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Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Friday, Memorial of Sts. Basil the Great & Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church, 02 January 2026 1 John 2:22-28 ><))))*> + ><))))*> + ><))))*> John 1:19-28
Lord Jesus, today I feel like John being asked by priests and Levites sent by Jews from Jerusalem: "Who are you?" What a great question we all have to confront at the start of the new year because unless we truly know and accept who we are, we can never give the right answer in making you known, Jesus; many times, we fail to make you known not because you are difficult to know but simply because we do not know who we are unlike John; we cannot give a definitive answer "I am not the Christ" because even if we do not claim it verbally, unconsciously we pretend as the Christ; many times, Lord you are not known not because you are so far but because our lives are so far from you that people could not believe what we say about you; most often, you are not known Jesus not because your teachings are hard and difficult but because we ourselves are lost and could not find the way into our true selves to be the voice of one in the desert like John crying out, "Make straight the path of the Lord."
At the start of this new year, dear Jesus, help me to be like John or St. Basil or St. Gregory who knew themselves very well, embracing everything about me especially my sins and weaknesses so that like John, I can declare "I am not the Christ" and therefore, stop from pretending or acting or speaking as the Messiah; let me embrace the limitations I have, the darkness and emptiness within me so that I may remain in you and your grace only. Amen.
