Tag-Araw, Tag-Ulan (Ang Solstice)

Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Sacred Heart Novena Day 6, 23 June 2025

*Detalye ng painting ng Sacred Heart of Jesus sa Visitation Monastery, Marclaz, France mula sa godongphoto / Shutterstock.*

Sigurado, sasabihin ninyo ako ay kumakanta na naman sa pagninilay dahil sa ating pamagat na “Tag-Araw, Tag-Ulan” mula sa awitin ng yumaong si Haji Alejandro noong aming kabataan ng 1977.

Bata pa lamang po ako ay mahilig na ako sa radyo at tugtugin kaya hindi ko maiwasang maugnay palagi maski sa pagdarasal ang maraming awiting aking nagisnan.

At heto na nga po ang titik ng awit ni Haji na noon ay tinaguriang “kilabot ng mga kolehiyala” di lamang sa kanyang porma kungdi sa ganda ng boses at mga tema ng pag-ibig sa kanyang musika katulad ng “Tag-Araw, Tag-Ulan”:

Tag-araw, sa may dagat namasyal
At pagdilim, sa may baybay humimlay
At nagyakap, sabay sa pagsabog ng alon
Sabay sa paghuni ng ibon, saksi ay liwanag ng buwan
'Di ba sabi mo pa, na wala pang iba
Na ako ang una sa pagmamahal mo, sinta?

At ang buhay nating dal'wa ay nagbunga
Ng makulay na pag-ibig na dakila
Ngunit, bakit ngayong umuugong ang hangi't ulan
'Sing lamig ng gabi ang mga halik mo?
Ni wala nang apoy, titig mo sa akin
Naglaho ba ang pagmamahal mo, sinta?

*Larawan kuha ng may-akda, La Trinidad, Benguet, 12 Hulyo 2023.*

Hanapin na lamang po ninyo sa YouTube.com ang awit ni Haji na “Tag-Araw, Tag-Ulan” dahil ngayong ika-anim na araw ng ating Nobena sa Kamahal-Mahalang Puso ni Jesus ay bisperas din ng Dakilang Kapistahan ng Pagsilang ni San Juan Bautista, ang tagapaghanda ng Kristo.

Bukod tanging siya lamang at si Jesus ang ipinagdiriwang natin ang kaarawan ng pagsilang bilang Dakilang Kapistahan o Solemnity, ang pinaka-mataas na antas ng selebrasyon sa Simbahan. Palaging pinag-ugnay ng mga ebanghelista lalo ni San Lukas ang buhay at misyon nina San Juan Bautista at Panginoong Jesus na magpinsang makalawa.

Bagama’t ating ipinagdiriwang din ang pagsilang ng Mahal na Birheng Maria tuwing ika-walo ng Setyembre, ito ay Kapistahan lamang o Feast. Kaya kung inyong napapansin, ang kapistahan kadalasan ng mga Santo at Santa ay petsa ng kanilang kamatayan dahild doon sila pumasok sa buhay na walang hanggan.

Marahil sa bahaging ito nagtataka na kayo nasaan ang kaugnayan ng ating introduction na awitin ni Haji na “Tag-Araw, Tag-Ulan” at nina Jua Bautista at Jesu-Kristo at ng Kanyang Kamahal-Mahalang Puso? Heto po mga kaugnayang iyon:

Isinilang si Juan Bautista panahon ng summer solstice, ang pinakamahaba at pinaka-maliwanag na araw sa buong taon tuwing Hunyo habang si Jesus naman ay isinilang ng winter solstice, pinaka-mahaba at pinaka-madilim na araw tuwing Disyembre upang ipakita kanilang ugnayan: dala ni Juan Bautista ang liwanag ni Kristo na siyang liwanag sa gitna ng malaking kadiliman ng mundo.
Ang salitang “SOLSTICE” ay mula sa wikang Latin ng pinagsamang mga kataga na “SOL” (araw o sun) at “SISTERE” (tigil o hinto, stop o stand still gaya ng “to desist/resist” sa Ingles) na kung saan pansamantalang tumitigil o humihinto ang mundo at tumututok sa araw kaya pinaka-maliwanag din ang araw na iyon. Ayon sa PAGASA, naganap ang summer solstice ng 2025 sa bansa noong Sabado, ika-21 ng Hunyo bandang alas-10:42 ng umaga;magaganap ang winter solstice naman sa ika-21 ng Disyembre, 2025 ganap na alas-11:03 ng gabi na siyang pinakamahaba at madilim na araw naman.
Yung awit ni Haji ay “summer solstice” sa Pilipinas na kung saan ating nararanasan ang tag-ulan sa tag-araw, hindi ba? Sa awit ni Haji, nagtataka siya bakit huminto ang kanilang pagmamahalan na tila lumalabo na kanilang samahan katulad ng malakas na ulan sa gitna ng sikat ng araw.

*Larawan kuha ng may-akda sa St. Paul Spirituality Center, La Trinidad, Benguet, 06 Enero 2025.*

Ang ganda ng larawan, hindi ba?

Subalit, hindi ba ganyan din kadalasan ugnayan natin sa Diyos, parang malabo na di maintindihan? Alalaong-baga, itinakda ng Diyos na natural na tumigil (sistere) pansamanatala ang mundo sa harap ng araw (sol) upang magkaroon ng SOLSTICE upang pahabain at paliwanagin ang araw minsan kada Hunyo at dagdagan ang dilim ng gabi minsan kapag Disyembre upang mabalanse ang init at lamig sa daigdig. Kapag walang solstice, maaring masunog at matusta siguro ang mundo! Kaya mahalaga ang solstice na siya ring panawagan ng Diyos sa ating lahat ngayon.

Dumating si Juan Bautista upang magkaroon ng sosltice kung baga upang tumigil at magisis ng mga kasalanan at magsuri ng sarili upang magbalik sa Diyos sa pamamagitan ng pagkilala at pagmamalasakit sa kapwa.

Ito rin ang kailangan natin sa buhay ngayon, ang pagtigil at pananahimik. Tingnang paanong pinatahimik ng anghel si Zacarias na ama ni Juan Bautista. Katulad niya tayong mga tao ngayon. Puro tayo mema – memasabi lang. Puro kuda ika ng mga bata. Lahat iniisip natin maski problema ng Diyos, problema ng mga kung sinu-sino.

Napansin ko sa aking pagiging chaplain dito sa unibersidad, maraming mga bata ngayon ang “over-thinker” pero hindi na man “critical-thinker”.

Senyales ng kawalan ng pagtitiwala maging ng pananampalatay ang pagiging overthinker – lahat kasi inaalala at kinatatakutan. Madalas mga overthinker ay manipulator at control freak din. Wala kasing tiwala katulad ni Zacarias na ang lakas ng loob hamunin ang angel sa tanong niya kung paano niya matitiyak na totoo ang mabuting balita sa kanya ng pagkakaroon ng anak gayong baog at matanda na si Elizabeth na kanyang may-bahay?

Sa kabilang dako naman, pagmasdan ang kusang pananahimik o pagtigil (sistere) ni Elizabeth sa loob ng kanilang tahanan ng anim na buwan nang siya ay magdalantao kay Juan Bautista. Puno siya ng tiwala at pananampalatay sa Diyos katulad ng kanyang pinsang si Maria na pagkaraan ng anim na buwan ay babalitaan din ng anghel ng pagsilang niya sa Kristo.

Katulad din niya si Jeremias na tinawag at hinirang ng Diyos sa unang pagbasa upang maging kanyang propeta. Bagaman ipinakikita ng tagpo ng unang pagbasa ang pagkakahalintulad ng misyon nina Jeremias at Juan Bautista bilang tagapagsalita ng Diyos, ipinakikita rin sa atin ang attitude niya na tumigil at tumalima sa atas ng Diyos.

*Larawan kuha ng may-akda, Cabo de Roca, Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales, 14 Mayo 2025.*

Sa kuwento ng pagsilang ni Juan Bautista, ipinakikita sa atin kung paanong ang Diyos ay pumapasok sa ating panahon at buhay upang isagawa ang kanyang pagliligtas. Subalit malinaw din sa kuwentong ito ang pakikipag-isa ng tao tulad nina Zacarias at Elizabeth maging ni Jeremias upang maganap plano ng Diyos kay Jesu-Kristo.

Ito ang misyon na ipinagpapatuloy ng Simbahan gaya ng pagninilay at paliwanag ni San Pedro sa ikalawang pagbasa. Kung titingnan natin, madalas parang malabo ang Diyos, parang tag-ulan sa tag-araw na tinatawag tayo sa misyon kay Kristo gayong kay rumi natin sa kasalanan, kay daming kapintasan. Madalas pa nga ay tumatanggi tayo o naghahamon gaya ni Zacarias.

Subalit isang bagay ang malinaw: hindi titigil ang Diyos hanggat hindi tayo napapatigil din upang makinig at sumunod sa kanya. Sa araw na ito, hiling sa ating ng Sacred Heart ay magkaroon ng solstice – huminto at tumigil pansamantala at itutok ating tuon at sarili sa alab ng apoy ng pag-ibig ni Jesus sa atin.

O Jesus na mayroong
maamo at mapagkumbabang Puso,
Gawin Mong ang puso nami'y
matulad sa Puso Mo!
Amen.

*And ideya ng SOLSTICE ay aking hinalaw mula sa pagninilay naman sa mga panahon ni Sr. Renee Yann, RSM sa kanyang blog na aking sinusundan; napakaganda ng kanyang mga lathalain at bakas ang kanyang kabanalan at karunungan. Tingnan sa link na ito: http://lavishmercy.wordpress.com

Are we deluded?

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Wednesday in the Thirty-Second Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 13 November 2024
Titus 3:1-7 ><))))*> + ><))))*> + ><))))*> Luke 17:11-19

*Photo by author, 20 August 2024, St. Scholastica Retreat House, Tagaytay City.*

“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, deluded, slaves to various desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful ourselves and hating one another” (Titus 3:3).

What a beautiful reminder by St. Paul
to his co-worker in the Lord, Titus,
and to us in this modern age;
Oh, how often are we all
foolish, disobedient,
and deluded, too?

That word struck me today,
Lord: deluded
which is to suffer from delusion
which is to believe in something
not true!
And that's the great tragedy
in these days of modern communications
when information is easily
accessible,
when facts can be quickly
verified if true or not
but,
why do we remain deluded
that St. Paul rightly noted,
we are "hateful ourselves,
hating one another"?

Proof?
Our being ungrateful.
Our refusal to express
gratitude like the nine lepers
cleansed of leprosy by Jesus;
only one, a Samaritan
returned to Jesus and thanked
Him for the healing:
forgive us Jesus
when so often in life it is
easier for us to believe in things
not true at all than to accept
and embrace simple truths
in life like
that we are loved,
that we are good,
that You believe in us;
clear us of our built-in
biases against ourselves
that delude us
and blur our vision of others;
teach us to be more appreciative
of simple joys
and pleasures in life.

Thank you much, Jesus!
Amen.

Advent is for soul-searching

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Thursday in the Third Week of Advent, 15 December 2022
Isaiah 54:1-10 ><}}}*> + ><}}}*> + ><}}}*> Luke 7:24-30

Your questions today, O Lord Jesus,
are so disturbing, touching us to our very core:
"What did you go out to the desert to see ---
a reed swayed by the wind?
Then what did you go out to see?
Someone dressed in fine garments?
Then what did you go out to see?
A prophet?" (Luke 7:24, 25, 26)

What do we want to see this Christmas?
What are we expecting?
What aspect of life are we more
concerned with, the material or the spiritual?

Maybe, it is also about time
to examine ourselves and ask,
what do people see in us?
What do they expect from us,
especially us who are supposed to be
prayerful and religious?

I wonder, O Lord, when people see us,
will they rejoice like what Isaiah spoke of
in the first reading?
Do I reflect your presence,
your healing,
your salvation?

Lord Jesus,
empty me of my sins and pride,
fill me with your humility,
justice and love.
Amen.

Praying for discipline

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Friday in the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time, Year II, 09 September 2022
1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-27 ><]]]]'> + <'[[[[>< Luke 6:39-42

Your words today from St. Paul
are so timely, dearest Lord Jesus; 
in a time when so many of us have
become so complacent and even
lazy in this life characterized by
comfort and ease, please reset our 
perspectives and points of view,
Jesus, when all we think is ourselves,
of being famous and popular;
worst of all, like in your stern warning
in the gospel, we have become self-
righteous, blinded by our ego that
we see ourselves better than everyone
when all we see are others' faults
without noticing our bigger faults.

Brothers and sisters: If I preach the Gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it! No, i drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.
1 Corinthians 9:16, 27

Grant me the grace,
O Lord, to be truly your follower,
your disciple, a person of
discipline who treads the path of
truth and mercy, light and understanding,
justice and mercy, honesty and sincerity; 
give me the courage to persevere in 
following you amid all pains and
difficulties.  Amen.

Finding God

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Monday, Memorial of St. Dominic de Guzman, Priest, 08 August 2022
Ezekiel 1:2-5, 24-28 ><))))*> + <*((((>< Matthew 17:22-27

*Photo by Ms. Jo Villafuerte in Atok, Benguet, 01 September 2019.*

Once in a while, 
I imagine dear God
our Father what would
it be like to have a vision
of you, to find you and
your dwelling place?
Would I have the
courage and composure
of your prophet Ezekiel?

As I looked, a storm wind came from the North, a huge cloud with flashing fire enveloped its brightness, from the midst of which (the midst of fire) something gleamed like spectrum. Within it there were figures resembling four living creatures that looked like this: Their form was human… Like the bow that appears in the clouds on a rainy day, was the splendor that surrounded him. Such was the vision of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.
Ezekiel 1:4-5, 28

You are always with us,
dear God, revealing your 
truth, goodness, and beauty;
you cannot be kept in any 
particular place for you are
all-powerful and in fact, 
the sole legitimate power
for everything belongs to
you as implied by Jesus to Simon
in today's gospel (Mt.17:22-27).
There is no need for me to have
the apocalyptic vision of Ezekiel
to find and see your dazzling 
majesty; just give me the humility
like of St. Dominic to passionately
seek you in prayers and studies,
following his footsteps in simplicity
of life and self-denial so that upon
finding your light and your truth, 
I may share you in Jesus Christ 
with everyone.
Amen.

*St. Dominic from a detail of a fresco painted by Fra Angelico in 1441 in Convento di San Marcos in Florence, Italy; photo from commons.wikimedia.org*.

Problem with overconfidence

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Tuesday in the Eighteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 02 August 2022
Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22 ><]]]]'> + <'[[[[>< Matthew 14:22-36

*Photo by Mr. Jay Javier in Taal, Batangas, 15 February 2014.*

I like your words today,
God our loving Father;
they are so true, and yes,
so hurting. They are a 
bull's eye or "sapul" as
we say in Filipino.

Many times, I feel so
confident with myself,
with my goodness, or
holiness; many times I
feel I am so equipped 
to hurdle everything in
life; and many times, I feel
so sure I have done nothing
wrong and sinful like Peter
in the gospel who asked
Jesus to make him walk
on water.

Thus says the Lord: Incurable is your wound, grievous your bruise; there is none to plead your cause, no remedy for your running sore, no healing for you. All your lovers have forgotten you; they do not seek you. I struck you as an enemy would strike, punished you cruelly; why cry out over your wound? Your pain is without relief. Because of your great guilt, your numerous sins, I have done this to you. Thus says the Lord: See! I will restore the tents of Jacob, his dwellings I will pity; city shall be rebuilt upon hill, and palace restored as it was.
Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-15, 18

Give me courage, O Lord,
to look inside myself and
confront my true self;
build me up anew, Lord,
as your people and you
our God.

Forgive us, O God, 
for the many times we
have misread your coming
in Jesus Christ as like a ghost 
in the dark sea; so many times
we are so sure of our swimming
skills like Peter, confident we 
would not drown, unaware 
of the strong winds that can beat
and pummel us into pieces.

When overconfidence
drown us, let us shout like
the disciples in the boat,
"Truly, you are the Son of
God, Lord Jesus!"
Amen.

The sins of others we always see

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Monday in the Twelfth Week of Ordinary Time, 20 June 2022
2 Kings 17:5-8, 13-15, 18 ><)))*> + ><)))*> + ><)))*> Matthew 7:1-5

Help up with your right hand, 
O Lord, and answer us.
(Responsorial Psalm today.)

Help us, dear Father,
to see more our many sins
than the tiny sins of others;
Help us, dear Father,
to control our lips in
being so quick to judge
and speak so much of others;
Help us, dear Father,
to change our ways and
leave our sins.

So many times in life
when bad things happen to
us, we look on others to
blame, including you,
O Lord, without looking 
first into our very selves
at how we have indulged
in evil and sins that started 
so small that we have dismissed
as simple and nothing at all.

Forgive us, Father,
in always blaming others
without ever looking into
our hearts and ways 
that have been so disordered
and strayed from your paths
of love and justice, mercy
and kindness, humility and 
sincerity.  Amen.