The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Thursday, Memorial of St. Martin de Porres, Religious, 03 November 2022 Philippians 3:3-8 ><]]]'> + <'[[[>< ~~ ><]]]'> + <'[[[>< Luke 15:1-10
Your words today, O Lord, are so lovely, so picturesque, so fitting in our celebration of the memorial of St. Martin de Porres: right away as I prayed St. Paul's letter to the Philippians, I felt your Spirit leading me to examine my body, my skin, my very self. Every time I am so absorbed with my self, with my body and skin, with my outward appearance, of how people see me and how I project myself to them, there is that Paul in me, that attitude of his kin of feeling so good, so special, so worthy and so entitled in life and even to God.
…although I myself have grounds for confidence even in flesh, all the more can I. Circumcised on the eighth day, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrew parentage, in observance of the law a Pharisee, in zeal I persecuted the Church, in righteousness based on the law I was blameless.
Philippians 3:4-6
How funny it is, dear Jesus, that so often my skin is detached from my soul, from my heart, from my being and from you, my root and essence; more funny is that as I cling to my skin color and outside appearances, the more I turn away from you just like "the Pharisees and scribes who distanced themselves from you, complaining at how tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to you" (cf. Lk. 15:1-2)!
Through the example of St. Martin de Porres who was rejected by his own father and others because of his skin color, teach me to look more inside my heart and my soul to find you in me and in others; like St. Paul, open my mind and my heart, my whole self to you Christ Jesus and "consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing you my Lord" (Phil.3:8)! Amen.
