Tag: life

What to do with our losses?

LordMyChef “TGIF” Quote, 14 September 2018

“If there is any word that summarizes well our pain, it is the word ‘loss.’  We have lost so much!  What to do with our losses?  That’s the first question that faces us.  This is how the journey starts.  The question is whether our losses lead to resentment or to gratitude.

Mourning our losses is the first step away from resentment and toward gratitude in our celebration of the Holy Eucharist.   The tears of our grief can soften our hardened hearts and open us to the possibility to say ‘thanks.'” (Fr. Henri J.M. Nouwen, “With Burning Hearts”, pp. 28, 32, 34)

41564804_246238176078082_7351724361268592640_n Photo by Fr. Nick F. Lalog II, Betania Retreat House, Tagaytay City, 21 August 2017.

 

To Love Like Jesus

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The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe-Prayer
Thursday, 13 September 2018, Week XXIII, Year II
1 Corinthians 8:1-7,11-13///Luke 6:27-38

            O loving Father, today we pray for those who have hurt us, for those who have wounded us so deeply, those we have loved but turned against us.  Most especially, we pray for those who have hurt us who are now asking our forgiveness.  It is very difficult Lord but it can be done in your Son.

            “Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up.  If anyone supposes he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.” (1Cor.8:1)

            When we use more of our minds, loving especially those who have hurt us becomes difficult, even impossible.  We could not get over the pain and the hurts that are so bad enough, worsened by the accompanying shame and embarrassment brought on us when we were disregarded as persons that in turn lead us to think of revenge, of getting even, of demanding “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”

           Thank for the grace, O God, of enabling us to enter into the very heart of Jesus Christ’s teaching which is to love like Him, to love radically that means “loving our enemies, doing good for them, lending without expecting returns and being merciful like you our Father.” (Lk.6: 35, 36)  Thank you for the grace, O God, of enabling us to get into the very person of your Son Jesus Christ who is so poor, so empty of Himself with enough space to host everyone inside His heart with nothing to keep except with everything to give within.  Amen.  St. John Chrysostom, pray for us! Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ng San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan 3022.

Photo by the author, St. Paul-Mt. Pico Retreat House, Baguio City, 17 July 2017.

Everything Is Passing

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The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe-Prayer
Wednesday, 12 September 2018, Week XXIII, Year II
1 Corinthians 7:25-31///Luke 6:20-26
 

            Dear God our Father:  we are in the midweek, thank you for enabling us to reach this far.  There are still so many things to be done and accomplished, so many sacrifices and sufferings to go through while we savor some sweet victories and achievements, blessings and grace that have come our way.

            St. Paul reminds us that “the world in its present form is passing away” (1Cor.7:31) and nothing is permanent, like darkness and light, victory and defeat, including our very dear life.  The people who have gone ahead of us in this world like our departed loved ones have taught us this basic truth that nothing stays except change.  Grant them eternal rest, O God, while we who are left behind here on earth be blessed to choose and bear the little discomforts of life, of being poor before you,  hungering for your love, weeping for justice, patiently doing what is right amidst the evil of so many around us who woefully forget your day of judgement.  Amen. Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ng San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan 3022.

Photo by the author, sunset at Bgy. Taboc, San Juan, La Union, 05 January 2018.

Why Work?

LordMyChef “I-Like-Mondays” Quote, 10 September 2018:

“And unless you’re an astronaut, it’s not the work we do that inspires us either.  It’s the cause we come to work for.  We don’t want to come to work to build a wall, we want to come to work to build a cathedral.”

(Simon Sinek “Start With Why”, page 135.)

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Photo by Fr. Nick F. Lalog II, Church of Dormition, Jerusalem, April 2017.

Charisma – Inspiration – Loyalty!

LordMyChef”TGIF”Quote, 07 September 2018:

“Energy motivates but charisma inspires.  Energy is easy to see, easy to measure and easy to copy.  Charisma is hard to define, near impossible to measure and too elusive to copy.  Charisma has nothing to do with energy; it comes from a clarity of WHY.  It comes from absolute conviction in an ideal bigger than oneself.  Energy, in contrast, comes from a good night’s sleep or lots of caffeine.  Energy can excite.  But only charisma can inspire.  Charisma commands loyalty.  Energy does not.”  (Simon Sinek, “Start With Why”, page 134.)

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Photo by Fr. Nick F. Lalog II, Jerusalem, 19 April 2017.

 

Old Wine May Be Good, But New Spirits Got the Kicks

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Photo by Torsten Dettlaff on Pexels.com
The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe-Prayer
Friday, 07 September 2018, Week XXII, Year II
1 Corinthians 4:1-5///Luke 5:33-39

            God our loving Father, another week of work and studies is coming to a close.  As we look forward to the weekend rest and recreation, may we not forget the many new things and new realizations we have learned and discovered this week about you.

            Let us accept the new meaning of fasting as well as the other new perspectives about you and your plans for us revealed in the coming of your Son Jesus Christ.  Let us not be fixated with traditions and rituals, even beliefs that have made us complacent in our relationship with you.  So many times in life we do not meet you in the present because we are always in the past, contented in holding on to that saying  “old wine is good” (Lk.5:39) that we miss trying new wines that have new and stronger “kicks” so to speak.
            Give us the grace like St. Paul of being a “servant of Christ and steward of the mysteries of God” (1Cor.4:1) by constantly examining our trustworthiness before you, cleansing and purifying our hearts for you alone.  Amen.Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ng San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan 3022.

The Inverse Proportionality of God’s Glory

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe-Prayer
Thursday, 06 September 2018, Week XXII, Year II
1Corinthians 3:18-23///Luke 5:1-11

            Your words, O God, today are a mystery, revealing the inverse proportionality of your glory!  As I think of the new day, I cannot help but smile that for us to be wise in this age as St. Paul reminds us in the first reading, we have to be fools, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God.”(1Cor.3:18-19)

            Like Simon Peter in the gospel, we have to be “shallow” by setting aside our expertise, our intelligence or brilliance as fishermen to obey instructions of Jesus the carpenter to “cast their nets into the deep”(Lk.5:4) to catch more fish.

            Whenever I look back in my life, I notice how often I felt empty when I tried to be more in control; but, when I surrendered myself to you in faith, that is when I felt fulfilled!  Give us the grace, O Lord, to heed the Apostle’s words, “Let no one deceive himself”(1Cor.3:18) because your ways and your glory are inversely proportional to ours.  When the world tells us to go up and rise, you tell us to go down to meet you.  When the world tells us to have more, you tell us to give and share to be filled by you.  And when the world tells us to be famous and popular, you tell us to be simple and hidden to discover true glory and majesty in you. Amen.Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ng San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria,  Bulacan  3022.  Photo by the author taken last 23 February 2018 during our Stations of the Cross in a barrio.  See the warning against stealing or “dukot” with Christ below.

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Isang Tula sa Tabi

Minsan ako’y dumaing sa aking pananalangin
Mga hinaing kinikimkim, ibinulalas sa Panginoon natin.
Sabi ko sa Kanya, ako nama’y walang reklamo kung tutuusin
Nagtataka lang naman bakit ako’y maraming pasanin.
Banayad na umihip hanging malamig,
At ako’y tumingin kung saan ito galing.
Bigla itong tumigil nang aking hanapin,
Kaya’t muli ako’ng yumuko at nanalangin
Upang makinig sa maari Niyang sabihin.
Sa aking pananatili parang Kanyang sinasabi
“Madalas kasi Ako’y iyong sinasantabi, parang walang silbi.
Kung di ka pa magulpi, di ka pa tatabi para Ako’y makapagsabi
Na Ako’y lagi mong katabi, humahabi ng iyong balabal para sa gabi.”
“Oo nga po, Panginoon” aking nasabi.
Madalas ako’y walang pasintabi,
Palaging nangangati sa paggawa ng ayon sa sarili.
Kung di pa nga ako magulpi sa sobrang “busy”,
Hindi pa nga ako tatabi para Ikaw ay makatabi.
P. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Ika-04 ng Hulyo 2018, alas-10 ng umaga
Sacred Heart Novitiate sa Novaliches
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Impressing People Does Not Impress God

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The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe-Prayer
Monday, 03 September 2018, Week XXII, Year II
1Corinthians 2:1-5///Luke 4:16-30
          God our almighty and loving Father, on this first working day of the week, we pray for the grace to be our true selves like St. Paul in the first reading.  Give us the courage to accept who we really are, to accept our weaknesses so that our faith may not rest on human wisdom but on your power, O God.
          Help us not to fall prey into the temptation of impressing people, of being filled with pride and ego, trying to be a messiah when we are simply vessels of your grace.  May we be like your Son our Lord Jesus Christ who is always empty of Himself but filled with the Holy Spirit that your words are fulfilled in hearing.
          Saints like Gregory the Great whose feast we celebrate today were able to fulfill great tasks not because of their own power and strengths but due to their humility before you.  Like the saints, let us simply do what is good, to do what is supposed to be done not for shameful profits or impressions from people around us.  Amen.Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ng San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria,Bulacan 3022.
*Photo by the author taken at the St. Agnes Church in Jerusalem last April 2018.

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

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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…