Grace & joy, together. Always.

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The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Thursday in the Twenty-fourth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 19 September 2024
1 Corinthians 15:1-11     ><))))*>  +  <*((((><     Luke 7:36-50

Praise and glory
to you, God our loving Father!
Thank you for your unending
gifts of grace for us
despite our many sins
and our being undeserving.

Truly like St. Paul,
we too feel so small, 
"the least" for our so many sins
yet you never denied us with
that immense grace of 
mercy and forgiveness,
redemption and new life in
Christ Jesus our Lord
that we so often forget.

Let us affirm 
and be grateful
by cultivating this great grace
you have given us in Jesus
be who we are in your sight,
never making your grace "ineffective"
like the Pharisees in today's gospel 
who could not stand 
the sight of Jesus 
interacting with a sinful woman,
of Jesus speaking to a sinner,
of Jesus forgiving so great a sin.

May we keep in our
heart and mind your tremendous
gift of grace to be near you,
to be like you,
to be filled with you
by living out your grace
in grateful witnessing 
of loving and joyful service 
to others.

Help us remember 
that like in the Annunciation
to Mary, rejoicing and grace
are always together:
from the Greek words 
charis for grace and
chara for rejoicing,
rejoicing and joy
are clearest signs of
grace anywhere 
like that woman
who washed 
and anointed
the Lord's feet.
Amen.