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The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Tuesday in the Sixth Week in Easter, 16 May 2023 Acts 16:22-34 ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'> + ><]]]]'> John 16:5-11
Today dear Jesus we pray for those going through catastrophes in life: victims of natural and man-made calamities, victims of wars and persecutions, people going through everything that is wrong in life, so to speak.
Teach us Lord to stay still in you in times of catastrophe; like St. Paul and Silas who remained inside their prison cell when a powerful earthquake struck Philippi:
About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened, there was suddenly such a severe earthquake that the foundations of the jail shook; all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped, But Paul shouted out in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself; we are all here.”
Acts 16:25-28
Oh what a beautiful event for that jailer, Lord! Twice he faced situations with catastrophic consequences that could have cost his own life - first the severe earthquake and second the possible escape of Paul and Silas; but you spared his life, Lord, not only in making him survive the earthquake but most of all opening eternal life to him in hearing your gospel from Paul and eventually being baptized with his whole family!
In the gospel, amid the dangers lurking with your impending arrest and pasch, you told your disciples that it is better for you to go and leave so you could send the Holy Spirit, the Advocate (Jn.16:7).
Teach us, Jesus, to be still, to be not foolish in rushing, to avoid panic when catastrophes happen; let us trust in you alone; let us think clearly of avoiding drastic steps that may put us and others in harm's way; let us cultivate a prayer life, a relationship with you that would keep us attuned with the Holy Spirit in reading the signs of the times so we may find you always especially when uneventful things happen to us. Amen.
