The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Friday in the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 12 July 2024 Hosea 14:2-10 <*[[[[><< + >><]]]]*> Matthew 10:16-23
Thus says the Lord: Return, O Israel, to the Lord, your God; you have collapsed through your guilt. Take with you words, and return to then Lord; Say to him, “Forgive all iniquity, and receive what is good, that we may render as offerings the bullocks from our stalls” (Hosea 24:2-3).
Loving Father, let us "take words" with us this Friday, words of contrition for our sins, words of true repentance, words begging your mercy, words that are sincere not empty words; many times in this world of social media, we multiply words, we shout words, we alter words to give new meanings that suit us; many times our words are mere words, never bearing fruit, could not even stand because they are not true; like Jesus your Son, teach us to "enflesh" our words, let our words to You be translated into realities of conversion and loving service for one another.
When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Matthew 10:20).
Let us heed your words, Lord Jesus Christ, for us to be "shrewd as serpents and simple as doves" by learning to be silent to let the Holy Spirit speak through us; in this noisy world with so many competing words and sounds, it has become indeed a persecution to be silent; it is more difficult to be silent to await your words, Lord; it is always easier to speak and add to the cacophony of deafening and hurtful words against each other than to just listen to our hearts, to listen to your words of love and mercy; like the psalmist, let my mouth declare your praise by awaiting your words first, not mine. Amen.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Thursday, Memorial of St. Benedict, Abbott, 11 July 2024 Hosea 11:1-4, 8-9 <*[[[[>< + ><]]]]*> Matthew 10:7-15
Jesus said to his Apostles: “As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give” (Matthew 10:7-8).
God our loving Father: thank you for the gift of our hands that are a gospel in themselves; Your Son Jesus Christ said it again today to each of us to make this proclamation that "the kingdom of heaven is at hand"; hands are so essential for us to do so many things that they mean so many things too - it is a microcosm of our very selves that it is why we offer our hands to meet new friends, to seal a deal, to accept a peace offer; we use our hands to touch others literally and figuratively speaking to ensure them of our love; it is with our hands that we can hold and grasp other hands for love and support, help and assistance; to proclaim your kingdom of heaven is at hand is to make it present, to make it nearer like our hands touching, caressing, holding especially those in need.
Thus says the Lord: When Israel was a child I loved him, out of Egypt I called my son. The more I called them, the farther they went from me… Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, who took them in my arms; I drew them with human cords, with bands of love; I fostered them like one who raises an infant to his cheeks; yet, though I stooped to feed my child, they did not know that I was their healer (Hosea 11:1-2, 4).
Forgive us, Father, when we use our hands to hurt others the way we have turned away from You, when we have disregarded the loving gestures of your hands like teaching us to walk, raising us to your cheeks, and feeding us your children; forgive us when we refused to reach out to your hands in Jesus Christ offering His outstretched arms with hands wide open with mercy and forgiveness.
On this Memorial of your great Saint Benedict whose rule was "Ora et Labora", let us put our hands into their most noble and divine usage of praying and working. Amen.
Photo from FB of Mr. Kel Yanga, 2019, narrating how a student shared her joy listening to his talk and wrote it on her palm.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Wednesday in the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 10 July 2024 Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Matthew 10:1-7
Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. The names of the Twelve Apostles are these… (Matthew 10:1-2).
Latin "discipulus" from "discere" which is to learn, is a follower, someone who learns from a teacher;
Greek "apostolos" from "apostello" is someone sent ahead out on a mission, deputed to disseminate the teaching of the master to others.
Lord Jesus Christ, teach us to patiently learn your lessons, following and obeying your instructions always as true disciples so that eventually, You could send us out like the Twelve Apostles to carry out your mission in this highly complicated and competitive world.
How sad the words of the Prophet Hosea are still happening these days among us: "Israel is a luxuriant vine whose fruit matches its growth. The more abundant his fruit, the more altars he set up" (Hosea 10:1-2).
Sad to say, O Lord, those You have sent have refused to learn, have ceased from being disciples because they too have been lured into the ways of the world; like yesterday, many disciples follow the calls of the world instead of God; that is why, we have no more Apostles who could be sent ahead of You, Jesus, to proclaim You; many of us have never learned truly from You, lacking discipline in prayer and discerning your will and plans; let us seek your face always, Lord, so we may do your will not the ways of the world; let us seek your face, Lord, among your people especially the weak and marginalized so we may be able to proclaim "the Kingdom of heaven is at hand." Amen.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Tuesday in the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 09 July 2024 Hose 8:4-7, 11-13 ><))))*> + <*((((>< Matthew 9:32-38
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to sent out more laborers for his harvest” (Matthew 9:38).
Lord Jesus, teach us to examine again the meaning of your words "the harvest is abundant" - how do we look at, what do we see at this abundant harvest of your people, "troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd"?
What do we see at your flock, at your people?
Forgive us, Lord Jesus, when we are like the wayward kings of Israel of Hosea's time who misled the people away from God; what an abundant harvest laid to waste by corrupt and sinful laborers some of whom were never sent by God while others turned away from God.
Forgive the laborers among us who see the abundant harvest more as a business venture, a shameful tourist attraction for the display of our delusions of grandeur; forgive us, Lord when some of us your laborers label others as troublemakers, as oppositionists, even daring to call declare others using the power of the devil like You!
Nothing much had changed since the time of Hosea and your time, Lord Jesus: your abundant harvest wasted by selfish laborers who see only themselves and their well-being instead of seeing your people as a gift and a responsibility entrusted to our care; help us, O Lord, to value your abundant harvest meant for your greater glory not ours. Amen.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Monday in the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 08 July 2024 Hosea 2:16,17-18, 21-22 <*((((><< + >><))))*> Matthew 9:18-26
Thus says the Lord: I will allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak to her heart… I will espouse you to me forever: I will espouse you in right and in justice, in love and in mercy; I will espouse you in fidelity, and you shall know the Lord (Hosea 2:16, 21-22).
Praise and glory to You, God our loving Father! Lead us back to You, lead us back to the desert - to that state of dryness, of emptiness, of nothingness for us to find and experience You again; lead us to the desert, Father, for us to feel our heart again that You are our first love after all!
Forgive us, Father, when life is in abundance we are filled of our selves we forget You and others; when life is affluent, we disregard what is right and just, we become so greedy with nothing enough; when life is going on smoothly without problems, we disregard love and mercy as we see more of things than persons as we veer away from You, sinking into infidelity, not knowing You.
I do not ask for too much pain and suffering; just something enough to knock our heads like that father in the gospel and woman suffering hemorrhages for 12 years who both felt so isolated from the rest like in a desert to realize there is only You in Jesus Christ to restore us back to life, back to community, back to our real selves and back to You. Amen.
The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B, 07 July 2024 Ezekiel 2:2-5 ><}}}}*> 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 ><}}}}*> Mark 6:1-6
Photo by Mr. Gelo Carpio, Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan, January 2020.
Last week’s readings clarified with us the disturbing mystery of death and sickness are not from God but from the evil enemy. Nothing bad could come from God who is love Himself that is why He sent us Jesus Christ to heal and save us. Should something bad happen to us, God works silently to ensure everything would turn out good for us. Hence, the need for faith.
Today our readings clarify another mystery in life that happens so often that we encounter daily despite our efforts and sacrifices, demanding us for more faith too. It may be lighter than death or tragedies but still a kind of suffering that is most persistent, even troublesome we refer to as failures like rejections and other weakness we have as humans.
Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. When the Sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished… And they took offense at him (Mark 6:1-2,3c).
Photo by author, 2023.
Mark tells us today how our Lord Jesus Christ embraced failure and rejection. Though perfect and powerful, Jesus chose to be weak and powerless, experiencing rejections so that we may become like Him, holy and divine.
If we go by the world’s standard, Jesus and His mission were actually a “failure” after He was rejected by the crowds, shamed and crucified along with two other criminals. But, it was in that failure that Jesus rose again on Easter!
See that small detail Mark noted so well in his story this Sunday, “they took offense at him (Mk.6:3c).” It is that classic case among us humans we say so well in Filipino, “walang personalan, trabaho lang”. Everything is personal because we are all relating beings. Every rejection is personal. However, Jesus is teaching us too that rejection and failures become a problem when we are not able to accept them as a part of our weaknesses as humans.
Photo by author, 2019.
Of course, it is painful. And that’s the good news this Sunday – Jesus is with us in every failure and rejection we go through as He joins us in crossing this life right in our own home and among our own people with all the negative things they throw on us. Jesus must have felt sad too when His own folks “took offense at him.” Rejection is humiliating as we feel to have failed in life. Or worst, as if we are a failure. Even that simple act of being “unfriended” in Facebook is painful, is it not?
However, when we examine failures and rejections, these are not really about us but more on those around us, on those “who took offense at us” that like Jesus, we really can’t perform anything at all because those around us lack faith and not that we are powerless or could not do anything at all.
This Sunday, Jesus is telling us not to take every failure and rejection personally though it is really very personal. See the other sides of failures in life as these are not really that bad at all! Oftentimes, we are not the problem but those who reject us. Have a heart. Stop those self-pity. Next Sunday after this rejection in Nazareth seen by the Twelve, Jesus would even send them to preach and heal;surely, part of their mission was to face rejection first hand too.
Photo by author, 2023.
Once again, Mark is revealing to us who is Jesus Christ really – truly Divine, the Son of God who spoke with authority, who could heal the sick and raise the dead but at the same time, truly human who embraced rejections and failures, even becoming “powerless” that would reach its highest point on Good Friday.
And to know Jesus more is to have that deep faith in Him which is most essential like a hinge connecting us to Him and other virtues. Even God cannot do anything at all if we do not have faith in Him, if we do not believe Him. Jesus had said this a few weeks ago when He mentioned the sin agains the Holy Spirit. We can’t even talk of any relationships unless we have faith from which springs love and understanding.
Most of our failures and pains in life came from this lack of faith in our family like mistrust among husband and wife or among children and parents. Failures begin when we refuse to believe or have faith in our very selves, with others, and with God. When people lack faith, we have no relationships, no common ground to start anything like simple conversations and dialogue that is more of being with others than a way of thinking through issues and problems.
Photo by author, 2022.
Lately I have been going through some serious reflections in life as friends and colleagues in my former work and past ministries are retiring and getting sick with some of them dying. One thing I have realized is that no one is really so good, so brilliant because each one of us has imperfections and limitations.
The best managers and pastors I have met and known are those who knew so well how to gather and inspire the best people to work together.
Most of all, when I look back to these great men and women who have taught and formed me in school and work, their most outstanding trait is their courage to be imperfect. They do not hide their fears and failures, insecurities and mistakes that they were able to see more of what is possible than impossible because they believed in God, in themselves and in others.
Faith is infectious like disbelief or unbelief. Better choose faith which leads us to life. See how the men and women in the Church who have become saints like St. Paul along with the many statesmen, thinkers, writers, and scientists who were able to shape and change the world by being courageous enough to be imperfect due to their faith.
Photo by author, Malagos Garden Resort, Davao City, 2018.
God knows our limitations and weaknesses; most of all, our sinfulness yet, He never loses hope in us that He continues to call us to be converted, even sending us prophets who at the start are already aware of the failures and rejections they would face in such difficult mission.
This is one important aspect we priests have forgotten or disregarded – the courage to be imperfect as we always play God. Nobody’s perfect except God; the challenge in this life is to overcome every failure and defeat we encounter for that is how we are perfected. Remember that term “blessings in disguise” that are our many imperfections in life.
When facing a failure in life, the best thing to do is to be silent and to pray, be the presence of God like the prophets, “And whether they resist— for they are a rebellious house — they shall know that a prophet has been among them” (Ez.2:5). After all, God’s “grace is always sufficient” for us because “power is made perfect in our weaknesses so that when we are weak, then we are strong in Christ Jesus” (1Cor.12:9,10).
During His lifetime here on earth, Jesus was “amazed” only twice. First was when a Roman centurion asked Him to cure his slave from afar, saying “I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the words and my servant will be healed.” Jesus was “amazed” that He cured the servant from afar, declaring that He had not seen such great faith in Israel (Mt.8:5-13). The other time Jesus was amazed was when He returned home narrated in our Gospel this Sunday when people “took offense at him” that “He was amazed at their lack of faith” (Mk.6:3,6).
When Jesus comes, would He be amazed with our great faith, or with our lack of faith?
Be amazed. Choose Jesus, choose faith in Him, the Christ! Let us pray:
Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for always believing in me despite my sins and many flaws; remind me always I am not You, and therefore, imperfect and weak; keep me faithful and persevering in You, crossing the turbulent sea of life, helping others cross to make it through to the side of life; let me your voice of hope and your presence in this world fascinated with anything that glitters and sparkles, afraid of the dark, of emptiness, of failures, of faith. Amen.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II First Friday in the Thirteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 05 July 2024 Amos 8:4-6, 9-12 <*((((><< + >><))))*> Matthew 9:9-13
Photo by Dra. Mylene A. Santos, MD in Infanta, Quezon 2020.
Help us,
loving Father
to be prophetic
in our lives, to speak
and live according to your
words and precepts,
witnessing your truth
and justice, boldly speaking
against the evil pervading among us.
How easy,
O God,
for almost everybody today
to speak strongly about truth
without being prophetic at all
like the Pharisees who saw Jesus
dining with sinners and asked his
disciples: "Why does your teacher
eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
(Matthew 9:11); many of them are
still among us these days
who avail of every modern
communication platform aided
by the age-old tradition of corruption,
championing the truth everywhere
when in fact are subverting
decency, honesty and sincerity
because they are actually
a manipulator or what a song
labeled as "smooth operator"
"whose eyes are like angels
but his heart is cold."
Forgive us, Father, for the many times we have joined these smooth operators among us because we have benefitted from their excesses, trampling further the dignity of many especially the poor and voiceless; forgive us, Father, for those times we pretended to be prophetic, acting and speaking to be the virtuous ones as we project others as sinners especially those not on our side.
Teach us to be like Amos, Father, a prophet who spoke and lived out your words like Jesus who confronted the powerful and abusive among us, insisting that being prophetic is not what humans want but what God desires always which is mercy. Amen.
*Can't resist sharing Sade's 1984 hit "Smooth Operator" that inspired us too in our prayer-reflection today.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Thursday in the Thirteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 04 July 2024 Amos 7:10-17 <*((((><< + >><))))*> Matthew 9:1-8
Photo by Mr. Raffy Tima, GMA-7 News in Batanes, 2018.
Oh how I love the gospel this week, Lord Jesus Christ, showing how often You have crossed the vast lake of Galilee to reach everyone; You continue to do so these days, helping us cross the turbulent seas and chaotic streets of life that are so stressful, so heavy with burdens, always with various forms of sufferings; without You, we could have not made it this far. Thank You, Lord Jesus!
Photo by Mr. Raffy Tima of GMA-7 News in Batanes, 2018.
Help us, Jesus, do the same as You send us daily to help others cross this life to safety and security in You, to fullness and light in You; like the Prophet Amos, let us dare to cross and leave our comfort zone to speak your words across other territories, especially those hostile to You and your values of love and justice, kindness and mercy; give us the courage to speak up for those silenced and weak due to poverty and sickness; let us be your mouthpiece and presence especially when everyone feels contented with mediocrity and sin.
Amos answered Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor have I belonged to a company of prophets; I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores. The Lord took me from following the flock, and said to me, ‘Go prophecy to my people Israel'” (Amos 7:14-15).
Let your words, O Lord, refresh my soul for they are perfect while your decrees are trustworthy, giving wisdom to those who simply obey You; let me not be distracted by what others say as I dare to cross to your side of life and truth, justice and mercy for others. Amen.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Wednesday, Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle, 03 July 2024 Ephesians 2:19-22 <*{{{{>< + ><}}}}*> John 20:24-29
From the the Catholic Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas, dolr.org.
Praise and glory to You, God our Father for your gift of the Church, the Body of Christ built on the foundation of the Apostles as a community of faith, hope, and love!
Thank You for the gift of St. Thomas also known as Didymus; though he was not present on the evening of Easter when the Risen Lord appeared to his fellow disciples, he joined them eight days later to be with them, most especially with Jesus; what a beautiful gesture of him who could not believe of the Resurrection; what a gift of courage for him to submit himself to actual tests to prove to himself that Jesus had risen; most of all, his goodwill to be one in communion with his brother Apostles and Lord Jesus.
Brothers and sisters: You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord, in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:19-22).
Let us keep those words of St. Paul, dear Jesus, "Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord, in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit": what will happen if we destroy this communion in You and with You through one another? What could have happened if St. Thomas remained adamant with his "doubts" and never came to join the other Apostles on that eighth day after Easter?
Caravaggio’s painting “The Incredulity of St. Thomas” (1602) from en.wikipedia.org.
Lord Jesus Christ, teach me to have the healthy doubts of St. Thomas, to dare test himself, not You nor others, to find You, the Truth; grant us the humility to accept and embrace not only your wounds but also those wounds of our fellow disciples because the twofold communion with God and with one another is inseparable - wherever communion with God in the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit is destroyed, the root and source of our communion with each other is destroyed too; whenever we do not live communion among ourselves, communion with God is not alive and true either. Like St. Thomas, enlighten us with your light and truth, Jesus, to see you among one another to live in communion. Amen.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Tuesday in the Thirteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 02 July 2024 Amos 3:1-8, 4:11-12 <'[[[[>< + ><]]]]'> Matthew 8:23-27
Photo by author in San Juan, La Union, 25 July 2023.
Your words are weighty and terrifying today, O God as You left us with a warning - "prepare to meet your God, O Israel" (Amos 4:12); how must we prepare to meet You, O God, whom we have turned away from so often in the past? How must we prepare to meet You, O God, whose voice we have never heeded despite our hearing them?
Let us learn from nature who heeds your voice like the storm and the waves in the sea becoming quiet at Jesus Christ's command; let us learn to accept the simple laws of nature governing this world, of simply following the cause and effect pattern in everything instead of destroying it for in the end, it shall get upon us:
Do two walk together unless they have agreed? Does a lion roar in the forest when it has no prey? Does a young lion cry from its den unless it has seized something? Is a bird brought to a snare when there is no lure for it? Does a snare spring up from the ground without catching anything? If the trumpet sounds in a city, will the people not be frightened? If evil befalls a city, has not the Lord caused it? (Amos 3:3-6)
For so long, You have been most patient with us, Lord, letting us go on our own sinful ways despite all the love and graces You have showered us; You are all good, loving Father, full of mercy and forgiveness for our sins but lest we forget, there are so many sinful things we do with irreversible consequences that can unfree us, making us suffer from its dismal effects. This we pray we may realize so that when we meet You, O God, there may be justice still left for us. Amen.
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