Lawiswis ng Salita ni P. Nicanor F. Lalog II, ika-29 ng Hulyo 2019
Minsan sa aking pananalangin Sa Panginoon ako'y dumaing Ngunit ang sumagi sa akin Yaring tagpo nang kanyang sabihin:
"Marta, Marta naliligalig ka At abalang-abala sa maraming bagay Ngunit iisa lamang ang talagang mahalaga."
Kaya naman naglaro sa aking isipan Paano mangatwiran si Marta kung tayo sinabihan At marahil ganito kanyang tinuran: "Ako pa ba ngayon ang naliligalig Gayong batid ninyo Panginoon Pandarambong at kasakiman ng karamihan Pagkagahaman sa kayamanan ng ilan Habang kaming maliliit ang labis nahihirapan?"
At waring sumagi sa akin wika ng Panginoon, "Marta, Marta iisa lang ang mahalaga: Sa akin ay manalig ka sapagkat sinabi ko na, Mapapalad ang mga aba at dukha Na walang inaasahan kungdi ang Diyos."
Napahupa aking kalooban samandali Ngunit muli nag-alimpuyo aking galit at ngitngit Aking naisip isa pang hirit ni Marta Nang sa kanya'y nasambit: "Ako pa ba ngayon Panginoon ang nababahala At tila hindi mo alintana mga ginagawa ng masasama Na parang sila pa yata ang pinagpapala Pinapalakpakan, hinahangaan ng karamihan?"
At yaring sumagi muli ang wika ng Panginoon, "Marta, Marta isa lang ang kailangan kaya matuwa ka Kung dahil sa akin ika'y inaalimura, inuusig Pinagwiwikaan ng mga kasinungalingan: walang natatago Na di malalantad, walang lihim na hindi malalaman at mabubunyag."
Sa iyo ginigiliw kong kaibigan Nabibigatan sa maraming pinapasan Nahihirapan sa mga pinagdaraanan Laging tandaan si Kristo lamang ating kailangan.
Katulad ni Santa Martang uliran Tanging si Hesus ang asahan at abangan Ipagpatuloy gawang kabutihan Iyong pangarap tiyak makakamtan!
Exodus 32:15-24, 30-34 >< }}}*> <*{{{ >< John 11:19-27
Raising of Lazarus by Jesus with Martha and Mary from Hunterian Psalter via Google.
Praise and glory to you, O God our loving Father!
Thank you for the gift of St. Martha whose memorial we celebrate today.
St. Martha is a most beautiful image of somebody busy for the Lord, believing in him as the Christ, always waiting on him, waiting for him. She believed in you as the Christ that is why she waited on you during your visit to her home at Bethany. She also believed in you as the Christ when she awaited your coming on the death of her brother Lazarus, welcoming you on the road to express her grief and sadness.
There was no guile in St. Martha, Lord, as her feelings and words matched her actions.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now, I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.” Martha said to him, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”
John 11:20-27
Grant us, O Lord, the same faith St. Martha had in you as the Christ, the “resurrection and the life” of every believer.
In this fast-paced world, faith in you has greatly eroded as most of us can no longer wait.
We have become impatient, believing less in you like the Israelites who turned to a golden calf because they could no longer wait for Moses who had stayed on top of Mt. Sinai conversing with you, God (Ex. 32:23).
Awaiting Christ’s coming and life eternal like St. Martha who actively waited and served on the Lord in her lifetime is faith in action.
Like St. Martha, help us to believe in you so we would wait on you, wait for you.
Like St. Martha, may we live in every here and now in your presence. Amen.
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.
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.
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.
Thursday, Wk. XIV, Yr. I, 11 July 2019, Feast of St. Benedict
Genesis 44:18-21, 23-29; 45:1-5 >< )))*> Matthew 10:7-15
CICM Retreat House in Taytay, Rizal. Photo by author September 2009.
Praise and glory to you, O God, our kind and merciful Father! You never fail to amaze us with your immense love and goodness to us, most especially whenever you write in straight crooked lines in our lives.
Nothing bad ever comes from you. But, if ever something that is not good happens to us, you always ensure it could lead to something beautiful and wonderful. Like with what happened to Joseph, the son of Jacob, who was sold by his brothers but later became an Egyptian official of the Pharaoh.
Our first reading today when Joseph revealed himself to his brothers in Egypt is one of the most moving drama scenes in the whole bible for me. It shows also the tremendous faith and love Joseph has for you and his brothers.
“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
Increase our faith in you, God, especially when things do not turn out according to our plans and wishes. Let us trust in you that despite our many failures and sins, you will never abandon us to be devoured by the beasts of the forests.
On this feast of St. Benedict, we borrow his prayer for seekers of faith that we may be worthy of our call as Apostles of Jesus sent to “proclaim the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt.10:7).
Gracious and Holy Father,
give us the wisdom to discover You,
the intelligence to understand You,
the diligence to seek after You,
the patience to wait for You,
eyes to behold You,
a heart to meditate upon You,
and a life to proclaim You,
through the power of the Spirit of Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
Wednesday, Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, 03 July 2019
Ephesians 2:19-22 >< )))*> >< )))*> John 20:24-29
Thomas touching the wound of the Risen Jesus. Painting by Caravaggio from Google.
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ! As we celebrate today the feast of St. Thomas your Apostle, we recall the unique grace you have given him in encountering you personally despite his weaknesses.
During the Last Supper, he dared to ask you because of his willingness to follow you:
Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:5-6
In asking you with that question Lord, St. Thomas led us to realize that “the way and the truth and the life” is a Person, not a doctrine, nor a rule, nor a plan nor a program but YOU alone, Jesus Christ.
Eventually, when you rose again from the dead and he could not believe his fellow Apostles that you have appeared to them that Easter evening, you appeared anew to them with him on the eight day.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked and stood in their midst and said “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God.”
John 20:26-28
What a grace you have bestowed on Thomas, Lord Jesus who addressed you in the most personal manner as “My Lord and my God.”
Teach us O Lord to be like St. Thomas that despite our insecurity, we dare to ask you for clarifications to realize how you would want us to encounter you personally. Most of all, to have his courage in admitting our doubts in life that lead us to brighter outcome than any uncertainty.
St. Thomas, pray for us to be strengthened in faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God! Amen.
Statue of St. Peter at the left side of the entrance to the Minor Basilica of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Malolos City. Photo by Lorenzo Atienza, 12 June 2019.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for this Solemnity of your two leading Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul. Thank you in giving us the opportunity to confront ourselves anew of this very ironic problem we have in your Church: the difficulty of doing your work with our fellow disciples.
You know it so well, Jesus, of how often we wish to be left on our own than work with others because we have totally forgotten we are your stewards. We have forgotten how our very selves are an offering to you.
“I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have completed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.”
2 Timothy 4:6-7
Most of the time, we are so concerned with our titles and ministry, programs and achievements and so many other things forgetting the most essential, YOU, “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt. 16:16).
Give us the grace of wisdom and humility, Jesus, to be in communion with your fellow workers in the vineyard as well as with the sheep of your flock, like St. Peter and St. Paul who both transcended their differences, focusing only on YOU as our bond communion.
Teach us to be like St. Peter that despite his many flaws like impetuous generosity to the point of presumptuousness with moments of being hesitant, we may have his kind of solid loyalty to you Jesus. Most of all, like St. Peter, let us not resist the Holy Spirit who upsets our convictions to lead us where we do not want to go with you and for you.
Teach us also to be like St. Paul who was so bold and daring, always asserting his backgrounds as a Roman citizen and a former Pharisee, always insisting his being your Apostle and yet very conscious of his being fragile like a pot of clay or earthen vessel of your grace. Like St. Paul, give us the courage to resolutely go outside our comfort zone to proclaim your gospel to the nations amid the pains of being torn by our own people at home.
Prevail upon us, Lord Jesus, your servants that we may give you our faith and love to be your witnesses and mirrors of your living Church. Amen.
St. Paul’s statue at the right side entrance to the Minor Basilica of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Malolos City. Photo by Lorenzo Atienza, 12 June 2019.
St. John the Baptist Church in Ein Karem, birthplace of St. John the Baptist. Photo by author, 05 May 2019.
Praise and glory to you, O God our almighty Father! Thank you very much for the gift of life, for the gift of being born into this world to see and experience your majesty. Indeed, it is always good to be alive, no matter what our condition or status in life may be.
Unfortunately, Lord, there are so many times in life that we fail to see life’s beauty because we have taken control over ourselves and everything, leaving no room for you to work in us, with us and through us. So many times, Lord, we wonder what we would be like what the neighbors and relatives of John the Baptist said when he was born.
All who heard this these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.
Luke 1:66
Perhaps, it will be best for us today to be silent as we celebrate John the Baptist’s birthday to let your hand be upon us too, O God, so we may ponder and pray where you are leading us.
It is the start of work and studies for another week. Some of us are getting tired of the routine, some of us could no longer find meaning and direction in life. And some of us are on the brink of giving up on our many plans and even with our very lives!
Let your hand be upon us, Lord, and lead us to your direction. Guide us with your Holy Spirit. Teach us to lay aside our plans and personal agenda to allow you to take us where you would want us to be. Give us the courage to take that plunge into the unknown, trusting you alone wherever you may be leading us.
So many times Lord, we are like John the Baptist’s father Zechariah who believe so much with ourselves that we forget to trust you.
And many times, too, we are like the relatives and neighbors of Elizabeth who always interfere with your plans, insisting on following traditions and patterns, preventing you from surprising us.
Keep us silent today, Lord, to hear you more, to follow you more wherever you are leading us. Amen.
Pilgrims outside the Church of St. John the Baptist in Ein Karem waiting for their turn to enter his birthplace. What a beautiful sight of people still patiently waiting for God to lead them closer to him.
Lawiswis ng Salita ni P. Nicanor F. Lalog II, ika-14 ng Hunyo 2019
Mula sa Google.
Mula pagkabata hanggang pagtanda Ikaw na San Antonio aming nagisnan Tinatawagan nang matagpuan Ano mang nawawala o naiwan saan-saan.
Minamahal naming pintakasi Tulungan nawa kami sapagkat dumarami At lalong lumalaki aming mga isinasantabi Na maski mawala tila wala kaming paki!
Kami'y nagagalit kapag nawawaglit Mga mumunting gamit at anik-anik Pinalalaki para nang buong sarili inapi Ngunit kaunting buti para sa katabi kinukubli?
Hindi kami mapakali at agad bibili Kapag nawala'y gamit na kawili-wili Ano't lagi naming hanap ay aliw at kaluguran Walang pakialam sa mga tiyan na kumakalam?
Nawawala na respeto at pag-galang Pati hinhin at kahihiyan di malaman kung nasaan Kinamimihasnan kalaswaan at kasalahulaan Mas hinahanap kasamaan kaysa kabutihan?
Sana kami'y iyong tulungan Muli naming matagpuan Daang pabalik sa Kabanal-Banalan Na palagi naming tinatalikuran at iniiwanan.
Kami po ang nagkulang Ni hindi na namin Siya namamasdan Wala na kaming nilalaang panahon Upang Siya ay dasalan.
Mahal naming patron sa amin lumingon Nawawala kami sa landas ng Panginoon Unti-unting nilalamon ng aming kapalaluan Nalulunod sa kayamanan, karangyaan, at kapangyarihan.
Kami ang nawawala, di namin alintana Buhay at kapwa amin nang binabalewala Poong Maykapal amin nang tinalikuran Gayon Siya ang aming uuwian at hahantungan.
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