Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 27 October 2025 Monday in the Thirtieth Week of Ordinary Time, Year I Romans 8:12-17 <*{{{{>< + ><}}}}*> Luke 13:10-17
Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath. And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, “Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.” He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God (Luke 13:10-13).
What a lovely story for this Monday, Jesus, when many of us got the blues so to speak: many of us are like that woman at the synagogue "bent over", "bowed down" and for the longest time have seen only the dirty, hard ground below; the reasons are varied, Lord: many of us are bowed down due to sins and evil, pains and hurts and trauma some from people we trusted and loved, mistakes and missed opportunities, and so many others that have enslaved and crippled us for so long like that woman you have healed; you know so well how much we have wanted to break free from these long years of bowed down posture so that we may rise and straighten up our lives to look up to you in the sky, to feel the warmth of the sun, savor the beauty of creation.
On this Monday, let us take to heart the words of St. Paul that we are not debtors to the flesh... that we received a spirit of adoption to cry "Abba, Father!" (Romans 8:12,15).
For those living "bowed down" in pain and shame, arouse them, Jesus with the warmth of the Holy Spirit, to rejoice in our new life in you. Amen.
Doon sa amin sa lalawigan ng Bulacan mayroong kasabihan "mahiya lang ay tao na."
Totoong-totoo
at napapanahon
ang kasabihang ito
sa dami ng mga tao
ang wala nang kahihiyan
sa pag-gawa ng mga
katiwalian at kasamaan,
sa pagsisinungaling
at lantarang pambabastos
sa ating pagkatao;
marahil ganoon
na nga katalamak
at kakapal ng kanilang
pagmumukha
na hindi na nila alintana
kanilang kahihiyang
kinasasadlakan
na dapat sana'y
itago kahit man lang
pagtakpan kesa
ipinangangalandakan
tila ibig pang ipamukha
sa madla na wala silang
ginagawang masama.
Ang masaklap nating kalagayan sa ngayon ay ang wala nang kahihiyan ng karamihan na higit pang masama sa mga walang-hiya.
Madaling maunawaan matanggap mga walang-hiya kesa walang kahihiyan; kalikasan ng mga walang-hiya ang hindi mahiya ni matakot sa kanilang mga gawaing masama katulad ng mga holdaper, snatcher, kidnapper kasama na mga mambubudol at manunuba sa utang at iba pang mga kriminal; mga walang-hiya sila kaya wala silang mabuting gagawin kungdi kasamaan kaya pilit nating iniiwasan bagamat mahirap silang kilalanin ni kilatisin mahirap iwasan at kapag ika'y nabiktima napapabungtung-hininga ka na lang sa pagsasabi ng "walangyang yun!"
Higit na malala at masama sa mga walangya ang walang kahihiyan: sila mga tinuturing na mararangal sa lipunan, nakaaangat sa kabuhayan, magagara ang tahanan, nagtapos ng pag-aaral sa mga sikat na pamantasan at higit sa lahat, kadalasan laman ng simbahan araw-gabi sa pananalangin ngunit kanilang loobin puno ng kasakiman kaya wala silang kahihiyan magkunwaring banal kahit asal ay gahaman sa salapi at karangalan; ang mga walangya maski papano marunong mahiya mukha ay tinatakpan upang hindi makilala sa gawang kasamaan ngunit itong mga walang kahihiyan ay talaga naman ubud ng kapal mga pagmumukha akala walang nakaaalam sa mga gawa nilang kabuktutan! Labis kanilang kasamaan kaya wala silang kahihiyan maging katawan hinuhubaran ipapakita konting laman upang hangaan kanilang kagandahan; kulay apog sa pagkahambog nasanay na sa mabaho nilang amoy na umaalingasaw habang kanilang pinangangalandakan kanilang inaakalang husay at galing parang mga matsing nakalimutang sa kanilang katalinuhan sila'y napaglalalangan din!
Matatagpuan itong mga walang kahihiyan kung saan-saan di lamang sa pamahalaan kungdi maging sa ating mga tahanan at kamag-anakan na pawang kay hirap pakisamahan dahil nga wala nang kahihiyan mga puso at kalooban namanhid na sa kasamaan at kasalanan kaya't panawagang "mahiya naman kayo" hindi sila tinatablan pakiwari'y walang dapat pagsisihan ni ihingi ng kapatawaran; mabuti pa mga walangya nakokonsiyensiya nagsisisi at humihingi ng tawad ngunit mga walang kahihiyan, wala nang pagkukunan kanilang pagkatao'y naglaho na parang mga ungguy!
40 Shades of Lent by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Monday, Second Week in Lent, 17 March 2025 Daniel 9:4-10 + + + Luke 6:36-38
Photo by author, Canyon Woods Resort, Laurel, Batangas, 15 March 2025.
Lord Jesus Christ, on this first working day of Second Week in Lent, give me the grace to be shamefaced; give me the sense of embarrassment, the sense of sinfulness, a sense of humanity.
Yes, Lord, we have been so callous and numb, so thick-faced as in "kapal"!
“Lord, great and awesome god, you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you and observe your commandments! We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws. We have not obeyed your servants the prophets… Justice, O Lord, is on your side; we are shamefaced even to this day… O Lord, we are shamefaced, like our kings, our princes, and our fathers for having sinned against you” (Daniel 9:4-7, 8).
Do not let us sink deeper into sin and misery like your people in the time of your Prophet Daniel, Lord, for us to be shamefaced in admitting our sins, our treachery against you; our nation is so divided these days with no one having any sense of shame at all with the decadence we have sank into like excessive profanities, rampant fake news, overt personalisms, too much politics without any regard at all with what is right and wrong, with what is evil and what is good and worst of all, without any respect for one another and for life in general; many of us have discarded your image and likeness in us as we have lost our sense of sinfulness and shame.
Let us be shamefaced like Daniel, Jesus; mahiya naman kami, Lord!
Before we can be merciful with others, let us be shamefaced first; let us be shamefaced, Jesus, so we can be generous with others for without any shame at all like with what is happening now in our country, we are sinking deeper into the pit of destruction. Amen.
Photo by author, Canyon Woods Resort, Laurel, Batangas, 15 March 2025.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Friday, Memorial of Sts. Cyril (Monk) & Methodius (Bishop), 14 February 2025 Genesis 3:1-8 ><0000'> + ><0000'> + ><0000'> Mark 7:31-37
Photo by author, 14 August 2024.
On this most joyous day when most hearts has only one thing to say, I pray dear Lord Jesus Christ that I remain and stay at your side, never to hide because of shame and sin.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked… When they heard the sound of the Lord God moving about in the garden at the breezy time of the day, the man and his wife hid themselves from the Lord god among the trees of the garden (Genesis 3:7, 8).
How times have changed, Lord, when in the garden at Eden the man and his wife sinned, they hid whereas today no one is ashamed anymore of their nakedness; what a shame that today, we don't hide in shame instead flaunt our nakedness for everyone to be convinced we are clean, we are right, we have not sinned.
Heal our deafness, Jesus; take us off away from others to be with yourself like that deaf mute, put your fingers into our ears, pierce our hearts, touch our souls for us to see our indifference to sin and evil and shout your words "Ephphatha" that we may be opened anew to the sad realities of our nakedness we ironically use to cover our sins. Amen.
The Quiet Storm by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, 27 December 2024
Photo by author, DRT, Bulacan, 23 November 2024.
Many people these days claim that “budol is life” when nothing escapes hackers and scammers in stealing money from hard-working OFW’s to housewives, students and retirees including priests and religious called to always lend a hand to those in need.
One collateral damage more serious than scammers and hackers in this cashless transactions and e-wallet is the perversion of our cherished values of gift-giving especially at Christmas as well as our generosity in lending money to those struggling with their financial needs.
I am referring to the erroneous advertising efforts by the highly popular GCash that is creating a generation of people lacking in shame and respect for others. We say it so well in Filipino – kawalan ng kahihiyan or hindi na marunong mahiya.
Though I do not have a GCash without any plans of getting one, e-wallets like online banking by nature is good. It is very innovative, so helpful in providing a convenient, safe, and reliable exchange of money in a cashless manner. However, though the problem lies mostly on those who abuse its system, GCash is still guilty of perverting the values of Christmas and practically of the essence of gift-giving by promoting online or virtual pamamasko.
Photo by author, San Fernando, Pampanga, November 2021.
Like the online Mass, there is no such thing as virtual pamamasko that supposes an actual presence, a face-to-face meeting to greet anyone with a Merry Christmas.
Pamamasko is one Filipino tradition worth keeping wherein once a year we visit not only our godparents (Ninong and Ninang) but also our relatives and friends as well to personally greet and wish them a Merry Christmas. It is only on this joyous day when some people could really meet as relatives and friends next to funerals and wakes.
But, when the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020 and limited our social interactions, some inaanak (godchildren) pushed the limits of GCash when they dared to greet their godparents with Merry Christmas via text messages that had their GCash account number included.
From Instagram, 26 December 2024.
It is a virtual hold-up in fact, the start of that dictum “budol is life”. Worst of all, it had spawned a generation of people who are bastos (rude) and kapal-muks (thick-faced)!
Sorry for the words but that’s the kind of people who use social media to get money from anyone except for purchase transactions. Christmas is about love and being together. Iyon lang!
As far as our generation is concerned (GenX and those before us), pamamasko is not about money but the spread of love and joy of Christmas. The money given was just a “consolation” that is why the amount never mattered at all. Salamat kung may bigay, okey lang kung wala because what really mattered was to be present with our elders to assure them they are loved and remembered.
Sad to say, GCash had normalized this kabastusan and kakapalan ng mukha with their ads on the internet about sending Christmas greetings with a reminder not to forget to send their QR Code. In normalizing this despicable manner of greeting Merry Christmas, GCash in effect showed its true color of being self-serving. And bastos and kapal-muks too!
We hope GCash will stop this kind of advertisement that is grossly erroneous and wrong. They are not teaching our young to be worthy people of dignity and respect, eroding our social fabric and made shamelessness as normal. Pera-pera na lang ba talaga tayo ngayon?
See how almost daily we find in social media of many friendships and relationships marred and destroyed with some people abusing GCash, borrowing money online especially by mere acquaintances. That is just a hairline difference between them and those scammers!
From Instagram, 26 December 2024.
Gift-giving even the borrowing or lending of money are things that remain on a person-to-person level. Forcing others especially the well-meaning and good ones into the virtual world as we have now witnessed spawn scams and corruption. Modern technology can only be good for as long as it remains confined to its intended application like convenience, safety and reliability of having cashless transactions. What GCash has promoted this season is actually budol – not only of a literal hold-up of Ninong and Ninang but almost of everyone when some callous people dare to borrow money on line with the tag, “i-GCash mo na lang.”
The budol now rampant in e-wallets in effect is a result of their own unconscious budol for more clients and customers.
Let us bring back our true sense of shame and delicadeza. GCash is for transactions, for things to buy and pay for. Not for friends and relatives because they are persons to be loved, not objects to be used or possessed via GCash.
Maybe “budol is life” indeed, but, beware more of scams that erode our values than steal our money. These last two weeks until the new year, visit your godparents because of love and concern, not for the gift they will give you because that is the true spirit of Christmas. God bless and Merry Christmas!
40 Shades of Lent by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Monday in the Second Week of Lent, 26 February 2024 Daniel 9:4-10 <*((((>< + + + ><))))*> Luke 6:36-38
Thank you, Lord, "great and awesome God" (Daniel 9:4) for another month about to end as we entered the second week in Lent; by this time, let us feel more your mercy and forgiveness, your immense love despite our repeated sins that have actually habitual to many of us.
Like Daniel your prophet, make us "shamefaced" before you instead of being shameless.
Justice, O Lord, is on your side; we are shamefaced even to this day: we, the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and all Israel, near and far, in all the countries to which you have scattered them because of their treachery toward you. O Lord, we are shamefaced, like our kings, our princes, and our fathers, for having sinned against you.
Daniel 9:7-8
Before we can be merciful as you are merciful dear Father according to Jesus Christ, let us be shamefaced first of all for our sinfulness; many of us have lost that sense of sinfulness, becoming shameless and so thick-faced that saying it in Tagalog is best, "makapal ang mukha".
This Lent, teach us to be ashamed of our sins and iniquities; teach us to let go of our many excuses and alibis that only make our face grow thicker like the soles of our feet; make us realize the more shame we put on our selves when we feel so self-righteous that we have no room to be kind and understanding, even caring and forgiving of others.
This Lent, let us start being shamefaced, of having a healthy mistrust of our selves so that we begin to trust you more, O Lord, and become like you, loving and merciful, and eventually a vessel of your blessings for others. Amen.
Lawiswis ng Salita ni P. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Ika-31 ng Marso, 2023
Larawan kuha ng may-akda, Enero 2021.
Doon sa matandang simbahan ng Parokya
ni San Ildefonso sa bayan ng Tanay, Rizal
makikita kakaibang pagsasalarawan
ng Ikapitong Estasyon ng Krus ng
madapa si Hesus sa ikalawang pagkakataon:
naroon mga sundalong Romano
ngunit mukhang Pilipino
kayumanggi ang kutis
pati mga hugis ay malapad
at malalaki mga mata;
sa halip na espada,
bolo kanilang dala,
walang trumpeta
kungdi tambuli
ang hinihipan ng isa.
Ngunit ang kakaiba sa lahat
ang isa sa mga naroon
suot ay antipara na may kulay
tila rakista, parang RayBan
kung titingnan;
walang makapagpaliwanag
sino ang misteryosong ginoo
maliban sa turing ng karamihan
iyon daw si Caiphas
ang punong pari noon
na namuno upang ipapako sa Krus
si Hesus;
bakit siya may salamin,
walang makapagsabi
ngunit sa atin may malalim na bilin.
Huwag ninyong masamain
bagkus ay pagtantuin at namnamin
sinasabi sa atin ng ukit kahit mahigit
tatlong daang taon na nang gawin
malaking kaibahan ng walang-hiyang tao
sa taong walang kahihiyan;
sa Pasyon ng Mahal na Poon
maging sa ating makabagong panahon
mga taong masasama tinatawag
na walang-hiya, hindi nahihiya
sa pagpapakasama;
ngunit mas masama kaysa kanila
mga taong walang kahihiyan,
kanilang kasamaan di alintana
sa pag-aakala sila ang palaging tama!
Ngayong Viernes Dolores
papasok na tayo sa Semana Santa
suriin ating mga mata
baka antiparang suot
ay malabo na o baka katulad
ng kay Caiphas doon sa Tanay
madilim ang kulay
si Hesus nadapa ay hindi matanaw
ni sulyapan ay ayaw;
masahol pa sa walang-hiya
na likas ang kasamaan
dahil ang taong walang
kahihiyan ipangangalandakan
akala niyang kabutihan
sagad na kasamaan!
Sabi ng matatanda,
mahiya lang ay tao na
nguni't papaano
kung hindi na tablan
ng ano mang kahihiyan
pakiramdam nasa kabutihan?
Ito ating tandaan
hangga't mayroong
kahihiyahan ang sino man
hindi malayo
siya ay nasa kabutihan
dahil walang nasa katinuan
ang ipagmamalaki ang kasamaan
na maging mga walang-hiya
ikinahihiya man!
40 Shades of Lent by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Monday in the Second Week of Lent, 06 March 2023
Daniel 9:4-10 >< +++ >< +++ >< Luke 6:36-38
Photo by author, sunrise at Katmon Nature Sanctuary & Beach Resort, Infanta, Quezon, 04 March 2023.
O God, on this first
working day in the second week
of Lent, I imitate Daniel's prayer
and confession of sins in the first
reading:
“We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws. We have not obeyed your servants… we are shamefaced even to this day.”
Daniel 9:5-6, 7
It has been a long time,
dear Father, when I have been
bold and true enough to admit,
to confess before you that indeed,
I have SINNED, been WICKED...
I have REBELLED and DEPARTED
from your commandments...
I have NOT OBEYED...
and now SHAMEFACED.
Dear God,
for so long, I have followed
the trend of this world,
of this life,
of "diluting" my sinfulness and
culpability, of always looking for
somebody else or something to blame
for my sins and evil deed, of moving
the lines of morality so as to feel
less guilty, less sinful, not really bad
when in fact, it is when we are most evil,
when I am so far from you
and shamefaced.
God, help me recover
this being shamefaced;
help us all for we have no more
shame at all that we cover up
our sins and evil; worst, O Lord,
our lack of shame for our sins
prevent us to a large degree
in being merciful like you
and tragically pushes us to
being so judgmental of others
sinfulness.
This Lent, O God,
let us recover our sense
of shame; let us be shamefaced
in Jesus Christ your Son.
Amen.
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