The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Thursday, Memorial of the Passion of John the Baptist, 29 August 2024 Jeremiah 1:17-19 <*{{{{>< + ><}}}}*> Mark 6:17-29
Photo from catholicworldreport.com, “The Beheading of St. John the Baptist” (1869) by Pierre Puvis de Chevannes.
A precursor of the Lord's birth, a precursor of the Lord's death. What a great task you have entrusted, O God, to John the Baptist and to us as well; many times, we forget this role of our being like John in life and in death, always standing and speaking what is true and just.
Forgive us, O God, when more often we have allowed ourselves to be like Herodias who "harbored a grudge against John."
Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted kill him but was unable to do so (Mark 6:17-19).
Take away, O Lord Jesus, the many grudges we have, festering in our hearts, eating up our very selves, and poisoning our relationships especially with those closest to us; heal us, most merciful Jesus, of the grudges that have tore us apart and make us whole again as persons, family and friends; take away within us whatever vestiges of grudges we have against anyone so we may move forward in life, let go of revenge and ill desires for those who may have hurt us.
"In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your justice rescue me, and deliver me; incline your ear to me, and save me" (Psalm 71:1) instead of harboring grudges inside me against anyone. Amen.
“Salome with the Head of John the Baptist” painting by Caravaggio (1607) at the National Gallery of London; photo from en.wikipedia.org.
Quiet Storm by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, 27 August 2024
Photo of St. Monica from the cover of the book “St. Monica Club: How to Wait, Hope and Pray For Your Fallen-away Loved Ones by Maggie Green, Sophia Institute Press, 2019.
Today we celebrate the Memorial of St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine. She has always been associated with her son Augustine who is considered as one of the great saints of the Church with so much impact in our theology and almost every Catholic teaching. It was through the prayers and many sacrifices by St. Monica that St. Augustine was converted to Christianity who eventually became a priest then later as Bishop and Doctor of the Church. That is why during the Vatican II reforms of the liturgy, her memorial celebration was moved from May 4 to August 27, a day before St. Augustine’s memorial too.
Next to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Monica is perhaps the best example of motherhood beyond compare. Patron saint not only of wives and mothers, St. Monica is also the Patroness of those seeking patience and victims of abuse.
Most probably, stories about her suffering in silence in being married to an abusive and philandering pagan husband named Patricius were “overextended” to the extent we Filipinos got a very wrong impression of a “martyr” as being a wife who willingly bears without complaints the abuses by her husband.
St. Monica was very far from that kind of “martyr” but was in fact a “martyr” to the truest sense of its meaning from the Greek word martyria that means to witness Jesus Christ. Witnessing for Christ by bearing sufferings does not mean allowing one’s self to be abused freely by anyone; witnessing for Christ is primarily living a life centered on Jesus in prayers that flow into good works and holiness. Martyrdom is overcoming evil with goodness that is why many times, it ends with death – but, it is not as a defeat but as a triumph that leads to conversion of sinners and unbelievers, exactly how Christianity spread before and until now wherever Christians are persecuted.
According to St. Augustine’s own account in his book Confessions, although domestic abuse was prevalent during their time, their ill-tempered father never beat their mother. Her daily prayers especially her frequent going to the Mass with so many acts of charities to the poor irritated their father Patricius and yet led him to respect St. Monica. Eventually, her prayer life that found expressions in her almsgiving and kindness to everyone won the heart of Patricius, calmed his violent tendencies until he finally converted to Christianity before his death.
Before calming and converting her husband, St. Monica first won over her equally difficult to deal with mother-in-law! So, for those having problems with in-laws, St. Monica is the go-to saint for you!
But it is not that easy at all. We need to do the efforts, to cultivate a prayer life and allow God to work in us in order to grow in faith, hope, and love as well as the virtues especially patience. All these aspects of her faith flowed in her remaining so sweet and gentle despite her problematic husband and three children (whom Patricius refused to be baptized as Christians) that she was able to exercise a good influence over abused wives and suffering mothers who were so moved by St. Monica’s example.
Now here is the funny thing that most likely mothers and wives today would surely laugh at – St. Monica’s advise: “If you can master your tongue, not only do you run less risk of being beaten, but perhaps you may even, one day, make your husband better.”
Huwag daw po kuda nang kuda, mga Nanay at mga Misis…
Having spent most of my 26 years as a priest ministering to students and young people (exactly 17 years and counting), I used to tell them how often our mothers’ nagging is actually their love language; they may be saying a lot even without thinking at all but that’s because they love us, they care for us. That is why I find it amazing, so prophetic when Filipino mothers speak the same thing when children come home, hurt and beaten after not listening to their words of caution: “Sinasabi ko na nga ba…!”
Photo from shutterstock.com
Many times, mothers are prophetic; listen to whatever they may be saying because so often, they tell the truth. About us or of then people we go out with.
One thing I miss these days after my mom’s death in May are her words of love and wisdom as well as her nagging with accompanying threats (tatamaan ka sa akin or lalayasan ko kayo). Psychologists say that is wrong for parents to threaten their kids. I don’t really know but from my own experience those were perfectly examples of tough love that made us strong.
Now Mommy or Mamu as we called her since becoming a grandma is gone, no one reminds us or nags us anymore. And the worst part of that is, you have no one to make sumbong. We have lost somebody willing listen to all of our kuda.
That I think makes every mother to suffer a lot because they keep so many of her children’s pains and hurts, including anger and complaints in their hearts: many times they explain but we refuse to listen, accusing her of bias and favoritism. There are times she would say “hayaan mo na lang anak”… she would be talking and talking again of many things.
Every Nanay is a Sta. Monica, suffering in silence because she has always been loving us in silence. Truly, when a mother dies, our links are never cut off from her as if the umbilical cord remains intact. And wireless up to heaven. How funny that we complain often our our mother’s nagging and endless talking but when she becomes silent, we miss her. Now because we are sure she loves us so much.
Sharing with you this most beautiful tribute of four brothers to their Nanay I found last night in the internet now with 4M views. Pray for all mothers today, thank God for their great gift of life.
Quiet Storm by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, 26 August 2024
Image from Pinterest.
There are two great documentaries now streaming at Netflix worth watching to cap your long weekend this Monday. I watch Netflix only on Sunday afternoon to evening after my Masses but with so much spare time these long weekend, we tried doing it earlier than usual.
Very often, choosing a movie has always been a struggle with me that always ends up with replays like last Friday of Steven Seagal’s 1988 Above the Law. Aside from old movies, I have always loved old actors that is why when I saw Ed Harris and John Malkovich in the cast of new offerings by Netflix, I immediately jumped on them.
Ed Harris photo from m.imdb.com.
Having spent my early childhood with the weekly series Wild Wild West in the late 60’s, I naturally went first with Ed Harris as narrator of that six-part Western documentary series “Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War”. You can finish it in one sitting with each series less than 50 minutes each. Though he is not like the voice-over talents of History Channel, Harris breathed on life and contemporariness in one of America’s earliest version of today’s so media-hyped stories and personalities. Harris was so cool and suave as narrator yet authoritative even pedagogical in his manner in explaining history and social psychology in presenting the latest facts and insights on the celebrated life of Wyatt Earp complete with photos and reenactments.
From Netflix.com.
Earp and his two brothers served as marshals in the prosperous town of Tombstone in Arizona following the discovery of silver in the area after the American Civil War. Before the coming of gold, it was silver that was propelling the American economy at that time to new heights. However, following the shooting incident between the Earps and a group of bandits led by one Ike Clanton at the O.K. Corral, it eventually led to the so-called Cowboy War.
The series is very engaging with a lot of sprinklings of American politics and businesses, notably the stories behind the growth and influences behind notable banks Wells-Fargo and investment house JP Morgan along with the growing power of newspaper industry in the US that fed on the appetite of so many people eager for news and chismis!
In short, the series delved on the resolution and ending of the Cowboy War that eventually paved the way for the conquest of the American West through business and economics that have cemented it until now as a bastion of the mighty dollar.
John Malkovich from netflix.com.
After that quick marathon, we shifted to our next movie, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. Actually, I had to check again the details of the movie that sounded like a horror one; but, after finding out that one of our all-time favorite John Malkovich was indeed in the cast of the movie based on the first-person account book by Liz Kendall as long-time girlfriend of the “most sadistic sociopath” in crime history, Ted Bundy, we went for it straight!
You know very well the flamboyance of Malkovich in whatever role he had played in his long career. In this docu-film based on that book by Kendall, Malkovich superbly handled Bundy’s trial like the actual judge, Edward Cowart. At the end of the movie, they were splices of actual footages of the Bundy trial that was also the first nationally televised court trial in the US. At first I thought it was part of the “dramatic enhancement” by Malkovich of the hearing for dramatic impact but it turned out that it was exactly how Judge Cowart spoke and behaved in his courtroom. It was so close to the truth except Cowart was portly unlike Malkovich who was nonetheless able to mimic him perfectly in his antics and style.
Netflix displayed a great genius in this film made a few years after their docuseries The Ted Bundy Tapes. When we saw that series, we were so focused on the evil ways of Bundy; in this movie, we are offered with a more personal or human touch in the inhumanity of Bundy through his longtime girlfriend Kendall.
From Netflix.com
And here lies the point of convergence of this two new Netflix movies: both Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War and Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile presented the veracity of that expression widely attributed to Edmund Burke that “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph if for good men to do nothing.”
It is always good to see the triumph of good over evil even if sometimes it takes a long while.
In Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War, Harris narrated so well how Earp was so maligned by the vicious liar Clanton who got the whole town behind him for a time. In the movie we are reminded how we always have to sacrifice and endure sufferings to correct evils prevailing even in the society. Most of all, no one can live forever on sin and evil, on violence and war. There will come a time when we just have to cease all violence and retire in silence to let peace have a chance to be won and restored.
In Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, we are cofnronted with the most difficult truth and reality of standing against evil and sin even if the ones perpetrating them is a loved one. Admittedly, I have forgotten how Bundy was finally arrested and linked to the numerous cases of kidnapping, rape and murders that experts believe may run to more than 100 women and young girls.
From Netflix.com.
So interesting in this movie is the fact that it was Kendall, his girlfriend who actually tipped the police about Bundy that eventually led to his arrest. You should see the opening and the closing scenes when Kendall and Bundy finally met anew in prison while he was awaiting execution. That was during those ten years of incarceration while awaiting his execution when Bundy who was superbly played by Zac Efron had maintained innocence to all the crimes until after that visit by Kendall. It was very chilling but praiseworthy of the great courage and strong moral compass of that woman Kendall who did not allow evil to perpetuate even inside her home.
See both movies and examine also your stand for what is true and good, fair and just. And human, most of all.
Lawiswis ng Salita ni P. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Ika-22 ng Agosto 2024
Larawan kuha ng may-akda, Sacred heart Novitiate, Novaliches, QC, 20 Marso 2024.
Halina't magpahingalay hindi lamang upang mapawi pagod at hirap kungdi sarili ay mabawi sa kawalang kabuluhan at mga kaguluhan, pagkawindang mapigilan kaayusan ng buhay ay mabalikan; limang tanong sana makatulong upang landas ng makatuturang buhay ating masundan:
Larawan kuha ng may-akda sa Alfonso, Cavite, Abril 2024.
"Nasaan ka?"
Kay gandang balikan nang ang Diyos ay unang mangusap sa tao, ito ang kanyang tanong sa lalaking nagkasala at nagtago, "nasaan ka?" Nang maganap unang krimen, Diyos ay nagtanong din kay Cain, "nasaan kapatid mong si Abel?"
"Nasaan" lagi nating tanong lalo na't sarili ang nawawala tumutukoy di lamang sa lunan kungdi sa kalagayan at katayuan ng sarili madalas ay sablay at mabuway; magpahingalay upang tumatag at maging matiwasay.
Larawan kuha ng may-akda sa Camp John Hay, Baguio City, 12 Hulyo 2023.
Susunod na dalawang tanong ay magkadugtong: "Saan ka pupunta?" at "Paano ka makakarating doon?"
Walang mararating at kahihinatnan sino mang hindi alam kanyang pupuntahan maski na moon na tinitingala hindi matingnan, magroadtrip broom broom man lamang! Muling mangarap libre at masarap higit sa lahat magkaroon ng layon na inaasam-asam!
Larawan kuha ni Bb. Ria De Vera sa Banff, Alberta, Canada, 07 Agosto 2024.
Nasaan ka? Saan ka pupunta? Paano ka makakarating doon? Ang mga unang tatlong tanong sa ating pamamahingalay nitong paglalakbay ng buhay; ika-apat na tanong naman dapat nating pagnilayan ay "Ano aking dadalhin sa paglalakbay?"
Marahil pinakamahalagang dalhin ang ating sarili hindi mga gamit o kasangkapan dahil kaalinsabay ng mga dalahin ay ating mga iiwanan din; huwag nang magkalat ng gamit bagkus iwanan ay bakas ng mabuting katauhan pagmamalasakit sa iba pang naglalakbay sa landas nitong buhay!
Larawan kuha ng may-akda, St. Scholastica Spiritual Center, Tagaytay, 21 Agosto 2024.
Ngayo'y dumako tayo sa huling tanong nitong pagpapahingalay upang mabawi ating sarii di lamang pagod ay mapawi: "Sino iyong kasama sa paglalakbay sa buhay?"
Ito marahil pinakamahirap sagutin maski harapin dahil problema natin hindi naman mga nabigong pangarap at adhikain kungdi nasira at nawasak nating mga ugnayan bilang pamilya at magkakaibigan; may kasabihan mga African, kung ibig mong maglakbay ng mabilis, lumakad kang mag-isa ngunit kung ibig mong malayo marating, magsama ka ng kasabay sa paglalakbay.
Dito ating makikita diwa at buod ng tunay na pagpapahingalay o pagpapahinga: mula sa salitang "hinga" ang magpahinga ay mahingahan ng iba, mapuno ng iba; mauubos tayo parang upos sa dami ng ibig nating maabot at marating, huwag mag-atubiling tumigil, mamahinga, magpahingalay sa Panginoong Diyos na Siya nating buhay at kaganapan na tiyak din nating hahantungan sa walang hanggang pahingalay. Hayaang Siya sa ating umalalay at pumuno ng hininga ng buhay!
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Friday, Memorial of San Roque (St. Rock/Roche), Healer, 16 August 2024 Ezekiel 16:1-15, 60, 63 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Matthew 19:3-12
Photo by author, 15 August 2024.
God our loving Father, thank you for the gift of personhood, for your gift of personal relationship with each one of us; your servant St. John Paul II defined a person as a "full, conscious, relating being."
Very true but sadly, we never recognize your gift of personhood, of our being a person and its fruit of relationships; instead of looking into the heart and soul of every one of us, we prefer to see each one in the mind, in the letter, in the technical than personal:
Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?” (Matthew 19:3)
Soften our hearts, Jesus; take away our stony hearts and give us natural hearts that beats with firm faith, fervent hope in You, and unceasing charity for everyone.
Forgive us for being so captivated by our own beauty and prowess, remove our confusion and let us be silenced for shame (Ezekiel 16:15, 63) to remember your covenant by appreciating and being open to your gift of person and relationships by striving to keep this alive despite our many flaws and sins. Amen.
St. Rock, pray for us so infected by another kind of pestilence of pandemic proportion when we see persons as objects and make objects like persons. Amen.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Thursday, Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 15 August 2024 Revelation 11:19;12:1-6, 10 ><}}}}*> 1 Corinthians 15:20-27 ><}}}}*> Luke 1:39-56
Photo from shutterstock.com
Glory and praise, God Almighty Father in sending us Jesus our Savior who gave us His Mother the Blessed Virgin Mary, the very first fruit as St. Paul said of Christ's wondrous work of salvation due her oneness in Him.
Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-40).
Right after the Annunciation to Mary, her path to her Assumption began when she "set out and travelled to the hill country in haste" to share Christ in her with Elizabeth; what a beautiful imagery of the same path to the Calvary, another hill outside Jerusalem to be with Christ her Son.
Bless us with the same grace You gave Mary your Mother, Lord Jesus, to follow your path to every hill in this life, to be one with those especially who are in pain and suffering; let us trust in You fully in faith, hope and love that the sufferings we may endure in setting out to travel to the hills of this life is the very path of our assumption in You; let us realize that despite the many comforts and ease of technology today, it is not what life really is, that we all have to go through your Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Like Mary, may we believe your words, Jesus, will be fulfilled. Amen.
“The Assumption of the Virgin” by Italian Renaissance painter Titian completed in 1518 for the main altar of Frari church in Venice. Photo from en.wikipedia.org.
I had published my Sunday homily that Saturday morning when I decided to unwind by watching any movie on Netflix which I do only on weekends. So glad it was the first movie I saw, very related with the story of Prophet Elijah and Jesus Christ’s “Bread of Life Discourse” that Sunday.
First think I liked with Lolo and the Kid is its fast-paced story that revolved around the two characters played by veteran Joel Torre and GMA7’s famed Firefly star Euwenn Mikael Aleta.
Second thing so interesting with me is how Lolo and Kid have no proper names at all (I just learned Lolo’s name was Mario after reading the various write ups) maybe because they stand for all of us who are caught in this great race for money and material things but deep inside longing for the more essential and truly lasting in life like love. And people who love us too, who care for us, and would stand by us.
We are Lolo and Kid who many times have traded our principles for momentary satisfaction but despite our seemingly strong facades of pragmatism and “resourcefulness” or madiskarte as Lolo taught Kid in the movie, deep inside us is still our conscience where God dwells, telling us to pursue good and shun evil. Joel Torre perfectly portrayed this beautiful side in each one of us (with his Ilonggo accent) of keeping a conscience despite our sinfulness, like a soft shell we delicately keep whole and intact inside lest we lose everything in life.
Photo from de.flixable.com
Recall our first reading last Sunday about Elijah fleeing to the mountain from an army pursuing to kill him. Elijah felt a total failure like Lolo and us many times in life when after all our goodwill and love, we are dumped by the very people we care for.
Elijah went a day’s journey into the desert, until he came to a broom tree and sat beneath it. He prayed for death, saying: “This is enough, O Lord! Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers” (1 Kings 19:4).
In one of the scenes of Lolo and the Kid, we find Lolo crying, cursing everyone and murmuring just like in last Sunday’s gospel. As he tried to end his life with a knife, Lolo suddenly heard the cry of an infant from the heap of garbage around him. What a beautiful portrayal of that infant left in the trash like Jesus Christ born on a manger becoming the savior of Lolo, a definitive message of mercy and love from God after his apparent cry of “This is enough, Lord!”
How many times have we found ourselves in the same situation, often in less momentous ones than Elijah or any prophet and saint, crying out to God in the heavens “this is enough”?
But, what is also most true behind every cry of “this is enough” that we make, we continue to believe and to hope in God that there is still a way out of our plight. And very often like in the story of Elijah last Sunday and in that scene in Lolo and the Kid, God comes at the nick of time like that infant crying in the garbage heap, a reminder of life and beauty found within us despite all the dirt we may have around us.
From netflixlovers.it
Here we find the Kid, perfectly played by Euwenn like in Firefly, as the saving grace, the Christ-figure in the movie bringing salvation to Lolo. Kid was “the bread of life from heaven” who “fed” Lolo with life with its meaning and direction. And joy found in Kid, the image of Christ Jesus.
Now, joy according to Jesus at the Last Supper is like a woman at the pangs of childbirth (Jn.16:21-22); it is deeper than happiness. True joy is borne out of self-sacrifice, a fruit of self-denial, of loving somebody more than one’s self. This we find at the end of this moving film.
Now all grown up, Kid finally met again Lolo in the hospital a day after his college graduation. Kid brought Lolo while seated on a wheelchair to visit Taba (another character without a name), their suki in fencing. From there, they went to their usual stop, a videoke bar to eat and drink, singing repeatedly Kenny Roger’s Through the Years.
Then, Lolo died, singing the only tune he knew that summed their beautiful relationship.
Photo from list23.com.
After Lolo’s body was taken out of the videoke bar, Kid opened Lolo’s bag that had a tin can of biscuit filled with old photographs taken with their stolen Polaroid camera. The photos did not merely remind Kid of their happy times together but most especially when they were already apart!
Unknown to Kid, Lolo hid to take photos when he moved to his adoptive parents, from his first ever birthday party to his college graduation! Through the years, Lolo, like God, was always there, present in all of Kid’s milestones in life because he is truly loved.
I have never liked that song Through the Years even when it was a hit during our high school days in 1981 but since Saturday, I have been humming it silently, hearing it inside me as an LSS until now. We hear the song playing throughout the end of the movie with scenes of how Lolo secretly took Kid’s photos filled with love and joy amid the strong current of pain within he had to endure to be far and away yet so near to his beloved apo.
If the Kid is the Christ figure in this film, Lolo is the God-the-Father figure, the One who seems so far from us as if He does not care at all. In Lolo and the Kid, there is that message of God never leaving us wherever we may be, whether we are in the squalor of poverty and sin or in the purity and cleanliness of affluence and grace maybe. God like Lolo to Kid is always with us but never interferes, silently doing many things to ensure that despite our many faults and failures in life, we end up in Him and His love.
We go back to Elijah’s cry of “This is enough, Lord!”, our very same cry like Lolo in the movie.
It is a cry that is also a prayer coming from our innermost being when we feel so saddled with no one to unload our woes except to God – who after all is the very reason why we cry! Watch for Lolo’s soliloquy on this reality we often do.
Photo by author, James Alberione Center, QC, 08 August 2024.
It is a cry of faith so akin with love because to believe and to love go hand in hand. It is during that moment when we feel like giving up to God, crying “this is enough” when in reality we surrender everything to God because we have been caught up by Him that we cannot resist His attraction.
It is that moment when we feel so “fed up with life” but deep inside, we hear God telling us like Lolo with the cries of an infant or like Elijah with an angel instructing him, “Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!” (1 Kings 19:7).
Yes, our life journey is still long but we have a companion in Jesus, our bread of life from heaven, nourishing us, strengthening us, teaching us that essential beauty of love found only in sharing one’s life for the other. As we have said in last Sunday’s homily, it is when we cry “it is enough, Lord” when God gives us more than enough to sustain us sometimes in the form of a good movie like this one. May we have more “bread” like Lolo and the Kid that feeds our soul and gladdens our heart.
*BTW, we are not paid to endorse this movie; simply sharing with you its good news.
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Friday in the Seventeenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 02 August 2024 Jeremiah 26:1-9 <*{{{{>< + ><}}}}*> Matthew 13:54-58
Photo by author, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, QC, 20 March 2024.
Thus says the Lord: Stand in the court of the house of the Lord and speak to the people… whatever I command you, tell them, and omit nothing (Jeremiah 26:2).
Omit nothing?
What a tall order from You,
God our Father;
and You know how much
I have tried to omit nothing
of your words when I spoke:
always, I am the first
to be shaken and affected!
Many times, people do not
see nor realize that when
we speak your words,
omitting nothing,
we are always the first to be affected
because your words cleanse
and purify us, committing us more
to You and your mission;
therefore, help us to "enflesh"
your words always in our witnessing
and omit nothing as You wished.
In this time when people clearly omit many of your very words like "male and female You created them" as well as teachings, making gender more of a preference than of nature and part of your grand design, grant us more perseverance and charity when we speak and omit nothing of your words and teachings deemed by wokes and liberals as not being cultured and inclusive; let us remember that even Jesus your Son was reviled and crucified not only then but until now by those who consider themselves as learned and politically correct, refusing to accept your words and teachings and very Self. Amen.
Lawiswis ng Salita ni P. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Ika-01 ng Agosto 2024
Larawan kuha ng may-akda, bukang liwayway sa Lawa ng Galilea, Israel, Mayo 2019.
Unang araw sa buwan ng Agosto, buwan ng wika ako ay nakatunganga sa pagkamangha sa isang salita: PALIWANAG sa wikang Inggles, "explanation" at kung gagamiting pandiwa "to explain" ito ay magPALIWANAG.
Kay sarap namnamin
at damhin mga kataga
nitong ating wika
tulad ng PALIWANAG
nagsasaad ng pagbibigay
liwanag dahil mayroong
kadiliman minsa'y panlalabo
kaya nililinaw upang
matanaw, makita kahit man lang
maaninag upang matukoy, makilala.
Mahirap kasi mag-apuhap sa gitna ng kadiliman na kawalan ng katiyakan: ika'y nangangapa at nangangamba kung ano iyong mahawakan, makuha kaya nakakatakot sa dilim na wala kang nakikita dahil pati ikaw baka tuluyang mawala pa!
Inyong pagmasdan malaking kadiliman na sa ati'y bumabalot kamakailan kaya kay raming nagpapaliwanag naglilinaw dahil sa mga ginawa at ipinahayag na puro kaguluhan:
Waiter sa Cebu pinagpaliwanagan ng halos dalawang oras habang nakatindig sa harapan ng customer na tinawag niyang "Sir" na ibig ituring siya na "Mam"; kay daming paliwanag ni "Mam" pero malabo pa rin dahil malinaw pa sa araw maski sa mga larawan na siya ay Sir!
Hanggang ngayon nagpapaliwanag pa rin mga pasimuno ng paglapastangan sa Huling Hapunan ng Panginoon na lalong nababaon dahil maliwanag kanilang kasinungalingan na ang kadiliman ng kapalaluan at kasamaan kanilang pagpugayan taliwas sa layuning magkaroon ng pagbubuklod at kaisahan.
Hindi lang minsan ating narinig masabihang "ang labo mo naman" kaya kinakailangang magpaliwanag upang maunawaan at maintindihan na siyang daan sa magandang pagsasamahan.
Heto ngayon ating pagnilayan pagbulayan aking katanungan: nagPALIWANAG ba ang Panginoong Jesus sa Kanyang mga pangangaral? Maliban sa pagpapaliwanag ng mga talinghaga ng sarilinan sa mga alagad, walang ipinaliwanag si Jesus dahil maliwanag Siyang palagi at higit sa lahat Siya ang Liwanag ng Sanlibutan.
Madalas hindi Siya maunawaan, maintindihan at matanggap ng mga tao noon hanggang ngayon ngunit kailanman walang binawi na salita ang Panginoong Jesus dahil maliwanag ang lahat: "Ako ang daan at katotohanan" (Jn.14:6), "Ako ang muling pagkabuhay at ang buhay" (Jn. 11:25) "Ako ang pagkaing bumaba mula sa langit; ang kumakain ng aking laman at umiinom ng aking dugo ay may buhay na walang hanggan, at muli ko siyang bubuhayin sa huling araw" (Jn. 6:54).
Nang linisin ni Jesus ang templo sinabi sa mga tao na gibain iyon at kanyang itatayo sa loob ng tatlong araw; Siya ay pinagtawanan ng mga kalaban ngunit malinaw na sinasaad sa kasulatan nang muli Siyang mabuhay ay naunawaan ng mga alagad ang tinutukoy Niyang templo ay ang Kanyang Banal na Katawan (Jn. 2:18-22); maliwanag si Jesus ay palaging malinaw kaya kahit sa gitna ng kadiliman Siya ay maliwanag.
Lumapit tayo kay Jesus at hayaang liwanagan Niya kadiliman sa ating puso at kalooban katulad nina Nicodemo at Dimas na umamin sa kanilang kamangmangan at kasalanan kaya natamo ang liwanag at kaligtasan; hindi mahirap tuntunin katotohanan at liwanag ng Panginoon natin kung ating aaminin at aalisin mga piring sa ating paningin upang mabuksan puso at kalooban sa kagandahan at dangal ng kabutihan ng bawat nilalang hindi ang ipangalandakan sariling husay at kaalaman maging antas ng kalinangan!
Tandaan at panghawakan, tiyak na kaliwanagan ng mga salitang binitiwan ng Panginoon sa atin sana ay magpaalaala: "Ang nagpapakataas ay ibababa, at ang nagpapakababa ay itataas" (Mt.23:12)
The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Tuesday, Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop, 30 July 2024 Jeremiah 14:17-22 ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'> Matthew 13:36-43
How fitting are your words today, O God our merciful Father, that it is the same thing we feel in the midst of that irreverent show in Paris: "Let my eyes stream with tears day and night, without rest, over the great destruction which overwhelms the virgin daughter of my people, over her incurable wound" (Jeremiah 14:17).
Have mercy on us, Lord. Like in the time of Jeremiah your prophet, people refused to hear your words spoken through him; people had all the excuses and alibis for their evil deeds; most of all, believed so much on themselves forgetting You were simply merciful and forgiving, allowing the weeds to thrive among the wheat.
Let us continue to listen to your words, to do your will despite what others supposed to be intellectual and cultured would say; let us not be faithful hearers only but most of all faithful doers of your words too.
Let us be reminded always by the words of St. Peter Chrysologus whose memorial we celebrate today: "If you jest with the devil, you cannot rejoice with Christ." Amen.
lordmychef.com 