Friday after Ash Wednesday
Today, we no dey chop meat. Na very small sacrifice. Person fit offer sacrifice with unwilling heart and regret, or with joy and eagerness. Di difference be say, when we accept this very small sacrifice with joy and eagerness, as we dey look forward to di grace wey go come from am, di grace wey we go receive go far greater pass if we make this small sacrifice with only half our heart. Di small sacrifice of not chopping meat fit bear plenty good fruit for our lives when we freely offer am with joy and from di depth of our souls.
Offer today’s sacrifice of not chopping meat in union with Catholics all over di world. We must offer this sacrifice, and every other sacrifice wey we make throughout our lives, di same way wey Jesus offer Himself when He go into di desert for forty days. Di short account for Mark talk say “di Spirit drive am go into di desert…” (Mark 1:12). Di accounts for Matthew and Luke talk say di Holy Spirit “lead” Jesus go into di desert. This one mean say, Jesus no enter this time of prayer and fasting wey involve sacrifice because dem force Am against His will. He no do am with unwilling heart and regret. Instead, di Holy Spirit move Am strongly from within to hurry go enter this time of sacrifice. Di Holy Spirit lead Am, no be push Am, and He follow di will of di Father, in union with di Holy Spirit, with eagerness and firm determination.
If we look any act of sacrifice from outside, e fit first look like something wey no good. “I must do this.” And even though any sacrifice wey dem invite us to offer fit first look like burden, di deeper spiritual reality dey teach us something different. If we dey live by di Holy Spirit wey God dey pour give us, di way we dey see almost everything for life go change, including how we dey see di sacrifices wey dem invite us to make.
As you dey offer di small sacrifice of not chopping meat today, allow di Holy Spirit to “lead” you and even “move you strongly” from within, so that this one no go be only duty, but also offering wey get deep spiritual meaning, wey you choose and willingly offer in union with Jesus. Offer am to God as one small thing wey you fit do to follow di example of our Lord’s human life. Offer am with complete trust and confidence for our Lord, even when you no fit see di way, as you know say to follow His example na always di most glorious thing to do. No see am as something wey no good wey you must do. See am as one small but glorious chance to show your love for God, bring your desires wey no dey in proper order under control, and grow for virtue.
My Lord wey offer Yourself as sacrifice, You make di sacrifice of Your forty days for di desert with di strongest resolve and determination. Na great joy and privilege for You to offer this sacrifice as human being to Your Father for Heaven, as di Holy Spirit move You. Abeg, give me di grace today, and every day, to offer every sacrifice for my life in union with di willing spirit and joy of Your most Sacred Heart. Jesus, na You I trust.
See also: Reflection Three – 40 Days for di Desert