Lent is entering darkness of our hearts in the light of Christ

40 Shades of Lent by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Second Sunday in Lent, Cycle C, 16 March 2025
Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18 + Philippians 3:17-4:1 + Luke 9:28-36

*Photo by author, the metropolis at night from Timberland Highlands Resort, San Mateo, Rizal, 08 March 2025.*

Both our first reading and gospel this Second Sunday in Lent are set in the darkness of the night. Despite being the favorite setting to portray evil and horror not only in movies but even in the Bible, the darkness of the night has a unique charm of its own.

It is in this darkness of the night when the moon and the stars shine brightest. It is in this darkness of the night when we are delighted with the most wonderful ensemble of sights and sound no stage could duplicate when a sparkle of fireflies outline a treetop while crickets and geckos – tuko – with all the other insects and animals sound like a live symphony orchestra.

So many things in this world and in this life are best seen and experienced in the darkness of the night to be truly appreciated. And that is the call to us this second Sunday in Lent – that we enter the darkness in our hearts with the light of Jesus Christ for us to be transformed and transfigured in his image as his disciples.

Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem (Luke 9:28-31).

*Mosaic inside the Basilica of the Transfiguration on Mt. Tabor, Israel from commons.wikimedia.org.*

We have been saying since Ash Wednesday that life is a daily Lent, a daily exodus from darkness into light, from sin into forgiveness, from slavery into freedom.

Every day we “pass over” to many darkness in life like sickness, loss of a loved one, failures and other trials and sufferings that come our way. Sometimes so dark, sometimes not so dark. But most dark of all darkness we go through are those darkness of sin and evil along with its many scars left right in our hearts following the constant temptations by the devil for us to turn away from God, for us to refuse to love others and even our very selves.

*Photo by author, St. Paul Spirituality Center, Mt. Pico, La Trinidad, Benguet, 06 January 2025.*

Our readings this Sunday assure us that in that it is in those darkness we find God who had come nearest to us in Jesus Christ. It is during those darkness like an exodus that we pass from passion and death to resurrection where Christ is calling us; hence, the need for us to listen to him and follow him. It is from this passing over the darkness of sins and trials when we are purified and transformed, transfigured into better persons and disciples of Jesus because that is where his light is most visible too.

To enter into these dark places in our hearts is the beginning of our conversion, of our daily Lent when we return to God, to his covenant we keep on breaking in sin.

*Photo by Ms. Analyn Dela Torre, 12 February 2024 in Bgy. Caypombo, Santa Maria, Bulacan.*

Lent as a preparation to Easter is also a renewal this covenant we have in our baptism which we renew every year at the Masses of Easter. That is why we have the story of the covenant of God with Abraham in the first reading that was set at night with the darkness signifying the trials we go through in life.

As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram, and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him. When the sun had set and it was dark, there appeared a smoking brazier and a flaming torch, which passed between those pieces. It was on that occasion that the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates” (Genesis 15:17-18).

Feel the terrifying character of the event as narrated by the author of Genesis; but, remember also how God remained with Abraham that night. It was after this episode that God first promised Abraham to become the father of all nations with children as many as the stars above.

But it was not all light with Abraham after this episode as he went through a lot of darkness in life like when he wondered when God would finally give him his own son as he grew older. When Isaac was finally born and had grown, God tested Abraham, asking him to sacrifice to him Isaac. Abraham willingly obeyed God that as he was about to kill Isaac, an angel stopped him and told him how God was so pleased with him that he was doubly blessed anew! Abraham passed over that very dark night in his life by completely trusting God who never abandoned him in life! Most of all, because Abraham never backed out from darkness.

That is the charm of darkness: it can bring us fears and anxieties but as one poet said, only the brave who dare to walk the darkness of the night shall see the beauty of the moon and stars above. In a little while after all the uncertainties and difficulties of the night, we arrive at a new day. Darkness is the prelude to light and day.

Entering into those dark places in our hearts can be terrifying but it is the only path towards true freedom with Jesus as our companion in our exodus. Refusal to go into those dark places in our hearts will keep us only deeper in darkness – anxious and afraid, always wondering when we shall see light which will never come unless we come out and pass over the night.

Recent turn of events in our country are so Lenten in nature, our own passover and exodus – hopefully – from darkness into light.

After those long six years of darkness in the deadly war on drugs of the past administration, we finally saw the light of God’s mercy and justice coming with the arrest of the former president.

It must have been so tortuously painful to the families left behind by the thousands of victims of tokhang.

Though I feel so glad with the turn of events, I still refuse to celebrate nor even join the heated discussions. I feel more the need for us to pray and reflect, to find God and where he is leading us — maybe into those dark places in our hearts to see how we too have contributed to that dark period in our history.

A reporter-friend who volunteered in the care for orphans of the tokhang victims recently shared her reflections in these turn of events where she claimed “we are Duterte”.

Huh? It is chockful. And shocking.

As I prayed and reflected on it, I agreed with her. Prior to Duterte’s coming to power, we as a nation have allowed the forces of darkness to come upon us with the RH bill later followed by bills and proposals for divorce, same sex marriage, and return of capital punishment. There was already this great darkness hovering above us even before Duterte came to power.

Sad to say, that darkness started in our hearts which St. John Paul II referred in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae as “culture of death”.

Let us heed the calls by St. Paul in today’s second reading to “stand firm” in Jesus (Phil. 4:1) because to conduct ourselves as “enemies of the cross” of Christ will surely lead only to “destruction” (Phil. 3:18-19). Let us avert our total destruction as a nation by finally confronting the many darkness within us in Jesus Christ. Amen. Have a blessed week ahead.

*Photos in the collage are not mine but from various sources like TIME magazine and Mr. Howie Severino of GMA7 News.

Advent is journeying like Joseph & Mary to bring Jesus in darkness

Quiet Storm by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, 13 December 2024

*Photo by author, Camp John Hay, Baguio City, December 2018.*

Thanks to social media – finally, the beauty and splendor of our faith is once again made known widely especially during this lovely season of Advent. Two beautiful posts from Facebook recently caught my attention that prompted me to share this blog.

First is from the wife of my former student in Bulacan whose wedding I officiated during the COVID pandemic in early 2022. This had actually shaped my prayers and reflections this week. She wrote:

Last Sunday I mentioned in my homily how during Advent the days are shorter and nights are longer, starting earlier than usual. How true indeed that the darkest nights are the longest nights, especially during Christmas. And that’s one of the beautiful reasons Jesus was born on December 25 which is the darkest night of the year.

“Kung kailan magpapasko…” is one expression we dread to hear ourselves or dear ones saying at this time of the year. “Kung kailan magpapasko at saka magkakasakit… mawawalan ng trabaho…” or “mababasted o maghihiwalay.” Worst, “kung kailan magpapasko at saka mayroong mamamatay.”

This Advent, Jesus reminds us how in the cold, dark nights are others He is searching too to remind them that He actually came for them. Jesus wants us to be the “inn keeper” to bring Him to the poor and suffering, the sick and the children, those who have failed and are so disappointed in life, those deep into sins, feeling lost and alone in this merry season.

Dare yourself to be open to Jesus this Advent when He suddenly comes to you to bring Him to someone who needs cheering and reassurance Christ is coming again, Christ had come, and Christ comes.

Simply be aware how blessed you are and Jesus will tell you, will direct you to whom you must pray for or even visit.

Many times, we try doing something good to be blessed but the truth is, we have been tremendously blessed that is why we are able to do something good. God can never be outdone in generosity. Remember that before we can bless anyone, we are first blessed. That is why we have to keep on blessing others by being kind and caring always to anyone because we have been so blessed.

This I noticed since my first year in the priesthood – God would always lead me to some sick people to visit and anoint with oil, hear confessions and receive the Viaticum. That’s every Christmas which I have adopted as a personal tradition, a panata (pledge). That is why when I was assigned as a chaplain at the Fatima University Medical Center in Valenzuela, I felt God affirming my Christmas panata with the sick as He leads me to new directions in my ministry. The other year, I visited my kababata in Bocaue Christmas evening to hear his confessions and anoint him as he reached the terminal stage of his renal disease. A few days after new year, I was back to celebrate Mass at his funeral. So glad to have visited him and brought him Jesus.

*With my classmate and friend Bernie, 12 December 2024.*

Yesterday I visited a classmate and friend from college, Bernie. We last saw each other before our graduation from UST in 1986 after the EDSA People Power Revolution. We reconnected in 2019 when our seminarian now priest Fr. RA was assigned in his parish in Aritao, Vizcaya where Bernie is an active member and supporter.

Two years ago he asked me for prayers after being diagnosed with cancer and yesterday, he suddenly called me during breakfast to say he has been declared cancer-free by his doctors. As a thanksgiving, he is attending a healing Mass at the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Marilao, Bulacan with his parish priest. And they were staying in a private retreat house in Baliuag, Bulacan owned by my friends too! In fact, I held my 50th birthday party there that despite my toxic schedule yesterday, I hurriedly visited Bernie.

As I drove home amid a horrendous traffic at the Nlex, I felt like Joseph with Mary journeying to Bethlehem to bring the Son of God, Jesus Christ into the world. I hope that I just did that to my classmate and friend yesterday.

*Photo by author, 28 November 2022, RISE Tower, Our Lady of Fatima University, Valenzuela City.*

During these four weeks before Christmas, say a prayer for anyone you know or may have heard to be going through difficulties lately like not feeling merry and bright, suffering mentally, grieving for loved ones, struggling financially, going through some family problems, suffering physically, dealing with severe blows like failures and disappointments in life, and a host of other trials and tribulations others may be going through this month alone.

Pray also for those caring for the sick and suffering. Many times, we are so focused with their patients, forgetting the very crucial roles caregivers do for the sick and impaired or challenged. Remembering them, giving them a little gift or a card or spending precious moments with them can be their merriest Christmas! Many of them rarely go on breaks, especially on Christmas. They need Jesus so badly whom they rarely experience especially when the people they care for are very demanding.

Anyone who visits the sick, cares for those in pain and sufferings, consoles those grieving or simply be present with those going through financial or psychological difficulties is like Joseph and Mary going to Bethlehem to give birth to Jesus, to make Jesus present. The Lord needs us to bring Him closer to those silently crying, silently in pain. Think of the immense blessings that have been poured out to us beforehand and soon, be surprised for more blessings too.

Let me share with you this beautiful prayer shared to me recently too by another friend, a well-respected and multi-awarded photojournalist:

Let’s not forget. Christmas is Jesus Christ. Not money nor things nor food. It is only Jesus, always Jesus dwelling in us. Amen.

Keeping our light shining

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Wednesday in the Thirty-first Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 06 November 2024
Philippians 2:12-18 ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'> Luke 14:25-33

*Photo by author, Fatima Ave., Valenzuela City, 25 July 2024.*

Grant me,
dear Jesus
the serenity and composure
of St. Paul:
so peaceful,
so dignified,
so free 
in the face of death.

Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life… But, even if I am poured out as a libation upon the sacrificial service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with all of you. In the same way you also should rejoice and share your joy with me (Philippians 2:14-16, 17-18).

Many times O Lord
the burdens are too heavy
and unbearable,
with pains and suffering
so overwhelming
that I really wonder
if I would make any difference at all;
but, you are always here
present
in the "nick of time"
sending people reminding me
of jokes I have long forgotten but
still tickle them;
or simple lessons I could not recall
but they have kept
and guided them through life;
or music I made them listened to
that have lingered in their heads;
or books and poems
 that have opened their horizons.

Teach me, Jesus
to renounce everything I have,
empty me of my pride,
of my self to be filled with you only
so that I may truly shine like
light in this world so at home
and fascinated with neons
 and klieg lights
that mislead them to darkness.
Amen.

Faith is hope

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Wednesday in the Eighteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 07 August 2024
Jeremiah 31:1-7 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Matthew 15:21-28

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

Yes, a day will come when the watchmen will call out on Mount Ephraim: “Rise up, let us go to Zion, to the Lord, our God.” For thus says the Lord: Shout with joy for Jacob, exult at the head of the nations; proclaim your praise and say: The Lord has delivered his people, the remnant of Israel (Jeremiah 31:6-7).

How refreshing are your words
today, God our loving Father;
so upbeat with hope
for the divided nation of
Judah and Israel to finally
be one just like us today:
so divided recently with all
the mockery and sacrilege
in the Paris Olympics
only to be united
by Carlos Yulo's 
recent harvest of two gold medals;
what a beautiful lesson in faith in You
that is also hope itself;
from being the least supported
and known sport in the country,
Yulo remained faithful
filled with hope in You
while persevering in gymnastics;
like Yulo and Jeremiah's command,
let us shout with joy to You,
proclaiming your redemption
that literally means "Hosanna"
in Hebrew, the very shouts of joy
when Jesus entered Jerusalem
on Palm Sunday.

She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is uyour faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that hour (Matthew 15:27-28).

Like that Canaanite woman
who begged Jesus,
even bantered with Him
about dogs and puppies,
bread and crumbs
for mercy and healing to her
sick daughter,
help us realize that faith is hope;
that hope is more than positive thinking
of how things would get better
but could even get worse
yet still believe in God!

Thank you Jesus
for always coming to "pagan"
territories like Tyre and Sidon;
keep our faith and hope burning
to await You,
to recognize You,
to meet You
coming in the midst of our
many darkness and brokenness.
Amen.

Gift of encouragement

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Friday, Memorial of St. Irenaeus, Bishop & Martyr, 28 June 2024
2 Kings 25:1-12 <'[[[[>< + ><]]]]'> Matthew 8:1-4

It is the end of another week 
of work and studies for most of us,
God our loving Father,
but for some,
it is like the end of everything
for them like your people
at Judah and Jerusalem:

In the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar, king od Babylon, and his whole army advanced against Jerusalem, encamped around it and built siege walls on every side. On the ninth day of the fourth month, when famine had gripped the city, and the people had no more bread, the city walls were breached. The king was therefore arrested and brought to Riblah to the king of Babylon, who pronounced sentence on him. He had Zedekiah’;s sons slain before his eyes. He then blinded Zedekiah, bound him with fetters, and had him brought to Babylon (2 Kings 25:1, 3, 6-7).

Many times,
when life becomes so difficult
even so terrible for us,
all we ask, O God, are
simple words and acts of
encouragement;
send us someone who 
is like Jesus your Son, 
our Lord and Savior who, 
upon meeting a leper,
told him,
"I will do it. Be made clean"
(Matthew 8:3).

Like Jesus,
may we stay and remain
even for a few minutes
with those so burdened in life;
when the leper approached him,
Jesus did not hide nor run
but stayed to let the leper
feel He was with him;
many times, we forget
our mere presence 
can be so encouraging;
forgive us for abandoning
and turning away from those
who come to us
even for company
and warmth.

Like Jesus,
even if we do not have
the power to heal
and cleanse anyone of sickness,
grant us the gift of
words that encourage
others to hold on in faith,
to keep hoping,
and most of all,
to believe in love
when all is dark
because like Jesus,
we may tell them how much
we desire their well-being.
Amen.

Nicodemus and James Taylor

Lord My Chef Sunday Music by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, 10 March 2024

*“Nicodemus and Jesus” painting by James Tissot (1836-1902) from SuperStock/GettyImages via learnreligions.com.*

One of our favorite singer-songwriters James Taylor is coming next month for a one-night concert at the Mall of Asia Arena; hence, we are featuring two of his songs we find so related with the gospel message this fourth Sunday in Lent also known as Laetare or Rejoice Sunday.

But first, let us take a slight deviation from our usual manner of coming up with the music right away as we realized too the strong links between Nicodemus and James Taylor in their experiences.

Nicodemus belonged to the group of Pharisees, one of the enemies of Jesus at that time. But he admired and believed in Jesus that is why he chose to visit the Lord at night so that people would not notice. Eventually, Nicodemus became a disciple of Jesus after Good Friday after he and another Pharisee named Joseph of Arimathea took the body of Christ and buried him in a tomb (https://lordmychef.com/2024/03/09/lent-is-the-love-mercy-of-god-in-me/).

Nicodemus’ coming to see Jesus at night evoked his situation of being in the darkness of fears and confusions, trying to find directions in life which he found in Christ. It was similar with James Taylor’s plight he beautifully expressed in his 1970 hit Fire and Rain which is about the suicide of a childhood friend as well as his coping with his addiction and depression following his fame.

Just yesterday morning, they let me know you were gone.
Suzanne, the plans they made put an end to you.
I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song,
I just can’t remember who to send it to.
I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain. I’ve seen sunny days that I thought would never end.
I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend, but I always thought that I’d see you again.

Won’t you look down upon me, Jesus, You’ve got to help me make a stand.
You’ve just got to see me through another day.
My body’s aching and my time is at hand and I won’t make it any other way.
Oh, I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain. I’ve seen sunny days that I thought would never end.
I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend, but I always thought that I’d see you again.

*From https://www.wildflowersprovence.fr/plant/convolvulus-lanuginosus/*

Many times, we find ourselves in situations like Nicodemus when everything is all dark like the night, or James Taylor going through fire and rain.

Now look, Jesus is most present with us when we are in the darkest darkness of the night, right in the middle of a raging storm. Many times we could not see him because he hugs us, embraces us to shield us from more harms.

When Jesus told Nicodemus about his coming crucifixion – “when the Son of Man is raised up” – it was an assurance to us all too that Christ is with us in our worst situation because he suffered first for us on the Cross. I am so glad that JT mentioned Jesus in his song, pleading to the Lord to “look down upon me and help me make a stand.”

That is why we rejoice this Sunday: in the midst of our troubles and sufferings, there are bursts of joy and relief from Jesus within us dwelling in our hearts. And that is why, we find JT’s 1976 hit, Shower the People, so related too with our gospel this Sunday.

When Jesus told Nicodemus how “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (Jn.3:16), it was also a call for us all to be the love and mercy of Christ in the world.

Nicodemus eventually became a disciple of Jesus while JT is still very much around, having weathered so many fires and rains or storms in his life, both telling us how God finds ways to save us, even extricate us from our worst situation. Hence, the need for us to become the presence of Christ’s joy and mercy to people especially those closest to us so that they may realize and experience that God so loved the world because of the way we shower them with love through us.

You can play the game and you can act out the part,
even though you know it wasn’t written for you.
Tell me, how can you stand there with your broken heart ashamed of playing the fool?
One thing can lead to another; it doesn’t take any sacrifice.
Oh, father and mother, sister and brother, if it feels nice, don’t think twice,
just shower the people you love with love, show them the way that you feel.
Things are gonna work out fine if you only will do as I say, just
shower the people you love with love, show them the way you feel.
Things are gonna be much better if you only will.

Here is our doubleheader from the “Sweet Baby James”. Have a blessed, lovely week ahead!

*Both materials are not ours without any intentions at all of infringing its copyrights.

From YouTube.com

From YouTube.com.

Lent is the love & mercy of God in me

40 Shades of Lent by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Sunday Recipe for the Soul, Lent IV-B, 10 March 2024
2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23 ><}}}}*> Ephesians 2:4-10 ><}}}}*> John 3:14-21

*Photo of pink convolvulus from the Botanical Gardens of Jerusalem, flora.org.il.*

Many times during prayer periods I banter with God especially when I feel overwhelmed by his kindness and love. Like last Thursday on my way to the adoration chapel when I passed by a row of banks.

As I knelt before the Blessed Sacrament to pray, I just felt like asking God: “BDO (Banco De Oro) ka ba, Lord? Kasi…you always find ways.”

That, for me, my dear friends is the meaning of this fourth Sunday in Lent – God never stops in finding ways to reach out to us, to be with us, to make us experience his love and mercy, kindness and forgiveness despite the hardness of our hearts.

Our altars burst in shades of pink this Sunday called Laetare (Latin, rejoice) Sunday from the entrance antiphon that says, “Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were in mourning; exult and be satisfied at her consoling breast.”

It is a misconception to see Lent as dull and drab due to its penitential nature; while there is the sober tone in our liturgy, let us keep in mind that it is also a season filled with joy and excitement for the coming Easter, the mother of all feasts in the Church.

And today we rightly rejoice because John reminds us in our gospel scene only him narrates – Nicodemus meeting with Jesus in the cover of the darkness of the night – of God’s immense love for us manifested in the dying of Jesus on the Cross.

Jesus said to Nicodemus: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”
John 3:14-16

John saw a deeper meaning, of a sign pointing to Jesus as the Christ in this conversation with Nicodemus at night. Nicodemus was a Pharisee afraid to come out in the open to show his admiration and belief in Jesus. He eventually joined the disciples on Good Friday with another Pharisee, Joseph of Arimathea when they buried Jesus in a tomb.

See the deep perception of John in this recalling by Jesus to Nicodemus of the bronze serpent raised by Moses in the wilderness (see Num. 21:4-9) as a prefiguration of his own crucifixion.

In the gospel of John, the “lifting up” of the Son of Man refers to Jesus on the Cross. After that scene with the woman caught committing adultery, Jesus declared, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM…” (Jn.8:28). Then on Palm Sunday while in the temple area, Jesus told the crowd “‘And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.’ He said this indicating the kind of death he would die” (Jn.12:32-33).

John’s gospel teems with other similar passages showing the inseparability of Christ’s Cross and glory. And so with our life, that is why in the middle of Lent, we rejoice this Sunday!

*Photo by author in Petra, Jordan, May 2019.*

Like last Sunday, here we find again early in the gospel of John how Jesus laid his vision-mission statement of coming to save us by dying on the Cross during his conversation with Nicodemus that night.

Jesus assured Nicodemus and us today that even while we are in the darkness of life’s many confusions and fears, problems and sufferings, we just have look up to him crucified lighting up our way to life and salvation. That night in their conversation, Jesus assured Nicodemus and us today that even in the worst situations in life when “darkness is our only light and hopelessness is our only hope” as T.S. Eliot wrote in his Four Quartets, God is in us, with us and for us in Christ. Just as when the world was covered in darkness on Good Friday when Jesus died on the Cross, it was the precise moment too of Christ’s glory when he conquered death and sin in obedience to the Father.

Yes, it is true these things are easier said than done but like Nicodemus, even in the darkness of the night we have to dare come close to Jesus, to speak to him and most of all, to hear and listen to him. As one poet had said, “only the brave who walk the darkness of the night shall see the brightness of the stars above.” Most of all, Jesus calls us today to be his love and mercy, his joy and light to the many other Nicodemus groping in the darkness of sin and evil.

In my three years as chaplain in a hospital, I have experienced personally and through others that truth so clear as crystal of God most closest with us in the worst days of our lives. Sometimes, we just sigh deeply as we feel him inside us, assuring us how everything is taken cared of, that everything would be fine.

Like the Israelites in the first reading, we too have to go through an “exile”, a kind of “punishment” not from God but as a result of own our sins and wrongdoing. Many times God let bad things happen to us because we insist on our ways; as God retreats to the back or sides of our lives, he never stops finding ways to save us, even “extricate” us from our imprisonment to sin and sufferings!

Indeed, as St. Paul had said in our second reading today, God is “rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us” (Eph.2:4). Let us not waste that gift. Even though God forgives every sin no matter how bad it may be, do not forget some of our sins have irreversible consequences we shall face and suffer. Of course, God would still be there to help and guide us but, why wait for that to happen?

There lies the joy and grace – and challenge – of this fourth Sunday in Lent: even while we are in our worst situations in life, in our darkest nights, Jesus is always there for us, in fact, the first to have suffered and died for us so that with him on Easter, we may rise again to new life.

Be the sower of his love and mercy. Be his presence. Be another Nicodemus in the night leading others to the light of Jesus. Let us, therefore, rejoice in the Lord as we pray:

Praise and glory to you,
dearest Father 
in giving us your Son 
Jesus Christ our Lord,
our light,
our life,
our joy;
make us, O Lord,
your love and mercy
in this world 
so everyone may experience
that indeed, God loves the world
that He gives us Jesus through me;
let your Holy Sprit enlighten 
my mind and my heart
like Nicodemus 
leading those in darkness
into the light of Christ.
Amen.

A joyful week to everyone!

Endings are beginnings

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Thursday in the Fourth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 01 February 2024
1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12 ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'> Mark 6:7-13

*Photo by author, Camp John Hay, Baguio City, 12 July 2023.*

Praise and glory
to you God our loving Father!
Thank you for January,
thank you very much for February;
as we start this second month
of the year, you remind us 
how in life every ending is also
a beginning.

When the time of David’s death drew near, he gave these instructions to his son Solomon: ”I am going the way of all flesh. Take courage and be a man. Keep the mandate of the Lord, your God, following his ways and observing his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees as they are written in the law of Moses, that you may succeed in whatever you do, wherever you turn.”
1 Kings 2:1-3

Give us the grace of
ageing gracefully, Father,
like your servant David;
give us the courage
and sincerity to accept,
to embrace when we are 
"going the way of all flesh";
yes, we all wish a life of joy
and happiness with less pains
and difficulties but as we forge on
life, we have experienced,
we have realized,
and proven so many times
that hardships and hurts
are inevitable parts of this life,
even separations and death
that David perfectly called
as way of the flesh.

Joy and fulfillment
happen when we embrace
these shadows and darkness 
for it is in those spaces
where lights are most visible
and life is most meaningful;
give us, Lord Jesus,
the courage to let go,
to leave our extra baggages
behind in order to travel light
in this life proclaiming your 
good news;
make us realize that true wealth 
is in having less of the material
and more of the spiritual;
most of all, every ending
is also a beginning,
hence, the need for us
to prepare those next to us.
Amen.

Gladden our souls, Lord…

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Tuesday in the Fourth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 30 January 2024
2 Samuel 18:9-10, 14, 24-25, 30-19:3 ><}}}}*> + <*{{{{>< Mark 5:21-43

*Photo by author, 19 January 2024, Our Lady of Fatima University-Sta. Rosa, Laguna Campus.*

Today, O God,
I join the psalmist
in his prayer to you:
"Incline your ear, O Lord;
answer me, for I am afflicted and poor.
Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for to you I call all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord,
I lift up my soul"
(Psalm 86:1, 3-4).

Gladden our hearts,
gladden our souls, Father
 in Jesus Christ
your Son;
many mothers
are now grieving
over their lost sons or
daughters to sickness
and accidents;
like David in the first reading,
it does not matter what kind of
a son or a daughter
one's children
may have been;
their death is always
a terrible loss,
a most unfair and unkind
one when parents should
have gone first
ahead of children.

You alone,
Lord Jesus Christ,
can comfort and gladden
our souls amid our many
griefs and miseries;
you alone, Jesus,
can stop our internal bleeding
for the many pains and hurts
within us we silently
endure like that woman in today's gospel
afflicted with hemorrhages
for 12 years;
raise us up, Jesus,
from the pits of
our agonies and slow deaths,
bring back to life
those losing zest of living
because of betrayals and
infidelities,
those in countless despair
of failures and frustrations.

Dear Jesus,
we pray for those who hide
all their pains and sufferings
as they forge on daily in life,
keeping the faith in you as they
try to make ends meet and
most especially struggling
to fulfill their promises of life
and brighter future
 for their loved ones
gladly awaiting their
coming home.
Amen.

*Photo by Dra. Mylene A. Santos, MD, an orange-bellied flowerpecker (Dicaeum trigonostigma) somewhere in the Visayas, December 2023.*

So, this is Christmas and what have you done?

The Lord Is My Chef Christmas Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Monday, Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, 25 December 2023

Of course, that is the opening line of John Lennon’s 1971 song Happy Xmas (War Is Over) he wrote and recorded with his second wife Yoko Ono. It is actually a protest song against the Vietnam War.

It was not an LSS for me because I have not heard it played anywhere except inside my mind ever since the start of the Simbang Gabi when I was visiting our patients at the Fatima University Medical Center in Valenzuela City where I serve as a chaplain. Soon, even during my prayer periods, I would hear and later hum those lines even in my office, in my room, and in the elevator. That is why I thought of making it my homily this Christmas.

Most likely, aside from being a fan of John Lennon (and Paul McArtney and the Beatles), one reason I felt Happy Xmas (War Is Over) so strongly during Simbang Gabi was due to the war in Gaza which is a Palestinian territory like the West Bank where Bethlehem is located, the birthplace of Jesus Christ.

“So this is Christmas 
and what have you done? 
Another year over, 
a new one just begun… 
A very merry Christmas 
and a Happy New Year, 
let’s hope it’s a good one 
without any fear.”

*Photo by author, Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the Holy Land, May 2019.*

I find those opening lines so powerful, searing one’s heart amid this cold season, probing deeply our very person, examining our sense of personal responsibility and accountability in the light of all the troubles going on in the world and in our selves.

Lennon reminds me of God’s question to Cain after he had killed his brother Abel, “What have you done! Listen: Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the soil!” (Gen. 4:10).

It is the same question God is asking us on this birthday of his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: ”So, this is Christmas, what have you done?“

Have you been like Joseph thinking more of the welfare of Mary when he found her pregnant, choosing to “quietly divorce” her before being told of the whole story by an angel in a dream or, have you jumped into conclusions and spread lies especially in social media of certain stories of people you have not verified?
Have you been like Mary lovingly saying yes to God’s plans, trusting God through your parents and those above you or, have you been stubborn and rash in your decisions that have hurt so many other people in the process, only to find out you have been misled by your friends, and now abandoned by everybody else except by those closest to you like your family and friends who dared to speak the truth to you?
Have you been like Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, who chose to go into seclusion to be silent to pray more on the wondrous things done to her by God or one who refuses to be separated from all gadgets, living practically in media, without any concern for persons and nature?
Have you been like any of those innkeepers who refused to provide room for Mary and Joseph for the birth of Jesus Christ, becoming deaf and blind to the plight of the poor and marginalized around, thinking only of one’s self and welfare that despite your wealth and fame and everything, you still feel empty and unfulfilled inside?
Have you been like a Caesar Augustus or a Quirinus, acting like an emperor or governor today lording it over everybody else especially on the road madly raging against other motorists or, insisting on using the EDSA bus lane to get ahead of others or, simply having a power trip anywhere to impose your authority and superiority over others especially the weak, manipulating them for your selfish motives?
Have you been like those pretending to be the light of the world, influencing others with your false beliefs in the name of equality and freedom of expression you espouse on glossy pictures and illustrations, lively music and empty words and promises being liked and followed in social media?
Have you been like the shepherds living in the margins of the society, in the darkness of sins and evil who led others into the light of Bethlehem, listened to the calls of the angels from above to give peace a chance to look for the Mother and Child in a manger or, have you been a shepherd without any regard for your flock except your comfort and well-being?
Have you been like John the Baptist who made a stand for the weak and disadvantaged, who spoke the truth, tried to be simple and humble, most of all just and fair with everyone because with us always is the Christ whom we do not know?

I leave up to you, my dear friends, to continue the list of what have you done this Christmas.

*“The Adoration of the Shepherds”, a painting of the Nativity scene by Italian artist Giorgione before his death at a very young age of 30 in 1510. From wikipediacommons.org.*

And so this is Christmas (War is over)
For weak and for strong (If you want it)
The rich and the poor ones (War is over)
The road is so long (Now)
And so happy Christmas (War is over)
For black and for white (If you want it)
For yellow and red ones (War is over)
Let's stop all the fight (Now)

Notice in this last stanza how Lennon – like Luke in his Christmas account – sounded in the present moment, in every here and now, challenging us to make Christmas happen even if it is not December 25.

Most of all, the will – if you want it – to keep Christmas and its message vibrantly alive amid the great darkness enveloping us.

It has been reported that Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem, the Lord’s birthplace, have been cancelled due to the war in Gaza. Though the news is very sad, there still some sparks of light bursting from the darkness there because only the festivities are cancelled but not Christmas.

Red Letter Christians partnered with artist Kelly Latimore of @kellylatimoreicons to create this new icon, “Christ in the Rubble,” which illustrates the prophetic message that if Jesus was born today, he would be born “under the rubble.” *From Facebook 23 December 2023.*

Christmas is never cancelled and can never be cancelled no matter how miserable our lives would be because that is also when it truly happens: Jesus came to bring us light and life, comfort and res, peace and mercy the world badly needs, then and now. Whether we do something or nothing, Christmas happens because Jesus will never leave us. That is has always been the truth as the fourth gospel tells us this Christmas:

All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:3-4

But, why not do our part like Joseph and Mary, the shepherds, including Zechariah and Elizabeth and their son John the Baptist – the ones who have done so much – to make Christmas truly a happy and merry one as God willed it so. Come and do something to share Jesus our light, especially where there is darkness and death, where there is war and rubble. Amen. Have a blessed Merry Christmas!

Here is John Lennon. Happy listening too!

From Youtube.com.