Alex Eala

Lord My Chef Sunday Recipe for Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A, 08 November 2026
Wisdom 6:12-16 ><}}}}*> 1Thessalonians 4:13-18 ><}}}}*> Matthew 25:1-13

*Photo by author, entrance to Bran Castle, aka, Dracula Castle, in Romania, November 2025.*

As we enter into the penultimate month of 2026, notice how we show our complete folly in our Christian faith. Every year in November during Undas while we troop to cemeteries and churches to pray for our departed loved ones, there are still many who parade their children as vampires in complete ignorance of the true meaning of Halloween that is literally “hallowed evenin'” or holy evening. When what is truly wise is to dress their children as little saints, some parents imitate the benighted souls in the West celebrating horror and evil masked in trick or treat.

This cycle of folly is spread by some news media stories of buildings haunted by evil spirits while some schools with the most Catholic names encourage their students to submit scary stories of their paranormal experiences in their campus supposed to have been blessed and most likely where Masses are regularly celebrated. Most absurd and stupid of all is a hospital with the Blessed Virgin Mary as patroness having spooky Halloween decorations of bats and vampires at their ground floor offices and facilities.

These follies continue into December every year in the Metro Manila Film Festival that always feature a film or two dealing with either diabolic or irreverent themes at the time the whole Christendom is celebrating the birth of the Son of God who saved the world from evil and sin! All these on top of the complete commercialization of Christmas led by G-cash shamelessly advocating gift-giving in monetary terms.

Why all the “like” for what is low and gross, for social media contents that are lewd and obscene when we are supposed to be Christians who are wise?

Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep (Matthew 25:1-5).

*Photo by author, sunset at Subic Bay, 02 November 2026.*

Sorry for the “rant” but this Sunday’s parable is very timely especially for us today if you examine why Jesus chose to mention first the foolish virgins and not the wise ones: is it because being foolish is one problem we all have, a sort of cancer or contagious disease afflicting everyone like during his time?

The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

Many times there are nuggets of truth in social media like those posts claiming the problem in the world today is that there are more foolish people than wise ones. What makes this reality so bad is how the foolish ones are often the most confident and noisy with the tragic result of having more followers who elect them into into politics or appoint to head government offices without any competencies at all.

Being foolish like those five virgins who did not bring extra oil for their lamps is to live as if there is no God, that there is no final reckoning with God at the end of time, acting impiously with what the psalmist says, The fool says in his heart, “There is no God” (Psalm 14:1).

The fools are always the most self-centered, selfish people who think only of themselves, believing the world revolves around them, so foolishly convinced they are indispensable in life not realizing we would be better off without them actually. They may have lamps lighted for a while but are soon dimmed because inside they are empty and shallow, with nothing substantial really to keep their lamps.

And what is the most substantial oil we need in our lamps, in this life that even if we drowse or fall asleep, we can still keep going through? God, of course!

Resplendent and unfading is wisdom, and she is readily perceived by those who love her, and found by those who seek her… For taking thought of her is the perfection of prudence, and whoever for her sake keeps vvigil shall quickly be free from care; because she makes her own rounds, seeking those worthy of her, and graciously appears to them in the ways, and meets them with all solicitude (Wisdom 6:12, 15-16).

How lovely is the author’s portrayal of wisdom as a person, the very person of God always present among us, so willing to be with us to help us in life. But, who searches her? Who really desires her?

To be wise is to desire God always. Without any desire for God and his holiness and attributes is complete folly. It is living only for the moment, living to eat and drink, then die. Without any desire for God is to not have any hope at all which is the opposite of love because without any hope, that is when we start destroying lives and things, exactly what those violent protesters did in Paris recently. Or anywhere else.

People without hope are like the foolish virgins in the parable who do not bring extra oil for their lamps because they see everything in darkness, who could not find things and life could still get better like those involved into extra-judicial killings, terrorisms and yes, leaders and nations who wage wars because they find the world so bad and evil that they have lost any hope for a better tomorrow, no room for dialogue and diplomacy that their only solution is to kill and annihilate others. So sad and tragic that these continue in our own time despite our being “modern” and advanced.

To think of wisdom, to desire God brings true freedom because that is when our mind and heart are no longer encumbered with concerns about worthless things in this life and world we keep on foolishly pursuing. The best part of it is that God is never far from those who truly seeks him!

Again, we congratulate and thank most of all, the great Alex Eala in her recent victories in Hong Kong especially in her interview after her match with Tereza Valentova when she said that being tired is a blessing.

Who does not get tired fighting in this cruel world?

Of course, we all get tired. Jesus tells us today that like those ten virgins, it is normal to fall asleep, to falter and fail sometimes. What makes the wise so unique from the foolish is that extra oil they have within, that glimmer of hope in the darkest nights of life fueled by our deep faith in God that there would always be something good in the battles we wage daily in life.

Here Alex Eala is the modern wise virgin with a lot of extra oil for her lamp, illumining the many dark areas in our lives especially of those those striving to live decently, patas na lumalaban sa buhay. Hindi korap!

Being wise is to believe in final judgement, in the resurrection of the dead at the end of time which nobody knows when would come. The wise simply goes on in life, living to the fullest, believing firmly in God, hoping fervently in him, and serving others in love like him as St. Paul reminds us the second reading.

Rest, my dear friends. It is a blessing to be tired, to fall asleep. Don’t forget to have that extra oil within always, Jesus Christ we receive in the Holy Eucharist to keep that fire burning to light us in the many darkness of life. Amen. God bless!

Lord My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A, 21 June 2026
Jeremiah 20:10-13 ><}}}}*> Romans 5:12-15 ><}}}}*> Matthew 10:26-30

BERLIN, GERMANY – JUNE 18: Alexandra Eala of the Philippines reacts to defeating Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the second round on Day Four of the 2026 Berlin Tennis Open at LTTC Rot-Weiß e.V. on June 18, 2026 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images)

God has a most amazing way of consoling us Filipinos when everything is so dismal in the country, sending us athletes who uplift our spirits and make us proud as a nation. In the not so distant past we have had Manny Pacquiao and Olympic gold medalists Hidilyn Diaz and Carlos Yulo cheering us up.

And now, we have the lovely but tenacious and gritty Alex Eala who just made history anew this week with her two upset wins in the ongoing Berlin Tennis Open when she prevailed over WTA number 2 Elena Rybakin Thursday then Friday crushed number eight Elina Svitolina. (Update: Eala lost to Linda Noskova last night.)

Watch her interviews in both victories where Eala mentioned her being “brave” in her games as she described too both matches filled with “grace” – so very much like this Sunday’s gospel where Jesus mentioned thrice the need to be brave!

Jesus said to the Twelve: “Fear no one. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known… And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul… So do not be afraid” (Matthew 10:26, 28, 31).

*Photo by Dra. Mylene A. Santos, MD, in Ericeira, Portugal, 16 June 2026.*

After choosing and sending his Twelve Apostles last Sunday, Jesus reminds them including us today of the need to have courage in working in the Lord’s “abundant harvests” because the good news goes directly against the ways of the world.

This we have learned at the start of this year in the Lord’s sermon on the mount where he taught us the Beatitudes last February 1, fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Though the Beatitudes like being poor, being hungry and thirsty are not to be taken literally, they still run contrary to the ways of world of power and wealth, fame and convenience.

As the world advances in science and technology, the more it veers away from God and do away with morals that in the process, the Church has always faced many contradictions, some with violent reactions even persecutions for her stance against abortion and population control, divorce and same-sex marriage and other anti-life measures now so widespread through the social media.

It is not only difficult and painful for the Church as an institution but most especially for each of us disciples of Christ that we can easily identify with the Prophet Jeremiah in the first reading.

Of the four major prophets, Jeremiah was the youngest and the only one sent by God to his own people to prophesy. That is why it was so painful for Jeremiah to experience in the hands of his own folks and kin being maligned and rejected, and betrayed just like most of us today!

Jeremiah said: “I hear the whisperings of many: ‘Terror on every side! Denounce! Let us denounce him!’ All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. ‘Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him.’ But the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion… Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord, for he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!” (Jeremiah 20:10-11, 13)

Like Jeremiah, we have complained and even cried to God many times for our sufferings in doing his will to be just and fair, kind and merciful, even charitable; and like him, we could not resist God’s call and mission despite the pains and hurts because we too felt “duped” and “seduced” by the Lord (Jer.20:7) as we felt deep inside us his love and protection. Like all the saints who suffered much in witnessing the gospel, we felt deep inside God as our very strength as we pray more to forge on in the difficult mission of doing his works.

*Photo by author, Our Lady of Fatima University, Valenzuela City, 10 June 2026.*

When Jesus asks us to “fear no one”, he is inviting us to primarily fear God most of all for he knows everything and will judge us in the end. It is a kind of reverential fear, not the kind of fear of a slave to a master of being reprimanded and punished.

To “fear no one” and “be not afraid” do not mean that we disregard our fears of being hurt or killed physically and emotionally; it is call to have courage which is facing our fears. Having no fears in life is not normal. As we say in the province, yung walang takot sira tuktok!

To fear the Lord means to recognize the sanctity of life, the blessedness of every person. See Eala’s attitude of being magnanimous in victory and in defeat as she would always praise and recognize the talents and greatness of her opponents. In her we find the truth that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” – that every person is a subject to be loved and cherished, not an object or thing to be used or possessed, without feelings and dignity.

This is the tragedy exposed by the recent deaths of the two Ateneo athletes, and it involves almost all UAAP members these past decades who have given more priorities in winning trophies above all, forgetting the value of every person. True enough, it is a secret slowly becoming known.

Likewise, to be not afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul is to recognize the soul in each one of us, of Christ’s indwelling within us, enabling us to overcome every obstacle in life.

It is like being a pencil: remember the inside is more essential than the outside. That is our identity as God’s beloved child.

Our physical strength actually draws much of its power and stamina from our inner core than merely from our bones and muscles. Hence, the need for prayers and meditation, for conditioning to realize our giftedness and value.

When this happens, the third call of Jesus becomes automatic which is to be not afraid because we are worth more than many sparrows or anything else in this world.

Why? Because God is gracious!

To recognize our fears and vulnerabilities as well as weaknesses is in itself courage, fearing no one except God who alone heals us. Most of all, who alone is our strength in our weaknesses. Let us not be afraid in this life to do what is good, to stand for what is right and just, to proclaim the gospel of Christ’s salvation because God is gracious especially to those who abide in him through Christ. Amen. Have a blessed week ahead! And say a prayer for Alex Eala.

Tag: Alex Eala

Being wise, not foolish

Brave. And gracious. Like Alex Eala.