Postscript to Jesus calling us, “come to me”

Quiet Storm by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, 08 July 2026

It has been three days since Sunday when we heard Jesus calling us to “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mt.11:28-30).

It is one of the shortest and most memorable passage in the gospel but, how do we really come to Jesus in order to rest and feel light?

The good news is, it is Jesus who actually comes to us first, inviting us to come to him to find rest and feel light. Exactly like at the meeting of the Risen Lord and Thomas the Apostle eight days after Easter as narrated to us by John. You will recall that last Friday was the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle (June 3) when I presented in my homily Caravaggio’s painting called The Incredulity of Thomas done in 1602. This is the second time I have used a painting by this renowned Italian painter said to be the favorite of the late Pope Francis too.

*Photo of painting by Caravaggio, “The Incredulity of Thomas” via wikipedia.commons.org.*

Thomas “refused” to believe the Apostles’ news to him that Jesus had risen, saying that “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” (Jn.10:25).

Many times we are like Thomas, a Didymus, with a twin in life like doubt and certainty, belief and unbelief, darkness and light.

Like Thomas, we say unconsciously that “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” (Jn.10:25) because it is when we are suffering, when we are in darkness, when we are in doubt when we truly search and long for God and Jesus.

It is not that Thomas nor we could not believe that Jesus had risen or doubted Christ at all; actually, Thomas believed in Jesus that is why he came on the eighth day to await the Lord’s coming in the same manner that we still pray despite our “doubts”.

Now a week later, his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:26-28)

See the artistry of Caravaggio in this painting, that characteristic play of light and darkness emanating from Jesus, illuminating Thomas and his elder Apostles Peter and John.

All darkness in life are diminished, even vanished completely when we bring everything and everyone in the light of Jesus Christ who comes to us to enlighten us, to illumine us from many darkness we go through in life like Thomas on that night of the eighth day of Easter.

But, there is more to the light of Christ that we can see in this Caravaggio painting.

Amid its stillness and silence, one could feel deeply Jesus Christ’s words last Sunday – come to me – echoed softly, personally, lovingly to Thomas. And to each one of us today.

John tells us that Jesus simply said to Thomas to “Put your finger here and see my hands, bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God” (Jn.20:27-28).

Okay, fine… it is just my imagination or my contemplation that I heard Christ’s words last Sunday echoed in this scene, “come to me and I will give you rest” but, there is something so beautiful and deeply personal with Jesus in saying or implying those same words here. You can hear it so close, so near you, not from afar especially when you consider its Filipino translation of “Lumapit kayo sa akin” or the informal “Halikayo at lumapit sa akin” that both indicate a separation of even a few feet away from Jesus who is calling us.

See the proximity of the four people in this painting. That is how close Jesus gets to us whenever he comes to us, inviting us to come to him in order to find rest especially in those dark moments in our lives, when we feel hurt and abandoned. When we are so stressed out as seen in those wrinkles on the foreheads of the three apostles!

Contrast their images to the serenity of Jesus. Most of all, see also the hands of Jesus, of how his left hand with the nail wound visible moving aside his garment so that Thomas and his companions may see further his pierced side.

Whenever Jesus comes to us, calling us to come to him to show us his wounds from the cross to remind us that before all our pains and hurts came, he was there first to suffer and be wounded and died for us.

And he has come to us again, calling us to come to him because he had risen, assuring us that all our wounds like his will heal eventually! That is when we experience rest. And being light in life.

But, what I love most in this painting is the way Caravaggio depicted the Risen Lord holding the hand of Thomas while probing into his side wound:

How lovely! Caravaggio must be in the highest heaven when he painted this part.

Remember when Thomas dared to say unless he sees the nail marks in the Lord’s hands and put his hand at his side, he would not believe?

Jesus knew it so well not only with Thomas but with each one of us, of our being a Didymus, always with a twin of doubt so that he does not merely appear but touches us to experience deeply, personally his loving presence through his wounds.

See how Caravaggio depicted the left hand of Jesus again with the mark of nail holding the very hand of Thomas, directing his finger into his pierced side. You could feel the sure grip as well as gentleness of the Lord’s hand in leading the finger of Thomas into his pierced side wound. So dramatic as if it is not enough for Jesus to being present but most of all, experienced as closest at possible.

Jesus touches us always, literally and figuratively by holding our wounded selves to experience his wounded self too. He does not only call us in words but leads us with his total self.

Christ’s invitation for us to “come to him” remains personal and personalized. Not mass produced like what is happening these days where speed and reach are the main considerations, not the person.

While writing this piece yesterday, one of the blogs I follow came out with a new article exactly about last Sunday’s gospel scene, claiming that if God texts us today, these very words to “come to me” by Jesus would be his “text message” to us (https://thedevotionalguy.blog/2026/07/07/if-god-sent-you-a-text/).

I believe so. Because text messages have become the closest things we can have of anyone in these days of social media. However, if ever you receive that text message from Jesus, run outside to meet him personally for surely, he had come. Amen. God bless you.

*Photo by author, St. Michael Retreat House, Antipolo City, 16 June 2026.*

“He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” (1969) by The Hollies

Lord My Chef Sunday Music by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, 05 July 2026
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

*Photo by Ms. Marivic Tribiana on Facebook, 17 April 2020 following fire in Tondo,Manila*.

Our gospel this Sunday is short but one of the most loved words by our Lord Jesus Christ often quoted even in some popular songs and music: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Everyday Jesus calls us to come to him, to learn from him, to experience lightness in life not heaviness of compulsion and duty as most people would think of his demands. However, it is not a kind of R&R we all aspire every weekend at the beach or a mountain resort. Christ calls us today to come to him and learn from him on how to have a steady, realistic, day-to-day approach to life lived in his company, lived in love for one another as brother and sister (https://lordmychef.com/2026/07/04/learning-from-jesus-2/).

And that is why we remembered and chose this beautiful song from 1969 by The Hollies, “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother.”

...The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where, who knows where
But I'm strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

… So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We'll get there

… For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

Most captivating with this song is its opening music of a harmonica that stirs ones soul superbly balanced with a bass guitar that perfectly filled the rhythm and melody until Allan Clarke burst with the opening lines that give you a picture right away of the song meaning – love for one another as brothers and sisters.

Composed by Bobby Scott and Bob Russell who was then dying of lymphoma cancer, the song was recorder earlier by another American artist; The Hollies’ guitarist Tony Hicks heard it while searching for songs to record for their group. Hicks found the demo tape of Scott and Russell too slow, asked permission to make it a little upbeat by adding an orchestra with the young Elton John playing the piano. It became an instant hit both in Britain and the US, spawning other versions until now.

More than its beautiful music and lyrics, the ballad is so appealing because of its message of love. It is interesting to know that the phrase “he ain’t heavy, he is my brother” is the motto of the Boys Town children’s home founded in 1917 by Fr. Edward Flanagan in Omaha, Nebraska. The following year, Fr. Flanagan saw a boy carrying up a set of stairs another resident stricken with polio, wearing braces; Fr. Flanagan asked the boy if it was heavy and was told, “he ain’t heavy, Father; he is my brother.” The phrase got stuck and became the motto of Boys Town that inspired this beautiful song. (Pope Leo XIV recently declared Fr. Flanagan “Venerable” as his cause for beatification moves closer to realization.)

In today’s gospel, this is precisely the yoke Jesus is telling us that is his, light and easy: love. Everything becomes light when seen and done in love, with love. Without love, everything becomes heavy due to sadness; hence, the need for more love as the last three stanzas tell us with the long road ahead filled with more pains and sufferings.

… If I'm laden at all
I'm laden with sadness
That everyone's heart
Isn't filled with the gladness
Of love for one another

… It's a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we're on the way to there
Why not share?

… And the load
Doesn't weigh me down at all
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

… He's my brother
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

Amen. May you have a lighter week in Christ this week with this music.

From YouTube.com.

Learning from Jesus

Lord My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time-A, 05 July 2026
Zechariah 9:9-10 ><}}}}*> Romans 8:9, 11-13 ><}}}}*> Matthew 11:25-30

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

What a refreshing gospel we have today with Jesus asking us to come to him to find rest, four weeks after being moved with pity at the sight of the crowd who were like sheep without a shepherd that he called and sent his Twelve Apostles to bring them his good news of salvation (June 14).

The following two Sundays he taught us of our work in harvesting the abundant harvest by being brave and gracious, and hospitable (June 21, 28).

This Sunday, Jesus wraps up his teachings on our work after he himself was rejected by his own folks because he knows very well ours is a difficult mission (June 21) as he praised the little ones who have accepted him like the poor and marginalized.

At that time Jesus exclaimed: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones… Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:25, 28-30).

What are the lessons Jesus is asking us to learn from him, especially in these troubled times of ours when the corrupt and idiots reign supremely simply because they are more in number?

See how difficult it is to be a Christian these days when you hear and see all over social media all kinds of inanities and stupidities happening everywhere like callous politicians acting as clowns with a massive crowd of idiots parroting the words of their cult leaders masquerading as religious men. Or the two couples who climbed atop the Empire State Building in New York for a performance of unfurling a banner calling for more love in the world, with the man pretending to propose to the woman who turned out to be his wife for several months already.

Haynaku! Juice colored!

Everything is so exhausting. The only good news we have these days is again our very own Alex Eala “smoking” the grass at Wimbledon. And perhaps the President going to Vancouver to inaugurate the newest Jollibee there with the Canadian Prime Minster enjoying a more joyful chicken joy. Sanaol!

But, amid all these dismal happenings, Jesus is here with us calling us to his side, to experience his warmth, to learn from him how we can feel light amid all these heavy burdens around us.

Notice how with the social media all over us with its bad news that it has become so easy to feel lumbered with all the contradictions in our lives plus see the various needs we feel missing in our relationships that it has become our past time to worry and feel so burdened most of the time.

Jesus promises us this Sunday that following him brings lightness not heaviness of compulsion and duty as most people would think of his demands. However, it is not a kind of R&R we all aspire every weekend at the beach or a mountain resort.

Christ calls us today to come to him and learn from him on how to have a steady, realistic, day-to-day approach to life lived in his company.

First lesson Jesus is teaching us to learn from him today is to rejoice always.

Being joyful is more than being happy; to rejoice is to have our heart smiling because deep down inside we are assured that no matter what happens in life, even if worse comes to worst, Jesus remains with us and would never ever abandon us. That’s because he is not like a stern master without any love and concern for his slaves.

Jesus is the fulfillment of the first reading calling us to rejoice because he is the king who had come, “a just savior is he, meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass” (Zec.9:9).

Recall Jesus Christ’s triumphant entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday riding an ass so that he could be at eye-level with everyone in the city unlike riding a horse that is so high and even menacing in stature.

Imagine the setting of this Sunday gospel: Jesus was lamenting at how his fellow Jews have rejected him despite his many miracles but at the same time, he was rejoicing, praising the Father in sending him the poor and outcasts of their society as his first believers and followers. Yes, Jesus was hurting for being rejected but he found more reasons to rejoice than sulk. Why waste energy on the negative when there are a lot of good things happening?

Rejoicing means looking beyond the physical and temporal things; rejoicing is being a visionary who sees opportunities behind every problem and issues at hand. Rejoicing is seeing grace than curse, focusing more on Christ than the problems. Indeed,“every gising is a blessing” because every morning we wake up, God assures us of his immense love for us, that he believes in us, and is sending us on a mission to share that joy of living. And believing in him!

Second lesson Jesus is teaching us to learn from him this Sunday is to surrender, to set aside our personal agenda so that we can take up his yoke that is easy and burden that is light.

One reason we cannot rejoice is our refusal to give up our many yokes and burdens that are mostly much ado about nothing at all.

Let go and let God!

Surrendering is daily dying to one’s self to rise to new life in Christ which leads us to the third lesson Jesus wants us to learn from him this Sunday:

Live in solidarity with Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit as St. Paul tells us in the second reading.

Brothers and sisters: You are not in the flesh; on the contrary you are in the spiritr, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Consequently, brothers and sisters, we are not debtors to the flesh to live according to flesh. For if you ive according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live (Romans 8:9, 12-13).

Solidarity with Christ is the opposite of solidarity with the old humanity with Adam enslaved to sin which is not just body versus soul nor should flesh be understood as sexual immorality; solidarity with Christ is life in the Holy Spirit that results in eternal life in God. It is a choice we make daily, of whether we shall heed Christ’s call to come to him and learn from him who is meek and humble of heart. Solidarity with Christ is living in the love of Christ.

The good news is, Jesus gives us all the grace we need to love and choose him, to learn from him even if many times we fall and stumble because of our heavy burdens due to sin. This Sunday and every day, make the right choice. Choose Jesus, chose love to be light, choose life. Amen. Have a blessed, light and joyful week ahead.

*Photo by Mr. Vigie Ongleo somewhere in Colorado, 03 June 2026.*

Discipleship is hospitality in Christ

Lord My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A, 28 June 2026
2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16 ><}}}}*> Romans 6:3-4, 8-11 ><}}}}*> Matthew 10:37-42

*Photo by author, Kennon Road, January 2020.*

Recent news in our country had gone worst this week, from dismal to very disturbing with that school shooting incident in Tacloban City leaving three dead, two critically wounded and about 20 others injured. It was the third school violence to have happened in the country in just seven days with two stabbing incidents in two different schools in Cavite province earlier.

And this Friday night while we were working on this blog, we saw raw videos uploaded in social media by some witnesses of a shooting incident at the Bocaue Toll Plaza southbound involving a white van and several police officers.

What is happening in our country, to our people especially to our youth, and to our much admired Filipino hospitality known worldwide?

The word hospitality is from the Latin hospes that means to welcome; hence, hospital where the sick are welcomed or hospitality business referring to hotels that welcome guests.

Very close in sound is its opposite word also in Latin – hostis which is to reject and turn away from which came our words hostile, hostility and hostage. It is the opposite of to welcome.

Discipleship is being hospitable, welcoming others in Jesus Christ. It is showing Christ to others and finding Christ in others too.

Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever receives you, receives me, and whoever receives me, receives the one who sent me… And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because heis a disciple – amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward” (Matthew 10:40, 42).

Remember two Sundays ago (11th Sunday, June 14) how Jesus was moved with pity upon seeing the crowds following him, describing them like sheep without a shepherd, declaring “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of harvest to send out laborers for his harvest” (Mt. 9:37-38). After that, he called his Twelve Apostles and sent them on their first mission with specific instructions on discipleship which continues this Sunday in our gospel.

We have to go back to that background where Jesus laid down one of the foundations of discipleship which is to care for people. Jesus never asked us to pray for more money or food or medicines; he said pray for more laborers, for more people who are person-oriented, people who take every person as a subject to be loved and cherished, not an object to be possessed or controlled.

We need people who welcome people, hospitable people. Not hostile ones.

*Our Lady of Fatima University students in their outreach for special children, February 2025.*

But, the opposite is happening made worse by social media that fan the hostilities among us with the spread of fake news. Due to its algorithm, we are not only divided but polarized too that we are grouped as alike in thinking and everything that we could no longer see the whole picture of the situation we are into.

Not until tragedies struck. First were the deaths in drowning of two athletes in basketball training held in a treacherous beach resort, then we have the school stabbings and shooting this week.

The more we give more importance and emphasis on material and created goods, the more we disregard God and everything spiritual that eventually leads to our disregard for humans and persons.

Thus, the world has become inhospitable. Lifestyle has replaced life with algorithms manipulating our lives to consume more for more profits, more honor, more votes – more of everything except of love and care, kindness and openness for others.

*Photo by author, Los Banos, Laguna, June 2022.*

See the beautiful story of the Prophet Elisha welcomed by a woman of influence in Shunem. At first he was merely invited to dine with the woman and her husband whenever he would pass by until eventually he was given a room where he could stay – complete with bed, table, chair, and lamp (2 Kgs.4:8-11).

The hospitable woman saw Elisha as a “holy man of God” that is why she welcomed him into her home. We are not given her name but she foreshadowed the women in the gospels who supported Jesus and his disciples with their generous hospitality. And that continues to these days with so many other people generously helping priests and lay missionaries.

Generosity as a hospitality in Christ is like a two-way traffic: first is the integrity and holiness of the disciples like priests and bishops. Are we like Elisha the prophet who witness the love of Christ above all?

*Photo by author, Morong, Bataan, June 2023.*

So sad when we hear complaints by parishioners of priests and bishops living in luxury – frequent trips abroad with some traveling business class, dining at expensive restaurants, driving high-end cars, so deep into gambling or so vain in clothing. Not to mention some having luxurious residences. Most embarrassing is how they flaunt these in social media, relishing their ties and closeness with the rich and powerful, even corrupt government officials.

Times have changed when people so eager to welcome their pastors whenever they came to visit because today, it means handing of envelops for endless donations for various projects. What’s the use of having beautiful churches and facilities with no good relationships among priests and parishioners?

See the attitude of Elisha: his simplicity in knowing that all those hospitality accorded to him is because of his being a man of God; his discretion to the private life of his hosts, maintaining a safe distance, no trace of abusive behavior at all; and his desire to express his gratitude to the generosity of the woman and her husband. Hindi puro kabig at the expense of liturgical practices.

On the other hand, we find also the other side of discipleship as hospitality in Christ with the woman of Shunem: her discretion to be not too “rubbing” or insisting on Elisha that she never overwhelmed the prophet with her admiration, her excessive attention, and other personal concerns that could lead to precarious and scandalous situations. Many times, lay people forget that they are also to be blamed when priests and bishops become abusive when parishioners have become “enablers” of clerical excesses. The truly hospitable parishioners are those who help their priests become holy and faithful in ministry by giving them the space and time to pray and rest.

Discipleship as a hospitality in Christ means having the love of Jesus taking possession of us in our dealing with one another. It is sharing the Christ in me, finding the Christ in you. It is what St. Paul is telling us in the second reading: we are called to the highest moral standards of witnessing the gospel by being “dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus” (Rom.6:11). Of course, we are all weak and still sinful but being a Christian is to have the love of Christ before all else which is what forgetting one’s mother and father or son and daughter by taking our cross is all about.

Hospitality in Christ is thinking more of God in Jesus than of one’s self so that others may have the space and chance to find and bring out Christ in them. Amen. Have a blessed, safe week ahead.

“Huwag Kang Matakot” by Eraserheads (1999)

Lord My Chef Sunday Music by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, 21 June 2026

A blessed happy Father’s Day to all the dads this third Sunday of June, the 12th in Ordinary Time of the Church calendar when we heard Jesus telling us in the gospel today to “fear no one” for he is our strength in this journey in life (https://lordmychef.com/2026/06/20/brave-and-gracious-like-alex-eala/).

At the end of our Masses this Sunday before blessing the fathers present, we reminded them of this call by Jesus to fear no one especially their wife – huwag matakot – to tell them they are not doing the laundry today because it is a Father’s Day. Assure them you will do it tomorrow…

But kidding aside, it is only now that I am 61 years old, a senior citizen, that I have truly realized and felt how difficult it must be in being a dad or an “unwed” Father like me, a priest.

My father died on my mom’s 61st birthday, 17 June 2000; it was the eve of Father’s Day making it so painful especially for mommy died in 2024.

Every morning whenever I face the mirror preparing for a Mass or a class and I see my wrinkles and white hair so similar with my dad’s, I do not just remember him: very often I reflect and imagine those many sacrifices he had for us, for me in all those years until he died suddenly of a heart attack on mom’s birthday in year 2000. I try hard imagining the many moments he had spent praying, thinking about his next moves to keep us safe and secured and comfortable.

It is only now that he is gone that I have felt his great love for us all, silently carrying all that tremendous weight of fatherhood on his shoulders, without ever complaining to us about life’s difficulties nor spoke of his problems and difficulties he was going through all those years.

Every dad is like Jesus Christ not just telling but assuring his family to have no fear, to be not afraid because he had everything covered.

Like Ely Buendia of Eraserheads when he wrote “Huwag Kang Matakot” in 1999 at the birth of his son Eon.

Huwag kang matakot
'Di mo ba alam, nandito lang ako
Sa iyong tabi?
'Di kita pababayaan kailanman

At kung ikaw ay mahulog sa bangin
Ay sasaluhin kita

Huwag kang matakot na matulog mag-isa
Kasama mo naman ako
Huwag kang matakot na umibig at lumuha
Kasama mo naman ako

Huwag kang matakot (huwag kang matakot), ah-ah-ah-ah
Huwag kang matakot
Dahil ang buhay mo'y walang katapusan
Makapangyarihan ang pag-ibig
Na hawak mo sa 'yong kamay

Buendia narrates the typical joyful tasks of every father to his child in always being present especially in difficult situations starting with sleeping alone as a child, falling and later getting hurt in the game of love. And life.

Very amusing too are the lines of how a father would always be present, loving and supporting his child even if it is foolish:

Huwag kang matakot na magmukhang tanga
Kasama mo naman ako
Huwag kang matakot sa hindi mo pa makita
Kasama mo naman ako
Huwag kang matakot (huwag kang matakot), ah-ah-ah-ah

Fatherhood is about facing all fears because of love. And that is why Jesus taught us to call God “Father” because like every dad, God gives us life, protects this gift of life and if ever we lost it to sin and mistakes, he restores this life so we live anew. Blessed happy Father’s Day again!

From YouTube.com. This is the best link we can find with clear sound.

Brave. And gracious. Like Alex Eala.

Lord My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A, 21 June 2026
Jeremiah 20:10-13 ><}}}}*> Romans 5:12-15 ><}}}}*> Matthew 10:26-30

BERLIN, GERMANY – JUNE 18: Alexandra Eala of the Philippines reacts to defeating Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the second round on Day Four of the 2026 Berlin Tennis Open at LTTC Rot-Weiß e.V. on June 18, 2026 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images)

God has a most amazing way of consoling us Filipinos when everything is so dismal in the country, sending us athletes who uplift our spirits and make us proud as a nation. In the not so distant past we have had Manny Pacquiao and Olympic gold medalists Hidilyn Diaz and Carlos Yulo cheering us up.

And now, we have the lovely but tenacious and gritty Alex Eala who just made history anew this week with her two upset wins in the ongoing Berlin Tennis Open when she prevailed over WTA number 2 Elena Rybakin Thursday then Friday crushed number eight Elina Svitolina. (Update: Eala lost to Linda Noskova last night.)

Watch her interviews in both victories where Eala mentioned her being “brave” in her games as she described too both matches filled with “grace” – so very much like this Sunday’s gospel where Jesus mentioned thrice the need to be brave!

Jesus said to the Twelve: “Fear no one. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known… And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul… So do not be afraid” (Matthew 10:26, 28, 31).

*Photo by Dra. Mylene A. Santos, MD, in Ericeira, Portugal, 16 June 2026.*

After choosing and sending his Twelve Apostles last Sunday, Jesus reminds them including us today of the need to have courage in working in the Lord’s “abundant harvests” because the good news goes directly against the ways of the world.

This we have learned at the start of this year in the Lord’s sermon on the mount where he taught us the Beatitudes last February 1, fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Though the Beatitudes like being poor, being hungry and thirsty are not to be taken literally, they still run contrary to the ways of world of power and wealth, fame and convenience.

As the world advances in science and technology, the more it veers away from God and do away with morals that in the process, the Church has always faced many contradictions, some with violent reactions even persecutions for her stance against abortion and population control, divorce and same-sex marriage and other anti-life measures now so widespread through the social media.

It is not only difficult and painful for the Church as an institution but most especially for each of us disciples of Christ that we can easily identify with the Prophet Jeremiah in the first reading.

Of the four major prophets, Jeremiah was the youngest and the only one sent by God to his own people to prophesy. That is why it was so painful for Jeremiah to experience in the hands of his own folks and kin being maligned and rejected, and betrayed just like most of us today!

Jeremiah said: “I hear the whisperings of many: ‘Terror on every side! Denounce! Let us denounce him!’ All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. ‘Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him.’ But the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion… Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord, for he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!” (Jeremiah 20:10-11, 13)

Like Jeremiah, we have complained and even cried to God many times for our sufferings in doing his will to be just and fair, kind and merciful, even charitable; and like him, we could not resist God’s call and mission despite the pains and hurts because we too felt “duped” and “seduced” by the Lord (Jer.20:7) as we felt deep inside us his love and protection. Like all the saints who suffered much in witnessing the gospel, we felt deep inside God as our very strength as we pray more to forge on in the difficult mission of doing his works.

*Photo by author, Our Lady of Fatima University, Valenzuela City, 10 June 2026.*

When Jesus asks us to “fear no one”, he is inviting us to primarily fear God most of all for he knows everything and will judge us in the end. It is a kind of reverential fear, not the kind of fear of a slave to a master of being reprimanded and punished.

To “fear no one” and “be not afraid” do not mean that we disregard our fears of being hurt or killed physically and emotionally; it is call to have courage which is facing our fears. Having no fears in life is not normal. As we say in the province, yung walang takot sira tuktok!

To fear the Lord means to recognize the sanctity of life, the blessedness of every person. See Eala’s attitude of being magnanimous in victory and in defeat as she would always praise and recognize the talents and greatness of her opponents. In her we find the truth that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” – that every person is a subject to be loved and cherished, not an object or thing to be used or possessed, without feelings and dignity.

This is the tragedy exposed by the recent deaths of the two Ateneo athletes, and it involves almost all UAAP members these past decades who have given more priorities in winning trophies above all, forgetting the value of every person. True enough, it is a secret slowly becoming known.

Likewise, to be not afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul is to recognize the soul in each one of us, of Christ’s indwelling within us, enabling us to overcome every obstacle in life.

It is like being a pencil: remember the inside is more essential than the outside. That is our identity as God’s beloved child.

Our physical strength actually draws much of its power and stamina from our inner core than merely from our bones and muscles. Hence, the need for prayers and meditation, for conditioning to realize our giftedness and value.

When this happens, the third call of Jesus becomes automatic which is to be not afraid because we are worth more than many sparrows or anything else in this world.

Why? Because God is gracious!

To recognize our fears and vulnerabilities as well as weaknesses is in itself courage, fearing no one except God who alone heals us. Most of all, who alone is our strength in our weaknesses. Let us not be afraid in this life to do what is good, to stand for what is right and just, to proclaim the gospel of Christ’s salvation because God is gracious especially to those who abide in him through Christ. Amen. Have a blessed week ahead! And say a prayer for Alex Eala.

“Somebody”, “People Are People” (1984) by Depeche Mode

Lord My Chef Sunday Music by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, 14 June 2026

*Photo by author, Atok, Benguet, 27 December 2024.*

We just felt ourself in the ’80s with two of Depeche Mode’s 1984 hits, “Somebody” and “People Are People” while preparing our homily last week based on this Sunday’s gospel where Jesus was “was moved with pity” upon seeing the crowd “troubled and abandoned like a sheep without a shepherd”, telling his disciples that “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send our laborers for his harvest” (Matthew 9:36-38).

My dear friends, we are both the “abundant harvest” and the “laborers” referred by Christ: what we need in this world are people who care and understand others, people who are kind and understanding, most of all loving like him our Good Shepherd. See how Jesus asked us to pray for more laborers, not for more money or food or medicines. Not even gadgets and material things. What we need are persons willing to journey with us in this life, to accompany us especially when days are dark and stormy (https://lordmychef.com/2026/06/13/we-are-the-lords-harvest-and-laborers-too/).

First we remembered was Depeche Mode’s “Somebody” with its unique intro where you hear something that sounds like a heartbeat amid some noise of people or crowd until the vocals come in with that pulsating sound going on until the end. The mood is very intense and deeply intimate, composed and recorded by Martin Gore said to have gone naked in the studio recording of the song “to achieve a more intimate ambience.”

[Verse 1]
I want somebody to share, share the rest of my life
Share my innermost thoughts, know my intimate details
Someone who'll stand by my side and give me support
And in return, she'll get my support
She will listen to me when I want to speak
About the world we live in and life in general
Though my views may be wrong, they may even be perverted
She'll hear me out and won't easily be converted
To my way of thinking, in fact, she'll often disagree
But at the end of it all, she will understand me

Setting aside its romantic meaning, we find “Somebody” speaking to us the very thoughts of Jesus in praying for “laborers” not things to address the needs of people feeling troubled and abandoned. When people are down and lost in life, feeling troubled and abandoned, where do we focus more, to their woes and problems or their very person?

Try thinking of the people you consider as “heaven sent” who helped you in your darkest moments: they are that “somebody” like you who shared your brokenness and most of all brought out your giftedness as a person. Think of that “somebody” who have seen your being an “abundant harvest”, affirming your uniqueness and sharing in your imperfections.

From YouTube.com

As we tried to feel this lovely ballad, we could also feel inside the intensity of Depeche Mode’s other 1984 hit released from the same album with “Somebody” called “People Are People”.

Also written by Gore, “People Are People” is Depeche Mode’s greatest hit showcasing their genre as electronic synth-pop band.

Typical of most British bands of the 1980’s, Depeche Mode shared in this song their call for equality among peoples, directly opposing racism and discrimination, war and violence. Its music video features scenes from a battleship firing its cannons indicating their opposition to war and violence.

People are people, so why should it be?
You and I should get along so awfully
People are people, so why should it be?
You and I should get along so awfully

So, we're different colors and we're different creeds
And different people have different needs
It's obvious you hate me, though, I've done nothing wrong
I've never even met you, so what could I have done?

I can't understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand

Both songs by Depeche Mode, “Somebody” and “People Are People” remind us of the value of every person as God’s abundant harvest, each one of us a gift to be cherished and valued always. Likewise, both songs imply our being brothers and sisters entrusted to each one for God’s greater glory, not ours. Amen. Happy listening.

From Youtube.com

We are the Lord’s “harvest”. And “laborers” too.

Lord My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A, 14 June 2023
Exodus 19:2-6 ><}}}}*> Romans 5:6-11 ><}}}}*> Matthew 9:36-10:8

A very good friend in the States texted me the other night, requesting for prayers as she was about to go through an MRI; the following day, she texted me anew asking for more prayers because it seemed her cancer had recurred, this time attacking her liver.

I felt her fears and worries. And pain.

She told me how she wanted to call her parents that evening but had to wait until this weekend so that her younger brother would be home to be present especially by her mom’s side when she breaks to them that her cancer had metastasized. Despite her condition, she was thinking of her parents in their “empty nest”, thinking how they might react in receiving the bad news.

*Photo by author, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novlaiches, QC, March 2026.*

This crucial factor is what is most missing in the agony of Ms. Rovelyn Baterbonia when her son Rene died Monday after drowning in the treacherous beach of Aurora during their varsity training.

We all felt her pain not only of losing a son but most of all the agony of being alone, perhaps even left out in the dark so far from her dead son with no one from the university nor basketball team immediately informing her of the circumstances of the accident.

It was so heartwrenching – nakakadurog ng puso – watching her grieved upon arrival at the airport, lamenting at how somebody texted her that Monday if they can call her: “Hindi naman siya tumawag. Ako na lang nag-tawag… tapos, nang tumawag na ako sabi niya, mam naaksidente po si Rene. Nalunod po…”. After that, she said she heard nothing from the people supposed to be with Rene. “Wala maski pictures sila send sa akin”, she complained.

This is the most crucial part of every misery and tragedy: is there someone present with those grieving, with those suffering?

At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send our laborers for his harvest” (Matthew 9:36-38).

*Our Lady of Fatima University, February 2025.*

We are the Lord’s “harvest” and his “laborers” too. Jesus reminds us today that the answer to all our problems and pains in the world is never found in material things, in money and gadgets, nor well-crafted statements and other publicities. We are the harvest and the harvesters too!

What we need are more people who care, who journey, who are present with majority of the population so lost like sheep without a shepherd. And that is where I felt the pain most when Ms. Baterbonia repeatedly said that “kahit mahirap kami, hindi ko papayagan anak ko mag-training ng ganun.”

*Photo by Oscar Millu00e1n on Pexels.com*

She said it all – the harsh reality in our country, the most Christian nation in this part of Asia, where the poor remain neglected, forgotten, and taken for granted especially by those in the Church.

See how the poor have shied away from the church primarily due to so many collections in every Mass every Sunday while in the parish office, almost everything comes with a fee. They could not even get a free smile from some staff members often masusungit.

If Matthew were with us today, he would surely repeat with intensity his report that day of how “At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd” because that is how our Church is today – sheep without a shepherd.

And where are the shepherds? Check their social media accounts and you find them most frequently in malls and hotels, traveling abroad via business class, unwinding on a yacht, communing with nature riding big bikes or their expensive mountain bikes. Go to any buffet and ribbon-cutting ceremonies of the newest Jollibee store or even gas station and you find more than two priests and a bishop present while the poor could not even have a decent funeral rite nor blessing for the burial of their dead because the priest is out, could not come to the slum area.

But of course, there are still more blessed and dedicated priests and bishops like Bishop Pabillo of Palawan who brave the seas and mountains just to celebrate the Mass and other Sacraments to the great number of their harvests in far-flung areas.

For Jesus, it is always the person who matters that is why his proposal has always been to send us another person, another companion, a fellow to accompany us in our brokenness and darkness. There is his move of gathering us, calling us, and sending us forth to a mission.

Jesus never taught us to ask for more money nor food nor gadgets to solve the problems of the world. Recall his temptation in the desert when he rejected the devil’s challenge to change stones into bread because man does not live by bread alone but with every word from God.

For the world, everything is a problem to be solved, including mysteries of God and of the human person. As we have reflected the past two Sundays, mysteries are not problems to be solved but non-logical realities we must embrace or even allow ourselves to be wrapped to discover the richness and meaning of this life like God and persons.

When people are down and lost in life, feeling troubled and abandoned, where do we focus more, to their woes and problems or their very persons?

Try thinking of the people you consider as “heaven sent” and helped you in your darkest moments. Are they not the ones who brought out our giftedness as a person, as a beloved child of God with Christ’s gospel?

A few months after his election as Pope in 2005, Benedict XVI heard of a bishop in Austria dying of cancer. He reportedly wrote that bishop, assuring him of his prayers as a brother priest, reminding him that “Jesus saved the world by suffering and dying on the cross, not with activities.” I remembered that news so well because what is mostly happening in our parishes and dioceses are activities. We have become program oriented than people oriented.

Worst is when some of us priests and bishops see the “abundant harvest” as business ventures of all sorts including churches and fiestas as tourist attractions. When economics become our major consideration in the church, how can “we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation” as St. Paul reflected in the second reading?

Let us return to our “desert of Sinai” spoken of in the first reading, a reminder of our turning point in life and history when God called and sent us to be a “kingdom of priests, a holy nation” – his abundant harvest at the same time his laborers too. We are the new apostles called and sent by Jesus to others like us who are weak and tired, confused and lost, hurting and crying but also blessed and joyful! As God’s abundant harvest, each one of us is a gift to be cherished and valued always; but, at the same time, a brother and a sister entrusted to each one for God’s greater glory, not ours. Amen. Have a blessed week ahead.

Body & Blood of Christ for the life of the world

Lord My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Solemnity of the Most Holy Body & Blood of Christ-A, 07 May 2026
Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 3:14-16 ><}}}*> 1Corinthians 10:16-17 ><}}}*> John6:51-58

*Photo from wikimedia.org of the nave with the classic altar of the Sta. Cruz Church in Manila.*

Of the many churches I have been to, the Sta. Cruz Church in Manila remains my favorite. Since childhood, I have always loved its beautiful apse of Byzantine glass mosaic of a sacrificial lamb symbolizing Jesus Christ whose blood flows like a river to the tabernacle amid a setting of mango, banana and fire trees.

The mosaic gives that feeling of the divine presence that may be a contributing factor too in keeping the solemnity of the many successive Masses celebrated there daily.

After leaving the high school seminary in 1982 while in college at UST, I still went to Sta. Cruz church by taking the Love Bus to Escolta after which I would walk across the street to my dad’s barber for a haircut then lunch at Panciteria Ramon Lee. It remained my refuge whenever I found myself deep into sins and troubles, with problems and difficulties, feeling lost and empty especially later in life while working.

It had played a significant role in my vocation story and that is why I remembered it while reflecting this Sunday’s gospel on the Solemnity of the body and Blood of Christ.

More than a gift offered to us individually in the Eucharist, Jesus intends his Body and Blood “for the life of the world” like that sacrificial lamb depicted at the apse of the Sta. Cruz church.

Jesus said to the Jewish crowds: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world” (John 6:51).

*Photo by author, Chapel of St. Anthony De Padua, Alta D’Tagaytay Hotel, 02 June 2026.*

On this Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, we are invited to reflect on the meaning of the Holy Eucharist in our lives where the mystery of God in Three Persons, the Blessed Trinity we celebrated last week is revealed and becomes most real.

Faith in God is faith in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ present to us in the Eucharist under the signs of bread and wine. But, what does it mean really for us especially in the light of today’s gospel where Jesus said “and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” How can our individual life contribute in giving the life of the world, Jesus Christ himself?

In his encyclical letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia issued in 2003, St. John Paul II beautifully expressed that if Jesus can transform the bread and wine into his Body and Blood in every Eucharistic celebration, then he can transform us into better persons too.

So true! That is why the bestest time to pray is right after receiving Holy Communion because that is when Jesus Christ, Body and Blood, is present in our own body – speak to him in your most natural way. If you want, complain to him. Magsumbong ka rin sa kanya. Pour your heart out to Jesus who is Body and Blood inside you.

However, make sure too that you listen intently to him. When we listen to Jesus, we then enter into a relationship with him as we make him part of our lives as we too become part of his very life. That is when we are filled with his life which we in turn share with others and thus, give life to the world.

In the first reading we heard Moses calling us to “remember” not only those forty years in the wilderness by the Israelites but our own journey in the many desert of this life.

The word “remember” is from the root word “member” which means “part” plus the prefix “re” meaning again; to re + member a person and an incident is to make them a part of the present moment again which is the very commandment of Jesus at the Last Supper, “do this is remembrance of me.”

Now look: every week we go through our many exodus like in the first reading. We remember them especially at the start of every week because life is a daily exodus, of coming out from sickness into health, of darkness into light, of slavery into freedom, of sin into grace, of death into life. Yes, our many desert experiences in life were painful but they were all moments of grace too because that is when we realized that we do not live by bread alone, by material things alone – that we need God.

Hence, the first step for us experience this life of Christ as life for the world is to go back to the church, go back to the Holy Mass. These online Masses must be stopped. COVID pandemic is long gone.

The Mass presupposes actual presence because Christ is truly present with us in every celebration. We must learn anew to desire Jesus more in the Eucharist especially on Sundays.

In the Mass, we re-member Jesus in our lives after a week of busy activities and work; as we make Jesus a part of our lives anew, we see also ourselves needing much needed rest and comfort too in Jesus! Inasmuch as we re-member Jesus into our lives, it is actually us being re-membered into Christ who is also our food and drink to nourish us in this daily exodus in life.

Notice how in verse 14 Moses reiterated his call to the people to “remember” but this time what he told them including us today is “do not forget the Lord”: every Mass as our exodus is a way of casting off the temptation to live one’s life without God.

When we come to celebrate the Mass, especially when we are well disposed and prepared, we realize that we are always poor before God who alone can satisfy all our longings and needs.

To forget this is the sure path to catastrophe as many of us would attest.

With God, life; without God, no life.

This we find so clear with the Corinthians during the time of St. Paul that is why he addressed them in the interrogative tone:

Brothers and sisters: The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).

The Corinthians at that time were already well aware of how the Eucharist make the Church whose head is Jesus Christ. Hence, the need for a communion or “participation” which is the word used in our translation. St. Paul was reminding them of what they knew in faith, that is, a Holy Communion in Christ which they must put into practice. This communion among the Corinthians would be put into risk when quarrels and divisions plagued their community later that prompted St. Paul to write them a second letter.

As part of the Mass, the Communion is when we receive the Body and Blood of Christ; but, in a deeper sense, Communion is unity in charity. It is Jesus Christ becoming human like us in everything except sin so that we can become holy and divine like him. This mysterious exchange of ourselves with Jesus, in Jesus, and through Jesus happens in the Eucharist where we are nourished and filled with the life of Christ whenever we receive the Holy Communion. May we share this life we have gained in Christ with others by witnessing his Gospel to give life to this sick and dying world – like that sacrificial lamb at the apse of my favorite church in Sta. Cruz. Amen. Have a blessed week ahead.

Life is a mystery

Lord My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Solemnity of the Holy Trinity-A, 31 May 2026
Exodus34:4-6, 8-9  ><}}}*>  2Corinthians13:11-13  ><}}}*>  John 3:16-18

*Photo by author, Dolmabahce Palace, Istanbul, Turkiye, November 2026.*

“Life is a mystery.” It is the favorite expression of my Jesuit retreat master during our 30-day retreat in Cebu 1995, the late Fr. Arthur Shea. He would always tell me “life is a mystery” while touching his long, white beard whenever he could not answer my many questions about life and God.

After that retreat and 28 years later as a priest, it had become my favorite expression too not only when I could not find answers to my own questions but when people come to consult and ask me on almost everything.

And thank God for life’s many mysteries, especially his very own mystery of being one God in Three Persons as we celebrate this Sunday the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity.

The word mystery is from the Greek mysterion, something hidden but now revealed by God.

While it is true that a mystery is beyond human reason because it is divine, it may still be explained and understood though not fully. That is why it is described as non-logical or beyond reason but not illogical which lacks reason.

Most of all, a mystery is not a problem to be solved because it simply cannot be solved at all. In fact, we need to keep mysteries like secrets because mysteries give meaning and depth to our very existence, to our lives. In this age of social media when everyone thinks that everything needs to be shown to the point of being overexposed, life has become so artificial and hence, for many, empty of meaning. Unknown to many of us, the most wonderful things in life are those hidden and not seen by everyone like the mystery of God within us!

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 3:16).

Our gospel this Sunday is very amusing like a mystery in itself; it is the shortest one we have in the entire year yet the most popular verse in the whole bible. But, how can it explain or enlighten us of God’s oneness in three persons?

As we have expressed at the very start, a mystery is not meant to be solved and explained but experienced. Our gospel is not even trying to prove to us about the existence of God because in our very being, it is already a given there is God. God does not prove himself but always shows himself.

Recall that it was taken from the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, a Pharisee who felt drawn to the Lord but was so ashamed to be seen by his fellow Jews that he came to visit him at night. We are all like Nicodemus “feeling” God so true deep within us but often afraid to accept it or even show it for fears of being called as old-fashioned and conservative or someone less scientific, less reasonable and less modern.

In that gospel scene, Jesus was inviting Nicodemus to enter into a relationship with him to fully experience God’s mystery because at that time, they tried explaining God like a concept to be learned and even memorized through their many laws and instructions. Unlike the Pharisees, Jesus simply taught Nicodemus that basic truth of God who “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.“

Nicodemus eventually became a disciple of Jesus along with another Pharisee named Joseph of Arimathea who gave Christ’s burial site on Good Friday.

A mystery is a mystery because it is shared. It is nothing if it is merely in itself.

We are intrigued with stories and reports because they create relationships in us and with us. That is why God in himself as a mystery is a community of persons. Person implies relationship, taken from the Latin word persona which is the mask worn by stage actors/actresses to indicate their roles in a play or drama; hence, the term dramatis personae or list of actors in a play and their roles.

To a certain sense, there are three persons or personae, that is, “roles” in our God as we profess in our Creed: the Father as Creator of everything, the Son as the Savior, and the Holy Spirit as the Sanctifier. With God, his persona is eternal while ours like in drama or play, it is temporary.

The more we enter into relationships, the more we relate with other persons, the more we discover the many mysteries of this life and of God while realizing too in the process that we can only relate with persons and not with things nor even plants and animals. This is the gist of the similarly brief second reading from St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, telling us to be close with one another as the Father’s children in Christ through the Holy Spirit. In sending us Jesus Christ his Son, God took the initiative to be closest to us as our breath in the Holy Spirit.

Every time we think of God, when we marvel at him and his creations, the more we find ourselves so different, even too distant from him while at the same time we also feel and experience in the most unique manner how closest we are to him.

Imagine this another great mystery of God that despite our sinfulness and worthlessness, he still so loved us and always caring for us. Like Moses in the first reading, we have experienced many times in life when God seemed to have actually walked beside us, even carried us during our lowest moments that in an instance we realized quickly the many “whys” he deals with us in life. We learn that God is so true and so close with us yet, remains the “All-Other” and the “Unknowable” whose mystery we cannot totally penetrate.

*Photo by author, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, QC, 20 March 2026.*

As we move on in life, we realize it is not about covering distances but going deeper within ourselves, of being transformed into better selves and persons like God, loving and merciful. Eventually we realize too that each one of us is in fact an indwelling of the Holy Trinity, an image and likeness of God himself. This we can easily learn through our most basic and simple prayer of all, the Sign of the Cross that many of us take for granted.

Every time we make the sign of the Cross properly, that is when we let God embrace us and wrap us with his mysteries.

In the sign of the Cross, God comes closest to us in our very selves, relating to us in our head being the Father who is over and above us always, the creator of everything; as the Son who became human like us born by the Virgin Mary passing through her womb, experiencing everything we went through except sin; and as the Holy Spirit on our shoulders giving us balance in this life. Next Sunday, we shall deepen this mystery of God in three Persons in ourselves with the solemnity of Christ’s Body and Blood we receive in the Holy Eucharist. Amen. Have a blessed week filled with God’s wonderful mysteries!