“Take A Little Rhythm” by Ali Thomson (1980)

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Music//Week XXIII-B//09September2018

Opening To God

Our gospel today tells us a beautiful story of a healing of a deaf-mute by Jesus Christ. It is something that had hit me so close during our Mass this morning when one of the young people near our altar is a deaf-mute too. He has been coming to our Eucharistic celebrations for about a year with his parents and elder sister. I recently had a chance to talk to him when they came early for the Mass, inviting him to be an altar server when his parents interjected and told me about his condition. I felt his sadness as he looked at his parents telling me his condition; and to cheer him up, I tried using hand signals to ask him if he might still want to become a sacristan as we are willing to make necessary adjustments for him. During our Mass this morning when I saw him, I used some sign languages while delivering my homily so he could follow our reflections. And I felt so blessed when I saw him smiled, as if telling me, he had understood my homily even a little.

Unlike the blind, people with hearing disabilities are often left unnoticed if not ignored unless we are told or we discover their condition. For our Sunday music, we pray for those with hearing disabilities as we thank God for the gift of hearing. Here is Scottish singer-songwriter Ali Thomson with his 1980 hit “Take a Little Rhythm”, a feel good music, inviting us like Jesus in the gospel to be opened especially to those with hearing disabilities.Fr.NicanorF.LalogII,ParokyaNgSanJuanApostolAtEbanghelista, Gov.F.HaliliAve.,Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan. (Photo by author, Mines View Park, Baguio City, 17 January 2018.)

Opening to God

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The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe, Week XXIII-B, 09 September 2018

Isaiah 35:4-7///James 2:1-5///Mark 7:31-37

Whenever people come to me for counselling or spiritual direction, the first thing I ask them after listening to their story is“where is God in your experience?” Most often, they pause, then nod their heads or look up, staring somewhere as they reflect on my question. But when they get ready to answer my query, their faces would always glow with a sparkle in their eyes or smiles on their lips as if telling me “God has always been with me but I rarely noticed Him.” A friend once wrote in his blog that “whenever we face difficult situations in life and there is that deafening silence, always remember that the same thing happens when there is an exam: it is always silent but the teacher is always present.” Today in our gospel, Jesus is reassuring us of the love of the Father, of His constant presence among us especially in the most trying times of our lives. Jesus continues to reach out to us, always moving around, visiting us, staying with us.

Again Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. (Mk.7:31-32)

There are two striking things about Christ’s healing this Sunday. First is the location that happened in a pagan territory. Mark rarely mentioned the place visited by Jesus unlike today when he specified the Lord going to the “district of Decapolis” or district of ten cities. It was a region inhabited by pagans and foreigners considered outcasts by Jews who regarded themselves as the chosen people of God. Jesus did not only reach out to His fellow Jews but even to their considered enemies like pagans and Samaritans. In today’s gospel, Mark is telling us that Jesus also comes and stays with us in unfamiliar, foreign places and situations in life. When we feel alienated and lost due to a failure or a defeat, when we feel alone and abandoned and hopeless because of so much pains and sufferings, these are our “Decapolis” where Jesus comes to heal and comfort us.

The second striking thing about this healing is the manner how Jesus did it: Jesus took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphata!” – that is, “Be opened!” And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. (Mk.7:33-35)

Whenever Jesus comes to visit us and heal us, He would always separate us first from other people and even situations or locations to be totally with Him. Here we find the value of “constant prayer” that remains very crucial in life even in this modern time (Pope Francis, Gaudete et Exultate 147-157). Likewise, Mark never bothered to tell us the name of that deaf mute because we are in fact that deaf mute too who live in our own worlds filled with so many thoughts and words of others and of ourselves except of God. Jesus “took him off” from the crowd to teach us that important lesson of praying, of separating from the rest to create a sacred space for God in our daily lives where we experience Him personally and intimately – just the two of us, me and God – like our own experience with a friend or a spouse.

Observe also how Jesus would usually heal by simply speaking. With this pagan, Jesus not only “took him off” from the crowd but also had to touch his ears and spit to touch his tongue! Imagine Jesus touching the deaf mute’s tongue with His own saliva, as if putting His personal seal to this unique healing! Moreover, in this healing Jesus reminds us of the spiritual nature of His coming to us: then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphata!” – that is, “Be opened!” And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. What a beautiful image of the Son of God looking up to heaven, praying and making it known to all that this healing is the will of our loving and merciful Father. Jesus came precisely to bring God closer to us and to bring us back to Him. Of the four evangelists, only Mark would always report the Lord’s request not to tell anyone of a healing to stress the spiritual nature of His mission. Jesus wants to be known as the Messiah, our Savior and not just like any miracle worker providing health and wealth. Though it is true that there must be tangible signs of the salvation brought by Christ that we have to work for justice and peace in the society, we have to keep in mind also that effecting changes among peoples and the world are the works of God, not of humans. We are mere sowers of the seeds but it is God who makes that seed to sprout and grow.

The very word of Jesus to heal that deaf mute is what we also badly need these days, “Ephphata” or “Be opened!” We need to be opened daily to cleanse our hearts of sins and selfishness. Like the Pharisees and scribes last week, our faith and worship emanate more from our lips than from our hearts with all the troubles we are into right now as a nation and a Church. To be opened to God is to keep God in our hearts through daily conversions, not being focused with outward appearances. Openness to God is heeding the call of St. James in his letter to “show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.”(Jms.2:1) How sad that today the celebration of the Holy Mass has become more of a show, and worst, a propaganda tool in politics. When the Mass is celebrated for political reasons, communion is shattered and destroyed because everybody – the priests and the congregation – are not looking up to heaven but looking down to people and to streets for their own solutions to a problem. To open our hearts to God means we, especially us priests, must go away from the limelight and partisan politics, to be hidden from the crowd so that it is Christ who is experienced because only He changes peoples and nations. Opening to God is allowing God to do His work in us and through us, always centered on Him and not to one’s self or anyone claiming to be a messiah. May we open our hearts today to God so He would truly dwell in us. Amen. Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ni San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan 3022.

Photo by the author, sunrise at the Dead Sea, 21 April 2017.

“You’re In My Heart” by Rod Stewart (1977)

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Music//Week XXII-B//02September2018

Cross My Heart

Today’s gospel invites us to examine our hearts because as Jesus Christ told the people of His time and us today, “Nothing enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile. From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.” (Mk.7: 17,21-22)

There was only one song that I kept on hearing at the back of my mind while reflecting on the Lord’s teaching: Rod Stewart’s “You’re In My Heart”. I was in elementary school when this song came in 1977 that perfectly expressed my feelings with the only “crush” I had from Grade 1 to Grade 6. Now that I am a priest and still very much in love – with Jesus Christ! – I still find this song very relevant, of how a love that is true and noble inside one’s heart could inspire anyone to change ways to become a better person!

I took all those habits of yours

That in the beginning were hard to accept

Your fashion sense, Beardsly prints

I put down to experience

The big bosomed lady with the Dutch accent

Who tried to change my point of view

Her ad lib lines were well rehearsed

But my heart cried out for you

Chorus: You’re in my heart, you’re in my soul

You’ll be my breath should I grow old

You are my lover, you’re my best friend

You’re in my soul

My love for you is immeasurable

My respect for you immense

You’re ageless, timeless, lace and fineness

You’re beauty and elegance

You’re a rhapsody, a comedy

You’re a symphony and a play

You’re every love song ever written

But honey what do you see in me [Chorus:]

You’re an essay in glamour

Please pardon the grammar

But you’re every schoolboy’s dream

You’re Celtic, United, but baby I’ve decided

You’re the best team I’ve ever seen…

https://youtu.be/v1qxJPzjObI

“Cross” My Heart

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe, Week XXII-B, 02 September 2018

Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8///James 1:17-18, 21-22, 27///Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

When we were growing up, one of the common expressions among us was “cross my heart” to indicate the sincerity and truthfulness of what one is saying. It is often reinforced with the making of a sign of the cross on one’s chest or heart. It is a beautiful expression that shows us the centrality of the human heart in our very being and person. Today’s gospel speaks also of the heart and the many “crossings” we have to make to ensure it remains true.

After an interruption of five Sundays, we now go back to Mark’s Gospel which we continue to read until the Solemnity of Christ the King in November that closes this liturgical year to usher in Advent, those four Sundays before Christmas. It is very funny, even ridiculous, that as early as last week, people have been raring to start the Christmas countdown in social media as they hurried to cross into September to get rid of the last few days of ghost month August which actually ends in September 9. Observe my dear reader that concept of “crossing” into the “ber” months while in the gospel, we find Jesus repeatedly crossing the lake to proclaim the kingdom of God. After miraculously feeding the more than 5000 people, Jesus sent the Twelve ahead of Him in crossing Lake Tiberias as He sent the crowd home. He then prayed on top of a hill and at 3AM, He followed His apostles by walking on water in the midst of a storm at the lake. After calming the sea, they came to Gennesaret, the setting of our gospel today. Mark reports the growing tensions among Jewish officials and Jesus who have become so popular among the people for His teachings and healings. Now, some Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem have found a case against Jesus after observing His disciples non-compliance with their rituals of washing and purification. But Jesus would mince no words explaining the meaning of the rituals, citing the Prophet Isaiah to highlight their hypocrisy in showing off their “holiness” in complying with their ancient traditions of washing and cleansing.

See that after His initial explanation, Jesus “summoned the crowd again and said to them that nothing enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.”(Mk.7:14-15) After this second explanation to the crowd, Mark tells us that “when Jesus got home away from the crowd … He said to His disciples that from within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.”(Mk.7:17,21-22) Jesus had to separate – a sort of “crossing” the crowd from the Pharisees and scribes, and later separate too the Twelve from the rest to insist that holiness is about having a clean heart through conversion from sins, not from cleaning and washing of hands and utensils. That is what all these “crossings” imply in the gospel today, the need for our continuous conversion of the heart within, not in some outward appearances and practices. Discipleship is a life of crossing the lake with Jesus every night in darkness, even in the midst of storms. Discipleship is a daily crossing of the Red Sea, an Exodus, from slavery to freedom – a crossing from death into life, from sin into grace. Discipleship is a daily conversion of our hearts so that Jesus truly reigns in our lives.

Since the start of His ministry in Galilee, Jesus had been crossing the lake to pray and to rest with His disciples, to preach and to heal the people. He always crossed that great lake so as to reach out everyone, especially the marginalized ones like the poor, the sick, the orphans, and the widows. In becoming human like us, Jesus “crossed” heaven to earth, from eternity to temporal to be among us. His Passion, Death, and Resurrection was in fact a “crossing” that led Him to the glory of Easter. Through Him, we too are able to cross into a life of fulfillment in Him when we are able to bear our crosses with Him. In preaching about the purity of one’s heart while in Gennesaret, Jesus dared the Pharisees and scribes to “cross” to His side by discarding their truncated views and practice of the rituals. In summoning the crowd closer to Him away from the Pharisees and scribes, Jesus invited the people to “cross” to Him to realize true purity based on a clean heart and not from external rituals. Most of all, He repeated this important teaching to His disciples again after they have gone home, away from the Pharisees and scribes and from the crowd, implying the need to always cross from everyone and everything so that we can solely be focused in God.

When we cross our hearts in words and in gestures, let us remember that it was God who first crossed His heart to reach out to us to experience His Fatherly love through His commandments as explained by Moses in the first reading today. God’s laws are not mere letters to be obeyed but words meant to take root in our hearts for it is also a call to a relationship with Him and with others. When we cross our hearts in words and in gestures, let us remember how Jesus Christ crossed from heaven to reach us and die on the Cross because of His love for us. Like Him, when we cross our hearts with words and gestures, we express our desire to follow Him by leaving our comfort zones into the fringes to meet and serve our wounded brothers and sisters as expressed by Pope Francis in his latest encyclical (Gaudete et Exultate, 135). He calls this as “boldness and passion” or“parrhesia” that are signs of holiness in our modern time. It is exactly what St. James referred to in the second reading, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father when we care for orphans and widows in their afflictions and when we keep ourselves unstained by the world.”(James 1:27) When we celebrate the Sunday Eucharist, we also cross from the past week into the new week filled with many opportunities to grow and mature in holiness by nurturing in our hearts Jesus we have receive in the Holy Communion, His daily crossing from heaven. A blessed week to everyone!Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ni San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan 3022

*Photo by the author. Lake Tiberias at sunrise, 22 April 2017.

“Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green (1971)

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Music//Week XXI-B//26 August 2018

Words That Heal, Words Of Eternal Life

Today we conclude the “bread of life discourse” by Jesus Christ found in the sixth chapter of John’s gospel. The people who have followed Him four Sundays ago after the miraculous feeding of more than 5000 abandon Him after being disillusioned with His claims that He is “the bread who came down from heaven…that the food He would give is His flesh and the drink He would give is His blood.” Only the Twelve Apostles would stay with Jesus.

Sometimes in life, we get disillusioned with people, with organizations and institutions including the Church, and even with God Himself. And it is always easy to leave, to resign when we are disillusioned. Here is Al Green with his classic “Let’s Stay Together” to soothe you and give you more reasons to remain with your loved ones despite the pains and hurts in life. The music is soooo good that it is worth listening to the other versions of this Motown classic. Sing – and dance – if you want to enjoy. Most of all, remain in Jesus.

Words That Heal, Words of Eternal Life

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe, Week XXI-B, 26 August 2018

Joshua 24:1-2,15-17,18///Ephesians 5:21-32///John 6:60-69

After celebrating the Sunday Mass, try watching “The Day After Valentine’s” starring Bela Padilla and JC Santos, the same tandem behind last year’s “Isang Daang Tula Para Kay Stella” both directed by Jason Paul Laxamana. Without telling you the story, there are three beautiful things in the film that perfectly fit it with the final episode of Jesus Christ’s “bread of life discourse” we have been reflecting these past five Sundays: first, the mystery and power of words, then the wounds and scars we all have in life, and finally, the temptation to walk away from our loved ones or to abandon a cause or a belief.

Like in most romantic films, Lani (Bella) and Kai (JC) accidentally fell in love with each other. Both are very interested with “Baybayin”, the ancient Filipino alphabet which they used to express many of their thoughts and feelings. Both also have scars in their bodies: Kai in his arm that are self-inflicted following his breakup with his last girlfriend and Lani on her whole back due to physical abuse by her own father while still a child. And there lies the twist in the film: Kai sought ways of erasing his physical scars and healing his inner pains that eventually led him back home in Hawaii to reunite with his family while Lani, on the other hand, kept her scars to herself, never allowing anyone to see or know them that made her ran away from home.

Now, the gospel: Many of Jesus’ disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken are Spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” As a result of this, many of his disiciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. we have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”(Jn.6:60-64,66-69)

For the past four weeks, John has been telling us how the people were murmuring and then quarrelling among themselves over the words of Jesus in His bread of life discourse. All along these commotions, the disciples of the Lord have been silent until today. There were two groups of followers of Jesus: the Twelve who composed His inner circle known as the Apostles and the other 72 referred to as disciples who have been following Him for some time. For the first time in five weeks since the feeding of 5000, they would be expressing their unbelief in Christ’s words that eventually led to their walking away from Him along with the rest of the crowds. Only the Twelve would remain with Jesus.

In the film “The Day After Valentine’s”, Lani and Kai spelled out some significant words into “baybayin” like “paghihilom” or healing. It is the usual problem with words that are easier said or written than done and proven in actions. Like Lani and Kai, the disciples at Capernaum and us today, we all have a hard time living up to our words’ meaning and realities. It is always so easy to say yes, to commit and pledge our love and support in words but when things get tough and rough, we back out and go back to our former way of life. Sometimes, we really do not mean what we say for they are merely words, words, and words. It is so different with God whose words are His realities that He only had to speak to create everything. His very name in the words “I Am Who Am” is Himself, perfect. Most of all, when He sent us His Son to save us, that was exactly the name given Him, Jesus, which means “God is my savior”. As the Word who became flesh, Jesus revealed to us how much God loves us not only by speaking to us words of Spirit and life but fulfilling these on the Cross on Good Friday. He had shown us that more than the indication of our thoughts and feelings, communication at its most profound level is the giving of self in love. Here we find the great value of silence, especially during times of suffering and pain. Silence is more than being quiet, but being open to God’s words in the scriptures and in our hearts to let its meaning and realities be fulfilled in us. The crowd gathered with Jesus at Capernaum these past five Sundays have been murmuring and quarrelling over His bread of life discourse, refusing to allow His words to permeate them that they eventually left Him. Just like us, not only with God but with our loved ones.

Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?” I love this part in the gospel which I also remembered at the end of “The Day After Valentine’s” when Lani visited her parents’ gravesites. After laying flowers on them, Lani took off her shawl to finally expose her scarred back. She then sat on the ground, looked into the horizon with the camera at her back zooming out until she is framed at the middle between the two crosses of her father and mother’s tombs like the crucified Jesus. The scene was very symbolic, and shocking. Seeing the scars on her back, one could imagine the terrible ordeal Lani had gone through from an abusive father, the shocking truth now happening in many families.

Here at the end of the bread of life discourse, Jesus is asking us to stay, to remain in Him amid all the pains and sufferings of life for only Him can truly heal us and lead us to fullness of life. This was the challenge posed by Jesus to the crowd at Capernaum and with us today when He spoke of His moment of death when He is “lifted up on the Cross”, His ascending to where He was before. Christ’s crucifixion remains the most shocking scandal of all time when the all-powerful God was put to death in the most shameful manner. This we make present in every celebration of the Holy Mass, when we reaffirm to Him like the people with Joshua at Shechem that we choose to stay and serve the Lord our God (Josh.24:18). Staying with Jesus means taking concrete steps to prevent and stop all forms of human abuses especially against children and women. But it requires patience on our part too. There are no shortcuts that could only worsen the situation like retribution and executions. The more wounds we inflict, the more healing becomes elusive. Remain in Jesus, stay with Him. After so many experiments, we realize deep inside like Simon Peter that there is no one else to go to except Jesus who has the words of eternal life. Like Peter, we have to believe Jesus despite our many disillusions in life, in family, and with the Church, His Body. By remaining in Christ, taking the painful path of believing and trusting Him to overcome disillusions, we can enter into joy when life finally blooms to its fullest meaning in love. Too often, there is the temptation to always leave, to go back to our previous life of pains and darkness away from God and others. Amen. Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ni San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan 3022

*Photo by Fr. Nick F. Lalog II, Sacred Heart Novitiate in Novaliches, 04 July 2018.

“Got To Get You Into My Life” by the Beatles (1966)

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Music//Week XX-B//19August 2018

Body and Blood of Christ, Our Communion With God

Finally… the Beatles in our LordMyChefSundayMusic!

But did you know that the great Paul McCartney wrote this song not for a particular person but as an “ode to pot”? Yes, in honor of marijuana, that holy grass producing holy smoke!

I was alone, I took a ride
I didn’t know what I would find there
Another road where maybe I
Could see another kind of mind there
Ooh, then I suddenly see you
Ooh, did I tell you I need you
Every single day of my life

Sir Paul revealed this only recently in an interview for a book about him and his works (check Google). But again, as I have told you last Sunday, that is the beauty of music: truly a universal language that takes on a life of its own wherein it becomes applicable to every situation. On this penultimate Sunday of the Lord’s “bread of life” discourse, we find this classic Beatle music speaking also of God’s “communion” with us through Jesus Christ’s Body and Blood in the Eucharist: “we find Jesus speaking more boldly to the unfriendly audience by increasing the force of His declaration as “the bread of life” by repeating it eight times in eight verses! Jesus did not budge in the arguments of the crowd and instead slowly spiraled up His discourse as food and drink for eternal life…showing us the direction we have to follow in Him.” https://lordmychef.wordpress.com/2018/08/18/lordmychefsundayrecipe-19-august-2018/

Have to be clear with you, dear reader, I was not into pot and have not read the inspiration behind this song when I wrote my Sunday reflection… but that is indeed the effect of getting into Jesus in the Sunday Mass, beyond compare with weeds or any other drug: Here again is Jesus Christ before us…inviting us to enter into a communion with Him and in Him without murmuring and quarrelling to calmly reflect on this mystery of the Lord as our food and drink to eternal life… let us not rush God like the crowd at Capernaum by demanding spectacular and verifiable things to remind us of His presence. Jesus is with us in the most ordinary things like bread and wine, in the most common experience like the Mass. He speaks to us in the most consistent manner, always repeating the same words of assurances of His love and mercy, kindness and presence. Never doubt for we are making progress every Sunday, from Eucharist to Eucharist. Sooner or later, we shall come to that promised day of eternal life in the Father through Jesus Christ.” Have a hearty lunch with family and friends and God. And music!

The Body and Blood of Christ, Our Communion with God

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe, Week XX-B, 19 August 2018

Proverbs 9:1-6///Ephesians 5:15-20///John 6:51-58

Our gospel is now getting more interesting as the drama among the Jews and Jesus Christ unfold into new dimensions on this penultimate Sunday of the “bread of life” discourse. Last week, the Jews murmured among themselves when Jesus declared “I am the bread that came down from heaven” (Jn.6:41); today, the Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”(Jn.6:52)

Notice the beautiful interplay of “antes” noted by John in this part of the bread of life discourse: from murmuring, the Jews have turned into quarrelling among themselves in their renewed refusal to believe in Jesus. They have deteriorated from being skeptical into being insidious, reaching its lowest point next week when in their refusal to take the words of Jesus, they would eventually leave Him behind along with other disciples who have followed Him after that episode of feeding of more than 5000 people. Only the 12 would remain with Jesus. On the other hand, we find Jesus speaking more boldly to the unfriendly audience by increasing the force of His declaration as “the bread of life” by repeating it eight times in eight verses! And this time, He would even add that not only His flesh is food but also His blood is drink for eternal life. Jesus did not budge in the arguments of the crowd and instead slowly spiraled up His discourse as food and drink for eternal life. Jesus is trying to establish here a new direction in knowing Him, in following Him. In presenting Himself as our food and drink for eternal life, Jesus is also showing us the direction we have to follow in Him. Remember our reflection last July 15 that discipleship is not destination but directional? And the direction Jesus is taking us in His bread of life discourse is about our Holy Communion in God.

If you have observed in these past four weeks, sometimes the discourse by Jesus seems to be going nowhere, could be vague or ambiguous that it does not seem to progress at all. See how since last Sunday Jesus was repeating over and over His being the bread of life who came down from heaven and that whoever eats His flesh and drinks His blood will have eternal life. Jesus is not trying to get our attention with some fancy thoughts or brilliant expositions; Jesus is inviting us to a more personal experience of Himself in His bread of life discourse. He is asking us to take our time in listening and digesting His words because in the end, His goal is not to fill our minds but to rest in our hearts. Jesus is seeking communion with us, a oneness that can be achieved in the mystery of faith with a certitude deep in our hearts. It is something like our daily prayers and weekly celebration of the Sunday Mass when we sometimes feel nothing is happening; even in our minds, we know we have known everything. Yet, as we try to be open, holding on to our faith in God, we continue to pray and celebrate the Sunday Mass that deep within us we are convinced something had changed, that we have experienced Someone so real and profound. That is communion. When we receive Jesus Body and Blood, we realize and know for a fact we are not one. We have a communion not only with others with similar pains and hurts like ours but most of all with God who became human like us because He loves us so much. Now in Holy Communion, He is one with us, truly inside our body, flesh and blood under the signs of bread and wine. There is now an existing relationship on common experiences inexhaustible in its richness. That is how personal God is with us.

Since the fall of Adam and Eve, God had always longed to restore our union with Him. In the first reading, we have heard how the author of the Book of Proverbs had personified God as Wisdom (a feminine) inviting us to come to her. “Let whoever is simple turn in here; to the one who lacks understanding, I say, Come, eat of my food, and drink of the wine I have mixed! Forsake foolishness that you may live; advance in the way of understanding.”(Prov.9:4-6) Wisdom is God Himself who is at once transcendent and close at hand, very lofty but also in the daily realities of life because He is always seeking a communion with us humans. Note in this passage, God is food and wine – the essentials of life! In the Eucharist, we have the most ordinary food, bread and wine, becoming the most divine presence of God with us in Christ Jesus. It is our common union with God in Christ who became human like us in everything except sin so that we can become like Him who is divine. Observe when the priest prepares the wine during the Mass, he would pause before pouring water to recite the silent prayer, “By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity.” I love praying that, especially when I could see that amid the great amount of wine, our human contribution is just a droplet of water because Jesus did everything for us, we just have to believe! Then again while the “Agnus Dei” is sung in preparation of the Holy Communion, the priest pauses in silence as he breaks the bread, takes a little piece of it and puts it into the wine, silently praying “May this mingling of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive Him.”

Here again is Jesus Christ before us, like the scene at Capernaum after the feeding of more than 5000 people, inviting us to enter into a communion with Him and in Him without murmuring and quarrelling to calmly reflect on this mystery of the Lord as our food and drink to eternal life. Let us heed St. Paul’s reminder to the Ephesians today “to watch carefully how we live, not as foolish persons but as wise” (Eph.5:15) more concerned with God and not of the worldly things. Most of all, let us not rush God like the crowd at Capernaum by demanding spectacular and verifiable things to remind us of His presence. Jesus is with us in the most ordinary things like bread and wine, in the most common experience like the Mass. He speaks to us in the most consistent manner, always repeating the same words of assurances of His love and mercy, kindness and presence. Never doubt for we are making progress every Sunday, from Eucharist to Eucharist. Sooner or later, we shall come to that promised day of eternal life in the Father through Jesus Christ. Amen. A blessed week to you!Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ng San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan 3022

*Photo by Fr. Nick F. Lalog II, Church at Tabgha where Jesus is believed to have fed more than 5000 people; at the altar floor is a mosaic of the loaves of bread and two pieces of fish. Taken during our Holy Land pilgrimage April 2017.

“Everything I Own” by Bread (1972)

selective photo of teal cross decor — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

“Everything I Own” by Bread (1972)

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Music//Week XIX-B//12August 2018

Believe. Love. And live.

On this third consecutive Sunday of the “bread of life” discourse of Jesus found only in the sixth chapter of John’s gospel account, our LordMyChefSundayMusic takes its cue again from the 70’s group Bread with their hit “Everything I Own.” Listeners have always interpreted it as a song about a broken relationship; but, according to its composer David Gates, the song is tribute to his late father when he composed it in 1972. The first stanza says so well Gates’ love for his late father.

But that is the beauty of music! It has a unique quality of being so universal in meaning with many applications in the various instances of our lives. It is indeed the food of the soul, like Jesus Christ as the bread of life. We simply have to believe. And when we believe, we love and start to live. But when we stop believing, then we also stop loving because there is no more life to live. Jesus is now offering us Himself as our bread of life, our sustenance in this life and to eternity. Most of all, when we have Jesus as our bread of life, we partake in His divine life that leads us to real fulfillment. But, are we willing to let go of everything to have Jesus, to believe in Him so we can truly love and live fulfilled?

You sheltered me from harm
Kept me warm, kept me warm
You gave my life to me
Set me free, set me free
The finest years I ever knew,
Were all the years I had with you

(Ref.) And I would give anything I own
I’d give up my life, my heart, my home
I would give everything I own,
Just to have you back again

You taught me how to love
What it’s of, what it’s of
You never said too much,
But still you showed the way
And I knew from watching you//Nobody else could ever know,
The part of me that can’t let go (repeat refrain)

Is there someone you know,
Your loving them so,
But taking them all for granted?
You may lose them one day
Someone takes them away,
And they don’t hear the words you long to say (Ref.)

Believe. Love. And Live.

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe, Week XIX-B, 12 August 2018

1Kings 19:4-8///Ephesians 4:30-5:2///John 6:41-51

Is it sinful to complain to God?

This is the most frequently asked question (FAQ) I get from everyone especially during confessions. And I always explain that it is not really sinful to complain to God in the sense that complaining to Him may actually be an expression of our deep faith and intimate relationship with Him. In our first reading we find the prophet Elijah complaining to God as he fled to the desert from the soldiers of Queen Jezebel sent to kill him: “This is enough, O Lord! Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”(1Kgs.19:4) In that sense, complaining is a prayer that comes from our hearts, expressing our deep, emotional pain as well as physical sufferings when we all we wanted is to take a deep sigh and blurt out what’s deep inside to complain or share with others. Especially with God whom we believe would do something to our plight. What is sinful is the “murmuring” we have heard from today’s gospel: The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said, “I am the bread of life that came down from heaven,” and they said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? Then how can he say, ‘I have come down from heave’?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop murmuring among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day.”(Jn.6:41-44)

When we were growing up, it was a big “no-no” to murmur to elders like mothers, lolas and titas. Recall how sharp their eyes and ears that even if you are already on your way up to your room or leaving their presence, they knew so well you were murmuring that the next thing you knew, you have been slapped! “Tumigil ka sa kabubulong-bulong at tatamaan ka sa akin” is a clear a present danger situation, not a warning. It is bad, and sinful to murmur because it comes from the intellect than from the heart. There is resistance and refusal to be open, an insistence on what we know or deem as right and better to something being presented. See how the Jews rehashed their perceptions against Jesus when He first came home and preached in their synagogue as “they took offense at him” (Mk.6:1-6, 14^th week) again in this scene in Capernaum. Murmuring is sinful not only because it lacks respect but most of all, there is the underlying current, even a sinister one that runs deep within us to undermine or go against somebody, especially God and those above us like parents and superiors. It is an expression of a lack of faith. That’s the problem with those around Jesus in Capernaum: they refused and could not believe Jesus because He was one of them as they thought. We need to be open to enter into the reality and mystery of Jesus. Hence, after telling them to stop murmuring, Jesus said “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day… Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.”

According to St. Augustine, “everything is grace but grace builds on nature.” It is always a grace from God to believe in Him, to have faith in Him but we have to nurture that gift within to grow and bloom. It is difficult to grow in faith and be captured by this faith if we do not stop “murmuring”: being too cerebral cannot solve everything because there are more realities in this life not visible with our eyes. It is only with the eyes of faith can we truly see the most essential things in life as the Little Prince realized. Through faith, we not only become open to God but also experience and realize something bigger which is love. Faith is akin to love. Both always go hand in hand because when we believe, we love. The more we love, the more we believe! When we believe, we love, then we live authentically. When we stop believing, we also stop loving, and we refuse to live anymore because there is nothing else to hope for in this life.

Believe. Love. And live. When we believe in Jesus, we love more truly – that is when we live authentically. This we shall see in the Lord’s discourse of His being the bread of life. But why “bread”? Bread is the most basic and essential food anywhere. Jesus offers Himself as the bread of life to show us that more essential and more basic than food and other material things for man is God alone. In declaring Himself as the bread of life, Jesus now presents Himself as the reality of God we do not see. Like the reality of bread as food, God is truly our life and sustenance not only in this life but in eternity! This we can see in the wonderful flow of the Lord’s discourse when He solemnly declared “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life” in verse 47. Then, two more times He declares His being bread of life as the “bread that comes down from heaven”(v.50) and “the living bread” before concluding that the bread He shall give is His “flesh for the life of the world” both found in verse 51. We do not eat simply to be nourished or worst, to be filled with food; we eat to celebrate life with others. Every celebration always has some food to offer because ultimately, what we offer in every meal is also our very selves. That is most true in Jesus as the bread of life we eat in the Eucharist to partake in His divine life so that our lives are not only lived but also fulfilled in Him with others. May we “live in love” as St. Paul admonished the Ephesians in today’s second reading by always believing in Jesus Christ so we could love like Him and live in Him. Amen.Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ni San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan 3022

*Photo taken by Fr. Nick F. Lalog II at Sonnem Berg Mountain View, Davao City, 10 August 2018.