The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Friday in the Third Week of Easter, 28 April 2023 Acts 9:1-20 ><}}}}"> + ><}}}}"> + ><}}}}"> John 6:52-59
Thank you dear Jesus for your wonderful words today that remind us of your personal call to each one of us like St. Paul; sometimes we envy O Lord the manner you have called the saints to follow you but at closer look, you have called us all in the most personal manner, in the most unique way according to our person and situation, our own "Damascus".
Today's first reading is so marvelous because we too have experienced you personally calling us in our name like "Saul", who like us too, many times do not know you nor recognize you at all; sometimes, we are like Ananias arguing with you, telling you what we know as if you do not know!
Dearest Lord Jesus, like Saul or St. Paul and Ananias, give us the grace to answer and respond to your calls:
First, to work for you, the Christ: "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do" (Acts 9:5,6). Second, to follow you, the Christ: "Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel" (Acts 9:15). Third, most of all, to suffer for you, O Christ: "and I will show show him what he will have to suffer for my name" (Acts 9:16).
Let us keep this in our minds and hearts, Lord Jesus: that each day you come to meet us in our various "Damascus", calling us to work for you, follow you, and most of all, suffer for you. Stop us, dear Jesus, in our many quarrels like the Jews at your time; let us go with you and suffer with you to be a bread too for others in sustaining their journey with you. Amen.
