Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 26 August 2025
Tuesday in the Twenty-first Week of Ordinary Time, Year I
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8     <*{{{{><  +  ><}}}}*>     Matthew 23:23-26

Thang you very much,
dear Jesus for the gift of
St. Paul your Apostle:
yesterday we heard how
he encouraged the church
at Thessalonica,
of how impressed he was 
with their deep conviction
of faith;
today he described his 
approach to starting the
church at Thessalonica:
so candidly speaking
how he did it while still
remaining tender and gentle
to them,
so sure he had taken
the right course of action.

You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our reception among you was not without effect. Rather, after we had suffered and been insolently treated, as you know, in Philippi, we drew courage through our God to speak to you the Gospel of God with much struggle. Our exhortation was not from delusion or impure motives, or did it work through deception. But as we were judged worthy by God to be entrusted with the Gospel, that is how we speak, not as trying to please men, but rather God, who judges our hearts (1Thessalonians 2:1-4).

As I pray,
Lord Jesus on these
words of St. Paul,
I cannot stop wondering
our many excuses
and "side trips" today
as your apostles;
how did St. Paul unwind
or recreate in his time
compared to our many
forms of rest and recreation;
so many of us cannot move on
with life and ministry
from whatever experiences
we have had in our previous
assignments unlike St. Paul
who simply kept the lessons
learned from his past experiences
at Philippi; most of all,
I could feel the intense love
of St. Paul to you, Lord Jesus
and his ministry with his 
deep personal relationship
in you in prayers
so unlike us today
with so many excuses
in not praying at all.

What I love most
is St. Paul's 
tenderness and gentleness
to his church
with his tenacious 
hold on you Jesus.

although we were able to impose our weight as Apostles of Christ. Rather, we were gentle among you, as a nursling mother cares for her children. With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you not only the Gospel of God, but our very selves as well, as dearly beloved had you become to us (1Thessalonians 2:7-8).

Dearest Jesus,
may your word 
be always alive and 
active in me
flowing in my tender
and gentle service to your flock
so unlike the Pharisees you
have condemned again in
today's gospel
for being blind guides
of the people.
Amen.

Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Our Lady of Fatima University
Valenzuela City
(lordmychef@gmail.com)