The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Thursday, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time, Year I, 20 February 2025 Genesis 9:1-13 <*{{{{>< + ><}}}}*> Mark 8:27-33
Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said to him in reply, “You are the Christ.” (Mark 8:27-29)
You are always on the move, Lord Jesus: you are always moving, crossing the lake, hiking in the mountains and most often, walking the streets.
What a lovely imagery of you, Jesus, always on the road with me following you, watching you, observing you, sometimes stopping because of being tired but you are always there waiting for me.
And now, what a lovely scene of you back on the road again but this time asking those closest to you - including me! - with that most personal question of all: "But who do you say that I am?"
Who are you for me, Jesus?
So many, actually. I may not be as eloquent like Peter, but no doubt about who are you for me, Jesus: my life, my meaning, my love, my hopes, my fullness.
But, very often along this road, on these streets we walk and cross, dear Jesus when that who are you for me is shaken, is tested, even doubted like Peter: how could you allow yourself and us your followers suffer and cry, and die?
He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him (Mark 8:31-32).
Let us think always as God does, Jesus, not as human beings do seeking fame and prestige, comfort and wealth, self and ego; let me walk closer with you Jesus on the streets, on whatever road you take upholding that covenant of God with Noah to uphold and respect human life by "accounting for human life" (Genesis 9:5); more than the colorful rainbows of the skies, may we always see in your outstretched arms on the Cross the true and new covenant of God with us sealed in your blood. Amen.
Photo by author, St. Scholastica Spirituality Center, Baguio City, August 2023.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Wednesday, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time, Year I, 19 February 2025 Genesis 8:6-13, 20-22 <*0000>< + ><0000*> Mark 8:22-26
I really wonder, dear God, how it felt to be inside Noah's Ark for 40 days? The feeling of restlessness, of anxiety and uncertainty of the future, so unsure of what was to come while at the same time filled with hope praying for the best.
How was the boat too? How did it look like? What was the smell inside, the feeling inside that big ark, the sounds from all the animals and everything within and outside?
We have been there many times, Father, in that big ark called life; we have passed through many floods, have waited many times for the waters to recede, for the sun to shine, for life to return to normal.
Through it all, you never left us, Lord; send us Noah who would stand with us inside the ark for 40 days and 40 nights, stay afloat, stay alive wherever direction you bring us.
Help us, dear Father to be patient even if we can't see right away the distant shore like that blind man healed by Jesus at Bethsaida; lead us, Father in this ark of life away from the idolatry of modern world, away from the trappings of easy and comfortable life, away from sin and evil to be closer to your mercy, to your "beth hesda" - to your house of mercy. Amen.
Photo by author, Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria, Dumaguete City, November 2024.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Tuesday, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time, Year I, 18 February 2025
Genesis 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10 <*000>< + ><000*> Mark 8:14-21
Photo by author, Nagsasa Cove, San Antonio, Zambales, October 2024.
When he became aware of this he said to them, “Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread? Do you not understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear? Do you still not understand?” (Mark 8:17-18, 20)
Yes, dear Jesus, I still do not understand; enlighten my mind and my heart, Jesus, to see your light, to find your face among the people I meet so I could understand more; I still do not understand so many things and people, Lord Jesus, because I have become numb and oblivious to your presence; worst, I have become so complacent with those around me without realizing their needs nor situation as I focus more on what I have and what I do not have.
Cleanse my heart and my mind, Jesus, like what the Father did to earth at the time of Noah; wash away my many presumptions and prejudices against others so I may understand more, stop concluding right away until I have seen more in order to love more like you. Amen.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Monday, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time, Year I, 17 February 2025 Genesis 4:1-15, 25 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Mark 8:11-13
Photo by author, DRT, Bulacan, November 2024.
How interesting are your words today, O God our loving Father, of how Cain like the Pharisees came to Abel to "discuss" about something as a pretext before killing him; the Pharisees went to Jesus to argue with him and asked him for a sign from heaven to test him.
How funny and insane, dear Father, how much time we spend just to discuss and argue things about you and your ways, asking for many signs just for us to believe you; how unfortunate, our quest for signs has often led us to sin, to more divisions and separations, more lies and more hate because we have too much self.
Forgive us, Father. Teach us to offer you a sacrifice of praise as the psalmist sings today by "doing well, holding up our heads" (Genesis 4:7) giving our best to listen to you, to seek you, and follow you. Amen.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Friday, Memorial of Sts. Cyril (Monk) & Methodius (Bishop), 14 February 2025 Genesis 3:1-8 ><0000'> + ><0000'> + ><0000'> Mark 7:31-37
Photo by author, 14 August 2024.
On this most joyous day when most hearts has only one thing to say, I pray dear Lord Jesus Christ that I remain and stay at your side, never to hide because of shame and sin.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked… When they heard the sound of the Lord God moving about in the garden at the breezy time of the day, the man and his wife hid themselves from the Lord god among the trees of the garden (Genesis 3:7, 8).
How times have changed, Lord, when in the garden at Eden the man and his wife sinned, they hid whereas today no one is ashamed anymore of their nakedness; what a shame that today, we don't hide in shame instead flaunt our nakedness for everyone to be convinced we are clean, we are right, we have not sinned.
Heal our deafness, Jesus; take us off away from others to be with yourself like that deaf mute, put your fingers into our ears, pierce our hearts, touch our souls for us to see our indifference to sin and evil and shout your words "Ephphatha" that we may be opened anew to the sad realities of our nakedness we ironically use to cover our sins. Amen.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Thursday, Fifth Week in Ordinary Time, Year I, 13 February 2025 Genesis 2:18-25 ><0000'> + ><0000'> + ><0000'> Mark 7:24-30
Photo by author, Fatima Ave., Valenzuela City, July 2024.
Your words today, O Lord, are very striking: in the gospel you were seeking rest while a Syrophoenician woman - a pagan and outsider - was seeking healing of her daughter; in the first reading, God felt it was not good for man to be alone and he cast him into a deep sleep, took one of his ribs and made it into a woman; in both instances, you listened and heard O God the needs of your people whether it was loudly voiced out like that pagan woman or simply kept in the man's heart.
And that's the good news so good for us to hear today: you listen. Always.
Likewise, in both stories, there is always a giving up on our part for us to be heard and answered by you, Lord: the Syrophoenician begged and disregarded her very self for her daughter possessed by the demon while the man gave names to all the creatures and animals given him; moreover, the man had to lose his one rib to give way for the woman's coming in order for him to have company while in the gospel, the pagan woman accepted her being a foreigner, an outsider that Jesus reintegrated her into the fold.
Many times, Lord, we feel left out in you, we feel you not listening nor hearing our deepest pleas and longings when in fact you know them so well that you only await us to come to you and voice them out, express them to you trustingly. Amen.
Photo by author, Fatima Ave., Valenzuela City, July 2024.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Wednesday, Fifth Week in Ordinary Time, Year I, 12 February 2025 Genesis 2:4-9, 15-17 ><000'> + ><000'> + ><000'> Mark 7:14-23
Photo by author, sunrise in Atok, Benguet, 27 December 2024.
Bring me back, Lord to Eden to Paradise where everything started; bring me back inside my heart, inside you, Lord, the beginning of your creation, the center of your attention:
Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east and he placed there the man whom he had formed… to cultivate and care for it. The Lord God gave man this order: “You are free to eat from any of the trees in the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die” (Genesis 2:8, 15, 16-17).
Photo by author, morning in Atok, Benguet, 27 December 2024.
Take me back inside my heart, Jesus, to be clean and free again to choose you, to be faithful, to be loving; indeed, "what comes out of a person is what defiles him" (Mark 7:20) even from the very start when the Father created us; until now, even inside you our "home" we still could not understand it like the disciples (Mark 7:17-18) because we would always choose our own selves, our own desires, our limited knowledge.
Photo by author, afternoon in Atok, Benguet, 27 December 2024.
Let me remember Eden and let me return to Eden, Jesus, to be one with you again - me the creture, you my Lord and my God; take me back in your presence, Jesus and let me realize that though man is the master of his world, God is man's Master and Lord for He is the Creator, we are the creature. Amen.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Tuesday, Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes & World Day of Sick, 11 February 2025 Isaiah 66:10-14 <'000>< + ><000'> + <'000>< + ><000'> John 2:1-11
Photo by author, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Bignay, Valenzuela City, 03 February 2025.
Thank you, dearest God our loving Father in sending us your Son Jesus Christ who gave us his Mother the Blessed Virgin Mary to be our Mother too!
From the very beginning of his ministry to our modern time, Mary has always been close with Jesus who showed us your great signs of your loving presence, generosity and mercy, life and joy first anticipated at the wedding at Cana, his first miracle.
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. when the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:1-5).
From stillromancatholicafteralltheseyears.com, January 2022.
How lovely that Jesus Christ's first sign (miracle) happened "on the third day" - a prefiguration of Easter - the fullness of your coming to us, the fullness of our healing and salvation, the third day after his "hour"; how prominent that at his "hour" on the Cross, blood and water flowed out from Jesus' side pierced by a lance while there at the wedding at Cana, Jesus transformed water into an excellent wine.
Both at Cana and at Lourdes there was water, the sign of life; most of all, in both instances like at the Cross, Mary was present bringing us healing and joy.
At Cana, water became an excellent wine to prefigure the Lord’s Supper we celebrate each day in the Holy Mass as a foretaste of our promised glory in heaven while at Lourdes, water transformed and healed the sick.
Photo by author, Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes at St. Paul Spirituality Center in Pico, La Trinidad, Benguet, 06 January 2025.
Thank you most Blessed Virgin Mary to your witness of faith in Christ; your example enabled us to encounter the gift of God in Jesus, to create the feast of joy of communion, of healing, of fulfillment that can only be made possible by God’s presence and his gift of self in Christ; in Cana and on to Lourdes and wherever we may be, every day is God’s coming, the “hour” of Jesus in every “here” and “now” when we experience the sign of God’s overflowing generosity to us all who are so tired and exhausted most especially so sickly; you, O Blessed Virgin Mary, are the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy of God sending us a mother who shall comfort us in moments of sickness and darkness; continue to help us, most Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes to get through these times of many diseases and sickness; get us closer to Jesus your Son who is our true peace and joy by doing whatever he tells us like the servants at Cana. Amen.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Monday, Memorial of St. Scholastica, Virgin, 10 February 2025 Genesis 1:1-19 ><))))*> + ><))))*> + ><))))*> Mark 6:53-56
Photo by author, sunset in Atok, Benguet, 27 December 2024.
Blessed are you, God our loving Father in giving us a taste of the beginning everyday especially on this first day of work and of school as your words in the first reading remind of our daily beginning in you!
In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters. Then God said, “Let there be…” Thus evening came, and morning followed… (Genesis 1:1-3, 7).
In the beginning there was nothing but chaos just like in our lives until you brought light, order and life, God; it is always light and order that come first to set the stage for life like in those first two days; what is most lovely, Father is when the third day came and there began balance and symmetry in your creation like sea and earth, day and night, sun and moon that relationships happened and everything started to be good.
Photo by author, sunset in Atok, Benguet, 27 December 2024.
In the gospel today as in our lives, every day is a new beginning with its many chaos: sickness and diseases, emptiness, self-alienation, rejection in all forms, failures and disappointments as well frustrations that all remind us of how everything was in the beginning; but, with Jesus Christ's coming and healing we saw the light and experienced healing and order.
Everything becomes good when seen in your light and design, Lord Jesus; when our relationships are kept and maintained especially at home like with our siblings, parents and family as exemplified by the twins St. Scholastica and St. Benedict.
Make everything new again and most of all good, dear Jesus in our lives like in the Genesis as shown by St. Scholastica who was able to do more because she loved most. Amen.
Painting “Altar of St. Scholastica” by Johann Baptist Wenzel Bergl (1765), ncregister.com
The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C, 09 February 2025 Isaiah 6:1-2, 3-8 ><}}}}*> 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 ><}}}}*> Luke 5:1-11
Photo by author, sunrise at the Lake of Galilee, the Holy Land, May 2017.
In my almost 27 years in the priesthood, I have always found kids asking the most difficult questions in life than adults. What makes their questions more difficult is that there are no easy answers that you have to use some imagery.
That is why it is always good to pray in advance the coming Sunday gospel like last Tuesday when a young girl asked me why God had allowed her to be given away by her biological mother for adoption.
After a pause of silence as I reflected today’s gospel, I told her that many times we are “thrown” by God – inihahagis, iniitsa – like in baseball or basketball not to be lost but to be caught in order to be cared and loved to score points and win this game called life. God knew so well her adoptive mother is an excellent “catcher” in life who “caught” her to give her a better life like now going to a good school, being dressed properly, never gone hungry. Hence, my reflection on this Sunday’s homily is focused on that magic word “to catch”:
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him (Luke 5:9-11).
Mosaic in the Church of St. Peter in Capernaum from thework-fso.org.
The word “catch” is a very catchy one (pun intended), used in various ways that could mean positively or negatively like in catching a bus or a train and catching a ball. We catch a meaning while we also catch a glance. We do a lot of catching daily in our lives like catching up with lessons and chismis that eventually we catch a cold or catch pneumonia after a kiss like in the song.
To catch means to intercept and hold, to have something or someone like when lovers are told of having a good “catch” with their girlfriend or boyfriend. That is why, it is always said that in catching, never drop what you have caught – take care, and cherish what you caught! It could be a prized catch after all.
Photo by Mr. Jim Marpa, 2019.
It is the same thing that Luke is telling us this Sunday, of how Jesus makes a marvelous catch not only with Peter and company but for all of us in the gospel.
Coming home from a night of fishing without any catch, Jesus saw Peter with his companions washing their net. They must have been very sad with nothing to bring home to their families and then came Jesus who was so keen with everyone’s feelings and situation. Jesus surely noticed the sadness in Peter that He borrowed his boat to teach the crowd who have been following Him.
After teaching and dismissing the crowd, Jesus asked Peter to go fishing again. Imagine Peter twice allowing Jesus to “catch” him: first, in borrowing his boat and second, in instructing him to “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.”
Imagine Peter so lugi (bankrupt) with Jesus borrowing his boat that could have been so worn out with holes to be His platform for teaching. Was it not insulting? Are we not like Peter sometimes? Or like his boat then borrowed by Jesus?
Good that Peter did not mind it at all but, when asked by Jesus to go out fishing again, we find a change in Peter already. Jesus had already caught Peter as he had caught the Lord’s words and teachings that he replied, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.”
Photo by author, Macapagal Blvd.’s dampa restaurant, 2018.
The miraculous catch of fish caught Peter and everybody by surprise. See how Peter knelt to Jesus in reaction to their great catch instead of helping his men pulled their nets.
Most of all, Peter addressed Jesus as “Lord” whereas earlier, he called Him “Master”. There was already a recognition of Jesus more than a Teacher and Master but the Son of God for how can one really explain the great catch that happened?
The greatest sign that Peter was totally caught by Jesus was his conversion, when he begged the Lord to depart from him for he was a sinful man. At that point, Peter was already all caught up by Jesus along with his brother Andrew and their companions, the brothers James and John
Many times in life Jesus catches us by surprise in the most ordinary instances of our lives like in our daily routines. But most surprising of all is when Jesus catches us in our lowest moments in life too like Peter, deep in sin or deep in trouble, even deep into debts and other darkness in life. There are times we set limits to our patience and perseverance that we are so tempted to give up and quit, saying “I’ve had enough!” or “I’m done with this!”
Don’t give up, don’t quit! Jesus is passing by. If you feel like being thrown out of the room or up in the air or even the sea, muster all your courage and trust, Jesus is around waiting to catch you as you fall. Nobody had really gone rock bottom in life without anything at all. At least, we are still alive and that’s because Jesus had caught us, always carrying us in our worst moments in life.
That is why we have to do a lot of catching up with Jesus too. Persevere in prayer. Every failure, every suffering and pain is an opportunity to grow, to succeed, to meet someone or something so surprising who could be right beside you in the Sunday Mass.
Photo by Mr. Jim Marpa, 2019.
The Sunday gospel reminds us to be like Peter and company to remain open for new things and new persons who come to our lives who may be Jesus Himself passing by.
Yes, we may feel being thrown sometimes in life but not to fall but to be caught by Jesus, the best catcher of all time.
Let us allow ourselves to be caught by Christ like Paul in the second reading and Isaiah in the first reading. Despite their flaws in themselves, especially Paul who admitted being “the least” of all apostles, both were caught in the most ordinary circumstances of their lives. And once caught, there was no turning back: Isaiah offered himself to God to be sent while Paul became the best fisher of men in the early Church.
Remember our prayer before the Holy Communion, “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you under my roof but only say the word and I shall be healed.”
Photo by author, bronze statue of Peter kneeling before Jesus after the miraculous catch of fish near the shore of Capernaum, 2017.
Every time we pray that, we admit we are caught up in Jesus, by Jesus. What a fitting confession just before we catch Jesus Body and Blood in the Holy Communion. And just like the gospel this Sunday, we find in every Mass, in every week of our lives, Jesus our Lord and Master is the most essential and prized catch we can always have.
We can go “fishing” all our lives but remain incomplete, unfulfilled and even lost without our best catch of all, Jesus who sees us too as His best catch ever. Amen.Have a blessed week ahead.
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