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The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Wednesday, Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, Bishop & Doctor of the Church, 13 September 2023
Colossians 3:1-11 <*{{{>< + ><}}}*> = <*{{{>< + ><}}}*> Luke 6:20-26
Direct our thoughts this day to you O Lord, our loving God and Father in heaven! Let us seek what is above where Christ is seated at your right hand, O God; let us think of what is above, not of what is on earth for we have already died in sin with our life now hidden with Christ in you, dear God; most of all, let us put to death, then, the parts of us that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and the greed that is idolatry (Colossians 3:1-3, 5).
Many times we forget these, dear God, spending too much time and efforts that later amount to nothing as we pursue things of the earth; we not only destroy our selves but also the people you have gifted us to be our companions in this life; how easy for us to profess our love for mankind without recognizing those people we meet each day as our beloved, missing the trees for the forest!
How lovely when your Son Jesus our Lord came, he looked up to us so often, as if telling us to look up too, not down on ourselves and to one another; normally, we look up to you, dear God because you are above us but Jesus looked up to us to show us how blessed we are:
Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours.”
Luke 6:20
Loving Father, let me remember that true blessedness is having nothing except you; true blessedness is being looked up to by Jesus, remembered, cared for, and accompanied in this life back to you in Heaven. Indeed, as St. John Chrysostom had taught us, you, O God, ask us so little but gives us so much! Amen.
