Tag: panic

When catastrophes happen

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Tuesday in the Sixth Week in Easter, 16 May 2023
Acts 16:22-34   ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'>   John 16:5-11
Photo by author, Katmon Nature Sanctuary & Beach Resort, Infanta, Quezon, 04 March 2023.
Today dear Jesus we pray 
for those going through
catastrophes in life:
victims of natural and man-made
calamities,
victims of wars and persecutions,
people going through everything
that is wrong in life, so to speak.
Teach us Lord to stay still
in you in times of catastrophe;
like St. Paul and Silas who remained
inside their prison cell when a powerful
earthquake struck Philippi:

About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened, there was suddenly such a severe earthquake that the foundations of the jail shook; all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped, But Paul shouted out in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself; we are all here.”

Acts 16:25-28
Oh what a beautiful event
for that jailer, Lord!
Twice he faced situations with
catastrophic consequences that could
have cost his own life - first the severe
earthquake and second the possible escape
of Paul and Silas;
but you spared his life, Lord,
not only in making him survive
the earthquake but most of all
opening eternal life to him
in hearing your gospel from Paul
and eventually being baptized with
his whole family!
In the gospel, amid the 
dangers lurking with your 
impending arrest and pasch,
you told your disciples that it
is better for you to go and leave
so you could send the Holy Spirit,
the Advocate (Jn.16:7).
Teach us, Jesus,
to be still, to be not foolish
in rushing, to avoid panic 
when catastrophes happen;
let us trust in you alone;
let us think clearly of avoiding
drastic steps that may put us
and others in harm's way;
let us cultivate a prayer life,
a relationship with you that 
would keep us attuned with the
Holy Spirit in reading the signs 
of the times so we may find you
always especially when uneventful
things happen to us.
Amen.

Prayer against panic

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Tuesday, Memorial of St. Rose of Lima, Virgin, 23 August 2022
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, 14-17   ><]]]'> + ><]]]'> + ><]]]'>   Matthew 23:23-26
Photo by Dr. Mylene A. Santos, MD, near Lamon Bay, Polilio, Quezon, 15 August 2022.
Praise and glory to you,
God our loving Father!
You know very well what 
our needs are especially
in these busy days when 
many of us are into 
"panic modes":  stress and
anxieties are peaking again
as classes begin with almost 
everyone overwhelmed with
the many tasks to fulfill amid 
all the crowd and traffic,
chaos and noise outside and 
within us like the early Christians
of Thessalonica so bothered with
Christ's Second Coming.
Teach us, dear Father,
to slow down, to trust in you,
and most especially, remove
our focus on little things that
are not essential like the Pharisees
and scribes.

Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: Judgment and mercy and fidelity. Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!”

Matthew 23:23, 24
Like St. Paul and 
St. Rose of Lima, through 
our witnessing of faith in you,
through our examples of deep
prayer life and loving service
to others, may we "encourage 
hearts and strengthen them in
every good deed and word"
(2 Thess.2:17).
May we be aware of your 
presence in Jesus Christ in
every here and now, to chill
and relax, not to overstretch 
ourselves trying to cover the 
whole world or even universe!
Let us learn to focus on what
is before us at the present 
moment which is to live out
Christ's gospel, day in and day out,
for the rest will take care of itself.
Amen.