To Love Like Jesus

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The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe-Prayer

Thursday, 13 September 2018, Week XXIII, Year II

1 Corinthians 8:1-7,11-13///Luke 6:27-38

O loving Father, today we pray for those who have hurt us, for those who have wounded us so deeply, those we have loved but turned against us. Most especially, we pray for those who have hurt us who are now asking our forgiveness. It is very difficult Lord but it can be done in your Son.

“Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up. If anyone supposes he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.” (1Cor.8:1)

When we use more of our minds, loving especially those who have hurt us becomes difficult, even impossible. We could not get over the pain and the hurts that are so bad enough, worsened by the accompanying shame and embarrassment brought on us when we were disregarded as persons that in turn lead us to think of revenge, of getting even, of demanding “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”

Thank for the grace, O God, of enabling us to enter into the very heart of Jesus Christ’s teaching which is to love like Him, to love radically that means “loving our enemies, doing good for them, lending without expecting returns and being merciful like you our Father.” (Lk.6: 35, 36) Thank you for the grace, O God, of enabling us to get into the very person of your Son Jesus Christ who is so poor, so empty of Himself with enough space to host everyone inside His heart with nothing to keep except with everything to give within. Amen. St. John Chrysostom, pray for us! Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ng San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan 3022.

Photo by the author, St. Paul-Mt. Pico Retreat House, Baguio City, 17 July 2017.

Everything Is Passing

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe-Prayer

Wednesday, 12 September 2018, Week XXIII, Year II

1 Corinthians 7:25-31///Luke 6:20-26

Dear God our Father: we are in the midweek, thank you for enabling us to reach this far. There are still so many things to be done and accomplished, so many sacrifices and sufferings to go through while we savor some sweet victories and achievements, blessings and grace that have come our way.

St. Paul reminds us that “the world in its present form is passing away” (1Cor.7:31) and nothing is permanent, like darkness and light, victory and defeat, including our very dear life. The people who have gone ahead of us in this world like our departed loved ones have taught us this basic truth that nothing stays except change. Grant them eternal rest, O God, while we who are left behind here on earth be blessed to choose and bear the little discomforts of life, of being poor before you, hungering for your love, weeping for justice, patiently doing what is right amidst the evil of so many around us who woefully forget your day of judgement. Amen. Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ng San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan 3022.

Photo by the author, sunset at Bgy. Taboc, San Juan, La Union, 05 January 2018.

When We Treat Others As Entity Than Family

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe-Prayer

Tuesday, 11 September 2018, Week XXIII, Year II

1 Corinthians 6:1-11///Luke 6:12-19

Merciful Father in heaven, we look up to you today praying for those people who have died in “9/11”.

Until now we still feel the pain of how such a horrific event could happen on the first year of the new millennium. More than 2000 years ago, you have sent us your Son Jesus Christ to bring us together as brothers and sisters, praying that we may all be one – “ut unum sint” (John 17:21).

Unfortunately, we would more often go on our own separate ways, refusing to see one another as a family but instead as an entity. Like the Corinthians during the time of St. Paul, we could not resolve amicably our many issues and differences that end in tragedy. St. Paul noted so well how we have forgotten our being sanctified by the Holy Spirit to abide with justice and respect in spite of our differences.

Give us the grace, O God, to look more on Jesus Christ than with each other like the Apostles. Give us that grace of seeing more of Jesus Christ like the Twelve so that in the process we may see our very selves being called not because we are qualified but out of your immense love for us. Give us the grace to see our worth as a person amid our diversity in color and creed. Amen.Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ng San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan 3022. Photo from CBS.News.

Choose Good, Choose What Is Beautiful!

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The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe-Prayer

Monday, 10 September 2018, Week XXIII, Year II

1 Corinthians 5:1-8///Luke 6:6-11

God our Father, it is Monday again. For most of us, it is the start of another week of work or studies or both. For some of us like our retired parents and friends, it is another week of emptiness in their empty nests. For the sick, it is another week of patient waiting. Every Monday, some of us dread the many decisions and choices we have to make for this brand new week.

Give us the grace amidst these Monday blues to think more of the good things in life. Give us the grace to choose what is good no matter how difficult it may be. Make us positive of the many good choices available for us despite the many darkness and problems that surround us in the family, in our relationships and in our work or school.

Like St. Paul in the first reading today, let us not give in to immorality, that “old yeast” within us, “the yeast of malice and wickedness; but, let us celebrate this new week with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth found in Christ Jesus.” (1Cor.5:7-8) Every day is your day, O Lord, a sabbath – a day of doing good, of saving lives, of healing wounds (Lk.6:9) through Jesus Christ. Amen.Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ng San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan 3022.

Photo by the author, Betania-Tagaytay, 23 August 2017.

Old Wine May Be Good, But New Spirits Got the Kicks

bottle pouring summertime wine glass — Photo by Torsten Dettlaff on Pexels.com

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe-Prayer

Friday, 07 September 2018, Week XXII, Year II

1 Corinthians 4:1-5///Luke 5:33-39

God our loving Father, another week of work and studies is coming to a close. As we look forward to the weekend rest and recreation, may we not forget the many new things and new realizations we have learned and discovered this week about you.

Let us accept the new meaning of fasting as well as the other new perspectives about you and your plans for us revealed in the coming of your Son Jesus Christ. Let us not be fixated with traditions and rituals, even beliefs that have made us complacent in our relationship with you. So many times in life we do not meet you in the present because we are always in the past, contented in holding on to that saying “old wine is good” (Lk.5:39) that we miss trying new wines that have new and stronger “kicks” so to speak.

Give us the grace like St. Paul of being a “servant of Christ and steward of the mysteries of God” (1Cor.4:1) by constantly examining our trustworthiness before you, cleansing and purifying our hearts for you alone. Amen.Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ng San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan 3022.

The Inverse Proportionality of God’s Glory

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe-Prayer

Thursday, 06 September 2018, Week XXII, Year II

1Corinthians 3:18-23///Luke 5:1-11

Your words, O God, today are a mystery, revealing the inverse proportionality of your glory! As I think of the new day, I cannot help but smile that for us to be wise in this age as St. Paul reminds us in the first reading, we have to be fools, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God.”(1Cor.3:18-19)

Like Simon Peter in the gospel, we have to be “shallow” by setting aside our expertise, our intelligence or brilliance as fishermen to obey instructions of Jesus the carpenter to “cast their nets into the deep”(Lk.5:4) to catch more fish.

Whenever I look back in my life, I notice how often I felt empty when I tried to be more in control; but, when I surrendered myself to you in faith, that is when I felt fulfilled! Give us the grace, O Lord, to heed the Apostle’s words, “Let no one deceive himself”(1Cor.3:18) because your ways and your glory are inversely proportional to ours. When the world tells us to go up and rise, you tell us to go down to meet you. When the world tells us to have more, you tell us to give and share to be filled by you. And when the world tells us to be famous and popular, you tell us to be simple and hidden to discover true glory and majesty in you. Amen.Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ng San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan 3022. Photo by the author taken last 23 February 2018 during our Stations of the Cross in a barrio. See the warning against stealing or “dukot” with Christ below.

ViaCrucis

Focusing On God Than With Self

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe-Prayer

Wednesday, 05 September 2018, Week XXII, Year II

1Corinthians 3:1-9///Luke 4:38-44

We praise and thank you O God our heavenly Father in giving us today a modern saint who had lived in our midst, in our own time: St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

What is really joyful in celebrating her memorial today is the very fact you are real! You exist, O God! because right among us in this modern time when everyone either discards you or disregards you, we have met and encountered – personally or on TV and media – a “living saint” whose focused was YOU among the poorest of the poor. St. Mother Teresa had taught us in this modern time what St. Paul insisted to the Corinthians of his time that “we are God’s co-workers; we are God’s field, we are God’s building” (1Cor.3:9) and we have no any right to brag about our “spirituality” or “holiness”.

True saints do not even know that they are holy because their only focus is YOU, in finding YOU among those living in the margins of the society. Give us that same grace you have given St. Mother Teresa to imitate Jesus Christ to always go to the fringes to proclaim the Kingdom of God (Lk.4:44) in words and in deeds. Amen.Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ng San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria,Bulacan 3022. Photo from Google.

Speaking with Authority, Power of Words

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe-Prayer

Tuesday, 04 September 2018, Week XXII, Year II

1Corinthians 2:10-16///Luke 4:31-37

God our loving Father, you created everything merely by speaking. Whatever you said happened. In the beginning was the Word, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord who became flesh and dwelt among us.

May your words, O God, dwell in our hearts. May we recognize your Holy Spirit within us so that we may “understand the things you have freely given us to have the mind of Christ.” (1Cor.2:12,16) Today in our world, words are multiplied over a million times daily but always end up empty of any meaning at all. We long, O God, for your words that are fulfilled in our hearing.

Give us the grace to always speak with authority like your Son Jesus Christ our Lord by speaking your words of love and mercy. Amen.Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ng San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria,Bulacan 3022. *Photo from Google Images.

Impressing People Does Not Impress God

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe-Prayer

Monday, 03 September 2018, Week XXII, Year II

1Corinthians 2:1-5///Luke 4:16-30

God our almighty and loving Father, on this first working day of the week, we pray for the grace to be our true selves like St. Paul in the first reading. Give us the courage to accept who we really are, to accept our weaknesses so that our faith may not rest on human wisdom but on your power, O God.

Help us not to fall prey into the temptation of impressing people, of being filled with pride and ego, trying to be a messiah when we are simply vessels of your grace. May we be like your Son our Lord Jesus Christ who is always empty of Himself but filled with the Holy Spirit that your words are fulfilled in hearing.

Saints like Gregory the Great whose feast we celebrate today were able to fulfill great tasks not because of their own power and strengths but due to their humility before you. Like the saints, let us simply do what is good, to do what is supposed to be done not for shameful profits or impressions from people around us. Amen.Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ng San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria,Bulacan 3022.

*Photo by the author taken at the St. Agnes Church in Jerusalem last April 2018.

Keeping the Church A Good News Amid Bad News, Part 2

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe-Prayer

Friday, 31 August 2018, Week XXI, Year II

1Corinthians 1:17-25///Matthew 25:1-13

Your word, O God, is indeed “living and effective” (Heb.4:12), very “useful for teaching” (2Tim.3:16) especially at this time our Church is in the midst of a sickening crisis not only of sexual abuse but also of intrigues and careerism among clergy and hierarchy. As we continue to pray for the Church now in crisis, may we also learn from today’s first reading of how St. Paul tactfully and spiritually tackled the problem of divisions among the early Christians of Corinth by directing their attention solely into Jesus Christ your Son who offered Himself up on the Cross for us all.

This is our folly, O God, when we focus more on people and personalities – even on our very selves – as the center and main attraction in the Church instead of your Son Jesus Christ. We refuse to recognize your immense love for us expressed in the crucified Christ who have sanctified us all and restored us all to you and to one another. So many times, we are like the five foolish virgins in today’s parable who were more concerned with their very selves than with their task of waiting for the coming of the groom.

Awaken us, O God, from our “sleep” like those five foolish virgins when we spend more time seeking you in human thoughts of wisdom or some mathematical equation unmindful of your coming. Most of all, bless Pope Francis, keep him strong and guide him in these times when many forces within are coming together against him, even using the modern means of communication to destroy him without realizing the many other souls they are misleading in their self-righteousness. Let us learn anew St. Paul‘s teaching that “the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger that human strength” as revealed in Christ crucified (1Cor.1: 25). Amen. Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ng San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria,Bulacan 3022.

*Photo taken in 30 Nov. 2012 by Chester Ocampo of ICS Batch ’82: Crucified Christ made of iron but hollow inside to depict kenosis or emptiness; one of the early works by the late National Artist Ed Castrillo hanging at the altar of the chapel of Immaculate Conception Seminary (ICS) in Guiguinto, Bulacan.