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The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Thursday, Memorial of St. Benedict, Abbott, 11 July 2024 Hosea 11:1-4, 8-9 <*[[[[>< + ><]]]]*> Matthew 10:7-15
Jesus said to his Apostles: “As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give” (Matthew 10:7-8).
God our loving Father: thank you for the gift of our hands that are a gospel in themselves; Your Son Jesus Christ said it again today to each of us to make this proclamation that "the kingdom of heaven is at hand"; hands are so essential for us to do so many things that they mean so many things too - it is a microcosm of our very selves that it is why we offer our hands to meet new friends, to seal a deal, to accept a peace offer; we use our hands to touch others literally and figuratively speaking to ensure them of our love; it is with our hands that we can hold and grasp other hands for love and support, help and assistance; to proclaim your kingdom of heaven is at hand is to make it present, to make it nearer like our hands touching, caressing, holding especially those in need.
Thus says the Lord: When Israel was a child I loved him, out of Egypt I called my son. The more I called them, the farther they went from me… Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, who took them in my arms; I drew them with human cords, with bands of love; I fostered them like one who raises an infant to his cheeks; yet, though I stooped to feed my child, they did not know that I was their healer (Hosea 11:1-2, 4).
Forgive us, Father, when we use our hands to hurt others the way we have turned away from You, when we have disregarded the loving gestures of your hands like teaching us to walk, raising us to your cheeks, and feeding us your children; forgive us when we refused to reach out to your hands in Jesus Christ offering His outstretched arms with hands wide open with mercy and forgiveness. On this Memorial of your great Saint Benedict whose rule was "Ora et Labora", let us put our hands into their most noble and divine usage of praying and working. Amen.
