The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Wednesday, Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Priest, 31 July 2024 Jeremiah 15:10, 16-21 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Matthew 13:44-46
Photo by Ms. Jessica Soho, caves of Manresa in Spain where St. Ignatius prayed and compiled his journals, the Spiritual Exercises, May 2024.
Dearest Lord Jesus, teach me to be generous like your servant St. Ignatius of Loyola, like the Prophet Jeremiah; grant me the grace of "positive indifference", of letting go whatever keeps me from loving God and others while remaining engaged with whatever that makes me love God and others so that I may always praise, revere and serve God my Lord and Master.
Forgive me, dear Jesus, at times when I complain, when I cry out to You like the Prophet Jeremiah today: "Why is my pain continuous, my wounds incurable, refusing to be healed? You have indeed become for me a treacherous brook, whose waters do not abide!" (Jeremiah 15:18)
Let me realize that as a disciple, as your prophet especially in this time of so much emphasis on relativism, on having one's self as the measure of what is right and acceptable, of what is cultured and intellectual even at the expense of making a mockery of you, our Lord and God, I have to speak in clear and blunt language, calling a male as a he or a sir, a female as a she or a ma'am, nothing of them or their as singular, of immoral as wrong and sinful, of every life in whatever stage as precious that may all make me be an object of attacks and ridicule even among friends and relatives.
Let me realize, Jesus, my Lord and Master, that despite the trend of many today to wave the banner of evil in multi-colors and shades, we have to be firm in waving your white and pure banner of truth even if it may be old and tattered in time; most of all, let me keep in mind and heart and soul that as we continue to love and forgive even our bashers and haters, we would never be loved in return just like You.
Take my will, O Lord, my liberty and everything I have like that man in today's parable (Matthew 13:44-46), let me leave everything behind to gain You like that great treasure and pearl of great price; give me the grace and courage to do your most holy will. Amen.
St. Ignatius of Loyola, Pray for us.
Photo by Ms. Jessica Soho, Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey, Spain where St. Ignatius pledged his loyalty to the Mother of God, May 2024.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Tuesday, Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop, 30 July 2024 Jeremiah 14:17-22 ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'> Matthew 13:36-43
How fitting are your words today, O God our merciful Father, that it is the same thing we feel in the midst of that irreverent show in Paris: "Let my eyes stream with tears day and night, without rest, over the great destruction which overwhelms the virgin daughter of my people, over her incurable wound" (Jeremiah 14:17).
Have mercy on us, Lord. Like in the time of Jeremiah your prophet, people refused to hear your words spoken through him; people had all the excuses and alibis for their evil deeds; most of all, believed so much on themselves forgetting You were simply merciful and forgiving, allowing the weeds to thrive among the wheat.
Let us continue to listen to your words, to do your will despite what others supposed to be intellectual and cultured would say; let us not be faithful hearers only but most of all faithful doers of your words too.
Let us be reminded always by the words of St. Peter Chrysologus whose memorial we celebrate today: "If you jest with the devil, you cannot rejoice with Christ." Amen.
A wedding homily for Sir Vicente R. Santos III & Ms. Jillian Bianca Carpio St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, 12 July 2024 Tobit 8:4b-8 >><}}}}*> + <*{{{{><< John 15:9-12
Photo by author in La Trinidad, Benguet, 12 July 2023.
Congratulations, Sir Teng and Mam Jill on your wedding day. Your decision to get married in the Church is an expression of love itself because love is a decision, not just a feeling. Making a decision to get married is a choice to be small, to be broken into pieces to be united, to be one with the other person, your beloved.
Every time we make that decision to love, we renounce our very selves, our selfishness. The truest sign that we love is when we are able to love somebody more than our self; and to grow in love is to always choose the other person by a daily renunciation of one’s self which Ben&Ben sang so well, “Mahiwaga… pipiliin ka sa araw-araw…”
Photo by author, Camp John Hay, 12 July 2023.
This we saw in our first reading in the beautiful prayer by Tobiah with Sarah on their honeymoon when he mentioned God’s original plan in Genesis in creating woman as a suitable partner of man.
The root word of “partner” is part. A part is always small that makes up the whole. Every whole is made up of small parts.
A part-ner means you are both a part of each other and you both have to be small in order to be whole as married couple.
In that beautiful story of Tobiah and Sarah, we find them choosing to become small in order to become part of the bigger whole, of each other, and of God.
Tobiah is the son of Tobit who lived in exile in Nineveh, the capital of Assyria that had conquered Israel in the Old Testament. Tobit used to be wealthy but had a reversal of fortunes later in life made worse with his going blind. He sent his son Tobiah to Media to collect a debt from a fellow Jew with hopes he could also find there a bride for himself among their kindred.
God then sent Archangel Raphael who disguised as a traveler to Tobiah who was so kind to welcome him as companion. On their way to Media, Tobiah was attacked by a large, strange fish while taking a bath at the Tigris River. Tobiah was able to subdue the creature while Raphael instructed him to take out its heart, liver and gall due to its medicinal properties. Tobiah obeyed Raphael and they proceeded to Media to collect the debt owed to his father. There he met and fell for a Jewish woman named Sarah.
But, there was a major problem with Sarah: she had been widowed seven times because the devil Asmodeus would always come and kill her husband just before their honeymoon!
Engraving of Raphael instructing Tobiah to gut the fish by Georg Pencz (1543) from en.wikipedia.org.
Raphael pushed Tobiah to still marry Sarah, teaching how to drive away the devil Asmodeus on their honeymoon by burning the heart and liver of the strange fish he had killed. Tobiah followed Raphael’s instructions and Asmodeus was finally driven away that is why we have this scene of them praying in thanksgiving for their marriage. (This is the reason St. Raphael is portrayed with a fish and why arbularyos burn fish intestines to drive away evil spirits.)
Tobiah returned home to present his wife Sarah to his parents in Nineveh; Raphael again instructed Tobiah to apply the dried gall of the fish onto the eyes of his father Tobit to regain his sight. Amid their celebrations for Tobit’s healing and Tobiah’s marriage, Raphael revealed himself as God’s archangel sent to them to bring their healing which is the meaning of the name Raphael, “God has healed”.
See how Tobiah and Sarah, as well as Tobit even Archangel Raphael chose to be small and humble before God and everyone, to play mere parts in the grand plan of God in their lives. They were all willing to be humble and small.
Photo by author, St. Michael Archangel Parish, BGC, Taguig City, 12 July 2024.
Sir Teng and Mam Jill, you were sent for each other by God like St. Raphael to Tobiah and Sarah and Tobit. Handle your life with prayer. Always invite Jesus into your life as a married couple just like today you when you invited Him to bless your wedding. Do not forget to celebrate Mass every Sunday, to pray daily, as much as possible together as husband and wife.
True greatness is in becoming small like a little child as Jesus Christ repeatedly told His disciples. In this world where we compete on being the biggest and most powerful, God tells us the key to fulfillment is in being small, being humble, to become a part of the whole. The greatness of every person depends on the measure of his or her ability to share because it is only in participating in the whole does one becomes truly great.
Marriage is becoming small to become one. Husband and wife cannot be one unless they let go of themselves first. Marriage is not a competition of who has more love to give and share but simply of loving and loving, giving and giving.
When you reflected Sir Teng on what to do with your life and realized you will never be complete without Mam Jill, that is being small, that is truly loving because you are willing to let go of yourself to be a part of Jill.
Remember, there’s no perfect husband nor perfect wife but you can be the ideal husband, the ideal wife by forgetting yourself through daily conversion in Jesus Christ who gave His total self out of love for us. And you do not have to die on the cross literally, Sir Teng and Mam Jill.
Sir Teng, the ideal husband is someone who is deaf. Bingi. You know how women are. They talk a lot as they remember everything in detail even from long, long time ago. The moment Mam Jill starts talking, play deaf. So you don’t quarrel or debate.
Mam Jill, the idal wife is someone who is blind. Bulag. Problem with women is you see everything, kahit wala naman, may nakikita pa rin mga babae. When you see something with Sir Teng, play blind. Wala yun. Mabait siya talaga.
You two were brought together by your love for the French language. Every language is made up of small parts called letters used to form words put together in a sentence to express a thought or a feeling so we can communicate.
But, “communication is more than the expression of one’s thoughts and feelings; at its most profound level, it is the giving of self in love like Jesus Christ on the Cross” (Communio et Progressio #11)… just like every husband and wife too.
So, be small, Sir Teng and Mam Jill for you to remain in love, to grow in love, and be great in love. Amen.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Monday, Memorial of Sts. Martha, Mary & Lazarus, 29 July 2024 1 John 4:7-16 <*{{{{>< + ><}}}}*> John 11:19-27
“The Raising of Lazarus”, 1311 painting by Duccio de Buoninsegna from commons.wikimedia.org
If you have love in your heart, you have been blessed by God; if you have been loved, you have been touched by God (Anonymous author).
What a lovely Monday You have given us today, O God our Father as we celebrate the Memorial of the friends of Jesus Christ, the sisters St. Mary and St. Martha with their brother St. Lazarus - a beautiful and most powerful reminder to us all that Jesus comes first in our family most especially among our siblings.
How sad, dear Father are the growing number of couples having only one child or two the most with kids denied of this most wonderful experience of kinship; on the other hand, there is the growing trend of family disintegration due to divorce and separation of many couples with children as main casualties; likewise, of the growing trend among young people to selfishly pursue many things in life in total disregard of others beginning in their own family circle.
No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us (1 John 4:12).
Help us, dear Father, to rekindle this love we first experienced in our homes, among our siblings like Saints Mary, Martha and Lazarus; let us discover anew the wonderful and amazing gifts of brothers and sisters in the family who remind us of your blessing us with so much love in our hearts; let us feel and experience again your gift of love in our hearts in the mere mention of names of our own brother and/or sister who made us first experience love next from our parents; refresh our memories of those times You touched us with the selfless love, the unconditional love freely shared with us by our brother and/or sister.
We pray, most merciful Father, for all brothers and sisters separated from each other due to misunderstandings, jealousy, betrayals and mistrust; like St. Martha, let us never lose faith and hope for estranged brothers and sisters to rise anew from their deaths into sin, to find again that love You have given them in their hearts and most of all, touch them so they may remember and miss anew those experiences of being loved by their siblings in their childhood to rebuild their ties again in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
An icon of Jesus visiting his friends, the siblings Sts. Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Photo from crossroadsinitiative.com.
The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B, 28 July 2024 2 Kings 4:42-44 ><}}}}*> Ephesians 4:1-6 ><}}}}*> John 6:1-15
Residents wade through knee to waist-deep flood along P. Florentino Street in Quezon City on July 24, 2024. Photo by Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News
There is a new kind of storm sweeping us these days, more disastrous and silently wreaking havoc among us especially in our relationships with one another. It is a kind of storm borne out materialism that had given rise to other thoughts that have left us more lost and empty in life.
Photo from sunstar.com.ph, 22 July 2024.
More powerful than typhoon Carina was that storm in Cebu when a celebrity had a waiter stand in front of him simply for addressing him a “sir”, not as “mam” as he claimed to be a “beautiful” transwoman. The storm swept the whole social media on Monday with negative reactions and memes even from LGBTQ members. Many women rose to speak against this insistence by some in introducing wokism in the country for the sake of inclusivity which is nothing else but an exaggeration of one’s self and of the truncated truth they know.
*As I wrote this Saturday morning, there came the news of how the Paris Olympics made a mockery of the Lord’s Supper with a drag show in its opening ceremony. What a shame on France!
Photo from rappler.com.
Right after the devastation by the habagat, many were shocked to find Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati changed into “Sen. Gil Tulog” for an advertising stunt. Again, it flooded social media with criticisms that reached the Mayor of Makati who ordered the signages removed with the city official who approved it reprimanded.
Here we find two recent storms indicating how eroded our value system has become. Both are symptoms of our sick society that have allowed these to creep into our social consciousness on the pretext of inclusivity and creativity along with other western idiotic thoughts displayed in the opening of the Paris Olympics. The incidents show how some people have become so conceited without any sense of respect at all to God and to others, whether alive or deceased, as well as lack of sense of history.
Photo by author, Parish of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, Valenzuela City, 24 July 2024.
Sorry for the long introduction. I only wish to invite you my dear friends to stop for a while and honestly ask ourselves this question: what are we pursuing in life these days?
Beginning today until the next four Sundays of August, all our Gospel accounts will be from John’s sixth chapter that opens with the story of the feeding of more than five thousand people. It is the continuation of last Sunday’s gospel scene when Mark narrated how Jesus invited the Twelve to a “deserted place to be by themselves” only to be followed by a vast crowd of people “like sheep without a shepherd.”
Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near (John 6:1-4).
The beloved disciple’s account of the event is so rich with many signs that point us closer to Jesus Christ.
Keep in mind that the miracles of Jesus in the fourth gospel are called “signs” because they were not just extraordinary things done like some form of magic; for John, the miracles of Jesus were signs that point and reveal superior realities of the highest order, of God Himself in Christ. This is difficult to understand unless our pursuits are clearly on God and not something else.
Photo by author, Fatima Avenue, Valenzuela City, 25 July 2024.
In his brief introduction of the scene, John tells us that if we really want to find and experience liberation from all the problems besetting us as individuals and as a nation, we must first pursue God, not our self-interests and well-being. See how John declared the great number of people pursued Jesus due to the “the signs he was performing on the sick” that they must have found hope and life in Him amid their many sufferings.
How sad many people today spend and waste time in social media and other material things forgetting the persons around them. In the pursuit for money and fame, persons are made into objects to be possessed; perhaps this is the reason of the growing number of many kamotes and pabebes in our time – the objectification of people, when persons are degraded into mere objects. It is an utter lack of respect for others which only shows too the lack of self-respect among many of us because we have lost our rootedness in God.
Do we still have that desire for God which leads us to higher ideals like virtues and qualities that make us more human and humane?
Pursuing God is not just celebrating the Sunday Mass or praying often but applying these holy activities into our daily lives to experience and find Him working in us and through us in our daily life. As we have reflected last Sunday, the more we get closer to God, the closer we must get with others too!
Many times we are like Philip and Andrew, two of the closest Apostles of Jesus that even if we go to Mass every Sunday or even daily, we never meet Christ at all because we are so absorbed with ourselves and the world. Philip and Andrew saw only saw the huge problem before them, they saw what they lacked – bread – but never found Jesus Christ Himself as the answer to their problem despite their having witnessed His many healings and raising to life of the dead daughter of Jairus.
When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many (John6:5-9)?”
I love that small detail by John that “Jesus knew what he was going to do”, of how the Lord was merely testing them in asking where to buy bread.
From psephizo.com
It does not really matter how Jesus multiplied the loaves of bread. What was very clear was the presence of Jesus, the Son of God who can do anything!
It was His person that was most important in this scene set when “The Jewish feast of Passover was near” which would later explain to us the meaning of the Last Supper and Good Friday. It is the very person of Jesus Christ who matters always in life. Recall our most trying moments in life when we have given up hopes but suddenly something happened and everything was reversed that we are still here, very much alive. Until now we are clueless how it all happened except that deep within our hearts, it is only Jesus whom we find as the answer and reason for everything.
In the first reading we heard how Elisha the prophet was given with twenty barley loaves of bread he gave to feed one hundred people that had plenty of leftovers.
Again, we are not told how Elisha multiplied the loaves of bread but one thing was very clear: the barley loaves were given by the man from Baal-shalisha as an offering to God through Elisha. The man clearly desired and pursued God that he baked those bread from “the first fruits, and fresh grain in the ear” of his bountiful harvest (2 Kgs.4:42). It was a thanksgiving offering for God that made wonders not only for him but for everyone. If we could just do the same in desiring God first of all!
Remember what Jesus told the devil during His first temptation in the wilderness, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God” (Mt.4:4).
There in the deserted place, miracle happened because everyone desired God first by listening to the teachings of Jesus. When Jesus saw them opening to God’s words, He then fed them with bread and fish. This week, let us pursue God more sincerely by foregoing our usual pursuits for comfort and easy life so that Jesus may multiply whatever we have. Let us pray:
God our loving Father who is over all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:6): empty us of our pride that make us pursue worldly things like wealth, fame, and power; let us desire You alone in Jesus Christ so that we may find You again in our hearts and on the face of one another we meet in this world that has become so empty, hostile and unkind. Amen.
Photo by author, view of Jerusalem from the Church of Dominus Flevit, May 2017.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Friday, Memorial of Sts. Joachim and Anne, Parents of the BVM, 26 July 2024 Jeremiah 3:14-17 <*((((><< + >><))))*> Matthew 13:18-23
Photo by author, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, QC, 19 March 2023.
As we reel from the aftermath of the recent storms that caused widespread floods and affected so many lives, Your words today Lord Jesus Christ direct our thoughts to our roots and rootedness in God and with one another especially our grandparents.
The seed sown on the rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away (Matthew 13:20-21).
How lovely that on this Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandparents of our Lord Jesus Christ, the gospel invites us to go back and nurture our roots; like any good tree planted firmly that provides shades and food as well as holds water when rains come, roots evoke a sense of interconnectedness, of trust with each other, of our grounding in life and mission that give direction for us in life; without the root, we not only wither and die but lose sense and meaning in life; it is in the root we find our identity and mission; in the root is found our true selves; it is the root that holds us to remain whole despite the many blows we encounter in life. That is why the Prophet Jeremiah invites us in the first reading to go back to God, to be converted always. It is not difficult to find out what kind of people were Saints Joachim and Anne because when we study and reflect the writings we have about the Blessed Virgin Mary and her Son Jesus Christ, the more we discover their roots must be so good indeed.
God our Father, let us be rooted in You always, finding You among the people You gift us beginning with our family and friends; let us realize our roots extend beyond people but also with all your creation so that we may love and care for the blessed environment You have given us called Earth. Amen.
Photo by author, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, QC, 19 March 2023.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Prayers in the storm and after the storm, 24-25 July 2024
Photo by author, Parish of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, Valenzuela City, 24 July 2024.
We did not sleep well Tuesday night, worried with the serious impact of heavy rains to our brothers and sisters living in shanties and low-lying areas. Electricity was cut off early yesterday as we received reports of widespread flooding in the Parish. Immediately, the Parish Priest with the Parish Pastoral Council gathered dry clothings, jackets, and blankets for the evacuees in a nearby school, sending some breakfast too. This was our prayer on that rainy Wednesday:
God our loving Father, we thank you for the rains we have long been waiting for to fill our dams, to water our fields and plants, to cool our climate; but because of our continued disregard for your creation and for one another, these blessed rains have brought many problems too especially floods that are getting worse every year; forgive us for we never learn to respect not only nature but especially one another; rich and poor alike failed to take care of each other thinking only of one's self. May these rains wash away our selfishness, cleanse our conscience to think more of others and enable us to finally take concrete steps in changing our lifestyle as Pope Francis had long called for in Laudato Si so that we may finally see our interconnectedness in this one home and planet we call Earth. Amen.
Photo by author, the Fatima image we use for procession after Sunday Masses at the Shrine taking cover from the strong rains and winds yesterday.
Rains heavily poured with a lot of thunders before noon yesterday; more parishioners sent help in kind and food for the 60 evacuees near the Shrine. This we composed for our noontime prayer during that thunderstorms:
God our Father, thank you for the midday rest on this stormy Wednesday; many of us are bearing with the discomfort of no electricity, of not being able to move around, of idly staying at home; forgive us for the complaints especially when we forget there are more who are going through severe tests and sufferings at this time: dilapidated and leaky homes with still more moving to evacuation centers; many people have nothing at all in their pockets for these rainy days; help us reach out to our poor brothers and sisters especially the children who haven’t have breakfast nor have rested at all since last night! Father, we pray for the daily wage earners who could not work today due to bad weather; we pray also for those living alone as well as those who could not come home. Bless every home, fill us with more love and kindness to keep warm everyone in this time of calamity. We ask this in Jesus Christ’s name with the Holy Spirit. Amen.
O blessed Mother Mary, our Lady of Fatima, Pray for us!
There was still no electricity and rains continued to pour in the afternoon with a handful people celebrating the 6PM Mass at the Shrine. Up in our rectory, our staff and PPC officers were busy preparing packed meals for the families evacuated in a nearby school. This was our prayer that afternoon:
God our loving and merciful Father, thank you for bringing us to the end of this day; thank you for the gift of life, for the selfless people who served in all rescue and relief efforts for those affected by the heavy rains that still continue; thank you and bless those who remained faithful to their call of duty especially those in the police and military, the journalists who risked their lives to keep us informed of the situations, our weathermen who tracked Carina and the habagat; most of all, we thank you for the doctors and nurses who came to hospitals as extensions of your healing hands in this time of calamity. Keep them all safe. Bring us all home safely tonight guided by your light of love and care in Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Mary our Mother, Our Lady of Fatima, Pray for us.
Photo by author, Blessed Sacrament in the Chapel of Angel of Peace, RISE Tower, Our Lady of Fatima University, Valenzuela City, 26 June 2024.
Darkness enveloped the whole city of Valenzuela by nightfall as we remained without electricity but the good news of rains finally stopping with the ebbing of the floods were most welcomed news to bring joy to many among us. We continued with our prayers and this is what we shared:
Most loving Father, many of us will not sleep tonight: some are working overnight to ensure tomorrow we’ll have food and power while others are keeping watch for everyone’s safety and wellbeing; bless them, give them the strength to do their tasks and duties, and keep them safe. It has been a very long, cold, and wet day, Father; help us set aside our worries, to trust and hope in You that it is always after the rains and the storms leaves are greenest; it is after the floods when rich top soil are deposited, conducive for farming; it is during calamities when love and charity surprise us most. Amen.
Jesus, King of Mercy, we trust in You!
Our Lady of Fatima, Pray for us!
Photo by author, Fatima Avenue, Valenzuela City after the storm this morning, 25 July 2024 with Our Blessed Virgin’s old statue reminding us of her motherly care.
Finally, we saw the sun at the start of this new day still with some rains and the heavy tasks of cleaning and clearing the debris left by the floods. Will we ever learn to respect nature which is actually an expression of our respect for each other too?
Our prayer after the storm:
Praise and glory to you, God our loving Father! Thank you for this new day, thank you for the gift of life, thank you for guiding us during these stormy days. Bless our doctors and nurses, the selfless volunteers and staffmembers of rescue and emergency units along with our police and military personnel as well as the weathermen who continue to work and serve us today after the storm. Help us to do better in responding to emergencies next time while we finally learn to change our lifestyles in caring for the environment and ultimately, for one another. Let us appreciate each one’s giftedness in Christ Jesus our Lord as we celebrate life in the Holy Spirit today. Amen.
Our Lady of Fatima, Pray for us! St. James the Great, Pray for us!
Photo by author, Fatima Avenue, Marulas, Valenzuela City, 25 July 2024.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Wednesday in the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 24 July 2024 Jeremiah 1:1, 4-10 <*((((><< + >><))))*> Matthew 13:1-9
"Ah, Lord God!" I said, "I know not how to speak; I am too young." But the Lord answered me, say not, "I am too young." To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak (Jeremiah 1:6-7).
I have always heard that expression "age is just a number" without really understanding nor having a grasp of its real meaning until recently after losing my mom and be totally orphaned of our parents; how different it is now to live without our parents and quickly realize time flies so fast indeed because suddenly we are catapulted into that state in life when we are in the very same situations of our parents when we were younger; now I could feel we are never too young nor too old to be called and entrusted by God with a mission in life.
Life indeed is a parable, dear Jesus: You come to us daily whether we are too young or too old to sow your seeds; keep us open to receive You so that we may bear You and share You. Amen.
“The Sower”, a painting by Van Gogh from commons.wikimedia.org.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Tuesday in the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 23 July 2024 Micah 7:14-15, 18-20 <'[[[[>< + ><]]]]'> Matthew 12:46-50
Restore us, O god our savior, and abandon your displeasure against us. Will you be ever angry with us, prolonging your anger to all generations? Will you not instead give us life; and shall not your people rejoice in you? Show us, O Lord, your kindness, and grant us your salvation (Today’s Responsorial Psalm 85:5-8).
It has been raining for almost a week in many parts of the country of the world with images of floods everywhere, many are perennial ones but many are so unusual and unheard of; everybody is complaining, everybody is blaming everyone for the disaster except one's self.
That is why I love the psalmist's prayer today: "Restore us, O God our savior"; it has so many meanings and applications so relevant these days of rains and floods - repair and renovate the many roads and homes destroyed; but most of all, bring us back to You, O God; let us return to You by finding each one a family as Jesus taught us in today's gospel, "For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother" (Matthew 12:50).
Like the remnants of Israel the Prophet Micah spoke of in the first reading, keep me faithful, standing before You, O Lord in these trying times of natural and human disasters. Amen.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Monday, Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, 22 July 2024 Song of Songs 3:1-4 <*{{{{>< + ><}}}}*> John 20:1-2, 11-18
“The Appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene” painting by Alexander Ivanov (1834-1836) at the Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia from commons.wikimedia.org.
We rejoice today, Lord Jesus, for this most wondrous Feast of your friend St. Mary Magdalene: in her we find hope and joy that like her, we who are sinners are assured of a grace-filled future, of a trustworthy friend in You, and abounding love and mercy also in You.
We are, dear Jesus,
the modern Mary Magdalene:
sinful and worldly,
perhaps so vain with our
outside appearance and bearing
in public, sometimes on the brink
of giving up in life because nobody seem
to care at all for us;
many times like Mary Magdalene,
we walk alone in darkness
searching for You, Lord Jesus;
many times we wonder too
how we could move the huge
and heavy stone of past sins,
weaknesses and failures,
addictions and vices
that cover us and prevent us
from moving forward, finding You;
many times, O Lord,
we mistake You for somebody else
like Mary Magdalene when she mistook
You to be the gardener at the tomb
because we are so preoccupied
of many things in life.
But, You assure us today
on this Feast of St. Mary Magdalene
our fears and assumptions are not
true at all; help us to stop clinging
to our many past for You are not there,
Jesus; You are always in the here and now,
in the present moment, personally calling us
in our name like Mary!
The Bride says: On my bed at night I sought him whom my heart loves – I sought him but I did not find him. I will rise then and go about the city; in the streets and crossings I will seek him whom my heart loves. I sought him but I did not find him. The watchmen came upon me as they made their rounds of the city. Have you seen him whom my heart loves? I have hardly left them when I found him whom my heart loves (Song of Songs 3:1-4).
Like that lover, the Bride in the first reading, we are Mary Magdalene in search of love and meaning in this world; in search of You, Jesus, our Lord and Savior; so often, we seek You in this world, in its loud noise of too much self bragging as well as in the midst of the world's riches and powers; the more we seek You, the more elusive You have become until You came when like Mary Magdalene we have believed in You, we have listened to You. we have become silent and attentive to You, Lord Jesus; thank You for coming, thank You for finding me, thank You for calling me like Mary to proclaim You are risen to others who believe in You, searching You, waiting for You. Amen.
lordmychef.com 