Is this meant for us or for everyone?

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Wednesday, Memorial of St. John of Capistrano, Priest, 23 October 2024
Ephesians 3:2-12 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Luke 12:39-48

*Photo by author, Pampanga, September 2024.*

Lord Jesus,
many times I find myself
like Peter asking You
so often with his same
question especially 
when things get 
so difficult,
so trying:

Then Peter said, “Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?” And the Lord replied, “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food allowance at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so” (Luke 12:41-42).

Forgive me, Jesus,
when there are times I exclude
myself from the rest,
when I exempt myself
from your teachings,
when I unconsciously demand
from You some perks
and privileges for following You;
let me be your faithful servant
who takes care of others
even if my other fellow servants 
are remiss of their responsibilities
or worst when those You have
entrusted with authority
forget to be humble,
throwing their weight
around us,
insisting on their powers.

Give me the grace, Jesus,
to imitate St. Paul 
of ably dispensing God's grace
and mystery of salvation
to everyone despite the
many hurts and pains 
that often come with it.
Amen.

New beginnings and mysteries

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Friday in the Twenty-Second Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 06 September 2024
1 Corinthians 4:1-5 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Luke 5:33-39

Thank you,
our loving Father
for another week about to close;
thank you dear God
for this first Friday
in September 2024:
despite the rains and the floods
and the inconveniences
these have brought,
thank you for a new beginning
today.
Let us celebrate this gift
of life you have given us
by putting on a new attitude,
a new disposition,
a new outlook in life
for you have made everything new
in Jesus Christ.

And he also told them a parable. “No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine must be pured into fresh wineskins” (Luke 5:36-38).

Make us your trustworthy
stewards of your mysteries, Lord;
make us truly your servants
who shall reveal your many
mysteries of life and death,
of joy and sufferings,
of poverty and wealth,
of fruitfulness and fulfillment,
of redemption and forgiveness
be known in our life of witnessing
without any regard for fame
nor popularity except that
we do your work in Jesus faithfully.
Amen.

Tending the garden of the Lord

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Friday, Memorial of Sts. Timothy & Titus, Bishops, 26 January 2024
Titus 1:1-8 <*(((>< + ><)))*> + <*(((>< + ><)))*> Luke 10:1-9

*Photo by Ms. Jo Villafuerte in Atok, Benguet 2022.*

How lovely to celebrate
a day after the Feast of the
Conversion of St. Paul the Memorial
of his two co-workers in you, O Lord
Jesus Christ: St. Timothy
and St. Titus.

First of all, a reminder to us all
that your work, Lord, 
never stops after us; 
it is our responsibility to ensure
those after us shall continue your work
of witnessing the Gospel,
making you present in the world,
and tending your beautiful
garden of the faithful.
After all, we are like St. Titus,
"a child in common faith" of 
our parents,
teachers and catechists,
pastors,
brothers and sisters,
friends
and everyone who made you Jesus
known to us in word and in deed.

For this reason I left you in Crete so that you might set right what remains to be done and appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you.
Titus 1:5

We praise and thank you,
dear Jesus for the trust 
in calling us to be your co-workers;
remind us always to never forget
the vineyard.
the garden,
the flock,
the Church
is not ours but yours;
we are mere stewards
like St. Paul and his co-workers
St. Titus and St. Timothy.

Inspire us dear Jesus
to imitate St. Titus who worked
to reconcile the people of Crete
with their founder St. Paul;
let us be bridges of peoples,
promoting peace and unity,
not creating cults around us
consciously or unconsciously
like many of your pastors
these days.

Let us keep in mind
like St. Titus and St. Timothy
that we we simply do your work
in the way you want it be done.
Amen.

St. Timothy
and St. Titus,
pray for us!

Without exceptions

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Wednesday in the Twenty-Ninth Week of Ordinary Time, 19 October 2022
Ephesians 3:2-12 ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'> Luke 12:39-48

Then Peter said, “Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”
Luke 12:41

Teach me, Lord Jesus,
to be your "faithful and prudent
steward" like St. Paul, "the very
least" of your Apostles you have
called to preach to the Gentiles
your "inscrutable riches" (Eph.3:8);
forgive me, Lord, when many times
in life I take exceptions from your
teachings and instructions, 
having that feeling of entitlement
and even privilege.

Help me realize, dear Jesus,
this wonderful gift you have 
given each one of us of being
called to reveal and make known
to everyone your mystery of
love and mercy, kindness and
compassion; deepen our faith
in proclaiming your good news
of salvation to all so that like
St. Paul, we may "have 
the boldness of speech 
and confidence of access
through faith" in you.
Amen.

Praying for our critics

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Friday in the Twenty-second Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 02 September 2022
1 Corinthians 4:1-5 ><]]]]'> +++ <'[[[[>< Luke 5:33-39

*Photo by author, Pater Noster Church outside Jerusalem, May 2019.*

Dearest Lord Jesus Christ:
today I pray for my critics,
the well-meaning among them
who truly think of my growth
and maturity in you as your servant
and steward; likewise, I pray for 
all the other critics who have
nothing else to do but criticize
me.

Praise and glory to you, Lord Jesus
that in the end, it is you who shall judge
me and everybody else, not our critics;
like Paul in today's first reading, I admit
my many shortcomings to you and your
people as your servant and steward; 
grant me the grace to be more trustworthy
by being more loving and understanding,
kind and caring, merciful and forgiving
but at the same time firm with what is
true and good in you.

People will always have something to say
about me and everyone, some may be
true, some may be false and even fake
but like the admonition of Paul, let no one
among us pass judgment on anyone;
keep us open, Jesus, to the leading of
the Holy Spirit; make us always like 
the new wine skins always flexible,
adjusting to new situations, to every
possibilities of your presence and coming.
Amen.