God’s kingdom is a presence, not a spectacle

Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 13 November 2025
Thursday in the Thirty-Second Week of Ordinary Time, Year I
Wisdom 7:22-8:1 <*((((>< + >><))))*> Luke 17:20-25
Photo by author, Bucharest, Romania, 05 November 2025.
Fill me with your Wisdom,
Lord that I may find
and experience you
within me; fill me with
Wisdom, Lord, that I may be
"not baneful, loving the good,
keen, unhampered"
(Wisdom 7:22) in realizing
and living your very presence
within me; fill me with Wisdom,
Lord, so I may not seek you
in spectacle but feel you more
in your presence.

Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus said in reply, “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you” (Luke 17:20-21).

Guide me, Jesus
with your Holy Spirit
to be open and sensitive
with God's hidden ways of working
in our lives,
in our communities,
in our history;
let me continue to seek
God in all things
especially in my life where
the hidden presence of
God's Kingdom is most felt
but often unnoticed
because it happens
in silence
even emptiness
"For Wisdom is mobile
beyond all motion,
and she penetrates
and pervades all things
by reason of her purity"
(Wisdom 7:24).

Help me realize
and treasure the reality
of God's kingdom
not a spectacle
like a dazzling show
the world so loved
that is momentary and empty;
let me realize that
God's kingdom is presence,
a movement of grace
after grace
after grace.
Amen.
Photo by author, sunset at Istanbul, Turkiye, 02 November 2025

New beginnings in Christ

Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 08 September 2025
Monday, Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Romans 8:28-30 <*{{{{>< + ><}}}}*> Matthew 1:18-23
Photo from vaticannews.va
Hail, O blessed 
Virgin Mary, Mother of God
our Mother too!
Praised be God our Father
for your infinite love for us
in preparing the birth of the
Blessed Virgin Mary
to be the Mother of your Son
our Savior Jesus Christ.
In Mary,
we find hope and inspiration
in your plans, O God
for us in this world
marred by sin and evil.

Brothers and sisters: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified (Romans 8:28-30).

In her birth,
we are reminded
of our new beginnings
in you, Lord Jesus:
let us cooperate with you
always, Jesus so that
"all things may work for
good for those who love God";
let us be the new beginning
of faith and trust in you, Jesus
like Mary who entrusted
her total self to your providence
in explaining everything to Joseph
about your coming as our Savior;
most of all,
like Mary our Mother,
let us be the new beginning
of your loving presence among us,
Jesus, our Emmanuel,
the God among us.
Amen.
Photo by author, Church of St. Anne in Jerusalem, May 2017.
Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Our Lady of Fatima University
Valenzuela City
(lordmychef@gmail.com)

Presence of Jesus

Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 04 September 2025
Thursday in the Twenty-Second Week of Ordinary Time, Year I
Colossians 1:9-14 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Luke 5:1-11
Photo by Mr. Raffy Tima of GMA7 News in Batanes, September 2018.
Today's gospel story
of your first meeting with
Simon reminds me
of how your presence
made a difference in my life
when I finally said "yes"
to your call
to give my vocation
to the priesthood
a second chance in 1991
when I resigned from my job
to enter the seminary again;
it was pure joy at first that later
became more intense,
more deep and wonderful
as the going got tough and rough;
it was never easy following you,
Jesus but you have never forsaken me
since then until now though many times
I have balked and even backed out
from you as you kept telling me
those same words you told Simon,
"Do not be afraid" (Luke 5:10).
Fill me, Jesus,
"with the knowledge of God's will
through all spiritual wisdom
and understanding to walk
in a manner worthy of the Lord,
so as to be fully pleasing,
in every good work
bearing fruit nd growing
in the knowledge of God"
(Colossians 1:9-10);
teach me to trust you more
by surrendering, giving up
my total self to you
so that I may continue
casting my net into the deep;
though I have given up a lot,
I still feel I have not given up
that much of myself to you -
take away from me, Jesus
whatever I still hold on deep inside,
help me surrender
myself to you totally so that
I may know you more clearly,
love you more dearly,
follow you most closely daily
for it is in your presence
when I am most fulfilled.
Amen.
From Pexels.com.

Celebrating God

Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Friday, Memorial of St. Alphonsus de Liguori, Bishop & Doctor of the Church, 01 August 2025
Leviticus 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34-37 <*(((>< + ><)))*> Matthew 13:54-58
Photo by author, Sacred Heart Novitiate, 2018.
Thank you, dear Father
for the past seven months
as we welcome August on our
final five months of the year;
forgive us that we keep watch
of the changing of seasons
without seeing or even
remembering you present;
you have set the changing seasons
through rains and sunshine,
snows and darkness in some places,
falling of leaves and spring everywhere
as reminders of your loving presence
among us as you had instructed
Moses of the different festivals to
remember you in the Book of Leviticus.
Photo by Fr. Gerry Pascual, the Swiss Alps, August 2019.
More sad dear Father
is when your Son Jesus Christ
came to live among us
so we can truly experience you,
the more we have turned away
from you;
until now that incident
in Nazareth continues in many
places in the world
most esepcially right in our hearts.

Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?” And they took offense at him (Matthew 13:54-57).

Lord Jesus Christ,
forgive me when sometimes
I make it difficult, even
challenging to believe in you;
please be patient with me.
Help me in my unbelief
especially when you are
so near
so real
so true
to celebrate you always.
Amen.
Photo from Fatima Tribune, Red Wednesday, Angel of Peace Chapel, RISE Tower, OLFU-Valenzuela City, 27 November 2024.

When name is the presence

Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul, 17 July 2025
Thursday, Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year I
Exodus 3:13-20 <*(((>< + ><)))*> Matthew 11:28-30
Photo by author, Cabo da Roca, Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales, 14 May 2025.
Today, I tried going back
to your presence, Lord;
I tried feeling your sacred
ground again;
there was no burning bush
to see but I felt my heart
burning inside as I dwelled
on your name:

God replied, “I am who am.” Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the children of Israel: I Am sent me to you.” God spoke further to Moses, “This is my name forever; this is my title for all generations” (Exodus 3:14-15).

Unlike our name,
your name "I AM",
Lord is most unique -
right away when I say
your name, I feel you!
Your name is more than a name
for it is YOU yourself - so deep,
so true, so powerful that you envelop
me in your person; when I think of
your name "I AM", I am already
dissolved and overwhelmed!
Moreover,
your "I AM" is exactly
what I feel,
and realize,
and experience
in Christ calling us:

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Photo by author, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, QC, 2023.
Today I come to you,
Jesus with all my burdens
and worries,
pains and hurts,
sickness and
sufferings;
you are I AM, Lord -
heed our cries like in Egypt:
the crime and corruption
so rampant,
the selfishness and pride
of everyone,
the sin and evil that stink,
a kind of darkness lurking
everywhere;
yes, there are modern Pharaohs
lording over us today
but most of all too,
it is us who lord over
our lives most of the time;
bring us back to the burning bush
so we may take off our
sandals because the whole
earth is yours which we have
usurped and destroyed;
let us feel you again, "I AM"
all around,
all encompassing;
let us enter you, Lord,
to experience your abundance
of love and mercy,
warmth and light,
life and new hope;
let us rest in you, Lord
like in Eden when you alone
is God.
Not us.
Amen.

Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Our Lady of Fatima University
Valenzuela City
Photo by author, Hidden Spring Resort, Calauan, Laguna, February 2025.

When Jesus echoes our words

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Friday After the Epiphany, 10 January 2025
1 John 5:5-13 ><))))*> + ><))))*> + ><))))*> Luke 5:12-16
Photo by author, Atok, Benguet, 27 December 2025.

(Hello my dear friends and relatives, especially followers: still, a blessed Merry Christmas to you all! I have gone to an extended vacation for much needed rest and recreation; haven’t been writing at all to truly enjoy the rare cold weather and new sites I have been to. See you soon and God bless you always!)

How fast time flies,
Lord Jesus!
It is again the new year
and soon, January will be over;
as I look back to 2024,
You were always there with me,
for me,
as You never left me, Lord;
like in our gospel today,
many times You made ways
to meet me head on,
dear Jesus;
how lovely to remember
and to keep in mind
and heart how You,
dear Jesus,
would echo my prayers,
my silent wishes
and desires.

It happened there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was; and when he saw Jesus, he fell prostrate, pleaded to him, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do will it. Be made clean.” And the leprosy left him immediately (Luke 5:12-13).

Many times,
I meet You Jesus
when I am most dirty,
most embarrassing,
most shameful,
when I am like a leper -
sick and lost,
rejected by everyone,
dejected in myself;
still, You were there
with your outstretched arms,
touching me,
embracing me.

Most of all,
echoing my very words,
my silent wishes,
my cries.
When You echo my words,
my thoughts
and my feelings
that many times I am afraid to
speak out loudly,
I feel so free and liberated
from my own leprosy;
when You echo my words,
You assure me You always listen;
when You echo my words,
You answer my prayers,
dear Jesus.

And so,
I pray today Jesus
that in my very self
I may echo
Your loving presence
to those most in need,
to those forgotten
and taken for granted.
Amen.
Photo by author, Northern Blossom Farm, Atok, Benguet, 27 December 2024.

God, our dew of light

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Thursday in the Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 18 July 2024
Isaiah 26: 7-9, 12, 16-19 <'[[[[>< + ><]]]]'> Matthew 11:28-30
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Your words today,
O God, are so refreshing
that I wish to pray like your
Prophet Isaiah:
"The way of the just is smooth;
the path of the just you make level.
My soul yearns for you in the night,
yes, my spirit within me keeps vigil
for you;
For your dew
is a dew of light,
and the land of shades
gives birth"
(Isaiah 26:7, 9, 19).
Freshen us, O Lord,
from our dirt and exhaustion
from sin!

Refresh our thoughts
and our feelings, make them
crystal clear like the dew
in the morning to see your
kindness and mercy!

Gladden our hearts,
uplift our souls
with your presence in
Christ Jesus who calls us
daily to come to Him
and have rest,
because His yoke is easy,
His burden is light
(Matthew 11:28-30).
Let us surrender to You
in Jesus Christ
for there is no salvation
outside from You except in Him;
so true are the words of Isaiah:
"As a woman about to give birth
writhes and cries out in pains,
so were we in your presence, O Lord.
We conceived and writhed in pain,
giving birth to wind; salvation
we have not achieved for the earth,
the inhabitants of the world
cannot bring it forth.
But your dead shall live,
their corpses shall rise;
awake and sing,
you who lie in the dust"
(Isaiah 11: 17-19).
Teach us to appreciate
and value the little things in life
we take for granted
like the droplets of dew in the morning
enough to set our face aglow again
of new beginnings; in coming to us,
Jesus taught us the value of being
small, being little,
being silent, being humble
when life begins
and regenerates always.
Let us arise anew in Jesus
from our deep sleep in sin
through His dew of light,
a glimmer of better days ahead.
Amen.
Photo by Cosmin Petrisor on Pexels.com

Finding God where we are, not where we would want to be

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Thursday, Memorial of St. Cyril, Bishop & Doctor of the Church, 27 June 2024
2 Kings 24:8-17 <*((((><< + >><))))*> Matthew 7:21-29
Photo by Ms. Analyn Dela Torre, March 2024.
God our loving Father,
help us find You
where we are now -
especially those feeling
so down at the bottom
of the pits, those who are
burdened with so much in life -
help us find You O Lord in
our darkness and sadness
not where we would like
to be.
It is a very beautiful day
but your words in the first reading
are very distressing like what many of
us today are feeling;
we have failed,
we have sinned
like the people of Judah and Jerusalem
who were conquered and exiled
by the Babylonians; it is the
final week June, closing the first
half of 2024 when life slows down,
when tasks seem too difficult,
when our spirits are also sagging;
uplift our weary souls,
inspire us and fill us with
the warmth and zeal of the Holy Spirit
to find You, dear God,
where we are and let us stop
our usual blaming game
and wishful thinking of worlds
and situations we imagined
where You are not present.
Give us the courage
like Jesus to speak with
authority like St. Cyril of Alexandria
who defended the truth of Christ
as true God and true Man
that paved the way to recognize
Mary as the Mother of God;
like St. Cyril of Alexandria,
let us mean mean what we say,
most of all,
to be one with Jesus
always among the poor
and rejected
and neglected for Jesus
is always found
among them.
Amen.

Into the sea of life & love

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Twelfth Sunday in the Ordinary Time, Cycle B, 23 June 2024
Job 38:1, 8-11 ><}}}}*> 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 ><}}}}*> Mark 4:35-41
Photo by author, San Juan, La Union, 25 July 2023.

From examples of trees in the forest and sowing of seeds in the fields last week, our readings this Sunday situate us at the middle of the sea with a raging storm to remind us of God’s immense power and most of all, love and care for us in Jesus Christ. Right away we get that hint from our short first reading:

The Lord addressed Job out of the storm and said: Who shut within doors the sea, when it burst forth from the womb; when I made the clouds its garments and thick darkness its swaddling hands? When I set limits for it and fastened the bar of its door, and said: Thus far shall you come but no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stilled!” (Job 38:1, 8-11).

Photo by author, San Juan, La Union, 25 July 2023.

Nothing so struck humans since time immemorial as the sea that is so immense, seemingly without limits. It has been so loved yet dreaded with many literatures around the world teeming with all kinds of stories about the sea’s many mysteries that still baffle us in this age of computers and satellites. Experts say that big ships and jumbo jets are so minuscule compared with any area of the sea where they could still get lost like the missing Malaysian Airlines not too long ago.

That is the imagery of the sea, similar with life itself that is lovely to behold yet frightening with many mysteries and dangers. Life like the sea must be crossed and lived out to experience its boundless beauty, joys, and gifts waiting to be discovered by those willing to have faith in Jesus who assures us today that He had come to accompany us in crossing this great sea of life with His love and power.

A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm (Mk.4:37-39).

Photo by author, Anvaya Cove in Morong, Bataan, 15 April 2024.

“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

Most likely we have also asked God the same question especially when everything seems to be so wrong in our lives with God seemed to be so far from us, not caring at all. That was the situation of the fictional character Job we have in the first reading. Towards the end of the book, God assured Job that as the Creator of this universe, He is in control of everything in this life. This became more real in the coming of Jesus, the Son of God, our Emmanuel or “God-is-with-us” that Mark showed in his story of Christ’s calming of the sea.

See Mark’s details as so weird and exaggerated to show us that even in the worst scenarios in life, God is present in Jesus Christ. Remember that Mark wrote his gospel account to inspire and strengthen the faith of early Christians persecuted and felt exactly like the disciples in the boat caught in a violent squall with nowhere to go except to Jesus soundly asleep in the stern on a cushion.

Both the incident at the sea and the persecution of early Christians must be so terrifying, reminding us of the times we felt the same way too in many instances in our lives like when the whole world stood still during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Photo by author, Lake of Galilee, the Holy Land, May 2017.

This was the same gospel scene Pope Francis used in his reflections at the special Urbi et Orbi benediction in March 2020 at the start of COVID-19. That surreal scene of an empty St. Peter Square with the Pope alone limping his way to the altar was so much like this scene in the gospel. How sad that four years after crossing modern history’s stormiest sea, many have forgotten while others refuse to recognize that it was Jesus who pacified the virus that caused the pandemic.

Jesus reminds us today that He is always in the boat, silently sailing with us in this stormy sea of life. Do not expect Him to be like most stage mothers or protective parents who keep on interfering in the lives of their children especially when there are difficulties.

During a vacation in Canada more than a decade ago, I noticed the big difference between Filipino and Canadian parents when relatives brought me to experience “apple picking”. While waiting at the entrance, I observed how Canadian parents simply looked at their children playing, never intervening except when kids were hurt and started to cry. So amazing at how the parents would just smile and carry their children to comfort them, so unlike Filipino parents who acted like Secret Service agents watching, reprimanding every move of their children. Worst was when children got hurt and cried as parents scolded them! – which continues even after their children have all grown up with families of their own. Maybe we never progressed as a nation because so many of us have never really matured as individuals partly due to our “stage parents”.

Photo by author, Lake of Galilee, May 2019.

Going back to the boat caught in a violent squall in the middle of the Lake of Galillee, see the dramatic contrast of Jesus soundly asleep in the stern while His disciples were deep in anguish and fears. Like those Canadian parents I have observed, Jesus prefers to be silent during storms in life than to interfere so that we would grow and mature in our faith and prayers, becoming stronger inside and out.

Instead of frantically shouting and scrambling on what to do like the disciples in the boat when trials come our way, let us go inside to Jesus in the stern, no need to wake Him up nor speak. Simply stay, be still and be one with Him in prayers, trusting Him more than anyone.

That’s how we are transformed into better persons by letting Jesus live inside our hearts, the stern of our boat.

To let Jesus live in our hearts is to live in love of Christ despite the many storms and darkness we encounter like St. Paul who implored us in the second reading, “Brothers and sisters: The love of Christ impels us, once we have come to the conviction that one died for all; therefore, all have died (2Cor.5;14).

Photo by Dra. Mylene A. Santos, MD in Infanta, Quezon, 2023.

St. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians is his most personal letter where he poured his heart out in response to the nasty talks hurled against him. Throughout this letter, we find St. Paul narrating all the trials and sufferings he endured in following Jesus that led him to experience Christ’s love in the most personal way that gave him the conviction to live in Christ, to love Christ. Hence, his call every Paulinian knows by heart, Caritas Christi urget nos.

Last Sunday, Mark portrayed God’s presence in Jesus Christ among us like the seed sown in the field that grows without us knowing how, always present among us. Today, Mark portrayed Jesus present among us in exaggerated manner like sleeping in the stern while the boat filled with many leaks crosses this sea of life in a violent storm. How interesting that in crossing the sea – on the Cross itself – Jesus reconciled us with God, with others and with our very selves so that we may pass over and cross to the other side of life and love in Christ. Let us pray:

Lord Jesus Christ,
cast away our fears
in this sea of life we cross
filled with darkness and storms;
many times, our boat is filled with
many leaks of our sins
but You chose to stay with us,
sleeping soundly in the stern;
teach us to be silent,
to trust You more
when the going gets rough
and tough like during an exam:
You are our Teacher,
You know all the answers,
You are silent because
You want us to learn,
You want us to pass.
Amen.

Tenderness of God, sweetness of Mary

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Friday, Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 31 May 2024
Romans 12:9-16 ><]]]]'> + >>]]]]'> + >>>]]]]'> Luke 1:39-56
Photo by author, statues of Mary and Elizabeth at the Church of the Visitation in ein-Karem, the Holy Land, May 2017.

What a lovely way to end the month with this feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Visitation of her cousin Elizabeth after starting off May on its very first day with another feast, St. Joseph the Worker that remind us of God’s coming to us in Jesus Christ.

Visit and visitation may seem to be one and the same, sharing the common Latin root word of the verb vide, videre “to see” from which came the word video.

But, a visit is more casual and informal without intimacy at all. We say it so well in Filipino, napadaan lang or just passing by which is more concerned with the place or location and site, not the person there. Napadaan lang ako kaya dinalaw na rin kita (I was just passing by and decided to see you). There was really no intention in seeing the other person there.

Photo by author, Church of the Visitation, Ein-Karem, Holy land, May 2017.

Visitation is more intentional. Mr. Webster described it as a more formal visit commonly used in church language like when bishop and priests come to see their parishioners. This explains why we refer to a chapel as a visita which is actually a small church in remote places that missionaries used to visit for the sacraments. Likewise, visitas became venues too for catechism classes and other religious even social gatherings in places far from the town itself where the parish is usually situated too.

Thus, visitation connotes a deeper meaning because there is an expression or implication at least of care and concern among the people, a kind of love shared by the visitor like Mary to the one visited, Elizabeth.

Visitation is more of entering into someone’s life and personhood as reported by Luke in Mary’s visitation of Elizabeth when “Mary entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth” (Lk.1:40). There was a communion and sharing of their common experience of being blessed with the presence of God in their wombs.

Visitation is a sharing, a oneness in the joys and pains of those dear to us. The word becomes more meaningful when we examine its Filipino equivalent pagdalaw from the root word dala or something you bring like food or any gift when visiting relatives and friends. What you bring or dala is called pasalubong from the root salubong that literally means “meeting” or “encounter”. When the visitor and ones visited meet, they salubong.

Here it becomes more colorful and meaningful because more than the gifts we bring or dala in our visitations, we bring our very selves as a gift of presence. In every visitation, it is our very selves we gift, we share with those we visit, offering them our time and talent, joys and sadness and ears and heart to listen to their stories and absorb their woes and whatever they may have to unload upon us.

Photo by author, 2019.

That was what Mary did exactly in her visitation of Elizabeth with an extra gift, the most precious pasalubong to share with everyone, Jesus Christ in her womb, right in her very self and body!

We too are invited every day to be like Mary, a bringer or taga-dala of Jesus Christ to everyone we meet, the best pasalubong we can share with everyone. If we can only be like Mary in our dealings with others, trying to make every encounter a visitation that is a willful bringing and sharing of Christ with others, then we also bring with us God’s tenderness and mercy for this dark world that admires toughness and roughness.

How sad are those news of daily road rages happening almost everywhere, many times resulting in the loss of lives like the recent fatal shooting of a family driver in Makati.

Through the Blessed Mother’s humility and obedience before God, Christ came into the world to make us experience the Father’s tenderness in the many healings and miracles He performed. This tenderness of God in Jesus we saw too in Mary His Mother in the Visitation: Mary visited Elizabeth because she knew and felt her many wounds who for a long time bore no child, living in “disgrace before others” as she had claimed (Lk.1:25). A tender person like Jesus and Mary is one who comes to comfort and heal the wounds of those hurt in life, trying to lullaby the restless and sleepless, never adding insult to injuries.

Photo by author, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, QC, 20 March 2024.

One last thing about the Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth. One of the best things we can experience from visitations and visits of family and friends like during wakes and funerals is that quality of sweetness.

Sweetness always goes with tenderness.  It is the essence of God who is love.  Anyone who loves is always sweet that always comes naturally from within, bringing out good vibes.  It is never artificial like Splenda, always flowing freely and naturally that leaves a good taste and feeling to anyone. 

In the Hail Holy Queen, Mary is portrayed as “O clement, O sweet Virgin Mary” to show her sweetness as a Mother. Recently I have seen some posts making a meme (?) of the Hail Holy Queen’s part that says “to you do we cry poor banished children of Eve”. I have not really dealt it with much attention because too often, there are a lot of generation gaps in many posts in social media; I really cannot relate much to the young perhaps due to my age. I just hope that post on the Hail Holy Queen is not derogatory. Back to our reflection…

Tenderness and sweetness are the most God-like qualities we all have but have unconsciously buried deep in our innermost selves, refusing them to surface because of our refusal to love for fears of getting hurt and left behind or lost. When Mary heard Elizabeth’s pregnancy, she simply followed her human and motherly instincts that in fact so Godly that she went in haste to hill country of Judah. How lovely!

Tomorrow it is already June, reminding us all we are halfway through the year. And it would be surprisingly quick that soon, it is already Christmas again! This feast of the Visitation reminds us of Mary’s great role in making Christmas a reality when God almighty became human, little and vulnerable like us to experience His sweetness and tenderness in Jesus Christ. Through Mary.

Let us pray:

God our loving Father,
thank for coming to us,
for staying with us,
not just visiting us;
help us imitate Your Son
Jesus Christ's Mother,
the Blessed Virgin Mary
whose "love is so sincere",
loving one another like Elizabeth
with "mutual affection,
showing honor,
fervent in spirit,
serving the Lord;
help us imitate Mary
to always rejoice in hope,
endure afflictions and
most of all, persevere in prayer"
(cf. Romans 12:9-12)
so we may always bring
Jesus Christ with everyone
we meet.
Amen.
From cbcpnews.net, 13 May 2022, at the Parish of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, Valenzuela City.