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The Lord Is My Chef Easter Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Thursday in the Third Week of Easter, 18 April 2024
Acts 8:26-40 <*{{{{>< + <*{{{>< + ><}}}*> + ><}}}}*> John 6:35-40
Praise and thanksgiving to You, God our most loving Father in Jesus Christ our Lord, our Eternal Priest for Your gift of being a priest this past 26 years! It is pure mercy and love from You, dear God that we were called to serve Your people, to be Your presence despite our sinfulness and so many flaws and weaknesses.
As we celebrate today our 26th ordination to the priesthood, one thing I ask of You in Jesus: like the Apostle Philip, let me "get up" always to follow You wherever You send me.
The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, “Get up and head south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route.” (Acts 8:26)
There were so many times I have fallen due to sins, disappointments and disillusions, sickness and exhaustion, sadness and loneliness, griefs and hurts, shame and embarrassments, humiliations and failures, betrayals and infidelities; many times You knew it, O Lord, how I felt better laying face down on earth and dirt, about to give up when You would go down too just to tell me to "get up", "raising" me up to keep on following You even at the desert route that was so difficult.
Thank You for always believing in me, Jesus, for always being patient with me, for always trusting me; O dearest Jesus, You have given me with so much and I have given You so little; let me give more of myself, most of all, more of Your love and mercy and kindness to those around me. Amen.
