Tag: raising up

Yes, God is one of us, among us.

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Wednesday, Week I in Ordinary Time, Year I, 15 January 2025
Hebrews 4:12-16     ><))))*> + ><))))*> + ><))))*>     Mark 2:13-17
Photo by author, Northern Blossom Farm, Atok, Benguet, 27 December 2024.

therefore, he (Jesus) had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way, that he might be a merciful and faithful priest before God to expiate the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested (Hebrews 2:17-18).

How lovely are your words today,
dearest Jesus!
They are so true!
While others are still wondering,
asking "what if God is one of us",
we have always believed
and have experienced 
God truly one of us,
among us,
and within us
in you, 
Jesus Christ.
How sad that many of us humans
are more inclined to believe
in things and persons bigger than
than ourselves,
not realizing our greatness 
in being small that even you,
O Son of God,
chose to be like us,
little and vulnerable
so that we can be like you,
divine and eternal.
Teach us to see more of your
person, of your being one of us,
dearest Jesus, 
for us to experience your 
authority and power;
like Simon and Andrew,
teach us to have that intimacy
with you Lord that,
"immediately" they told you about
Simon's mother-in-law being sick;
most of all, let me be one with
my own brothers and sisters 
like you, Jesus,
"approaching them,
grasping them,
and helping them 
rise up when they are 
down"
(Mark 1:31)
Amen.
Jesus Heals Peter’s Mother-in-Law, a mosaic in the Cathedral of the Assumption, Monreale, Sicily, from christianiconography.info.

Get up…

The Lord Is My Chef Easter Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Thursday in the Third Week of Easter, 18 April 2024
Acts 8:26-40   <*{{{{>< + <*{{{>< + ><}}}*> + ><}}}}*>   John 6:35-40
Praise and thanksgiving
to You, God our most loving Father
in Jesus Christ our Lord,
our Eternal Priest
for Your gift of being a priest
this past 26 years!
It is pure mercy and love
from You, dear God
that we were called to serve
Your people,
to be Your presence
despite our sinfulness
and so many flaws and
weaknesses.
As we celebrate today
our 26th ordination to the priesthood,
one thing I ask of You
in Jesus:
like the Apostle Philip,
let me "get up" always to
follow You wherever You send me.

The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, “Get up and head south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route.” (Acts 8:26)

There were so many times
I have fallen due to sins,
disappointments and disillusions,
sickness and exhaustion,
sadness and loneliness,
griefs and hurts,
shame and embarrassments,
humiliations and failures,
betrayals and infidelities;
many times You knew it,
O Lord,
how I felt better laying face down
on earth and dirt,
about to give up
when You would go down too
just to tell me to "get up",
"raising" me up to 
keep on following You
even at the desert route
that was so difficult.
Thank You for always believing
in me, Jesus,
for always being patient with me,
for always trusting me;
O dearest Jesus,
You have given me with so much
and I have given You so little;
let me give more of myself,
most of all,
more of Your love
and mercy and kindness
to those around me.
Amen.
From left, Fr. Romi, Fr. Arnel, Fr. Len, Bp. Dennis, Fr. Ed, and me after our Mass on the occasion of our silver anniversary last year. Not in photo was Fr. Joshua who was sick at that time.