Tag: Mondays

Knowing and Relating

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul, Easter Week VI, 27 May 2019
Acts 16:11-15 >< }}}*> <*{{{ >< John 15:26-16:4
Photo by Dra. Mai dela Pena, Carmel Monastery in Israel, 2014.

Praise and glory to you O Lord Jesus Christ! Today I praise and thank you in a very special way because of this immense love you have made me experience these days. I feel so blessed because I feel so loved. And I feel so loving too.

You know O Lord I have always looked down at myself, always doubting my abilities and most of all, my goodness. Every time I go on my personal retreats, in my own silent moments with you, I find it so hard to see myself as you see me — a beloved one.

So many times even if I know you have forgiven me for my many sins, I always still feel unworthy and untidy before you.

But when people come to thank me, to remind me of some kindness and charity I have extended them, you overwhelm me.

Maybe that’s the problem with us: we always doubt you love us, that we are loved, that we mean so much to other people. We tend to look on our dark side than on the bright moments you have worked in us and through us.

Teach us to be realistic and humble like Paul who was prevailed upon by Lydia in her generosity to receive them because of their goodness coming from you.

You are absolutely right, Lord Jesus: some people think they are doing God a big favor hurting us your followers because they have not really known you and the Father.

They have never experienced really knowing you, entering into a relationship with you as a person, as a Father, as a Brother.

That’s what make Christianity so different where we have a relating God, a God who knows when to give us that proverbial pat on the shoulders when we forget our goodness in you. You are a personal God who knows us and relates with us.

We pray for those burdened today, for those who feel neglected and even useless because of their plight and sorry condition. Remind us always that despite our many flaws and weaknesses, sins and failures in life, you still love us and would always love us no matter what. Amen.

Our pilgrimage team at Petra in Jordan, 01 May 2019.
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The way of God

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul
Monday, Easter Week V, 20 May 2019
Acts 14:5-18 ><)))*><*(((>< John 14:21-26
Dusk at the Sinai desert in Egypt, 06 May 2019.

Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him, “Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?”

John 14:21-22

So often in life, Lord Jesus, we feel like St. Jude Thaddeus asking you the same question of why did you not reveal your self to more people, especially the unbelievers and your enemies so there would be no more questions about your Resurrection and most of all, of your existence.

Why did you not appear to powerful nations and not just Israel or to more people not just the few Apostles whose testimony about you we must now rely?

But, Lord, the more we wonder about your ways and compare it to our supposed to be bright ideas of making you known and accepted, the more we experience your presence and realize your goodness. Most of all, the more we appreciate and embrace your mystery.

You always act so gently in history, Lord, always waiting for the right time to come and reveal your self. You chose the more difficult way by becoming human, being born an infant subjected to so much dangers early in life and when you matured, you chose to suffer and die so that when you rose again, you came knocking into everyone’s heart inviting us all to have faith that you have risen.

For the world, your way is always laughed at because we always think we know better like the people at Lystra who insisted that Paul and Barnabas are gods, without us knowing that the more we insist on our ways, the more we get lost from what is really true.

Teach us today, Lord Jesus Christ, to learn from your divine way of revelations by choosing silence than noise, simplicity than complexity, hiddenness than spectacles.

Teach us today, Lord Jesus Christ, that your divine way of revelation is always the path of weakness and smallness that lead us to more freedom and more love. Amen.

Rock formations at Petra in Jordan that nature had carved slowly through time. Photo by author, 01 May 2019.
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Entering Jesus, our Gate

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul, Monday, Easter Week IV, 13 May 2019 (Fatima)
Acts 11:1-18///John 10:1-10
From Google.

Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep… Whoever enters through me will be saved.

John 10:1-10

Dearest Lord Jesus Christ:

Today we go to the polls to choose our lawmakers and local executives.

We pray for wisdom and enlightenment to use this great power and freedom you have given us. Let us listen to your voice, follow your voice. Let us enter through you in exercising our rights in choosing our shepherds for you are our gate who leads us to true development and growth as a nation.

Help us realize that to enter you as our gate means to keep always in our minds that ultimately, we all belong to you. That every decision we make in this life, be it in politics or in economics or any field of humanity always has an impact to our ultimate end which is to be with you in eternal life.

Help us realize that to enter you as our gate means ultimately, to follow you alone in love and sacrifice, in suffering and in death on the Cross. That there is no such thing as easy way or shortcuts in this life; keep us on guard with those thieves who try to seduce us with so many promises of a better life as they clearly use power to escape the harsh realities of life.

Let your Holy Spirit enlighten us like those who confronted Peter in Jerusalem after learning he had interacted with Gentiles in Joppa.

May your Mother who appeared in Fatima 102 years ago today lead us back to you, Jesus. The message of Fatima has shown us that you continue to work in our lives in these modern time. Most of all, any change in the world and in our lives can only happen when each one of us returns to you in love and penance, O Lord, our gate. Amen.

The Crucifix at the main altar of Basilica di Santissima Trinita in Fatima, Portugal; at the altar is a painting of Mary with the three children of the 1917 apparitions at left and the Apostles with John the Baptist to the right. A beautiful imagery to show that in Fatima, Mary points us all to Jesus who remains our gate. Photo by Arch. Philip Santiago, October 2018.

The problem of peace

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe, Monday, Easter Wk. III, 06 May 2019

Praise and glory to you O Lord Jesus Christ!

Thank you for this gift of Monday. Thank you for bringing us here in your birthplace and place of death as well.

How ironic and tragic, Lord.

As we arrived here in Bethlehem, fighting erupted anew at Gaza Strip, with rocket attacks reportedly killing and injuring undetermined people yet.

Fightings continue to this very moment and thank you for being far from it.

Lord, it is the most baffling mystery in life: your land is the land where peace remains elusive. And maybe because our hearts have always been far from you.

Like the people who spread lies against Stephen and the people who came looking for you for more food.

We always have our hearts filled with our very selves but never with you.

Let us be your John the Baptist in this time, one who prepares your coming by preaching and living peace. Amen.

Pilgrimage prayer

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul
Monday, Easter Week II, 29 April 2019
Acts 4:23-31///John 3:1-8
A view from the Jerusalem Wall, April 2017.

Lord Jesus Christ, today we leave for a pilgrimage to your Holy Land. Your people there claim it is also our land, everybody’s land. Thank you very much for coming to us, walking on earth, being like us in everything except sin.

Most of all, thank you very much in bringing us not only closer to the Father through you but most of all, making us experience you in the Holy Land.

Today’s first reading tells us how you have sent the Holy Spirit upon your Apostles and followers after Peter and John were released from prison in Jerusalem.

As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Acts 4:31

Our group of pilgrims are not that many to shake the Holy Land, Lord; but, we pray that in our prayers and sacrifices during these days especially in your holy sites, shake our hearts, shake our inner selves, move us closer to you and with one another in faith, hope and love.

Some of us are coming with some darkness within us, but most of us shall be praying for loved ones going through so many trials and difficulties, so fearful like Nicodemus who came to visit you at night.

Bless us going on a pilgrimage and those everyone on a journey with you in their work and studies, at home, in their sickbeds, everywhere… that we may experience to be born from above, to be filled with the Holy Spirit to become new persons in you. Amen.

A view outside the western gate of Old Jerusalem, April 2017.

Worst thing to happen with us at Easter

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for Monday, Easter Octave, 22 april 2019
Acts 2:14, 22-23///Matthew 28:8-15
Photo from Google.

Glory and praise to you, O Lord Jesus Christ! Thank you very much for the gift of Easter, the gifts of new life, of hope, and most of all, of love. Thank you very much for sharing with us your glory of rising from death.

But what is worst that could happen with us this Easter is when we choose to remain in the darkness of ignorance and sin, of not truly believing you are risen. And leading others away from you like those terrorists in Sri Lanka yesterday.

The chief priests assembled with the elders and took counsel; then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.’ And if this gets to the ears of the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.'” The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed.

Matthew 28:12-15

Until now, O Lord, there is still that spirit of your enemies living in us, of those soldiers bribed who chose to disregard what they have experienced, to lie of your Resurrection. Until now, we continue to betray you, replacing you with people and things we find more valuable to us. And worst is when we mislead others away from you.

Let us go to meet you, “fearful yet overjoyed” like Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to announce your rising from the dead. Let us accept the truth of what Peter boldly proclaimed after Pentecost in Jerusalem that indeed, we have “killed” you now risen from the dead.

Let our ignorance of you, Jesus, be an opening for our faith in you so we may grow in intimacy with you. Amen.

Photo from Google.

Breaking the cycle of evil

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe, Holy Monday, 15 April 2019
Isaiah 42:1-7///John 12:1-11
Dominican Hills, Baguio City, January 2019 by the author.

This Monday is supposed to be different from all the other Mondays of the year for it is supposed to be holy. It is a step to your Paschal Triduum, Lord Jesus Christ, that begins on Holy Thursday evening leading to the glory of your Easter Sunday.

Being holy, O Lord, is being filled with you, being like you, Isaiah’s “Suffering Servant”:

Here is my servant whom I uphold…upon whom I have put my Spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall nto quench, until he establishes justice on the earth.

Isaiah 42:1-4

Yesterday I found a beautiful quotation from the Facebook page of the Franciscans that I strongly feel making it my prayer this Holy Monday. It is easier said than done, Lord, but it is doable with your grace.

From Be Like Francis/FB

Give us the courage and grace Lord Jesus this Holy Monday to break the cycle of evil in our midst, to act not like some of those people of your time who tried to plot not only against you but also against your friend Lazarus whom you have raised from the dead.

It is very difficult, and even crazy but it is your way as the Suffering Servant, our Christ who broke our cycle of hate and violence. Amen.

Lent is judgment day

40 Shades of Lent, Monday, Week-V, 08 April 2019
Daniel 13:14-62///John 8:12-20
From Google.

It is the final week of our 40-day preparation for Easter, Lord, yet your readings today remind us of your coming judgment day. And you know how we feel whenever we hear those words, “judgment day”.

Fear always grips us because we always feel we are not ready.

But when do we really get ready to meet you and face your judgment, Lord?

He spoke these words while teaching in the treasury in the temple area. but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

John 8:20

Unlike you, Lord Jesus, we are not God. We really do not know when that hour would come. But we are sure, O Lord, you will always give us the grace and the courage to face that hour that can be happening now. Right now.

Keep us rooted in you always, doing your holy will so that our works are verified in God.

From Google.

Keep us faithful to your laws, let us practice justice especially among women and the disadvataged. Like the prophet Daniel in the first reading, let us never allow ourselves to be silent where there is injustice going on. Disturb us where people are maligned, rights are disregarded, lives are taken for granted.

O God, let us never allow evil to triumph by doing nothing, saying nothing because today is your judgment day. Amen.

Batanes sunset after a storm. Photo by Mr. Raffy Tima of GMA7 News, October 2018.

Lent is always a fresh start, a coming home

40 Shades of Lent, Monday, Week IV, 01 April 2019
Isaiah 65:17-21///John 4:43-54
From Google.

Good morning, Lord! Thank you very much for this Monday, the first day of the brand new month of April. A new beginning, a fresh start. Help us to make it a good one.

Make true your promise to us, O God, through your prophet that…

“…no longer shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does round out his full lifetime; he dies a mere youth who reaches but a hundred years, and he who fails of a hundred shall be thought accursed.”

Isaiah 65:20

Our lives have no meaning at all without you, when we are separated from you. Without you, O God, life is measured in time as an age that is merely a number; but, with you, life is about finding meaning, having its fullness in you regardless we lead short or long lives.

When Jesus Christ healed the son of a royal official from Capernaum while in Cana, Galilee with the words “your son will live”, it was more than escaping death and living for more years in his life. It was more of living meaningfully, of finding you in our lives.

It has been four weeks since we started this Lenten journey. Continue to lead me back home into you, O God. Help me find my way back home to you especially in those moments I am lost and separated from you. Most especially, help me find your Holy Will O Lord that I may always fulfill it because of love and nothing else. Amen.

Early morning at the Assumption Sabbath Retreat House in Baguio City, January 2019.

Lent is Radical

40 Shades of Lent, Monday, Week II, 18 March 2019
Daniel 9:4-10///Luke 6:36-38

Praise and glory to you, O God our Father that despite our sinfulness you continue to bless us! Teach us the true meaning of penance especially in this season of Lent by getting into the root of our sinfulness, that is, by being radical which is from the Latin word radix or root.

Give us the courage and humility of your prophet Daniel to admit wholeheartedly how wicked we have been, rebelling and departing from your commandments.

We feel shamefaced like Daniel before you, loving Father, for our many sins like when we neglected you among our brothers and sisters in need, unmindful of their great sufferings, be it physical, emotional or spiritual.

We are shamefaced, loving Father, in thinking the good times would never end, when we lived in excesses, bloating our egos as if we were gods.

Help us to return to you, our Root and Being, to turn our hearts back to you so that like you we may become merciful too.  Amen.

Images from Google.