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Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Tuesday in the Thirteenth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II Memorial of the First Martyrs of Rome, 30 June 2026
For the longest time, Lord Jesus, I cannot understand this episode in the gospel today:
As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. They came and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith” Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm (Matthew 8:23-26).
You were more surprised perhaps even astonished, Jesus, with your disciples' fears than with the storm; and it continues to happen these days of so many storms that siege us endlessly not only as a Church but also as individuals; You are more surprised, Jesus, with our reactions to every danger and terror that come our way because those are the moments we drift away from you, when we distrust you, when we rely more on our selves or on others than with you.
What must terrify us most are not the violent storms that hit us but when we doubt your presence in our midst, Lord Jesus; the most terrifying thing in this life, in this world is when we play gods, when we turn to other gods, when we turn away from you in sin and evil like what Amos lamented in the first reading: "I brought upon you such upheaval as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah: you were like a brand plucked from the fire; yet you returned not to me, says the Lord" (Amos 4:11).
Like the first martyrs of the Church in Rome, may we remain faithful to you, Jesus even to the point of death for indeed, the saddest plight and worst tragedy that can happen to anyone is to turn away from you who is life and fulfillment. Amen.
