The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Friday in the Seventh Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Philip Neri, Priest, 26 May 2023 Acts 25:13-21 ><}}}}*> + ><}}}}*> + ><}}}}*> John 21:15-19
On this final week of the Easter Season while praying the Scriptures, I am reminded O Lord Jesus by your expression "the finger of God" in Luke 11:20 when people were doubting your healing powers. Very clear in the lives of St. Paul in the first reading, then in your commissioning of St. Peter in the Gospel as well as the wondrous works by St. Philip Neri in Rome during his time were clear manifestations of the finger of God working.
In the life of St. Paul, there was the finger of God working at his trial that brought him to Rome to testify for you; the same thing is true with St. Peter who denied you thrice and yet, it was the finger of God that brought him back to you and to his fellow disciples; in the life of St. Philip Neri, it was also the finger of God that worked wonders that he was able to gather followers to continue his works of bringing people closer to God through the Eucharist and prayers.
As the Easter Season comes to a close this Pentecost Sunday, help us dear Jesus to recollect and reflect our lives to see God's finger in our life stories too; open our eyes and our hearts to find God's finger pulling things together to make our lives a great coherence so many times with amusing and funny incidents, comedies that make not only our lips but also our hearts to smile and experience deep joy in you. Amen.
