The least yet, most blessed

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The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Thursday, Memorial of St. John of the Cross, Priest & Doctor of Church, 14 December 2023
Isaiah 41:13-20   <*((((>< + ><))))*>   Matthew 11:11-15

Praise and glory to you,
God our loving Father,
for this wondrous day of 
Memorial of your great mystic
and servant, St. John of the Cross;
in his life and example attested by
his great writings exuding with
immense and intense love for you,
he had shown us how true were 
the words of Jesus your Son:

Jesus said to the crowds: “Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

Matthew 11:11

Yes, dear God, almighty
yet so gracious and merciful,
you have blessed us to be witnesses
of your love and power in Christ Jesus;
let us listen to your words always,
let them sink into our hearts
so we may feel
and nurture
and share your love
to one another;
like St. John of the Cross
who, after going through so much
trials and sufferings in life asked,
"Who has ever seen people persuaded
to love God by harshness?"
How great indeed is your power
of love that despite the losses
and pains we go through in life,
the more we love,
the more we feel stronger,
the more we feel blessed!

You alone, O Lord, is our help,
our life, our strength despite our
being "worm" and "maggot" 
 like Israel (Isaiah 41:14);
let us accept our littleness
before you so Christ may come
and dwell in us to fill us 
with your love so we may 
imitate St. John of the Cross
who taught us,
"Where there is no love,
put love - and you will find love"
because "A soul that walks in love
 is never tired and never gets tried."
Amen.