whom we hold on.
Amen.
Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Our Lady of Fatima University
Valenzuela City
Photo by author, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches 20 March 2025.
Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 17 July 2025 Thursday, Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year I Exodus 3:13-20 <*(((>< + ><)))*> Matthew 11:28-30
Photo by author, Cabo da Roca, Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales, 14 May 2025.
Today, I tried going back to your presence, Lord; I tried feeling your sacred ground again; there was no burning bush to see but I felt my heart burning inside as I dwelled on your name:
God replied, “I am who am.” Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the children of Israel: I Am sent me to you.” God spoke further to Moses, “This is my name forever; this is my title for all generations” (Exodus 3:14-15).
Unlike our name, your name "I AM", Lord is most unique - right away when I say your name, I feel you! Your name is more than a name for it is YOU yourself - so deep, so true, so powerful that you envelop me in your person; when I think of your name "I AM", I am already dissolved and overwhelmed! Moreover, your "I AM" is exactly what I feel, and realize, and experience in Christ calling us:
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
Photo by author, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, QC, 2023.
Today I come to you, Jesus with all my burdens and worries, pains and hurts, sickness and sufferings; you are I AM, Lord - heed our cries like in Egypt: the crime and corruption so rampant, the selfishness and pride of everyone, the sin and evil that stink, a kind of darkness lurking everywhere; yes, there are modern Pharaohs lording over us today but most of all too, it is us who lord over our lives most of the time; bring us back to the burning bush so we may take off our sandals because the whole earth is yours which we have usurped and destroyed; let us feel you again, "I AM" all around, all encompassing; let us enter you, Lord, to experience your abundance of love and mercy, warmth and light, life and new hope; let us rest in you, Lord like in Eden when you alone is God. Not us. Amen.
Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Our Lady of Fatima University Valenzuela City
Photo by author, Hidden Spring Resort, Calauan, Laguna, February 2025.
Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 16 July 2025 Wednesday, Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Exodus 3:13-20 ><}}}*> + ><}}}*> + ><}}}*> Matthew 11:25-27
Photo by author, Sonnenberg Mountain View, Davao del Sur, August 2018.
Today, O Lord your words bring us to the mountain as we celebrate too the Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel; in the first reading you brought Moses to your mountain in Horeb to see you in the burning bush while the Memorial of our Blessed Mother today reminds us of the early monks who banded together to pray at Mount Carmel.
When the Lord saw him coming over to look at it more closely, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!” He answered, “Here I am.” “Come, now! I will send you you to Pharaoh to lead my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He answered, “I will be with you; and this shall be your proof that it is I who have sent you: when you bring my people out of ??Egypt, you will worship God on this very mountain” (Exodus 3:4-5, 10-12).
How lovely was your conversation, Lord with Moses, so similar with our conversations when we would readily answer your call with the declaration "Here I am" that suddenly when you hand us our mission, we balk and question you, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?"
Many times we are like Moses - while showing humility with some fears in our quick response to your call, we suddenly doubt ourselves upon learning the mission you entrust us with whereas you simply assure us of your presence, of being our companion with your simple statement "I will be with you." Such is your simplicity, Lord.
Teach us to be like Mary your Mother, dear Jesus Christ, simple and childlike filled with humility, always open to God and his plans; after all, you call us first of all for a relationship with you not with a task to be achieved.
May the Brown Scapular given by Mary to St. Simon Stock be a reminder of our relationship with God in Christ with Mary; always open to his will but most of all faithful and obedient to his call of communion and oneness. Amen.
Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Our Lady of Fatima University Valenzuela City
Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 15 July 2025 Tuesday, Memorial of St. Bonaventure, Bishop & Doctor of the Church Exodus 2:1-15 ><))))*> + ><))))*> + ><))))*> Matthew 11:20-24
Photo by Ms. Jo Villafuerte, Atok, Benguet, 03 September 2019.
Sometimes I wonder O God how it feels to be in front of you, of what to feel when you are so like us humans - sadly frustrated, exasperated.
Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes” (Matthew 11:20-21).
Forgive us, dear Jesus when we are so callous and numb before you, not feeling you at all because we are so absorbed in our own pride and foolishness, justifying our sinful ways that we hardly feel you, because we could not feel others nor ourselves as our bloated egos numbed our humanity; we have lost our sense of sinfulness and could no longer appreciate what is good and beautiful, right and orderly; we have become like those two Hebrews Moses caught fighting each other that instead of feeling his care and concern for them, they felt separated he would kill them like the Egyptian officer.
How true were the words of our Saint for today, the most pure Bonaventure who wrote, "If you do not know your own dignity and condition, you cannot value anything at its proper worth."
Help us realize Jesus how once mighty cities like Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum remains in ruins to these days, never to have recaptured their old glory days because since your time, they never saw their dignity and condition as your beloved ones; let us not fall into ruins too because of our unrepentance for our sins. Amen.
Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 14 July 2025 Monday, Memorial of St. Camillus de Lellis, Priest Exodus 1:8-14, 22 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Matthew 10:34-11:1
What a lovely Monday dear God when your words are "come" and "welcome" - two words that indicate challenges in our relationships, challenges we refuse to face and resolve, challenges that are so difficult to accept nor understand.
A new king, who knew nothing of Jospeh, came to power in Egypt. He said to his subjects, “Look how numerous and powerful the people of the children of Israel are growing, more so than ourselves! Come, let us deal shrewdly with them to stop their increase; otherwise, in time of war they too may join our enemies to fight against us, and so leave our country” (Exodus 1:8-10).
Jesus said to his Apostles: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law” (Matthew 10:34-35).
Many times we come to foreign countries like Israel in Egypt upon your own sending, Father, but instead of opportunities and green pastures, we come to many sufferings and trials like our OFWs and immigrants; and there are times that because of our being a follower of Christ, a wedge is driven between us and our family or friends or colleagues.
What are you teaching us, Lord in every coming?
That life is a series of coming, never of going, and, whenever we come, we take up our crosses and follow you, Jesus.
The difficulties and trials that come our way teach us to "welcome" these in itself as the opportunities and blessings in disguise we have actually "come" for!
“Whoever receives you receives me, whoever receives you receives the one who sent me” (Matthew 10:40).
How lovely in other translations that to receive is to welcome; what matters most in life and discipleship, dear Jesus is we always come to you, come to where we are sent and most of all, to welcome every coming as your very presence like St. Camillus who lovingly served the sick in whom he found you in each one of them. Amen.
St. Camillus de Lellis, Pray for us!
Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Our Lady of Fatima University Valenzuela City
Photo by author, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, QC, 2023.
Lord My Chef Sunday Recipe, 13 July 2025 Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C Deuteronomy 30:10-14 ><}}}*> Colossians 1:15-20 ><}}}*> Luke 10:25-37
Photo by author, Katmon Nature Sanctuary & Beach Resort, Infanta, Quezon, 17 March 2023.
Jesus continues his journey to Jerusalem with his disciples, teaching us with some important things “to do” following the questions of some people along the way.
Last Sunday Jesus taught us the five do’s and five don’ts of discipleship; today, he teaches us what we must do to inherit eternal life with the parable of the good Samaritan.
There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.” (Luke 10:25-30)
First thing we notice is our similarity with the scholar of the law who already knew the answer to the question “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” We know deep in our hearts the answer and like in the gospel, we have felt Jesus affirming us many times like the lawyer. But, Jesus wants us to revisit his parable of the Good Samaritan this Sunday to realize its meaning as we continue to imitate the lawyer with the same question “who is my neighbor?”
But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
Photo by author, Grand Canyon Woods, Batangas, March 2025.
The Filipino translation gives us a better picture of the lawyer justifying himself, “Sa hangad ng eskriba na huwag siyang lumabas na kahiya-hiya, tinanong niya uli si Jesus, ‘Sino naman ang aking kapwa?'”
See how Jesus did not give a straightforward answer but situated the lawyer including us today into something very concrete so that we stop thinking more and start feeling more. That was the problem with the scholar of the law and with us today: we analyze everything that we have become “over thinkers” but not necessarily “critical thinkers”. We know so many things about our faith but, we still ask for more clarifications because we think more than feel more.
As a chaplain giving recollections and talks to our students, I have seen many young people today are over thinkers but not critical thinkers. I always remind them that critical thinking is about comprehension and analysis of data and information gathered. Over thinking is different. It is not of the mind but of the heart because overthinking is lack of trust. It is a vice when we worry a lot – over think – because we lack trust with others and with ourselves. And ultimately with God!
Photo by author, Camp John Hay, Baguio City, 12 July 2023.
The scholar of the law was overthinking when he asked “who is my neighbor?” because for them at that time, their neighbors were just their fellow Jews. Sad to say, until now our society remains stratified into categories of people like ice cream – the old rich and famous as “all-time favorites”, the recent rich and popular as “flavor of the month” and the ordinary folks as “dirty ice cream” or sorbetes cheaply sold in carts pushed usually by old men.
Of course we know everyone is our neighbor or whoever needs us. But the problem with this all-encompassing view is that it leads us to casuistic argumentation, a kind of over thinking like when we start citing exceptions and excuses or alibis. That is why Jesus used the characters of a priest and Levite who were examples of holiness vis-a-vis a Samaritan who was an enemy of the Jews at that time.
The priest and the Levite passed by the victim of robbery to maintain the Jewish purity law of not touching a corpse to perform their tasks and duties in the temple, both were “overthinking” of their rites and rituals than the dying person. Holiness for Jesus is beyond names and titles but more of the heart seeing and feeling the other person like the Samaritan who alone acted out of his good naturedness as a person, even beyond giving first aid to the robbery victim.
From forbes.com, 2019.
Many times we are like the priest and Levite when we come up with many arguments like “do I not have any other obligation” or “does it really fall on me personally” and so on and so forth when confronted in real life with some people so badly injured or in need of attention.
We overthink with what would happen if we personally get involved with somebody in trouble that people these days are more quick in pulling out cellphones to record an accident and mishap instead of doing something to help.
We over think like the lawyer in the gospel, forgetting to feel more of the other person. That is why in answering his question, Jesus threw it back to him him in another form that is more personal and experiential, “Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?”
Photo by author, 2019.
St. Therese of the Child Jesus wrote in her journal more than a hundred years ago, “I have understood that true greatness is found not in the name but in the soul.”
Beautiful! If we would just look more into our heart, into our soul, we find Jesus, we find our true self, and we find everyone our neighbor to be loved and respected, cared and understood. This is what Moses is telling us in the first reading that the Lord and his commandment are right there in our hearts.
That is exactly what the scholar of the law felt after hearing the story of the good Samaritan that he forgot all labels and categories, answering Jesus’ question with, “The one who treated him with mercy.” There is no need to justify ourselves, of who we are, or even ask who is our neighbor. Everyone is our neighbor because everyone is a brother and sister in Christ; hence, no need to ask that question at all!
But, there is still something deeper to this. When Jesus ended their conversation with the instruction to “Go and do likewise”, the Lord is telling us this Sunday that whenever we encounter a person in need of help, regardless of who she/he is, let us put ourself in that person’s place for it is them – not us – who shall recognize us whether we acted as neighbor to them, or saw them as neighbor!
Photo by Mr. Chester Ocampo, UST Senior High School Building, 2019.
Recall those moments we were down when those dearest to us abandoned us and of all people, the least we expected were the ones who acted as neighbor to us. It is when we are down and low when we come to recognize our neighbor, not when we are up and able, when we feel proud asking what must I do to gain eternal life.
Stop all these over thinking. Simply remember and find Jesus in every person who is the “image of the invisible God” who “reconciled all things for him”(Col.1:15, 20) for he alone is our truest neighbor always present when needed most. Amen. Have a blessed week ahead, everyone!Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Our Lady of Fatima University, Valenzuela City (lordmychef@gmail.com).
Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 11 July 2025 Friday, Memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot, Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30 <*{{{>< + ><}}}*> Matthew 10:16-23
For those still moving places, changing careers, pursuing new love, hobbies and interests; for those in their senior years embarking on new journeys in life, for those who have finally decided to leave their "comfort zones" to dare live life authentically, let us learn from Jacob, aka, Israel:
Israel set out with all that was his. When he arrived at Beer-sheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. There God, speaking to Israel in a vision by night, called, “Jacob! Jacob!” He answered, “Here I am.” Then he said: “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you a great nation. Not only will I go down with you; I will also bring you back here, after Joseph has closed your eyes.” (Genesis 46:1-4)
Photo by author, Egypt, May 2019.
Thank you, dear God our loving Father in calling us and sending us still to missions despite our age and unworthiness; just be patient with us. Accompany us in this new journey we take in life; be our companion.
Thank you, dear God our loving Father in believing in us, in trusting us after all these years of hiding and running away from you; keep us faithful to your call and direction.
Thank you, dear God most of all for Jesus, in sending him to us who commissioned us to be like "sheep in the midst of wolves"; enlighten our minds and our hearts with your Holy Spirit so we may be "shrewd as serpents and simple as doves" (Matthew 10:16) in this world that values youth and technology, forgetting persons to be loved and cared and cherished like you.
Like St. Benedict who in his old age continued to follow you in new directions in his life and ministry, give us the courage to do the same for your greater glory. Amen.
St. Benedict, Pray for us.
Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Our Lady of Fatima University Valenzuela City
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN – MAY 08: Faithful in St. Peter’s Square participate in the first blessing of Pope Leo XIV immediately after the white smoke on May 08, 2025 in Vatican City, Vatican. White smoke was seen over the Vatican early this evening as the Conclave of Cardinals took just two days to elect Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who will be known as Pope Leo (Leone) XIV, as the 267th Supreme Pontiff after the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday. (Photo by Ivan Romano/Getty Images)
Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 10 July 2025 Thursday in the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year I Genesis 44:18-21, 23-29; 45:1-5 <*{{{>< + ><}}}*> Matthew 10:7-15
Photo by author, August 2024.
“Come closer to me,” he told his brothers. When they had done so, he said: “I am your brother Joseph, whom you once sold into Egypt. But now do not be distressed, and do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here. It was really for the sake of saving lives that God sent me here ahead of you.” (Genesis 45:4-5)
Dear God our Father:
give me that magnanimity
of Joseph to his brothers,
give me that same kind of
attitude of being better
than bitter with life's many
trials and difficulties caused
by others especially those closest
to us; what a tremendous grace
for Joseph after all those years of
pains of being sold and lost in a far-away
country, he remained faithful to you
and you gifted him the wisdom
to save not just a nation
but the whole region.
Photo by author, Alfonso, Cavite, 2024.
Teach us to be empty always to never carry so many baggages and luggages, so many wealth and extras in life journeys whether they be positive or negative because in life, it is always that attitude of emptiness for you and your plans that matters for us to fulfill your mission, everything else is incomparable to you as our most cherished gift and treasure; for those going through many trials these days especially when the days are dark and rainy, teach us to have fun and celebrate life with much love in you. Amen.
Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Our Lady of Fatima University Valenzuela City
lordmychef.com 