Veritas PH

The WORD. The TRUTH.

 146 total views

The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Solemnity of the Body & Blood of Jesus Christ, 11 June 2023
Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16 ><}}}}*> 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 ><}}}}*> John 6:51-58
Photo by author, 2018.

There is a weird British series in Netflix called the Inside Man about a professor of criminology at the death row in the States for the murder of his own wife. He had deep perceptions and analysis of events that people came to see him in prison to consult in locating their missing loved ones. One of them is an American journalist trying to do a story about him while at the same time seeking his expertise in locating her missing friend, a math tutor in England held hostage in the basement by a pastor and his wife.

Though the series is weird, it has some interesting lines about life and death like when the wife of the pastor told him how she had spent the whole afternoon searching the internet how to kill their son’s math tutor they have thrown in their basement. The wife found it unusual there was nothing in Google that tells of ways of killing another person (so weird, is it not?); however, she was surprised that almost everything she had found in the internet and social media was mainly about sex as he teased her husband that it is not love that makes the world go round but sex!

Yes, it is very funny and weird but her observations seem to be true because nobody in his right mind would ever want to destroy life except terrorists and lunatics. People generally love life that our social media are saturated with contents that try to show how we can enjoy this life through sex, food, and travels in that order. Also with cars for boys aged 5 to 95.

Photo by author, March 2020.

Of course, we all know that is not what life is all about that is filled with mysteries.

Last Sunday we reflected in the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity that mysteries are not problems to be solved but realities to embrace to discover life’s truest meaning found in our relationships with God and with others

This Sunday we celebrate the second most important doctrine and mystery of our faith, the Incarnation of the Son of God Jesus Christ. It is a mystery not only how the Son of God became human like us in everything except sin but most of all, of how he has given us his very flesh and blood as our food and drink in this journey called life.

Jesus said to the crowds: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” The Jews quarreled among themselves saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.”

John 6:51-53, 55

My favorite front page photo during the Delta outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic published by the Inquirer on 20 August 2021. So evocative of the truth of Jesus himself being our true food and drink – and medicine.

As we have reflected last Sunday, a mystery is a divine truth revealed by God we learn through the gift of faith. It is non-logical but not illogical. It can be explained and understood but not fully.

Here in the mystery of the Body and Blood of Christ we call as the Eucharist, the mystery of our Triune God becomes a reality in our life truly present in perceptible signs of bread and wine. From relating, we now come to the mystery of sharing of our selves like God who shared us his Son Jesus Christ who in turn gave himself for us on the Cross that continues today in the Holy Eucharist as his everlasting sign of his loving presence and service.

See how Jesus spoke clearly in this passage of his giving us his physical body and blood that to receive it, we have to actually eat it too.

First we notice is how in other parts of the New Testament that the term soma is used to refer to the Eucharist which is the Greek word for “body” that may have symbolic meanings; but in this passage, Jesus used the word sarx which means “flesh” in Greek that means only one thing, the corporeal reality of his physical body. Jesus is telling us in no uncertain terms in this passage after the miracle feeding of more than 5000 in the wilderness that he himself is truly and really present as flesh and blood in the Eucharist. Recall that at his Prologue to his gospel, John also used the same term sarx in declaring “the Word became flesh” (Jn.1:14) to correct misunderstandings and doubts that were already developing during the first century of Christianity regarding the physical Incarnation of Jesus the Eternal Word and his true presence in the Eucharist.

Second term used by Jesus four times as he emphasized the reality of his Body and Blood in the Eucharist is the word trogein which in Greek means “to munch” or “bite”; the other Greek word for the verb to eat is phragein which evokes many symbolic meanings like “digesting” a book or “assimilating” the culture. Again, when Jesus said we have to eat his flesh and drink his blood, he truly meant himself as a true food and true drink to nourish and sustain us in this life and hereafter.

Photo by Kuya Ruben, 04 August 2022.

There lies the beauty of this mystery of the Eucharist: Jesus himself is the one we receive, who comes to us personally, physically to be one with us in our very selves. We do not have to wait for death and be in heaven to experience fullness of life in Christ because he comes truly to us while in this life when we receive him in the Holy Communion.

St. Paul reminds us in the second reading with his rhetorical questions, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break: is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Cor. 10:16) of this reality of Christ’s presence in us and among us. He was not waiting for answers of yes or no but posed those questions to affirm the very truth we all know that Jesus is really present in us and among us especially when we are broken like the Israelites in the first reading. This is where the mystery deepens, becomes more real and more fascinating. Jesus the Son of God emptying himself to be like us in everything except sin so that we may become like him, holy and divine.

This I have learned in my two years of being a chaplain in the hospital. Admittedly, it is difficult especially for me as I could easily be carried away by emotions in seeing the sick and suffering while at the same time, can often have my stomach overturned by sights of blood and wounds of others. But, there is always that indescribable feelings of joy and fulfillment after visiting and anointing our sick patients.

Photo by Kuya Ruben, June 2022.

I have no claims to holiness as I am a sinner too but the Eucharist has become most truest to me these past two years in the hospital and university as well as I get into contact with the sick and the students. When I touch patients to pray over them or help in moving them, when students cry to me or ask for hugs after confessions, they all flash to me during the consecration as I raise and say, This is my Body… This is my Blood. Jesus is most truest in the Eucharist when we too imitate him in giving ourselves to others to be broken and shared.

The Eucharist is the most wonderful gift of God to us when we receive his Son Body and Blood to make us strong and holy like him in this life.

That is why we have to go to Mass every Sunday. That is why a priest has to celebrate Mass daily for the people to be strengthened like him in this journey of life filled with trials and sufferings. That is why Moses kept on reminding the Israelites of their many hardships from their exodus into their wandering in the wilderness. That is why this coming Friday, we cap these three weeks of transition into the Ordinary Time with the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, another mystery of Christ truly among us and within us as we experience his love most truly right here in our hearts.

What an awesome God we have indeed who has become so small and so simple like us so we can be great like him. Like the simple bread and wine, in the Mass through the Holy Spirit, they become Christ’s Body and Blood. Let’s make it happen this Sunday in our celebration of the Mass. Amen. Have a blessed week ahead.

ads
2
3
4
previous arrow
next arrow

Veritas Editorial

Rev. Fr. Anton CT Pascual

Rev. Fr. Anton CT Pascual

President of Radio Veritas

Ningas-cogon

 8,267 total views

 8,267 total views Kapanalig, ang salitang “NINGAS-COGON” ay tumutukoy sa ugaling Pilipino … Masigasig at masipag sa simula lamang, ngunit walang natatapos sa kalaunan (NEVER TO FINISH WHAT THEY STARTED). ANG “NINGAS-COGON” AY karaniwang maihalintulad sa mga “hearing in-aid of legislation” ng Kongreso na binubuo ng Mababa(Kamara) at Mataas(Senado) na Kapulungan ng Kongreso. Kadalasan, ang Kongreso

Read More »

Job Mismatches

 19,342 total views

 19,342 total views “Job-skills mismatches”, Kapanalig ito ang malaking problema sa Pilipinas na hindi pa rin natutugunan ng pamahalaan at education sector. Sa pag-aaral ng Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), malaki ang ambag ng “job-skills mismatches” sa umployment at underemployment sa bansa kung saan hindi napapakinabangan ang potensyal ng young workforce. Ayon sa Commission on Higher

Read More »

Mining

 25,675 total views

 25,675 total views Kapanalig, nararanasan natin sa Pilipinas maging sa buong mundo ang “climate crisis” na dulot ng climate change o nagbabagong panahon. Ang Pilipinas bilang tropical country ay dumaranas ng mahigit sa 20-bagyo kada taon na nagdudulot ng matinding pinsala sa ari-arian, kabuhayan at buhay ng mga Pilipino. Ngunit sa kabila ng banta ng climate

Read More »

Kasabwat sa patayan

 30,289 total views

 30,289 total views Mga Kapanalig, ganoon na lamang ba kababa ang pagpapahalaga natin sa buhay ng ating kapwa-tao na handa natin itong bawiin ng mga iniluluklok nating berdugo sa ngalan ng pagkakaroon ng payapa at ligtas na kapaligiran? Ganyan kasi ang mapapansin sa mga sentimiyento ng ilan nating kababayan habang isinasagawa ng Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee

Read More »

Walang magagawa o hindi handa?

 31,850 total views

 31,850 total views Mga Kapanalig, kasabay ng malakas na ulang dala ng Bagyong Kristine dalawang linggo na ang nakalilipas ang buhos ng batikos kay Pangulong Bongbong Marcos Jr.  Ika-23 ng Oktubre, kasagsagan ng pananalasa ng bagyo, nang bigyan ng situation briefing ng mga pinuno at kinatawan ng iba’t ibang ahensya si PBBM. Papalapit na noon ang

Read More »
catholink
Shadow
truthshop
Shadow

Related Story

Latest Blog
Rev. Fr. Nicanor Lalog II

From fear of the Lord to love of God and neighbors

 2,493 total views

 2,493 total views The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B, 03 November 2024 Deuteronomy 6:2-6 ><}}}}*> Hebrews 7:23-28 ><}}}}*> Mark 12:28-34 Photo by author, river at the back of Nagsasa Cove, San Antonio, Zambales, 19 October 2024. Jesus finally entered

Read More »
Latest Blog
Rev. Fr. Nicanor Lalog II

Mga pamahiin at kaalaman turo sa atin ng paglalamay sa patay

 2,498 total views

 2,498 total views Lawiswis ng Salita ni P. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Ika-01 ng Nobyembre 2024 Larawan kuha ng may-akda, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, QC, 20 Marso 2024. Salamuch sa mainit na pagtanggap sa ating nakaraang lathalaing nagpapaliwanag sa ilang mga pamahiin sa paglalamay sa patay. Sa ating pagsisikap na tuntunin pinagmulan ng mga pamahiin sa

Read More »
Latest Blog
Rev. Fr. Nicanor Lalog II

Sa buhay at kamatayan, bulaklak nagpapahayag ng buhay

 2,498 total views

 2,498 total views Lawiswis ng Salita ni P. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Ika-31 ng Oktubre 2024 Larawan kuha ni G. Jim Marpa, 2018. “Say it with flowers” ang marahil isa na sa mga pinakamabisa at totoong pagpapahayag ng saloobin sa lahat ng pagkakataon. Wala ka na talagang sasabihin pa kapag ikaw ay nagbigay ng bulaklak kanino

Read More »
Latest Blog
Rev. Fr. Nicanor Lalog II

Lihim ng mga pamahiin sa lamayan

 2,498 total views

 2,498 total views Lawiswis ng Salita ni P. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Ika-30 ng Oktubre 2024 Larawan kuha ng may-akda, St. Scholastica Retreat House, Tagaytay City, Agosto 2024. Heto na naman ang panahon ng maraming pagtatanong at pagpapaliwanag sa ating mga pamahiin ukol sa paglalamay sa mga patay. Matagal ko nang binalak isulat mga ito nang

Read More »
Latest Blog
Rev. Fr. Nicanor Lalog II

Friday I’m in love, Part 3

 2,499 total views

 2,499 total views Quiet Storm by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, 29 October 2024 Photo by author, entering the Nagsasa Cove in San Antonio, Zambales, 19 October 2024. Ihave always imagined God must be like Jewish director Steven Spielberg. According to an article I have read long ago, Spielberg would always hide sets of important scenes

Read More »
Latest Blog
Rev. Fr. Nicanor Lalog II

Seeing Jesus

 4,603 total views

 4,603 total views The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B, 27 October 2024 Jeremiah 31:7-9 ><}}}}*> Hebrews 5:1-6 ><}}}}*> Mark 10:46-52 Photo by author, Nagsasa Cove, San Antonio, Zambales, 19 October 2024. “Seeing” is a word with so many meanings

Read More »
Latest Blog
Rev. Fr. Nicanor Lalog II

The teacher is the lesson

 5,257 total views

 5,257 total views Quiet Storm by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, 24 October 2024 Photo by Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News, 27 July 2024. Classes are still suspended due to severe tropical storm Kristine. While scrolling through Facebook, I chanced upon a funny post supposed to be the cry of many employees. And teachers as well: “We are

Read More »
Latest Blog
Rev. Fr. Nicanor Lalog II

Is this meant for us or for everyone?

 5,257 total views

 5,257 total views The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Wednesday, Memorial of St. John of Capistrano, Priest, 23 October 2024 Ephesians 3:2-12 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Luke 12:39-48 Photo by author, Pampanga, September 2024. Lord Jesus, many times I find myself like Peter asking You so often

Read More »
Latest Blog
Rev. Fr. Nicanor Lalog II

Unity in Christ

 5,255 total views

 5,255 total views The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Tuesday, Memorial of St. John Paul II, Pope, 22 October 2024 Ephesians 2:1-10 <*[[[[>< + ><]]]]*> Luke 12:35-38 Photo by author, mountain range off the coast of Nagsasa Cove, San Antonio, Zambales, 19 October 2024. Glory to

Read More »
Latest Blog
Rev. Fr. Nicanor Lalog II

We are God’s handiwork

 5,255 total views

 5,255 total views The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Monday in the Twenty-ninth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 21 October 2024 Ephesians 2:1-10 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Luke 12:13-21 Photo by author, the pristine Nagsasa Cove in San Antonio, Zambales, 19 October 2024. Your words today,

Read More »
Latest Blog
Rev. Fr. Nicanor Lalog II

When we do not know what “we want”

 5,255 total views

 5,255 total views The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B, 20 October 2024 Isaiah 53:10-11 ><}}}}*> Hebrews 4:14-16 ><}}}}*> Mark 10:35-45 The Jewish Cemetery of Mount of Olives facing the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem where the Messiah is believed would

Read More »
Latest Blog
Rev. Fr. Nicanor Lalog II

Only One

 5,255 total views

 5,255 total views The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Friday, Feast of St. Luke, Evangelist, 18 October 2024 2 Timothy 4:10-17 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Luke 10:1-9 Photo by Dra. Mylene A. Santos, MD, an orange-bellied flowerpecker (Dicaeum trigonostigma), December 2023. Beloved: Demas, enamored of the present

Read More »
Latest Blog
Rev. Fr. Nicanor Lalog II

Led by the Holy Spirit

 5,255 total views

 5,255 total views The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Wednesday in the Twenty-eighth Week of Ordinary Time Year II, 16 October 2024 Galatians 5:18-25 ><))))*> + ><))))*> + ><))))*> Luke 11:42-46 Photo by author, Fatima Ave., Valenzuela City, 25 July 2024. Lead and guide us, O

Read More »
Latest Blog
Rev. Fr. Nicanor Lalog II

Faith working through love

 5,255 total views

 5,255 total views The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Tuesday, Memorial of St. Teresa of Avila, Virgin & Doctor of the Church, 15 October 2024 Galatians 5:1-6 ><]]]]’> + ><]]]]’> + ><]]]]’> Luke 11:37-41 Photo by author, somewhere in Pampanga, August 2024. What a wonderful Saint

Read More »
Latest Blog
Rev. Fr. Nicanor Lalog II

Evil generation

 8,819 total views

 8,819 total views The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Monday in the Twenty-eighth Week of Ordinary Time, Year II, 14 October 2024 Galatians 4:22-24, 26-27, 31-5:1 <*((((>< + ><))))*> Luke 11:29-32 Photo by Ms. April Oliveros at Mt. Pulag, March 2023. While still more people gathered

Read More »

Latest Blogs

Scroll to Top