Category: Prayer/Spirituality

Visit and surprise us, Lord!

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul, Friday, Easter VI
Feast of the Visitation of Mary, 31 May 2019
Zephaniah 3:14-18 >< }}}*> <*{{{ >< Luke 1:39-56
Bronze Statues of Mary visiting Elizabeth at the patio of the Church of Visitation, Ein-Karem, Israel. Photo by author, April 2017.

Like the Blessed Virgin Mary in today’s feast of the Visitation, I rejoice in you O God:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”

Luke 1:46-49

And like her cousin Elizabeth, O Lord, I also wonder:

“And how does this happen to me, that (the mother of) my Lord should come to me?”

Luke 1:43

You always surprise me, O Lord, whenever you would come to visit me and do great things for me that people recognize you in me.

Of course, it feels good, Lord, when people affirm us for doing your work.

Problem is, fear creeps into us the moment we see the great tasks and mission you have for us. That is when we start wondering why visit us, Lord or why choose us, Lord? Then, we look at others, telling you they are better than us in doing your work.

And that is when we walk away from you, or worst, if we remain, we pretend to be doing your work.

Give us the grace of humility like Mary to accept and own our blessedness from you, of being chosen by you for a specific work and mission. Give us the grace to walk and live in the truth of being blessed like Mary to share you, Jesus, with others.

Visit us always, Lord, to surprise us of your great works in us so we may visit others too to share you with them.

Like Mary, let us welcome you in your every visitation to us.

Most of all, like Mary, let us always believe your words would be fulfilled in us, O Lord. Amen.

Church of Visitation at Ein Karem, Israel. Photo by author, April 2017.

Meeting Jesus (in a little while)

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul, Thursday, Easter VI, 30 May 2019
Acts 18:1-8 >< }}}*> <*{{{ >< John 16:16-20
From Google.

My dearest Jesus Christ, I am tired. There are times I just force myself to do your work, fighting off temptations of disappointments and disillusions. Like your apostles, I am baffled with your words:

“A little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while later and you will see me… Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.”

John 16:16, 20

A little while… you were with us, Lord. Not only during those 33 years you spent on earth more than 2000 years ago. A little while in times of joy and success, we feel you so close, Jesus.

But then, a little while, we no longer see you. Not only during those three days of your pasch from Holy Thursday evening to Holy Saturday but especially when we go through our own passion and little deaths.

And a little while later, we see you again in our little resurrections in life, every time we hurdle some obstacles here and there.

Give us the grace always, Lord Jesus, to persevere in our many hardships and trials in life to find you and meet you in between those “little whiles”.

Like St. Paul in the first reading, help us to move on, to accept this is your work and not ours, that our standards are different from yours when defeat for us is victory for you, or when loss for us is a gain for you.

Strengthen us inside, Jesus, so we may be focused on you alone, waiting to encounter you, to meet you in the Church, in your many Sacraments and signs. In these tensions of your being here and not yet, of your sure coming, may we be always on guard and present to meet you. Amen.

Stations of the Cross on the wall of the Catholic Church inside the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Photo by the author, 03 May 2019.
Did our prayer touch you?
Share us your thoughts and prayers.
You are prayed for.
Follow our blog for you daily recipe for the soul.
God bless you!
fr nick

Losing our head in prayer

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul, Wednesday, Easter Wk. VI, 29 May 2019
Acts 17:15,22-18:1 >< }}}*> John 16:12-15 >< }}}*>

My dearest Lord Jesus: As I prayed last night, I cannot remove from my mind that beautiful sight of a man in a chapel, so absorbed in conversing with you, that he seemed to have lost his head in prayer.

Photo by JJ Jimeno of GMA News, UP Chapel, 27 May 2019.

Today our readings speak of the need to lose our selves in you.

St. Paul tried to win over the people of Athens at the Areopagus, proclaiming your Gospel without condemning or attacking their religion. He even cited their shrine “To An Unknown God” (Acts 17:23) as a step closer to discovering you and following you as the true God.

He never lost his cool even when people did not believe his teachings of your resurrection from the dead. He simply had himself lost to your will and left Athens to proceed to Corinth where you have prepared great things for his ministry.

Lord, so many times, we cannot let go of our heads, of our know-it-all-attitude in life that we cannot let go and let God.

Let us always remember your words during the Last Supper, “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now” (Jn.16:12).

Let us be patient, waiting for your Holy Spirit to come to us, to fill us with your wisdom, to remind us of your teachings and to guide us in doing your work.

Let us lose not only our heads but our very selves to you so we may do your work in the way you would want it be done. Amen.

Photo by the author, parish sacristy, 10 March 2019.
 Did our prayer touch you?
Share us your thoughts and prayers.
You are prayed for.
Follow our blog for you daily recipe for the soul.
God bless you!
fr nick

Presence is always a gift

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul, Tuesday, Easter Wk. VI, 28 May 2019
Acts 16:22-34 >< }}}*> John 16:5-11 >< }}}*>
Church of St. Peter Gallicantu (Rooster), Jerusalem, 05 May 2019.

Praise and glory to you, O God our loving Father! Thank you for the night, whether we were able to sleep soundly or not; thank you for the rains, for the sunrise, for the brand new day! Thank you for the internet, thank for the grace of prayer, thank you for the gift of life.

Thank you for your gift of presence in Jesus Christ!

Your readings for today remind us that every presence is always a gift. It is always best to have even a little of anything than nothing at all.

Some of us while reading this still have same problems that persist like a sickness not getting worse, bills to be paid, debts piling up, problems getting bigger. Sometimes for many of us, life is so dark that we cannot even feel you, Lord.

In moments we feel like giving up in life, giving up on you, Jesus, please send us a St. Paul who would shout in a loud voice to us like in the first reading, “Do no harm to yourself; we are all here” (Acts 16:28).

Give us the grace and courage to be present to anyone like St. Paul so we can uplift their sagging spirits and continue to find meaning in life in our simple presence.

Fill us with the Holy Spirit to bring joy and conviction to those who doubt you. May they believe in you and find your presence, find fulfillment to be reassured of the beauty of life. Amen.

Sunset in the desert of Jordan on our way to Amman, 01 May 2019.
 Did our prayer touch you?
Share us your thoughts and prayers.
You are prayed for.
Follow our blog for you daily recipe for the soul.
God bless you!
fr nick

Knowing and Relating

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul, Easter Week VI, 27 May 2019
Acts 16:11-15 >< }}}*> <*{{{ >< John 15:26-16:4
Photo by Dra. Mai dela Pena, Carmel Monastery in Israel, 2014.

Praise and glory to you O Lord Jesus Christ! Today I praise and thank you in a very special way because of this immense love you have made me experience these days. I feel so blessed because I feel so loved. And I feel so loving too.

You know O Lord I have always looked down at myself, always doubting my abilities and most of all, my goodness. Every time I go on my personal retreats, in my own silent moments with you, I find it so hard to see myself as you see me — a beloved one.

So many times even if I know you have forgiven me for my many sins, I always still feel unworthy and untidy before you.

But when people come to thank me, to remind me of some kindness and charity I have extended them, you overwhelm me.

Maybe that’s the problem with us: we always doubt you love us, that we are loved, that we mean so much to other people. We tend to look on our dark side than on the bright moments you have worked in us and through us.

Teach us to be realistic and humble like Paul who was prevailed upon by Lydia in her generosity to receive them because of their goodness coming from you.

You are absolutely right, Lord Jesus: some people think they are doing God a big favor hurting us your followers because they have not really known you and the Father.

They have never experienced really knowing you, entering into a relationship with you as a person, as a Father, as a Brother.

That’s what make Christianity so different where we have a relating God, a God who knows when to give us that proverbial pat on the shoulders when we forget our goodness in you. You are a personal God who knows us and relates with us.

We pray for those burdened today, for those who feel neglected and even useless because of their plight and sorry condition. Remind us always that despite our many flaws and weaknesses, sins and failures in life, you still love us and would always love us no matter what. Amen.

Our pilgrimage team at Petra in Jordan, 01 May 2019.
 Did our prayer touch you?
Share us your thoughts and prayers.
You are prayed for.
Follow us for you daily recipe for the soul.
God bless you!
fr nick

Friend, or fiend?

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul
Friday, Easter Week V, 24 May 2019
Acts 15:22-31 ><}}}*> John 15:12-17
From Google.

What a lovely Friday you calling us friends, Lord Jesus! What an honor for you to regard as your friends even though so many times we disappoint you, even betray you with our sins.

You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.

John 15:14-15

How funny, Lord, that just one letter in the word “friend” can spell the big difference to turn it into its exact opposite, the letter “r”: from friend to fiend or enemy.

So many times, Lord, it is the lack of respect that leads us to sin against you and one another, that we become fiend than friend. Friends always respect, which is from the Latin roots re and specere or to “look again”.

Teach us, like your apostles in the first reading to learn to respect one another, especially those different from us that we may always see them as brothers and sisters despite our differences like backgrounds, culture, and color.

Teach us, O Lord, to see more of you in others to be the very basis of our friendships rather than looking more into our many differences that we always make as excuses in being apart. Amen.

An optical shop in Madaba, Jordan. Photo by author, 02 May 2019.
Did our prayer touch you?
Share us your thoughts and prayers.
You are prayed for.
Follow us for you daily recipe for the soul.
God bless you!
fr nick

When words mean the world

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul
Thursday, Easter Week V, 23 May 2019
Acts 15:7-21 ><)))*> John 15:9-11
The Sphinx with the Great Pyramids that express more than words the great love of ancient Egyptians to their gods and rulers. Photo by author, 09 May 2019.

Today is “throwback Thursday”, Lord. We call it tbt. And I cannot resist humming that song by the Extreme, “More than Words” as I prayed over your words for today.

How amazing is the power of a word, especially your words, Lord. Whatever you said came into existence for you words and your being are one. In your goodness, you shared this great power of the words with us that we are your only creatures able to communicate using words.

Before you went back to the Father, you told us to keep your words, to remain in your love so that our joy may be complete.

How sad that we have taken this for granted as we desecrate words of their sanctity and true meaning.

How sad that so often we never meant what we said. We have to multiply our words in order to be meaningful, for others to believe us and trust us.

Help us to regain the sanctity of words, of “palabra de honor” that has long been gone in a world of words that lie, mislead, and deceive.

Help us rediscover anew your words of life, Lord, like the Apostles who relied heavily on your words when they met at the Council of Jerusalem to resolve their first issues as a Church.

May your words guide us anew so we may discover the true meaning of life that in the process, like the ancient peoples, we may express in more than words our great love for you through our wonderful works of art and charity with others. Amen.

The Treasury of the lost city of Petra in Jordan built in 1 BC that express in more than words the beliefs and values of the ancient Nabataeans. Photo by author, 01 May 2019.
 *Were you touched by our prayer today? 
Share us your thoughts and touch other hearts too.
If you have prayer intentions, we'll be glad to pray for you.  
Follow us for your daily recipes for the soul.
God bless!
fr nick

Remaining in Jesus, our true vine

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul
Wednesday, Easter Week V, 22 May 2019
Acts 15:1-6 ><}}}*> <*{{{>< John 15:1-8
From Google.

Thank you very much, Lord Jesus Christ, for coming to us, for bringing God the Father closest to us. Thank you for being our true vine, for being planted in the earth, one with our humanity in everything except sin.

Through your mystery of Incarnation, you have bound yourself to us, Lord, assuring us of your indestructible unity with us who always separate from you, run away from you, and turn away from you in so many sins.

Teach us to remain always in you, Jesus.

To remain in you is to rely more on your powers than on our own strength.

To remain in you is to trust in your promises that you will fulfill them.

To remain in you is to be fruitful in firm faith, fervent hope and unceasing charity and love.

Since the time of Adam and Eve, there has always been that strong temptation to go on our own ways, to break away from you, O God, to be on our own. We have not only put you on trial 2000 years ago but, over a hundred years ago, we have even declared “God is dead”!

Forgive us when we refuse to be pruned of our ego and pride.

Let us overcome our fears to settle our differences like in the Council of Jerusalem so that we may continue to bear fruit in you O Christ. Amen.

From Google.
 *Were you touched by our prayer today? 
Share us your thoughts and touch other hearts too.
If you have prayer intentions, we'll be glad to pray for you.  
Follow us for your daily recipes for the soul.
God bless!
fr nick

The small door of the “little town of Bethlehem”

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul
Tuesday, Easter Week V, 21 May 2019
Acts 14:19-28 ><“)))*> <*(((“>< John 14:27-31
Pilgrims entering through the small door of the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, 02 May 2019.

Lately, Lord Jesus Christ, doors have been fascinating me: more than passages where we come and go, or enter and leave, doors are indeed like you! Last week you claimed yourself to be the gate of the sheep with you, Lord as our door, we never leave but, simply, come and come.

When you told your disciples at your Last Supper in today’s gospel that you were going away and will come back to them (Jn.14:28), you were very much like a door, Lord: for how can our hearts be not troubled or afraid when you are going away only to come to another level of relationship and existence with us?

That is the beauty of the door in you, Lord: your going away in your Ascension is your coming to us in new form of closeness, of continuing presence that leads to peace within each one of us.

How wonderful to remember Lord Jesus why the door to your birthplace in Bethlehem is so small: we have to go down, we have to bow and be humble in order to enter you:

They (Paul and Barnabas) strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.”

Acts 14:22

Give us the courage and strength, patience and perseverance, Lord, along with faith, hope and love to enter through you our door so that we may always come out as better persons than yesterday. Amen.

View from the inside of the Nativity Church in Bethlehem of its small doors. Photos by author, 02 May 2019.
*Were you touched by our prayer today? 
Share us your thoughts or your prayers and touch other hearts too.
Send us your prayer intentions, we'll be glad to pray for you.  
Follow us for your daily recipes for the soul.
God bless!
fr nick

The way of God

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul
Monday, Easter Week V, 20 May 2019
Acts 14:5-18 ><)))*><*(((>< John 14:21-26
Dusk at the Sinai desert in Egypt, 06 May 2019.

Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him, “Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?”

John 14:21-22

So often in life, Lord Jesus, we feel like St. Jude Thaddeus asking you the same question of why did you not reveal your self to more people, especially the unbelievers and your enemies so there would be no more questions about your Resurrection and most of all, of your existence.

Why did you not appear to powerful nations and not just Israel or to more people not just the few Apostles whose testimony about you we must now rely?

But, Lord, the more we wonder about your ways and compare it to our supposed to be bright ideas of making you known and accepted, the more we experience your presence and realize your goodness. Most of all, the more we appreciate and embrace your mystery.

You always act so gently in history, Lord, always waiting for the right time to come and reveal your self. You chose the more difficult way by becoming human, being born an infant subjected to so much dangers early in life and when you matured, you chose to suffer and die so that when you rose again, you came knocking into everyone’s heart inviting us all to have faith that you have risen.

For the world, your way is always laughed at because we always think we know better like the people at Lystra who insisted that Paul and Barnabas are gods, without us knowing that the more we insist on our ways, the more we get lost from what is really true.

Teach us today, Lord Jesus Christ, to learn from your divine way of revelations by choosing silence than noise, simplicity than complexity, hiddenness than spectacles.

Teach us today, Lord Jesus Christ, that your divine way of revelation is always the path of weakness and smallness that lead us to more freedom and more love. Amen.

Rock formations at Petra in Jordan that nature had carved slowly through time. Photo by author, 01 May 2019.
*For prayer requests, leave a comment below or write me at lordmychef@gmail.com.
To receive a copy of our daily recipe for the soul, follow this blog.  God bless!