Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 07 August 2025 Wednesday, Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year I Numbers 20:1-13 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Matthew 16:13-23
Lord Jesus Christ, today I pray for the grace and virtue of listening especially in this world so filled with noise with everyone and everything speaking even machines like cars and elevators and phones; how sad that photos about listening are images of headphones and ear pods that are not totally about listening which is more than hearing the sound but also hearing the silence. That is why listening is a virtue, a grace, and an art. Why, even prayer is listening! And that is what we must pray more these days that we learn to listen more in order to truly pray, hear your voice in silence.
The responsorial psalm says it so well this day, "Today if you hear his voice, harden not your hearts."
Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father” (Matthew 16:13-17).
You always ask us, Jesus and we can easily answer you when it concerns other people but when you ask us personally, when your question is addressed as "YOU" - we rarely can answer because we do not listen both to you and to ourselves.
Without listening, we cannot answer and follow you, Lord; without listening, we cannot obey you, Lord; without listening, we cannot stay and and remain in you, Lord.
Yesterday in the Feast of the Transfiguration, the voice of the Father was clearly heard, telling us to listen to you, O Lord Jesus, his Chosen Son (Luke 9:35) and we still do not listen.
A 1311 painting of the Transfiguration by Italian artist Duccio di Buoninsegna from commons.wikimedia.org.
Why was only Peter able to answer your question? Maybe because he was the only one who truly listened and understood your question, Lord; and maybe, he was the only one who truly listened and heard the answer from the Father.
Even Moses refused to listen
to you, Lord when he struck twice
the rock at Meribah for water
contrary to your command that cost
his denial of entrance into the
Promised Land;
forgive us, Jesus
for the many times we
have refused to listen
and failed to faithfully
do your work in the way
you want it be done;
forgive us, Jesus,
in listening more
to the ways of the world
than to the ways of God.
Amen.
Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Our Lady of Fatima University
Valenzuela City
Lawiswis ng Salita ni P. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Ika-20 ng Hulyo, 2023
Larawan kuha ng may-akda, Pater Noster Church sa Jerusalem, Israel, Mayo 2019.
Noong batang pari pa ako sa isang parokya sa Malolos, tinanong ko mga matatanda na nagrorosaryo araw-araw, “Bakit po kayo nagmamadali sa pagdarasal at kaagad-agad kayong sumasagot hindi pa tapos unang bahagi ng Ama Namin at Aba Ginoong Maria?”
Sa mga lumaki sa probinsiya na tulad ko, alam ninyo aking tinutukoy. Iyon bang papatapos pa lamang mga salitang “sunding ang loob mo dito sa lupa para nang…” biglang sasagot yung kabilang grupo ng matatanda ng “bigyan mo kami ng kakanin sa araw-araw”.
Nagsasalakupan (merge) ang wakas at simula ng dalawang bahagi ng Ama Namin at Aba Ginoong Maria kaya madalas ay nakatatawa o nakaaaliw pakinggan. Lalo naman ang kanilang dahilan – anila, iyon daw ay upang hindi makasingit ang demonyo sa kanilang pagdarasal!
Naalala ko ang kuwentong ito nang mangyari ang paglapastangan noong isang linggo sa ating panalanging Ama Namin sa isang drag concert ng mga LGBTQ+. Sa aking pakiwari ay iyon nga ang nangyari – nasingitan tayo ng demonyo sa pamamagitan ng tanging panalanging itinuro mismo ng Panginoong Jesus sa atin na kung tawagin ay “the Lord’s Prayer.”
At huwag nating hanapin ang demonyo o kasamaan doon sa iba kungdi mismo sa ating mga sarili lalo na kaming mga pari at obispo ng Simbahan, ang tinaguriang mga ama natin. Malaki ang aming pagkukulang bilang mga pari at obispo sa nangyaring paglapastangang ito sa Ama Namin.
Pagmasdan mga pangyayari na matalinghaga rin.
Unang-unang ang nakapagtataka na gawing malaking isyu naming mga pari at ng ilang Obispo kung ano dapat ang posisyon ng mga kamay ng mga mananampalataya o layko sa pagdarasal at pag-awit ng Ama Namin sa loob ng Banal na Misa.
Bakit ito naging usapin gayong mayroon namang nakasaad sa aklat ng pagmimisa na “Ilalahad ng pari ang kanyang mga kamay at ipahahayag niya kaisa ng lahat” ang Ama Namin?
Hindi ba sapat ang nakatakda sa liturhiya at mga aklat? Kaya hindi maiwasan puna ng maraming tao sa aming mga pari na para daw wala kaming natutunan ni alam sa kabila ng maraming taon sa seminaryo. Juicecolored. Sabi nga ni Shakespeare, “much ado about nothing.”
Ikalawa ay ang nakalulungkot na naging tugon ng mga Obispo natin: sa halip na panghawakan at panindigan ang sinasaad ng alituntunin, mas pinili nilang magkaroon ng interpretasyon ng batas. Naliwanagan ba mga tao? Sa palagay ko po ay hindi. Lalo silang naguluhan dahil hanggang ngayon mayroon pa ring nagtatanong.
Hindi ko kinakalaban kapasyahan ng mga Obispo natin. Sila ang mga ama natin sa Simbahan ngunit ibig kong ihayag ang aking kabiguan na hindi nila pinanindigan ang sinasaad ng batas na pari lamang ang maglalahad ng kanyang mga kamay sa Ama Namin. Walang kulang sa batas at sakto lang. Sa ginawa ng CBCP, nadagdagan ang batas ng kanilang sariling interpretasyon na kung tutuusin din naman ay malagihay. Nagtatanong ang mga tao kung ano ang dapat, sa kanilang pahayag ay para nang sinabi nilang “bahala kayo kung ano gusto ninyo kasi wala namang sinasabi ang batas na masama ang ilahad ang mga kamay.”
Diyan ako hindi mapalagay dahil ano ang susunod na isyu? Pagpalakpak na talamak na rin sa mga pagdiriwang ng Misa na nawala na ang kasagraduhan. Para nang concert, showbiz parang That’s Entertainment! Pansinin maraming pari pati na mga choir, sakristan, lektor at eucharistic lay minister na puro pasikat ginagawa sa Misa. Natabunan at nawala na si Kristo!
Totoong walang sinasabi saan man sa mga aklat, sa mga turo at tradisyon ng Simbahan na ipinagbabawal ang paglalahad ng mga kamay ng mga layko sa pagdarasal ng Ama Namin.
Ngunit hindi rin naman nangangahulugang maari o puwede at tama na rin iyong gawin dahil simple lang sinasabi ng aklat, pari ang nakalahad ang mga kamay. Tapos.
Magtiwala tayo sa salita, sa alituntunin ng liturhiya tulad ng sinasaad sa ebanghelyo noong Linggo nang ilabas ng CBCP ang paliwanag sa naturang usapin. Kay gandang balikan ang talinghaga ng maghahasik na ukol sa kapangyarihan ng salita ng Diyos at kahalagahan ng pakikinig at pagsunod dito na nangangailangan ng pagtitiwala at kababaang-loob natin natin. Lalo namin!
Sa ganang akin, pinanghawakan at pinanindigan sana ng mga Obispo ang sinasaad sa aklat upang lalo itong mag-ugat at lumago.
Ikatlo, ang talinghaga at laro ng tadhana. Tingnan habang abala – at aligaga ilang mga pari at obispo na pangunahan pati paglathala na nakatakda pa sa ika-16 ng Hulyo 2023 ng kalatas sa simpleng bagay ng posisyon ng kamay ng mga tao sa pagdarasal ng Ama Namin ay saka nangyari ang drag concert.
Ang masakit sa lahat, walang diyosesis at obispo kaagad naglabas ng opisyal na pahayag sa nangyaring paglapastangan sa Ama Namin maliban makaraan ang ilang araw na lamang na pawang mga bantilawan din, kasi nga, mas pinahalagahan nila kanilang paliwanag sa posisyon ng kamay ng mga tao sa pagdarasal nito.
Pagmasdan na tayo sa simbahan ay naroon pa rin sa posisyon ng kamay ang usapin habang yaong mga lumapastangan sa Ama Namin ay nasa kanta at sayaw na? Paurong ang asenso, eka nga. Hindi nila binago ang titik pero kanilang pamamaraan ng pagdarasal ay sadyang mali at hindi tama ngunit, gahibla na lamang ng buhok ang pagkakaiba ng drag qeen na si Pura at ng mga tao na ibig ilahad ang kamay sa pagdarasal ng Ama Namin – parehong nasa larangan ng interpretasyon! Sasabihin ng iba na malayong-malayo iyon pero, paka-ingat tayo dahil baka doon mapadpad ang pagbibigay-laya sa mga tao na ilahad mga kamay sa Ama Namin. Hindi ba ito rin ay binhi na maaring lumago sa higit na malaking pagkakaligaw at pagkakamali balang araw? Gaya ng nasabi ko na, hindi magtatagal isasabatas na rin pagpalakpak sa loob ng Misa na talamak na ngang nangyayari.
Totoo na mayroong higit na mahalagang mga bagay dapat talakayin at pagnilayan kesa sa ginawang drag performance ng Ama Namin tulad ng mga palalang sitwasyon ng kawalan natin ng moralidad sa bansa tulad ng pikit-mata nating paghaya sa EJK noon, ang patuloy na paghahalal sa mga bugok at bulok na pulitiko at marami pang iba.
Subalit, gayon din sana naging pamantayan ng CBCP sa pagtalakay ng posisyon ng kamay sa pagdarasal ng Ama Namin. Ito ang mabigat sa mga lumabas na paliwanag at pagninilay na sadyang tama at magaganda: isang bahagi lang ng kuwento ating sinaysay.
Aminin natin malaking pagkukulang nating mga pari at obispo ng Simbahan bilang mga ama ng sambayanan.
Aminin natin sadyang nagkulang tayo sa ating mga tungkulin at naging abala sa maraming bagay at nakalimutan pinakamahalaga, ang Diyos mismo na hanggang ngayon siyang hangad ng lahat. Hindi pa ba tumitimo sa atin ang bigat ng tunay na isyu, ang panalanging Ama Namin na saklaw at tungkulin nating mga pari at Obispo? Malayo na nga siguro tayo sa paghahayag, pagtuturo at pagsasabuhay ng salita ng Diyos.
Bukod sa mga oras na ginugugol sa mga maliliit na bagay gaya ng posisyon ng kamay sa Ama Namin, matagal nang maraming interpretasyon mga ama natin sa Simbahan sa mga nangyayari sa ating kapaligiran. Ang mga tahasang pamumulitika sa mga nagdaang halalan na kahit mga kandidatong umaayon sa diborsiyo, abortion at contraceptives, at same sex union ay inendorso. Higit sa lahat, ang pagbubulag-bulagan ng maraming obispo at pari sa kalabisan ng ilang sa amin na namumuhay taliwas sa halimbawa ni Kristo. Marami sa aming mga pari at obispo ang hindi kapulutan ng halimbawa ng karukhaan at kababaang-loob, langong-lango sa kapangyarihan at katanyagan, malayong-malayo sa mga tao maliban sa mga makapangyarihan, mayayaman, at mababango. Wala na kaming pinag-usapan maski sa loob ng Misa kungdi kolekta, pinagandang pangalan ng pera, kwarta at salapi!
Masakit po sabihin na kung ang isang pangungusap sa Aklat ng Pagmimisa na “Ilalahad ng pari ang kanyang mga kamay at ipahahayag niya kaisa ng lahat” ang Ama Namin ay hindi natin napanghawakan at napanindigan, paano pa yaong mga salita sa Banal na Kasulatan? Sa mga bulto-bultong dokumento nagsasabing tayo ay Simbahan ng mga aba at maralita?
Suriin po natin ang lahat ng panig. Lalo na ating mga sarili ng buong kababaang-loob sa liwanag ni Kristo na ating Panginoon na siyang “daan at katotohanan at buhay”. Una siyang natatagpuan sa kanyang mga salita dahil siya nga ang Salita na naging tao na naroon palagi sa Santisimo Sakramento ng simbahan. Ito sana ang aming tingnan at pagnilayan bilang mga pari at obispo sa gitna ng mga pangyayaring paglapastangan sa Ama Namin ng isang drag concert at ang usapin ng paano dasalin panalanging itinuro ng Panginoon natin. Nasaan na nga ba si Kristo sa aming mga pari at obispo? Nagdarasal pa rin ba tayo na mga pari at obispo?
Salamat po sa pagbabasa. Kung sakaling nakatulong, pagyamanin; kung hindi naman, kalimutan at huwag na ninyong pansinin.
Quiet Storm by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, 28 July 2022
Photo by author, 2018.
Dear friends: Since Monday I have felt in my prayers God leading me to reflect on his “gracious hands” taking care of us, handling us with care like St. James the Greater in Monday and the prophet Jeremiah beautifully expressing today God with a potter’s hand molding us into great “earthen vessels” of his majesty and mystery according to St. Paul (https://lordmychef.com/2022/07/28/we-are-in-gods-good-hands-always/).
Early today I went to visit a patient with “high myopia” who underwent a surgery for a “clear lens extraction” of her right eye. From what I have gathered, she never finished school and could not find a job because she could not read nor even walk straight as she would hit objects and people despite her glasses of 1000 grade!
After celebrating Mass this morning, I rushed to the Fatima University Medical Center in Valenzuela to visit her after her operation. Though I totally do not know her as she was only referred to me, I immediately felt her deep joy within as she told her doctor how she could see everything so clearly right after surgery! You could sense her ecstasy within as she described the immense light she could finally see with her right eye. She was with her younger sister and I felt both young ladies controlling their joys from bursting to avoid making a scene outside the OR.
And so, to complete their joys, I led a simple prayer session right there outside the OR and this is what the Lord put on my lips:
Praise and glory to you,
God our loving Father for the
gift of life, for the gift of sight!
Lord Jesus Christ, you have
healed so many blind people
recorded in the gospels like
Bartimaeus; we pray for Eden
and others with eye problems;
restore their sight not only to see
the beauty of the world but most
especially to see your kindness and
majesty among people!
Thank you, Lord Jesus Christ
for the gift of doctors,
of ophthalmologists whose
hands you use to touch and
heal the blind and those
with ailments in their eyes;
bless them always,
keep them safe and their
loved ones as you
fulfill their dreams.
Amen.
Healing of Batimaeus, from Pinterest.com.
I have said in my previous blogs these past three weeks how I have noticed many among us going through a lot of storms in life these days, of getting sick and diagnosed especially with the big “C” with some in advanced stages; others having family problems; and most especially, coping with death in the family.
Amid all their cries of pains and hurts, feelings of rejection and being left out, even forgotten by God, I remember the French poet Charles Peguy who said that hope is God’s most favorite virtue because it “surprises him.”
Photo by Ms. Jo Villafuerte, Atok, Benguet, September 2019.
Hope indeed is very surprising not only to God but even to us.
To hope is like remaining seated at the movies after the show, still waiting for a loud roar or a teaser for the sequel. Even if you know it is the end of the show, the end of the line, you still believe and hope something beautiful would come because you are so sure that the one we hope in – God – is Life itself. Life just goes on and eventually, if not here, in the afterlife, there we shall have the fullness of life.
For the moment, let us be still and be calm, remaining in God, like a clay in the potter’s hand as he molds us into someone better.
It is said that sometimes, the hands of God would pat us on our shoulders or caress our backs but, sometimes would “beat” us too that cause many pains.
Just remember, whether we are caressed or beaten in life, these are all from the gracious hands of God that make us see later the beauty of all those darkness and sufferings we go through. Amen.
The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Sunday XXII-B in Ordinary Time, 29 August 2021
Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8 >+< James 1:17-18, 21-22, 27 >+< Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Photo by the author, the Holy Land, 2017.
After an interruption of five weeks, we go back to Mark’s Gospel this Sunday that shall guide us until the end of our liturgical calendar with the Solemnity of Christ the King in November. See the beauty of the Sacred Scriptures that those five weeks from John chapter six did not break the flow of narration that is so seamless!
Returning to Mark’s account today after the feeding of five thousand and the bread of life discourse at Capernaum from John, Jesus crossed the lake and proceeded with the Twelve to Gennesaret where he preached and healed until some of his enemies arrived and found an issue to raise against him.
When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed hands. For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” He responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites… You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”
Mark 7:1-3, 5-8
The Israelites have taken pride in their laws given by Moses from God at Mt. Sinai. Simply referred to as the Law or Torah, it had united them as God’s “chosen people”, making it the very center of their lives that they enlarged its meaning and scope that soon consisted of more than 600 other precepts and practices to observe and keep.
Obeying the laws and traditions became their standard for holiness so that instead of becoming a means to bring them closer to God and others, these became an end in itself that they have forgotten God and others in the process.
Photo by author, Sacred Heart Spirituality Center, Novaliches, QC, 2016.
Into our hearts and the heart of Jesus
Once again, our gospel is so timely and relevant to our situation right now we are in the midst of a pandemic when we are told to always wash our hands. And if Jesus were with us in person today, he would surely speak the same things about the hypocrisy we have in our washing of hands!
First of all, let us clarify that Jesus is not against the washing of hands before eating nor of any of their other traditions and laws; what he criticized was the greater importance given by his enemies with the outward signs of their laws and traditions, forgetting its inner dynamics and meaning. Thus, he never failed to clarify with the people that he had “not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them” (Mt.5:17).
Here we find the same problem with the people at Capernaum and in our own time when people fail and refuse to look beyond material things to find the meaning of what is going on around us, of what we believe in and what we practice.
Then and now – right in the midst of this pandemic – Jesus is inviting us to deeper perspectives about our concepts and ways of doing and seeing things, of what is clean and not clean, of what is tradition and modern, of what is good and evil.
Jesus wants us to constantly examine our lives for our need of conversion of our hearts to him. He is inviting us to probe our hearts and see who or what dwells inside us because from the heart, everything flows outside not only to our mouth (cf. Lk.6:45, “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”) but also to our hands.
That is why I love that imagery of the heart between two arms and hands: the heart at the center of our being and consciousness that whatever comes out of the heart naturally flows to our arms and hands, even to our entire body. If there is something wrong in the heart, so with the messages it sends out.
He summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that 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 from within and they defile.”
Mark 7:14-15, 21-23
Here we find the essential question we must ask ourselves always: Do I find Jesus Christ in my heart as the sole basis and foundation of what I believe which I also say and do?
If we cannot find Jesus at the center of the things we do and believe, most likely we do not find others in the picture too! In that case, most likely, it is all about me, mine, my, and I! Like the Pharisees and scribes of his time, washing of hands and other traditions were more of a show than something more essential which is to serve God through one another.
Jesus is now leading us to a sincere examination of our hearts,
of our interior and spiritual motivations,
of why we are doing the things we are doing,
of what we really believe in;
because, too often, many of the things we do and believe
are not really rooted in our hearts nor with God.
There are so many times in our lives
that we simply do things out of habit
and conventions without really understanding why.
Jesus is now leading us to a sincere examination of our hearts, of our interior and spiritual motivations, of why we are doing the things we are doing, of what we really believe in; because, too often, many of the things we do and believe are not really rooted in our hearts nor with God. There are so many times in our lives that we simply do things out of habit and conventions without really understanding why.
Simon Sinek said it so well in his bestselling book “Start with Why” – people buy products, patronize services, or are moved when they see the why you do things; they are willing to pay more not because of fad or prestige but more of the conviction in a belief espoused by a brand or company or by an individual.
Photo by Ezra Acayan/Getty Images in Paranaque City, 09 February 2020.
Washing of hands and eating, our hidden hypocrisies
One of the most frequently asked question by people to me as a priest these days is why despite all our prayers, God has seemed become deaf to our pleas for him to end this pandemic? The answer is simple: unless we see and accept the spiritual realities of this COVID-19 pandemic, it would linger with us longer than projected, even not be solved at all as it gets worst with new variants that have thrown back even some of the most vaccinated nations lately.
We can have all the soaps and alcohol to wash our hands during this pandemic but COVID-19 will persist for as long as we have no regard for the dignity of every person. See all the abuses and corruption going on that is more sickening than the virus itself!
That washing of hands is an imagery full of meanings we have lost since the time of Jesus. Inwardly, the washing of hands means washing of one’s heart, of cleansing ourselves of our sins and self-centeredness and other impurities.
So many times we have become like Pontius Pilate who washed his hands to free himself from any guilt in sentencing Christ to death without realizing the more he had implicated himself to the injustice by refusing to make a stand for what is true and just. Like us today, we keep on washing our hands in the hope that our conscience would be at peace or be not bothered with our indifference for what is true and good.
Photo by Mr. Red Santiago of his son, 2019.
Washing of hands has always been closely related with eating which is an act of “appropriating something we cannot fully have” like when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. They took something they cannot wholly take or “swallow” that is why all they could do was just take a “bite” that opened their eyes to something they could not fully realize and appreciate. There are so many realities in this life we just cannot fully grasp right away, requiring us to have more faith, more patience in trusting God and those above us.
But, like Adam and Eve, we keep on taking a bite, of eating whatever our limited minds and reason find as “good” to have. And we wash our hands in clear hypocrisies like the Pharisees and scribes in worship and prayer when we lead double lives, when we laugh and cheer at all kinds of lies and filth, when we silently approve attacks against human life like tokhang and abortion.
Every day we wash our hands and keep them clean to avoid contaminating our food and body in hypocrisy as we agree and support in the name of “modernism” these trends of same sex relationships, promiscuity, and divorce. Or of graft and corruption we have resigned to accept as a fact of daily life.
To wash our hands is to wash our hearts clean of all kinds of evil, of mediocrity and indifference, of taking a stand to “pass over” from sin into grace by witnessing God’s goodness in our lives as Moses reminded Israel in the first reading.
The hands and the heart always go together as expressed in the Jewish thought of “mercy of the heart” and “mercy of the hand” when God’s mercy is more than a feeling but an act of righteousness, of justice and love.
Let us heed the reminder of the Apostle in the second reading to be truly clean in our hands and in our hearts: “Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 1:22, 27).
Stay safe everyone. Have a blessed week ahead! Amen.
The Lord Is My Chef Simbang Gabi Recipe-8 for the Soul
by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Wednesday, Advent Week IV, 23 December 2020
Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24 >><)))*> + <*(((><< Luke 1:57-66
Photo by author of the entrance to the site believed to be where the Lord’s Precursor was born below the side altar of the Church of St. John the Baptist in Ein Karen, Israel (2019).
We are almost into the completion of our nine-day novena for Christmas as we heard today the story of the birth of the Lord’s Precursor, John the Baptist. It is a story narrated so simple by Luke but filled with beautiful meanings specially for us today in this time of the pandemic.
First thing we see is how Zechariah’s speech was restored upon declaring the name of his son is “John”:
He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.
Luke 1:63-64
Luke did not tell us what kind of praise did Zechariah speak about God when his speech was restored but here we find that basic truth in our lives that for every blessing we receive from the Lord, right away – immediately! – we must praise and thank God first.
Moreover, this scene shows us the good effect of the “imposed quarantine” on Zechariah when he was made deaf and speechless after doubting God’s gift of a child to him and his wife Elizabeth during the annunciation by the angel while incensing the Holy of holies in Jerusalem.
God restored the power of Zechariah to speak again and greatly renewed him that this time, he had become obedient to the Father to his plan. In a sense, Zechariah was not merely freed to speak again but most of all, he was freed to believe and trust in God again!
As we have reflected last Saturday morning, Advent is quarantine. So many times in life, we have to step backwards, be silent to listen to God and just let Him do His work in us! Sometimes we think of so many things that are not really necessary and has nothing to do with God’s plans or work. With Zechariah able to speak now, he shows us that in the exercise of our powers we must first get in touch with God how to use His gifts to us.
This we shall see in our second point: allowing God to use us as His hand.
Photo by author, dome of the Church of St. John the Baptist at Ein-Karen, 2019.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.
Luke 1:65-66
From rejoicing at the birth of Zechariah and Elizabeth’s son, their neighbors now moved to being amazed when the child is named “John” that coincided with the restoration of his father’s ability to speak.
Luke tells us how it was such a big thing, maybe so “viral” and “trending” like today that everybody was discussing it. They must have felt God so near, almost there that Luke used an Old Testament expression, “For surely the hand of the Lord was with him”.
It is a beautiful expression indicating power too, just like the ability to speak.
Our hands are so powerful that we are able to move and do so many things because of these.
To say “the hand of the Lord was with him” is to portray the image of God’s immense power, His omnipotence, of being able to do whatever He deems needed to life on earth.
In the Old Testament when Elijah was being pursued by the soldiers of Queen Jezebel after he had shamed the priests of baal for failing to light a pile of firewood for worship, the prophet escaped by running beyond human ability considering his old age because “the hand of the Lord was on Elijah” (1 Kgs. 18:46).
Sometimes, the “hand of the Lord” can be scary as it means judgment or punishment from God like when King David disobeyed God when he ordered a census of Israel to find out how many men can fight in their wars, doubting the power of the Lord. David was given with three options for his punishment by the seer Gad: a natural disaster or a victory by his enemies, or a time of God’s judgment. David chose the third option, saying “I am i dire straits. But I prefer to fall into the hand of the Lord, whose mercy is very great, than into the hands of men” (1Chronicles 13:21).
Photo by author, Chapel of the Holy Family, Sacred Heart Spirituality Center in Novaliches, QC (2014).
The late Jaime Cardinal Sin of Manila used to tell of the story about the hand of God: he said sometimes, the hand of God would “spank” or hit us with pains and trials in life to discipline us and make us strong; sometimes, the same hand of God would caress and soothe our tired bodies or give us that proverbial pat on the shoulder to affirm us. But what is most important to remember according to Cardinal Sin is the fact that whether we are being disciplined or touched by the hand of God, it is always loving and merciful, most of all grace filled.
The recent news of that trigger happy cop who brutally shot and killed Sonia and her son Antonio in Tarlac recently is a reminder to us all most especially this Christmas in the time of pandemic, of the need for us to let the hand of God take control of our lives, guide us to life through more patience, love, kindness, and understanding.
It seems that so often, whenever we let our hands do everything, they always go out of control like our mouth and lips that lead us to more disasters and even deaths.
Beginning this Christmas, may the hand of God lead us back to Him and with each other.
Let us imitate the praying hands, of two hands touching each other but always creating a space between. That space is for Jesus born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago, asking us everyday to take Him into our hands to care for Him, to protect Him through one another.
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