Keeping our light shining

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Wednesday in the Thirty-first Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 06 November 2024
Philippians 2:12-18 ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'> Luke 14:25-33

*Photo by author, Fatima Ave., Valenzuela City, 25 July 2024.*

Grant me,
dear Jesus
the serenity and composure
of St. Paul:
so peaceful,
so dignified,
so free 
in the face of death.

Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life… But, even if I am poured out as a libation upon the sacrificial service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with all of you. In the same way you also should rejoice and share your joy with me (Philippians 2:14-16, 17-18).

Many times O Lord
the burdens are too heavy
and unbearable,
with pains and suffering
so overwhelming
that I really wonder
if I would make any difference at all;
but, you are always here
present
in the "nick of time"
sending people reminding me
of jokes I have long forgotten but
still tickle them;
or simple lessons I could not recall
but they have kept
and guided them through life;
or music I made them listened to
that have lingered in their heads;
or books and poems
 that have opened their horizons.

Teach me, Jesus
to renounce everything I have,
empty me of my pride,
of my self to be filled with you only
so that I may truly shine like
light in this world so at home
and fascinated with neons
 and klieg lights
that mislead them to darkness.
Amen.

Our never-ending excuses

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Tuesday in the Thirty-first Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 05 November 2024
Philippians 2:5-11 ><))))*> + ><))))*> + ><))))*> Luke 14:15-24

*Photo by author somewhere in Pampanga, 17 September 2024.*

One of those at table with Jesus said to him, “Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.” He replied to him, “A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many. When the time for the dinner came,he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, ‘Come, everything is ready.’ But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves” (Luke 14:15-18).

Forgive us,
Lord Jesus Christ for
our endless excuses
and countless alibis in not
answering your calls nor 
accepting your invitations;
we make so many excuses
and alibis, citing various reasons
because we cannot be sincere
enough to tell you we have other
plans, we follow other gods,
we believe and trust others than
you, Lord.

What a shame at times,
dear Jesus when our
excuses and alibis
do not even hold nor could
stand tests and yet,
you accept them
so that we would not be put
to shame;
forgive us, Jesus,
when our perception
and understanding of your
kingdom is something of going up,
of being on high as we it in the world
so magnified by social media these days;
open our eyes
and our hearts to see
that your path has always been to
go down,
to be little,
to be humble
which is the way of Kenosis,
of self-emptying.
Amen.

Brothers and sisters: Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself… (Philippians 2:5-7).

Positive indifference

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Wednesday, Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Priest, 31 July 2024
Jeremiah 15:10, 16-21 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Matthew 13:44-46

*Photo by Ms. Jessica Soho, caves of Manresa in Spain where St. Ignatius prayed and compiled his journals, the Spiritual Exercises, May 2024.*

Dearest Lord Jesus,
teach me to be generous
like your servant St. Ignatius of Loyola,
like the Prophet Jeremiah;
grant me the grace of 
"positive indifference",
of letting go whatever keeps me from
loving God and others
while remaining engaged with
whatever that makes me love
God and others so that I may
always praise, revere and serve
God my Lord and Master.

Forgive me, dear Jesus,
at times when I complain,
when I cry out to You like
the Prophet Jeremiah today:
"Why is my pain continuous,
my wounds incurable,
refusing to be healed?
You have indeed become for me
a treacherous brook,
whose waters do not abide!"
(Jeremiah 15:18)

Let me realize that as a disciple,
as your prophet especially in this time
of so much emphasis on relativism,
on having one's self as the measure 
of what is right and acceptable,
of what is cultured and intellectual
even at the expense of making a mockery
of you, our Lord and God, 
I have to speak in clear and blunt language,
calling a male as a he or a sir,
a female as a she or a ma'am,
nothing of them or their as singular,
of immoral as wrong and sinful,
of every life in whatever stage as precious
that may all make me be an object of
attacks and ridicule even among 
friends and relatives.

Let me realize, Jesus,
my Lord and Master,
that despite the trend of
many today to wave the banner of evil 
in multi-colors and shades,
we have to be firm in waving your
white and pure banner of truth
even if it may be old and tattered in time;
most of all, 
let me keep in mind and heart and soul
that as we continue to love and forgive
even our bashers and haters,
we would never be loved in return
just like You.

Take my will, O Lord,
my liberty and everything I have like that man
in today's parable (Matthew 13:44-46),
let me leave everything behind to
gain You like that great
treasure and pearl of great price;
give me the grace and courage
to do your most holy will.
Amen.

St. Ignatius of Loyola,
Pray for us.

*Photo by Ms. Jessica Soho, Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey, Spain where St. Ignatius pledged his loyalty to the Mother of God, May 2024.*

“Bring me”…

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Monday, Memorial of St. Bonaventure, Doctor of the Church, 15 July 2024
Isaiah 1:10-17 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Matthew 10:34-11:1

*Photo from The Valenzuela Times, 02 July 2024.*

On this blessed Monday,
your word "bring" invites me
to examine what I bring:

“Trample my courts no more! Bring no more worthless offerings; your incense is loathsome to me” (Isaiah 1:13).

Jesus said to his Apostles: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword” (Matthew 10:34).

Teach me, O Lord,
to bring your peace and justice,
to bring your truth and light
so that I may bring that
much-needed balance
we are searching in life.

Like St. Bonaventure,
help me to bring myself before
You, dear God in prayers,
to immerse myself in your words
in the scriptures
so that I may bring together
the ideal and practical,
the spiritual and material.

Many times, O Lord,
we bring our very selves,
it is our ego and pride
we love to bring everywhere
for everyone to see,
forgetting that
we must first bring
You back into our hearts,
bring You back into our minds,
bring You back into our lives
so that we can finally
bring out the best
worship of You.
Amen.

The “Simon Peter” within us

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Tuesday in the Eighth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 28 May 2024
1 Peter 1:10-16 ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'> Mark 10:28-31

*Photo by author, Simon Peter before Jesus after their bountiful catch in Galilee, May 2017.*

Forgive me Jesus
for being so like Simon Peter,
so irrepressible on many occasions,
saying things without much
thinking and reflection
like in today's gospel
when he bragged to You,
"We have given up everything
and followed you" (Mark 10:28);
let me be aware always that 
all that I have,
whatever good I can do
are all because of You, Jesus;
like Simon Peter,
let me grow and mature 
in my faith in You
when he wrote us today
"be holy yourselves in every
aspect of your conduct,
for it is written, Be holy
because I am holy"
(1 Peter 1:15-16).

Make me holy, Lord,
fill me with Your Spirit
by first emptying me 
of myself, 
of my pride, 
of my insecurities,
of my sins
in order to be filled
with Your Spirit 
so I may truly conform to You
and be Your presence
in the world today;
I know I have not 
given that much yet 
to You through others
for I still think of myself always;
take away whatever 
I still keep and hide to myself
that I am not aware of,
remind me to abandon
and offer everything to You.
Amen.