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Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Friday in the Seventeenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 31 July 2026 Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Priest
Glory and praise to you, O God our loving Father for the gift of St. Ignatius of Loyola who taught us that "Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by this means to save his soul" (First Principle and Foundation, Spiritual Exercises #23).
How sad, dear God, that the most painful truth is that you are most often rejected by us who assume to know you most, too familiar with you and your ways like what our two readings reveal today: Jeremiah was rejected by your people led by their priests after speaking your words to them to change their evil ways lest their Temple lie in ruins like in Shiloh along with other disasters God was planning to punish them (Jeremiah 26:4, 7-9); in the gospel, Jesus went home to Nazareth but "the people took offense at him" for his mighty words and deeds (Matthew 13:57-58).
Two scenarios, same message of rejecting you, O God because we believe more in our selves, in our ideas and understanding of who you are than believing your very person in Jesus Christ; teach us, O Lord, to be empty always so that you may fill us with your love like St. Ignatius who taught us to pray and contemplate to attain your love: "Take, Lord, and accept all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. Thou hast given all to me. To Thee, O Lord, I return it. All is Thine, dispose of it wholly according to Thy will. Give me Thy love and Thy grace, for this is sufficient for me" (#234, Spiritual Exercises). All for your greater glory, O Lord. Amen.
