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Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Monday in the Eleventh Week of Ordinary Time, Year I, 16 June 2025 2 Corinthians 6:1-10 ><))))*> + ><))))*> + ><))))*> Matthew 5:38-42
Your words today, O Lord Jesus Christ are very astonishing - from the writings of St. Paul to your teachings that literally go against the ways of the world; of course, you and your message have always been against the ways of the world but, how do we strike a balance in the present conditions happening today?
Jesus said to his disciples: “You ahve heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well” (Matthew 5:38-39).
You know very well, dear Jesus our situation: our country going into a great showdown with all the maneuverings of the evil forces in the Senate to cover up a crime, a serious case of corruption and abuse of authority while in the Middle East, Israel and Iran are in a very dangerous war that may spread in the whole region; O Jesus, we live in a world of "preemptive strikes" and "counterstrikes" and your words seem impossibly naive and optimistic? Is it really possible?
Brothers and sisters: As your fellow workers, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says: In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you. Behold, now is a very acceptable time; now is the day of salvation (1 Corinthians 6:1-2).
Have mercy on me, dearest Christ Jesus in doubting the power of your words and of your teachings; have mercy on me, dearest Lord when I think in the ways of the world than in the ways of God; the balance I am seeking is found only in YOU: teach me to be generous like you, like St. Paul, always in communion with you through much endurance in afflictions, hardships, constraints and other sufferings (1 Cor. 6:4); let me be centered in you always Jesus, guided by the Holy Spirit in "unfeigned love, truthful speech, and power of God; with weapons of righteousness through glory and dishonor, insult and praise"; grant me the courage to be truthful even when treated as deceiver, to be acknowledged when unrecognized, alive and living when considered dead, always rejoicing amid sorrows, being poor to enrich many and simply having YOU, Jesus in having nothing (1Corinthians 6:4-10). Amen.
