Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Wednesday in the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II
Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, 22 July 2026
2 Corinthians 5:14-17     <*{{{{><  + ><}}}}*>     John 20:1-2, 11-18

"I have seen the Lord!"
(John 20:18)

What a joy must have been
for St. Mary Magdalene to 
proclaim to the Apostles your rising,
your appearance to her,
Lord Jesus.

Most joyous of all,
Lord is how you have called her
by name, "Mary!"

On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken by Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus (John 20:1, 11-14).

Many times Lord Jesus
I feel like St. Mary Magdalene
on that very early morning
of Easter:
feeling lost or
distant from you
who seem to be missing
or taken away from me;
but so often,
like St. Mary Magdalene,
we fail to recognize you
with our eyes because
we picture you so differently
to who you really are.

Many times our
sight fails
that is why most often,
you call us
by name;
unfortunately in this age
of social media and so many
other distractions in life,
 we fail to hear nor even
listen to your voice
because we are afraid of silence
as we are so afraid
of the truth -
that you love us so much
that is why you have forgiven our sins.

Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary of Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he told her (John 20:16-18).

Everyday you
come to us,
Jesus,
calling us by name
like Mary Magdalene -
someone you personally know,
with all of our sins
and most kept secrets
in our hearts,
in our past.

If we could just be patient
like St. Mary Magdalene
in picking the pieces of our lives,
of converting daily,
of transcending the scars
of sins of our past,
then we shall hear
and joyously listen
to your voice
spoken in a whisper,
so sweet,
so reassuring
 of your real presence,
most of all
filled with tenderness
because you love us
immensely,
Jesus.

If we could just listen
to your voice, Jesus,
then like St. Mary Magdalene,
we can proclaim too
with joyful enthusiasm
to other disciples
"I have seen the Lord!"
spreading you love
and good news of salvation.
Amen.