Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 22 August 2025 Friday, Memorial of the Queenship of Mary Isaiah 9:1-6 ><}}}*> + ><}}}*> + ><}}}*> Luke 1:39-47
First anniversary of the Canonical Coronation of the National Pilgrm Image of Our Lady of Fatima, 25 February 2025.
Eighth days after celebrating her glorious Assumption into heaven, we rejoice today, O God, for your infinite love and mercy in giving us this Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary; it is a Friday, the end of school, the end of work for most of us and I wonder, loving Father, what could surprise us today like when you sent Archangel Gabriel to Mary in Nazareth to announce to her the Good News?
It is raining again, Lord: we are so drenched in bad news for weeks while many places are still literally under water; we are so fed up with our leaders who are wolves in sheep's clothing, now claiming to know nothing of the scandals in either non-existent or non-functional flood controls.
Surprise us, O God with your Good News.
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelled in the land of gloom a light has shone (Isaiah 9:1).
Your light, O God, has never been extinguished despite the presence of sin and evil; teach us to be like Mary, humbly submitting ourselves to you and your plan to bring forth Jesus Christ our true light into this world; surprise us, Jesus with your grace to say no to evil and be firm in our yes to what is good and just; surprise us of your presence in our hearts, Lord to fill us with courage and trust in you, believing your words will be fulfilled in us too; surprise us, Jesus with your enlightenment to clear all doubts and shadows among us like Mary sharing you with others as our "Prince of Peace" and "Wonder-Counsellor" (Isaiah 9:5).
“Coronation of the Virgin” by Diego Velazquez (ca.1635/1636) from en.wikipedia.org.
O most blessed Virgin Mary, pray that we welcome Jesus Christ daily in our lives in order to share him with everyone like you; as the first of the human race in rank before God's presence, as the Mother of Christ our King, you are our Queen not only as an honor but an example of discipleship in your Son Jesus. Amen.
O Mary Queen of heaven, Pray for us!
Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Our Lady of Fatima University Valenzuela City (lordmychef@gmail.com)
Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 15 August 2025 Friday, Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Revelation 11:19, 12:1-6, 10 ><}}}*> 1 Corinthian 15:20-27 ><}}}*> Luke 1:39-56
“The Assumption of the Virgin” by Italian Renaissance painter Titian completed in 1518 for the main altar of Frari church in Venice. Photo from wikidata.org.
Thank you, Most Blessed Virgin Mary for being our Mother and most of all, our model disciple in your Son Jesus Christ. As we celebrate today the Solemnity of your Assumption into heaven, we also celebrate our blessed assurance and hope that someday we too may join you with God body and soul if we remain one and united in Jesus Christ our Savior.
Pray for me, O Blessed Mother that I too may rejoice in God for all that he does for me while seeing my lowliness not my pride.
Mary set out and travelled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-40).
Pray for me, Blessed Mother to go in haste filled with joy and excitement in the Lord, determined and committed to the mission to proclaim the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ; pray for me, dear Mary to go in haste filled with joy and excitement in the Lord for his love for me I have to share with everyone like you; pray for me, Blessed Mother to go in haste celebrating the Christ's presence and coming, our fulfillment in him.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb…Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my Spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:41-42, 45-47).
Dear Jesus,
forgive me when I am filled
with pride,
doubts,
and mistrust in you
that slow me
from sharing
you with others and
the world;
fill me with humility
like Mary,
that I may sing too
a magnificat to you,
singing your saving grace
because every time
we rejoice in you
and your works in us
that is when we experience
heaven
our ultimate end
when in body and soul
we shall celebrate you
with Mary our Mother too.
Amen.
Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Our Lady of Fatima University
Valenzuela City
(lordmychef@gmail.com)
Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 16 July 2025 Wednesday, Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Exodus 3:13-20 ><}}}*> + ><}}}*> + ><}}}*> Matthew 11:25-27
Photo by author, Sonnenberg Mountain View, Davao del Sur, August 2018.
Today, O Lord your words bring us to the mountain as we celebrate too the Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel; in the first reading you brought Moses to your mountain in Horeb to see you in the burning bush while the Memorial of our Blessed Mother today reminds us of the early monks who banded together to pray at Mount Carmel.
When the Lord saw him coming over to look at it more closely, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!” He answered, “Here I am.” “Come, now! I will send you you to Pharaoh to lead my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He answered, “I will be with you; and this shall be your proof that it is I who have sent you: when you bring my people out of ??Egypt, you will worship God on this very mountain” (Exodus 3:4-5, 10-12).
How lovely was your conversation, Lord with Moses, so similar with our conversations when we would readily answer your call with the declaration "Here I am" that suddenly when you hand us our mission, we balk and question you, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?"
Many times we are like Moses - while showing humility with some fears in our quick response to your call, we suddenly doubt ourselves upon learning the mission you entrust us with whereas you simply assure us of your presence, of being our companion with your simple statement "I will be with you." Such is your simplicity, Lord.
Teach us to be like Mary your Mother, dear Jesus Christ, simple and childlike filled with humility, always open to God and his plans; after all, you call us first of all for a relationship with you not with a task to be achieved.
May the Brown Scapular given by Mary to St. Simon Stock be a reminder of our relationship with God in Christ with Mary; always open to his will but most of all faithful and obedient to his call of communion and oneness. Amen.
Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Our Lady of Fatima University Valenzuela City
Lord My Chef Daily Recipe by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Monday, Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, 09 June 2025 Acts 1:12-14 <*{{{{>< <*{{{{>< + ><}}}}*> ><}}}}*> John 19:25-27
Painting by El Greco, “Pentecostes” (1597) from commons.wikimedia.org.
Praise and glory to you, Lord Jesus in inspiring the Church in its most recent celebration of the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church every Monday after Pentecost when we resume Ordinary Time; it is so right and fitting that after your return to heaven, you send us to the world to continue your work of salvation by being rooted in you in prayer, not just by ourselves but with Mary your Mother, your first disciple, the first doer of your word, the first to receive you, Jesus the Christ.
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet…Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers (Acts 1:12, 13-14).
Icon of Mary “Mater Ecclesiae” (Mother of the Church) in St. Peter’s Square from opusdei.org.
Since the very start of the Church, you have always been with her, truly her Mother being the Body of Christ your Son; all your life, you have devoted yourself into prayer as a communion in Jesus Christ which is essentially what discipleship is - prayer!
As we resume the Ordinary Time, teach us Mother Mary to remain in union with Jesus in prayer:
let us be one with Jesus your Son to make our joy complete not only in listening and receiving his word but most especially in doing his words;
let us be one with Jesus your Son for us to persevere in our sorrows by finding him always in every suffering by embracing his Cross;
let us be one with Jesus your Son so that glory and victory may not inflate our ego, realizing everything is for God's greater glory;
let us be one with Jesus your Son for us to remain in his light of the Holy Spirit in this time we are engulfed in darkness of sin and materialism, pride and power, vanity and self-centeredness.
Photo by author, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, Quezon City, 20 March 2025.
O most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, Mother of Christ and our Mother too, be our companion in this long journey in Ordinary Time, knowing Jesus, loving Jesus, following Jesus, always leading and pointing others to Jesus to be like Jesus. Amen.
40 Shades of Lent by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, 25 March 2025 Isaiah 7:10-14;8:10 + Hebrews 10:4-10 + Luke 1:26-38
“Cestello Annunciation” by Botticelli painted in 1490; from en.wikipedia.org.
As we journey towards Easter, we thank you dear God our Father for the gift of this Solemnity of the Annunciation of the birth of Jesus to the Blessed Virgin Mary, teaching us how the Christ came into this world with the Blessed Virgin Mary's attitude and example worth emulating as our companion in this Lenten journey when she asked Archangel Gabriel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" (Luke 1:34).
Photo by author, Our Lady of the Poor, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, QC, 17 March 2025.
Many times in life, we live as if there is no God, with us not only playing like you, O God but actually acting truly as God. We live our lives according to our own ways, to our own standards, to our own thinking that most often lead to more disasters, more problems and worst, broken self and broken relationships; we feel we know better than you than anyone.
Teach us, Jesus, to be humble like your Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary: in her asking Archangel Gabriel "How can this be", she had already expressed her acceptance of the Father's invitation to be your Mother; many times, we refuse to even listen to God’s plan for us as we we rarely or have stopped praying at all so unlike Mary who must have been at prayer when Gabriel came. In her asking "How can this be?", Mary was already setting aside her own plans in life to give way to God's plan; in asking "How can this be?", Mary showed us the beauty of prayer as a relationship where there is true freedom and openness to God in you, Jesus.
Forgive us Jesus when we act like King Acaz so hypocrite, pretending not to test you when in fact we have already decided on our own without considering you at all. . How, O Lord, can we truly change our ways to follow God’s plans and most unique ways for nothing is impossible in him? Amen.
Photo by author, Our Lady of the Poor, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, QC, 17 March 2025.
Lawiswis ng Salita ni P. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Ika-27 ng Pebrero 2025
Larawan kuha ni G. Lorenzo Atienza, detalye ng dulong kaliwa na bahagi ng stained glass sa National Shrine ng Fatima, Valenzuela City na nagsasaad ng EDSA People Power, 25 Pebrero 2025.
Hinding hindi mabubura ninuman ang makasaysayang People Power Revolution ng Pebrero 1986. Ito ay kung hindi natin malilimutan at higit sa lahat kung ating lilinangin mga aral ng kauna-unahang mapayapang pag-aaklas sa buong mundo.
Katulad ng kalsadang EDSA na sagisag ngayon ng nabubulok nating bayan, malaki pa rin ang pag-asa na maaayos at mapatatatag ang diwa ng People Power 1986.
Kaya sa diwa nito, tama lamang at ipinag-adya na rin siguro ng Diyos na mayroong pasok ang mga tanggapan at paaralan tuwing Pebrero 25 mula noong isang taon sa ilalim ng Administrasyong BBM.
Bagaman ako ay nalungkot na hindi ito ginawang piyesta upisyal ng Pangulo, higit kong naunawaan kahapon ang magandang pagkakataon ibinigay pa nga ni BBM sa atin para sa EDSA 1986.
Nasobrahan tayo ng mga pagdiriwang noong sariwa pa ang EDSA 1986 hanggang sa naging palasak na lamang ito dahil sa pangingibabaw ng mga kasiyahan at mga kaartehan ng mga sumunod na taon. Sa isang banda, ang sarap ng EDSA Anniversary noong nakaupo pa si Tita Cory – yugyugan magdamag doon sa kanto ng EDSA at Ortigas.
At pagkatapos, lawa na.Logtu ng konti, sokpadoodle na sa otra kinabukasan.
Ano nangyari? Wala.
At ganun na lang ang EDSA Anniversaries nang mga sumunod na taon na mismo tayong mga beterano ay napagod na rin sa kawalan ng saysay ng mga programa at higit sa lahat, ng pagtataksil ng maraming pinuno noon na ipinaglaban, ipinagtanggol natin noon na iyon pala ay katulad lang din ng mga pinatalsik noong 1986.
Larawan kuha ni Pete Reyes kina Sr. Porfiria “Pingping” Ocariza (+) at Sr. Teresita Burias nananalangin upang pigilan mga kawal sasalakay sana noon sa mga rebelde sa Kampo Crame noong People Power 1986.
Pebrero 21 ng gabi ay nasa Aristocrat Restaurant kami sa kanto ng Quezon Ave. at EDSA para sa final deliberation ng mga hurado sa kauna-unahang USTetika Literary Contest ng Varsitarian ng UST.
Proyekto ng co-staffer namin at kaibigan na si G. Vim Nadera ang USTetika na mula sa salitang “aesthetic”. Bantog na guro at makata ngayon si Vim. Tuwang-tuwa ako noon na sinama niya ako hindi lamang para kumain at gumimik pagkatapos kungdi makadaupang-palad mga bigating pangalan sa panitikan tulad ng mga makata na sina Cirilo Bautista, Bienvenido Lumbrera, Alfredo Navarro Salanga na tunay ngang heavyweight, ang propesora naming si Ophelia Dimalanta na pangunahing babaeng-makata sa wikang Ingles at marami pang iba.
Nang malapit nang matapos ang pulong, binulungan kami ni Gng. Jesselyn Dela Cruz na umuwi na raw kami kaagad sabi ni Sir Felix Bautista na aming Publications Director sa Varsitarian at tagapagsalita noon ni Cardinal Sin. Malabo ang mga kuwento maliban sa kumalas na raw noon sina Enrile at Ramos kay Marcos. Yun lang. Baka raw magkagulo.
Siyempre, mga kabataang typical, wala kaming balak sumunod sa utos sa amin hanggang sa magulat kami nang aming baybayin ang Timog at Morato naghahanap ng club na sarado halos lahat habang dagsa mga sasakyan sa mga gasolinahan.
Hindi kami nabagabag kasi full tank ang kotse ng tatay ko noon kaya uminom pa rin kami nina Vim kina Dwight sa Sampaloc at saka umuwi. Kinabukasan pagkagising ko, araw ng Linggo, February 22, di ko malaman kung ako ay lasing sa mga balitang pinag-uusapan at napapakinggan sa radyo. Birthday noon ng kapatid kong si Meg na second year college sa UST gaya ko na graduating na. Kinabukasan ng Lunes, sumama kami ni Meg sa mga kababaryo namin sakay ngnisang trak papuntang EDSA para sumama sa People Power.
Mula sa wikipedia.org.
Dumating kami ni Meg at mga kasama sa EDSA bandang hapon. Parang sasabog sa tuwa aking dibdib na tila ako ay nanlalamig, naiiyak sa tuwa sa aking nakita: sarado EDSA-Cubao ilalim at puno ng mga tao hanggang sa abot-tanaw!
Ang saya-saya!
Walang bad trip noon! Peace man ang atmosphere. Dala namin ay mga pakwan para sa mga kawal. Doon kami pumuwesto sa gate ng Crame sa Santolan na Boni Serrano ngayon dahil kulang daw ang bantay doon.
Kinagabihan, dumating ang balita na baka raw kami salakayin ng mga tangke mula Malakanyang via Sta. Mesa direcho pa-Santolan. Tinipon kami ng mga law students ng UP at kinausap, binigyan ng numero sa telepono na maari naming tawagan kapag daw nagkadamputan.
Hala! Hinila ko sa tabi ko si Meg. Wag ka kako lalayo sa akin at naisip ko agad Daddy ko sa bahay. Mas takot ako sa kanyang galit kesa sa mga tangke ni Macoy!
Larawan kuha ni G. Boy Cabrido, pagkakamayan ng mga kawal at mga madre at pari sa EDSA noong People Power Revolution ng 1986.
Sa pagkaka-alala ko, walang natakot sa amin. Walang umatras habang pasa pasa kami ng bolpen at papel para nga sa mga numero na tatawagang mga abogado kapag kami nakulong.
Noon ko narinig biglang nagsalita at lumapit sa isang law student kapitbahay namin na suki ng mommy ko sa tindahan, si Mr. Tiongson.
Hindi ko matandaan pangalan niya pero kaibigan siya ng lola ko. Maginoong maginoo. Respetado sa aming barangay. Negosyante na gumagawa ng mga plastic art sa mga jeep na pampasahero noon. Palagi niya ako sinasama at ng mga anak niya sa pagbibisikleta sa mga looban ng Bocaue, Sta. Maria, at Marilao sa Bulacan noon.
Makisig at matipuno si Mr. Tiongson. Six footer siguro. Naka-salamin medyo kalbo ng konti pero balbas sarado. At malaki ang boses. Sabi ng lola ko, dati raw Huk na naging NPA si Mr. Tiongson pero tumiwalag na.
Sa gitna ng dilim ng gabi sa isang kalye sa Santolan, ito ang sinabi ni Mr. Tiongson sa mga taga-UP Law na tumayong mga namumuno sa amin sa kalyeng iyon: “ako na ang lulugar sa unahan. Laban namin ito na hindi na dapat umabot pa sa ganito kung kami ay nanindigan noon.”
Humanga ako sa mama lalo noon. Pero hindi ko naunawaan sinabi niya hanggang kahapon na lamang nang pumasok ako bilang chaplain dito sa Our Lady of Fatima University sa Valenzuela.
Larawan kuha ni G. Lorenzo Atienza, ang Canonically Crowned National Pilgrim Image of Fatima na tinanghal nina Ramos noon sa EDSA 1986 na nasa pangangalaga ngayon ng National Shrine of Fatima sa Valenzuela, 25 Pebrero 2025.
Bago ako magmisa sa aming kapilya kahapon habang nagdarasal, parang kislap ng liwanag na dumatal sa aking kamalayan mga sinabi ni Mr. Tiongson noong 1986 sa Santolan: hindi pa tapos ang laban ng EDSA 1986.
Laban natin ito. Kumupas man ito, bumaligtad at nagtaksil ang ilan, laban nating lahat ito na dapat ipagpatuloy, linangin at palalimin. Higit sa lahat, dalisayin sa panalangin dahil kulang ang EDSA 1986 kung wala sina Jesu-Kristo at kanyang Mahal na Ina, ang Birhen ng Fatima. Mula sa karanasan ni Mr. Tiongson na kapitbahay namin noon, hindi ko papayagan manghinayang ako sa huli na tinalikuran ko ang EDSA 1986 kaya balang araw ay malagay sa peligro mga susunod na saling-lahi.
Kahapon din ang unang guning-taon ng pagkaka-korona sa National Pilgrim Image ng Fatima na siyang imahen na tinanghal nina Ramos noong People Power sa EDSA ng 1986! Narito sa National Shrine of Fatima sa Valenzuela ang naturang imahen mula pa noong ika-17 ng Oktubre 1999, sa loob ng isang munting kapilya na maaring puntahan ng mga deboto at peregrino.
Tama lang mayroong pasok sa upisina at mga paaralan tuwing Pebrero 25 upang higit nating mapagnilayan muli ang diwa ng EDSA 1986, maisalaysay sa mga bata upang ipaunawa sa kanila ang kahalagahan at kahulugan ng tunay na kalayaan na batay sa pagtitiwala sa Diyos.
Hindi mabubura ang EDSA 1986 sa ating kasaysayan kung ipagpapatuloy natin ang kuwento at adhikain nito hanggang sa tayo ay magkaisa muli bilang sambayanan at mga alagad ni Kristo – kasama ni Maria, ang Birhen ng Fatima.
Larawan kuha ni Ka Ruben, bagong stained glass ng National Shrine of Fatima sa Valenzuela, Oktubre 2024; makikita sa dulong bahagi sa kaliwa ilang tagpo sa EDSA 1986.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Tuesday, Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes & World Day of Sick, 11 February 2025 Isaiah 66:10-14 <'000>< + ><000'> + <'000>< + ><000'> John 2:1-11
Photo by author, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Bignay, Valenzuela City, 03 February 2025.
Thank you, dearest God our loving Father in sending us your Son Jesus Christ who gave us his Mother the Blessed Virgin Mary to be our Mother too!
From the very beginning of his ministry to our modern time, Mary has always been close with Jesus who showed us your great signs of your loving presence, generosity and mercy, life and joy first anticipated at the wedding at Cana, his first miracle.
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. when the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:1-5).
From stillromancatholicafteralltheseyears.com, January 2022.
How lovely that Jesus Christ's first sign (miracle) happened "on the third day" - a prefiguration of Easter - the fullness of your coming to us, the fullness of our healing and salvation, the third day after his "hour"; how prominent that at his "hour" on the Cross, blood and water flowed out from Jesus' side pierced by a lance while there at the wedding at Cana, Jesus transformed water into an excellent wine.
Both at Cana and at Lourdes there was water, the sign of life; most of all, in both instances like at the Cross, Mary was present bringing us healing and joy.
At Cana, water became an excellent wine to prefigure the Lord’s Supper we celebrate each day in the Holy Mass as a foretaste of our promised glory in heaven while at Lourdes, water transformed and healed the sick.
Photo by author, Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes at St. Paul Spirituality Center in Pico, La Trinidad, Benguet, 06 January 2025.
Thank you most Blessed Virgin Mary to your witness of faith in Christ; your example enabled us to encounter the gift of God in Jesus, to create the feast of joy of communion, of healing, of fulfillment that can only be made possible by God’s presence and his gift of self in Christ; in Cana and on to Lourdes and wherever we may be, every day is God’s coming, the “hour” of Jesus in every “here” and “now” when we experience the sign of God’s overflowing generosity to us all who are so tired and exhausted most especially so sickly; you, O Blessed Virgin Mary, are the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy of God sending us a mother who shall comfort us in moments of sickness and darkness; continue to help us, most Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes to get through these times of many diseases and sickness; get us closer to Jesus your Son who is our true peace and joy by doing whatever he tells us like the servants at Cana. Amen.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, 01 January 2025 Numbers 6:22-27 + Galatians 4:4-7 + Luke 2:16-21
Photo by author, sunrise in Atok, Benguet, 27 December 2024.
Still a blessed Merry Christmas to everyone! Please, do not dilute the blessedness of this first day of 2025 with the very secular and empty greeting of Happy New Year. Our first reading says it all how God wants us to be blessed not just happy throughout 2025.
It is still the Christmas season until January 12 when we close it with the Baptism of the Lord. Continue greeting one another with a Merry Christmas because it is also a prayerful wish of blessedness to everyone. Forget that happy new year greeting as well as that inclusive greeting of happy holidays because we are celebrating the birth of the Son of God Jesus Christ who became human like us so that we can be divine like Him.
The Lord said to Moses: “Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: This is how you shall bless the Israelite. Say to them: ‘The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!'” (Numbers 6:22-26)
Photo from Tetra Images/Getty Images, mosaic of Virgin Mary and Jesus in the Haghia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey.
That is why on this eighth day since His birth (octave) that falls on January first, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God not the start of a new year as most people wrongly believe.
We honor Mary on this eighth day of Christmas because she is the image of true blessedness. Recall how Elizabeth was the first to call her “blessed among all women” during the Visitation because “she believed the words spoken to her would be fulfilled.” Mary showed us that true blessedness is not found in money and material things or those of the world like fame and popularity. From the Annunciation to the Nativity until finally there on the Cross on Good Friday and later in the beginnings of the Church, Mary affirmed that true blessedness is having God in our hearts by believing in Him, trusting Him, loving Him, serving Him through one another by cooperating in His plans for us.
Photo by author, Angel of Peace Chapel, RISE Tower, Our Lady of Fatima University, 25 December 2024.
Mary was truly blessed of all women because she was chosen by God to be the Mother of the Christ not because of any special characteristics but because of His own goodness and immense love. This we find clearly in the first reading when God freely gave his blessings to all people to all time, instructing Moses and Aaron of how they should bless the people. St. Paul wrote it so well in the second reading, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman” (Gal.4:4) to show that we need not do anything at all for we cannot earn – not even Mary the Mother of Jesus Christ – God’s blessings and favors.
As a gift freely given, God’s blessings of which Jesus is the greatest must always be received and appreciated by the recipients, us! In blessing us, we have become more like God as the “Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!” (Nm.6:25).
What a beautiful prayer of blessing that God’s face may shine on us. Imagine Mary as the Mother of Jesus truly the first human on whom God’s face literally first shone as she was the first along with Joseph and then the shepherds to have seen the Son of God who became human. However, that blessing of God’s face shining on us can only happen if like Mary we also cooperate with His grace.
To let God’s face to shine on us means fulfillment, that is, eternal life which is to experience God and His presence even in our finite world. Right in our modern time, we can feel God’s blessings still being poured out especially as we remember Pope Benedict XVI’s death on December 31, 2022. Here is indeed a great human, like Mary who kept reflecting in her heart the word of God.
Photo by author, Angel of Peace Chapel, RISE Tower, Our Lady of Fatima University, 25 December 2024.
As he approached death, Pope Benedict still wrote and spoke so much about God and His importance and relevance to our modern times. In fact, he said “the face of God” is eternal life “where God is always new” because “with God there is perpetual, unending encounter, with new discoveries and new joy” as he explained to Peter Seewald in 2016.
Truly a holy and blessed man, Pope Benedict said this may sound very theological but on the human level, it is something we always experience as we approach old age when we look forward to meeting our own family and friends who have gone ahead of us.
That is when we truly experience peace within us when we look with gratitude to the past and with joyful expectation to the future, not seeking anymore anything for ourselves because we are contented. All we have in our hearts are joy and wonder because of Jesus so alive within us like Mary His Mother.
At the start of this new year, let us discard those pagan practice of lighting fireworks and firecrackers to drive away evil spirits long ago driven away by Christ. Let us imitate Mary by being silent in prayers, keeping everything in her heart, reflecting where God is leading us this 2025. Stay blessed this new year with Mary by having only Jesus, always Jesus in your heart. Amen. God bless you always!
Photo by author, sunset in Atok, Benguet, 27 December 2024.
The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Fourth Sunday in Advent-C, Simbang Gabi-7, 22 December 2024 Micah 5:1-4 ><}}}}*> Hebrews 10:5-10 ><}}}}*> Luke 1:39-45
Photo by author, Baguio City, March 2020.
Christmas is a story of love, about the meeting of lovers with God as the Great Lover who gave us His only Son because of His immense love for us. But, this love is not the kind of love conveyed by the cheesy Christmas tunes “Pasko na Sinta Ko” and “Last Christmas”.
The word “lovers” may be too serious as a term for us to relate this with today’s gospel of the Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth though both women were so in love with God who clearly loved them so much with children in their womb bound to change the course of human history forever. They were also filled with love for each other as expression of their love for God. And when there is love, there is always tenderness and sweetness that all happen in the context of a visitation that we must first clarify.
Photo by author, Church of Visitation, Israel, May 2017.
Visit and visitation may seem to be one and the same as both share the Latin root vidi, videre which is the verb “to see” as in video and visual. But, a visit is more casual and informal without intimacy because it is just “a passing by” or merely to see. It is more concerned with the place or the location and site and not the person to be visited. We say it clearly in Filipino as in “napadaan lang” when it just so happened you were passing by a place and even without any intentions, you tried seeing someone there.
On the other hand, visitation is more commonly used in church language like when a bishop or priests come to see the parishioners in remote places; hence, a chapel is always called a visita where priests “visit” to celebrate Mass and check on the well-being of people living in areas far from the parish. Aside from being the venue for the celebration of Masses, the visita serves as classroom for catechism classes and other religious even social gatherings in remote barrios. Now as a chaplain in a University with a hospital, I do sick visitations every Sunday after our Mass to anoint and bring communion to our patients.
Thus, visitation connotes a deeper sense in meaning because there is an expression care and concern among people, a kind of love shared by the visitator/visitor and the one visited like Mary and Elizabeth. Visitation is more of entering into someone’s life or personhood as reported by Luke on Mary’s visitation to Elizabeth where Mary “entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth” (Lk.1:40), implying communion or the sharing of a common experience. In this case, the two women shared the great experience of being blessed with the presence of God in their wombs!
Photo by author, bronze statues of Mary and Elizabeth at the patio of the Church of Visitation, Israel, May 2017.
Visitation is a sharing or oneness in the joys and pains of those dear to us. The word becomes more meaningful when we try to examine its Filipino equivalent –“pagdalaw” from the root word “dala” that can be something you bring or a verb to bring.
When we come for a visitation, we dala or bring something like food or any gift. But most of all we bring our very selves like a gift of presence wherein we share our total selves with our time and talents, joys and sadness, and everything to those being visited that Mary did exactly in her visitation of Elizabeth where she brought with her the Lord Jesus Christ in her womb.
This fourth Sunday of Advent, we are invited to become like Mary in the visitation of others to bring Christmas and Jesus Himself to others by allowing our very body to be the “bringer” or taga-dala of Christ, the highest good we can bring as pasalubong in every visitation we make. Here again is another beautiful Filipino word, pasalubong that is literally the gift you bring when you visit somebody. It has a verb equivalent that is salubong or meeting/encounter. To salubong or meet another person, one has to leave one’s place, one has to leave behind one’s biases and mistrust to be empty to meet the other person.
How lovely and sweet if we can leave our negativities behind this Advent and Christmas so we can dala (bring) Jesus to family and friends and strangers to therefore salubong (meet) to experience God’s tenderness and sweetness in Jesus Christ.
Photo by author, Fourth Sunday of Advent 2022, Chapel of Basic Education, Our Lady of Fatima University, Valenzuela City.
Tenderness and sweetness in Filipino are often translated in just one word which is “malambing” from “lambing” that has no direct English translation except that it connotes a loving affection; however, both terms are more than just affections but stirrings from the heart that move us into action.
Tenderness is very much like gentleness; the former is more focused while the latter is very general attitude. Tenderness is more than being soft and gentle but an awareness of the other person’s weaknesses, needs and vulnerabilities. A tender person is one who tries not to add more insult to one’s injuries or rub salt onto one’s wounds so to speak. A tender person is one who tries to soothe and calm a hurting person, trying to heal his/her wounds like God often portrayed in many instances in the bible in lovingly dealing with sinners filled with mercy.
Like God, a person filled with tenderness is one who comes to comfort and heal the sick and those taking on a lot of beatings in life. When Jesus Christ came, He also personified this tenderness of God like when He was moved with pity and compassion for the sick, the widows, the women and the children and the voiceless in the society. Tenderness is coming to heal the wounds of those wounded and hurt, trying to “lullaby” the restless and sleepless. Mary visited Elizabeth because she also knew the many wounds of her cousin who for a long time bore no child, living in “disgrace before others” as she had claimed (Lk.1:25).
Photo from The Valenzuela Times, 02 July 2024.
Sweetness always goes with tenderness. It is the essence of God who is love. Anyone who loves is always sweet, something that comes naturally from within, bringing out good vibes. It is never artificial like Splenda, always flowing freely and naturally that leaves a good taste and feeling to anyone. In the Hail Holy Queen, Mary is portrayed as “O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary” to show her sweetness as a mother. There are no pretensions and pompousness in being sweet, never needs much effort to exert in showing it for it comes out naturally and instantly.
Tenderness and sweetness are the most God-like qualities we all have but have buried deep into our innermost selves, refusing them to come out because of our refusal to love for fears of getting hurt and left behind or, even lost. When Mary heard Elizabeth’s condition, she simply followed her human and motherly instincts that are in fact so Godly – she went in haste to visit her. Tenderness and sweetness are the twin gifts of Christmas to humanity when God almighty became little and vulnerable like us so we can be great and powerful like Him in being able to love.
Photo by author, Archdiocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora De Guia, Ermita, Manila, 28 November 2024.
It is the final Sunday of Advent. In a few days it will be Christmas day and we still have enough time to empty our hearts of sins and bitterness to be filled with God’s love, sweetness and tenderness in Christ.
Let me leave you with my favorite quote from the novel “The Plague” by Albert Camus, “A loveless world is a dead world, and always there comes an hour when one is weary of prisons, of one’s work, and of devotion to duty, and all one craves for is a loved face, the warmth and wonder of a loving heart.”
Let that love in you come out this Christmas and hereafter; simply be like the child Jesus and be surprised with His tremendous power to transform the world. Amen. Have a blessed, sweet and tender Christ-filled week ahead!
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Simbang Gabi-5 Homily, 20 December 2024 Isaiah 7:10-14 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Luke 1:26-38
Photo by Mr. Boy Cabrido, National Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, QC, 16 December 2024.
Last Monday at the start of Simbang Gabi, one of our priests became viral when at the recessional of their Mass while the choir was joyfully singing “Pasko na! Pasko na!”, he sarcastically sang “Hindi pa! Hindi pa!”
Many people laughed at the viral video with some commenting that Father was right because it wasn’t Christmas yet while a liturgist advised choirs to check the many choices of Advent songs now available online. But, sad to say, the people missed the whole point of the incident.
What our brother-priest did was not funny at all in putting to shame his own choir members and most of all, in destroying the solemnity of the Mass.
And the problem was not really the choir at all but the priest himself. What the priest did at the end of the Mass was a self-indictment of his lack of formation for his choir members and of any dialogue at all.
Photo by author, Advent in previous parish, 2018.
Advent is a dialogue between God and humans that led to the presence of God among us in Jesus Christ on Christmas. It is a process that continues in our own time as we are all called to be open to God and with others for dialogue like Mary in the annunciation of Christ’s birth by Archangel Gabriel.
Dialogue is more than conversing to improve relationships among people in a community or organization but a way of being with others as opposed to a way of thinking through issues and problems only. Dialogue is being present with others, of giving one’s self to feel and listen and experience the other person.
Luke shows us in his second Christmas story today how this true meaning of dialogue between God and Mary happened.
In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming of her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! Then Lord is with you.” But she was greatloy troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God… But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God” (Luke 1:26-30, 34-37).
“Cestello Annunciation” by Botticelli painted in 1490; from en.wikipedia.org.
See the artistry and genius of Luke as a storyteller. Yesterday he presented to us the annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist to his father Zechariah while incensing the Holy of Holies in the temple of Jerusalem.
Notice the great differences in the flow of conversations and dialogue in the two annunciations narrated by Luke. Both Zechariah and Mary were troubled at the coming of the angel. And who would not be in a such unprecedented event? However, there is one minute detail we find in Luke’s narration of the two annunciations that reveal something so big and deep in meaning.
According to Luke, “Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him” (Lk. 1:12) while Mary “was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be” (Lk. 1:29). Both were troubled which is normal but their reactions differed so great with Zechariah becoming proud while Mary was humbled.
I believe that it was more than their age and differences in social status that Zechariah was simply “troubled” while Mary was “greatly troubled” but it was largely due to their dispositions and openness to God.
Zechariah was proud of his stature and of his intelligence, trying to take hold and control of everything that is why he was seized with fear. When he told the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years” (Lk.1:18), Zechariah was troubled and fearful because he felt challenged as a priest much respected in the community, choosing to stand proud of his position and intelligence as if having a child is all an effort of man and woman alone! There was no dialogue as Zechariah was proud that is why he was made mute by the angel. He had forgotten all about God!
Photo by author, Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth, Israel, May 2019.
Compare Mary’s reaction to the annunciation, “But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.”
Luke always portrayed Mary as the listener and doer of the word, the one who ponders at the words spoken to her not only by the angel here but later at the birth of Jesus those spoken by the shepherds, then by Simeon at the Presentation and by Jesus Himself at the wedding in Cana. Mary has always been open to dialogue, to feeling the other person conversing with her. She was not concerned only with the news and information but with the persons involved.
In that sense, there is her remarkable humility and great courage at the same time. True humility is not really about being submissive but most of all being filled with courage, not with fear. Mary as the very young virgin from a poor family in a town nobody gave importance stood fearless before the angel as she took hold of herself to ponder on the words spoken to her. Despite the very unprecedented moment with an angel, Mary had that inner engagement with the words she had just heard without any violent reactions.
Photo by author, December 2018.
Unlike Zechariah, Mary was the one actually in control of herself and of her emotions. The Jedi Master Yoda of Star Wars said it so well, “fear leads to anger, anger leads to destruction”. Zechariah was afraid of losing power and control but Mary was not bothered at all. In fact, she faced the challenge head on, reflecting deep in her what is this going on? Am I awake, is this a dream would most likely be the words playing in her mind and heart. Mary had presence as she tried to feel the angel and later God that no wonder, Jesus came to her womb and we have Christmas!
The humility and courage of Mary became more evident when she said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?”
She was not afraid at all to be become the Mother of God! There was already her willingness to submit, as if telling the angel, “OK let’s do it but tell me how?” whereas Zechariah was argumentative, trying to escape responsibilities? Such was the attitude too of Ahaz in the first reading, denying he won’t test God when in fact he had already aligned with other kings in the region as he feared the invading enemies near his borders.
It was at this moment when the good news became most closest to us through Mary when the angel explained of the coming of the Holy Spirit, of how the power of God would overshadow her, assuring her that nothing is impossible with God.
How wonderful is this scene for us to emulate Mary so that we experience Christmas daily in our lives, not only of God coming but being present in us and among us. Can we dare to be open before God like Mary? Have a blessed Friday!
Photo by author, Fatima Avenue, Valenzuela City, December 2024.
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