Di Fifth Week for Ordinary Time

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The Light of the World

Sunday We Make Five for Ordinary Time (Year A)

“Na una be the light of the world. City wey dey on top mountain no fit hide. People no dey light lamp come put am under basket wey dem dey use measure grain; dem dey put am for lampstand, where e dey give everybody for the house light. Na so una light must shine before other people, so that dem fit see una good works and give glory to una Father for heaven.” Matthew 5:14–16

All of us don experience time wey light go off and we come dey for darkness. For this kind situation, if you light one candle put for middle of the room, the light go make big difference. One candle for dark room dey change how the room be, and make am more comfortable to stay.

With this picture for mind, think about the first line for the comparison wey Jesus use above. “Na una be the light of the world.” Try see yourself as that one candle for darkness. Na your mission be that. Just as one candle fit give light to a whole room, na so you too fit be source of light for many other people.

One of the main missions wey all of us don receive for life na to allow the light of God’s grace “shine for front of other people.” When we carry out this mission, other people go see the good things wey God inspire us to do, and dem too go give glory to the Father for Heaven. So, when you carry out your mission to shine the light of Christ for other people, the result na say dem go praise God and give Am glory.

This full statement wey Jesus make dey especially helpful to think about when we dey struggle with pride. Pride na one way to direct people attention to ourselves. Na selfish act wey make us put ourselves where everybody go notice us, as we dey try make other people praise us. But wetin Jesus tell us be say, when we carry out our role well as the light of the world, when we shine the Light of Christ, e go move other people, no be to praise us, but to give glory to God as E dey work through us. This difference big well well.

Even so, the beautiful thing about giving glory to God be say, many times, God want make we share for that glory. This mean say, if you show charity to another person, and the person really dey grateful to you and thank you, that “thank you” na act of giving glory to God when the person understand say na love for God make you do wetin you do. God dey receive praise when we, Im children, give and receive love and honour from one another because of our faith.

Today, reflect on two things. First, think about the people wey God don call you to shine Im light on. Who dey your life wey need make you show am love, charity, mercy, forgiveness or compassion? Make up your mind to become God’s light for dem inside their darkness. Second, think about the people wey don shine the Light of Christ on you. When this happen, how you respond? Hopefully, you respond with gratitude wey no only return love to the other person, but wey also give glory to God through your gratitude. Be the light of the world for a world wey dey in need, and look for that light as e dey shine brightly through other people. Na only this way we fit step comot from the darkness wey dey always try to fill us.

Lord, na You be the true Light wey dey drive away every darkness for life. Na You be the Light of my life, and You dey shine brightly for everybody to see. Help me see Your light as e dey shine on other people, and to give You glory for that gift. And help me be instrument of Your light for the people wey need am pass. Jesus, na You I trust.

Jesus Don Capture Heart

Fifth Sunday for Ordinary Time (Year B)

When evening reach, after sun don set, dem bring everybody wey dey sick or wey demons possess come meet Am. The whole town gather for the door. E heal many people wey get different kinds of sickness, and E drive many demons comot. E no allow the demons talk because dem know Am. Mark 1:32–34

Jesus dey for Simon Peter house, and E don just heal Simon mother-in-law. “The whole town gather for the door” when evening reach. Na Jesus first time for Capernaum since E begin Im public ministry, and people don already dey rush come meet Am in large numbers. The next morning, Jesus wake up before daybreak and go one place alone to pray. Before long, some of the disciples find Am and tell Am say the whole town dey look for Am again.

The excitement big well well. Wetin dem see amaze plenty people. And the way Jesus amaze dem no be just because dem want know more about Am. Na faith dey strengthen this amazement, and na why Jesus fit do so many miracles for there. The people quick realise say na Jesus be the One wey the prophets of old don talk about. Na Im be the Messiah, and the people give Am all their attention.

Dis na good picture for us to think deeply about. As you dey think about di crowds and how their strong desire to dey near our Lord no shake, think about your own desires concerning God. You dey regularly get strong desire to find our Lord, to dey with Am, to listen to Am and to receive His grace and mercy? Or temptation dey come make you see Jesus and di practice of your faith as wetin dey boring and no get anything wey go interest you? One of di sad effects of modern technology na say plenty things wey no get deep meaning dey easily catch our attention and hold our interest. E fit be di latest short video for one mobile app, or di latest episode of one television series wey you like well-well, or one new post wey your friend put for social media. Plenty things dey today wey dey struggle to get our attention, hold our interest and even amaze us. Jesus dey among di things wey dey do you like dis for your life?

For our world today, where things dey always stir our senses and entertain us, we need to understand di difference between how di latest popular trend dey amaze us and how di grace and divine works of our Lord dey amaze us. When we come face-to-face with di power of God for our lives, e go amaze us in one way wey go fulfil us and satisfy us reach di deepest part of our being. Dis amazement go be spiritual, and na gift from di Holy Spirit. And di satisfaction wey we receive from dis kind amazement dey change us, e dey deep and e dey sustain us. But when we turn to di lesser “amazing things” wey appeal more to our senses and dey common for our world today, we go discover say dem dey last only small time, and before long we go feel empty and begin want more.

Today, think deeply about di people for today Gospel wey Jesus captivate so much that dem continue to dey look for Am. Think about their excitement, their hope and di true joy wey dem get as dem discover di Messiah. As you dey think about dem, ask yourself whether you share their excitement about Jesus. If you no get dat excitement, commit yourself again to dey seek our Lord. And where you see say dat excitement dey, rejoice and give glory to God.

Lord wey get glory pass all, Your love and mercy truly dey amazing. Abeg, help me make I continue to see dis for my life, and make Your presence for my life continue to captivate me. Make I always run come meet You, as I dey give You all my attention and love. Jesus, na You I trust.

How to Overcome Discouragement

Sunday Number Five for Ordinary Time (Year C)

After e don finish to talk, e tell Simon, “Move di boat go where di water deep, and lower una nets to catch fish.” Simon answer am, “Master, we don work hard all night and we no catch anything, but because You command am, I go lower di nets.” When dem do dis, dem catch plenty fish sotey their nets begin tear. Luke 5:4–6

Jesus just heal Simon Peter mother-in-law, and dis na one of His first miracles. Because of dis and other miracles, people for di whole of Capernaum, di town wey Peter come from, and people for plenty towns around am, quickly begin get faith in Jesus. Wetin happen for today Gospel happen during dis first time wey people dey excited about our Lord. For inside am, Jesus personally invite Peter to become an Apostle, and promise say E go make am person wey dey catch people.

Plenty things for dis passage get symbolic meaning wey good make we think deeply about. First, notice say Jesus use something wey Peter know well-well to invite am to become one of di Twelve Apostles. E use Peter work of catching fish. Dis resemble how God use one star to draw di Magi, wey be astrologers, come Bethlehem.

Another action wey Jesus use as symbol na to move di boat go “where di water deep.” To just move small distance from di shore no enough. Instead, di deep water suppose stand as symbol say di Gospel go reach di ends of di earth, just as di fishermen suppose catch fish for di deep parts of di sea.

Finally, di fact say dem “catch plenty fish” stand as symbol of di abundance wey go come through Peter ministry as Apostle. And di fact say di “nets begin tear” dey point to di fullness wey everybody go experience when dem begin carry out di mission of Christ.

Even though e good make we spend plenty time for prayer as we dey think deeply about di symbolic parts of dis Gospel passage, another line dey inside di Gospel wey fit touch you with di same power. Peter don dey catch fish all night, but e no catch anything. Di fact say e tell Jesus dis suggest say e don tire, and maybe e even don lose courage. Any fisherman go fit understand how e feel. But di important lesson wey Peter dey teach us na say e no allow dat discouragement overcome am. And di reason why e no allow discouragement overcome am na because na Jesus command am to lower di nets.

For our own lives, all of us fit lose heart sometimes. But the real test of how we dey remain faithful to God na whether we still dey listen to His commands of love and obey dem with all our heart, as we dey push away any temptation to lose heart when things no seem to dey go as we want. If we fit do this, na especially for this kind time God often dey use us do mighty things.

Today, reflect on the voice of God for your life. Wetin you sense say He dey call you to do? Which “water wey deep” He dey call you enter? As you dey think about this, reflect especially on Peter words, “Master…as You command, I go lower the nets.” Tell our Lord “Yes” to wetin He command. Do am even if e hard, and especially if you no feel like doing wetin He ask you to do. If you do, you go see say through this act of faithfulness, God go bring plenty good fruit come.

My Lord wey dey work miracles, You give Saint Peter one command of love, and e obey You with all im heart. Because of this, You make am catch plenty fish. Abeg, give me strong will to obey everything wey You tell me, so that You go bring plenty good fruit come for my own life too. Jesus, na You I trust.

To Seek Healing

Monday of the Fifth Week for Ordinary Time

For any village or town or countryside wey He enter, dem lay sick people for market square and beg Am make dem fit touch even only the tassel wey dey His cloak; and all the people wey touch am receive healing. Mark 6:56

To see Jesus dey heal sick people with your own eye for truly fill person with wonder. E clear say the people wey see this thing never see anything like am before. For the people wey sick, or wey people wey dem love sick, each healing for touch dem and their whole family deeply.

Today, modern science, with the way e fit treat plenty sickness, don reduce the fear and worry about to fall sick. But for Jesus time, serious sickness dey cause far more worry. Na why plenty people really want bring their sick people come meet Jesus so that dem go fit receive healing. This desire push dem come meet Jesus so that “dem fit touch only the tassel for His cloak” and receive healing. And Jesus no disappoint dem.

Even though no doubt dey say the healing wey Jesus give people for body na act of love for the sick people and their families, e clear say this healing no be the most important thing wey Jesus do. And e important make we remind ourselves of this truth. The main purpose of Jesus healing na to prepare the people to listen to His Word and, in the end, receive spiritual healing through the forgiveness of their sins.

For your own life, if you sick seriously and dem give you chance to choose either healing for your body or spiritual healing through forgiveness of your sins, which one you go choose? E clear say the spiritual healing wey forgiveness of your sins dey bring get value wey pass the other one without limit. E go affect your soul for all eternity. The truth be say this healing wey far greater dey available to all of us, especially for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. For that Sacrament, dem invite us make we “touch the tassel wey dey His cloak,” as we fit talk am, and receive spiritual healing. Na why our desire to seek Jesus for where we dey go confession suppose deep well-well pass the desire wey people for Jesus’ time get for healing of their body. But still, many times, we dey ignore the priceless gift of God’s mercy and healing wey He dey offer us so freely.

Today, reflect on the desire wey dey the hearts of the people for this Gospel story. Think especially about the people wey sick seriously and their strong desire to come meet Jesus for healing. Compare that desire for their hearts with the desire wey dey your own heart—or the way you no get that desire—to run meet our Lord for the spiritual healing wey your soul need so badly. Try make your desire for this healing grow stronger, especially as e dey come to you through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

My Lord wey dey heal, I thank You for the spiritual healing wey You continually dey offer me, especially through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I thank You for the forgiveness of my sins because of the suffering wey You suffer for the Cross. Fill my heart with stronger desire to come meet You so that I go receive the greatest gift wey I fit ever receive: the forgiveness of my sins. Jesus, na You I trust.

Worship Wey Come from the Heart

Tuesday for the Fifth Week for Ordinary Time

When the Pharisees and some scribes wey come from Jerusalem gather around Jesus, dem notice say some of His disciples dey chop with hand wey no clean, that is, hand wey dem no wash. Mark 7:1–2

E look clear well-well say as Jesus become popular so quickly, jealousy and envy enter the hearts of these religious leaders, and dem want find fault with Am. Because of this, dem watch Jesus and His disciples carefully, and dem notice say Jesus’ disciples no dey follow the traditions of the elders. So the leaders begin ask Jesus questions about this matter. For Jesus’ answer, He rebuke dem strongly. He quote prophet Isaiah wey talk say, “These people dey honour Me with their lips, but their hearts far from Me; their worship of Me na in vain, as dem dey teach human rules as doctrines.”

Jesus rebuke dem strongly because true worship no dey their hearts. No be say the different traditions of the elders necessarily bad, like to carefully wash hand according to religious custom before person chop. But these traditions no get meaning if deep faith and love for God no be wetin dey move people to follow dem. To follow human traditions only for outside no truly be worship of God, and na that worship Jesus want for dem. He want make love for God and true worship of God burn like fire for their hearts.

Wetin our Lord want from each of us na worship. Worship wey pure, wey come from the heart, and wey sincere. He want make we love God with deep devotion from inside our hearts. He want make we pray, listen to Am, and use all the strength of our soul to do His holy will. And this one fit happen only when we truly worship God.

As Catholics, our life of prayer and worship get e foundation for the holy Liturgy. The Liturgy bring together many traditions and practices wey show our faith and become means wey God’s grace take reach us. And even though the Liturgy itself far different from the mere “tradition of the elders” wey Jesus dey criticize, e good make we remind ourselves say the many liturgical celebrations of our Church must carry us from outward actions enter worship wey come from inside our hearts. To just do the outward actions alone no get meaning. We must allow God to work on us and inside us as we take part for the outward celebration of the Sacraments.

Today, reflect on the strong desire wey dey burn for our Lord’s heart to draw you enter worship. Reflect on how well you dey allow Am draw you enter this worship every time wey you attend holy Mass. Try make your participation no be only for outside but, first of all, make e come from inside your heart. To do like this go help make sure say the rebuke wey our Lord give the scribes and Pharisees no fall on you too.

My Lord wey be God, na You and only You worthy of all worship, adoration and praise. Na You and only You deserve the worship wey I dey offer You from deep inside my heart. Help me and Your whole Church make all the worship wey we dey show outside always come from deep inside our hearts, so that we go give You the glory wey Your holy name deserve. Jesus, na You I trust.

Wetin Dey Inside

Wednesday for the Fifth Week for Ordinary Time

Jesus call the crowd come again and tell dem, “All of una, listen to Me and understand. Nothing wey enter person from outside fit make that person unclean; but na the things wey come out from inside dey make person unclean.” Mark 7:14–15

Wetin dey inside you? Wetin dey your heart? Today Gospel end with list of bad things wey, sadly, dey come from inside person: “evil thoughts, sexual impurity, stealing, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, life wey no get control for immoral pleasure, envy, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.” Truly, if we look these bad things as dem really be, none of dem na wetin person suppose want. All of dem dey very disgusting. But still, too often, na sins wey people dey struggle with regularly, some more than others.

Take greed as example. When person understand am well, nobody want make people know am as greedy person. Na shameful character for person to get. But when we no see greed as greed, e easy to fall for the trap of living that kind life. Greedy person dey want too much of this thing or that thing. More money, better house, finer motor, holidays wey get more luxury, and so on. So, when person dey behave with greed, greed no dey look like bad thing wey e suppose reject. Na only when person look greed as e really be, e go understand wetin greed truly be.

For this Gospel, as Jesus name this long list of bad things, He do one wonderful act of mercy for us. He shake us and call us to pause and look sin as e really be. Jesus also make am clear say when you dey live with one or more of these bad things, you dey become unclean. You dey become greedy person, liar, wicked person, person wey dey gossip, person wey full of hatred, proud person, and so on. If we talk as things really be, nobody want this kind life.

Which thing for that list of bad things you dey struggle with pass? Wetin you dey see inside your own heart? Tell yourself the truth before God. Jesus want make your heart pure and holy, free from these things and every kind of dirt. But unless you fit look your own heart with honesty, e go hard to reject the sin wey you dey struggle with.

Today, reflect on this list of sins wey our Lord point out. Think about each one, and allow yourself to see each sin as e truly be. Allow yourself to hate these sins with holy anger, then turn your attention to that sin wey you dey struggle with pass. Know say as you deliberately recognise that sin and reject am, our Lord go begin to strengthen you and make your heart pure, so that you go free from that uncleanness and instead become the beautiful child of God wey He create you to be.

My merciful Lord, help me see sin as e really be. Help me especially to see my own sin—that sin inside my own heart wey dey make me unclean as Your dear child. As I dey see my sin, give me the grace wey I need to reject am and turn to You with all my heart, so that I go become new creation through Your grace and mercy. Jesus, na You I trust!

Faith of Person Wey No Be Jew

Thursday for the Fifth Week for Ordinary Time

Soon, one woman wey unclean spirit dey her daughter hear about am. She come fall for His feet. The woman na Greek, and na Syrophoenician by birth. She beg am make He drive the demon comot from her daughter. Mark 7:25–26

The love wey parent get for im child get power. And e clear say the woman for this story love her daughter. Na that love push this mama to go find Jesus, with hope say He go free her daughter from the demon wey possess her. Wetin make this matter interesting be say this woman no follow the Jewish religion. She be Gentile, person from another nation, but her faith na real faith and e deep well-well.

When Jesus first meet this woman, she beg Am to free her daughter from the demon. At first, Jesus answer surprise person. He tell her, “Make the children chop first. Because e no right to take the children food throw give dogs.” For other words, Jesus dey talk say His mission na first to the people of Israel, the chosen people wey follow the Jewish religion. Na dem be the “children” wey Jesus dey talk about, and na the Gentiles, like this woman, He refer to as “the dogs.” Jesus no talk to this woman like this because He wan insult her, but because He fit see her deep faith, and He want give her chance to show that faith for everybody to see. And na wetin she do.

The woman answer Jesus, “Lord, even dogs wey dey under table dey chop the small pieces of food wey fall from the children.” Her words no only show very deep humility; dem also come from deep faith and deep love for her daughter. Because of this, Jesus answer her with generous heart and immediately free her daughter from the demon.

For our own lives, e easy to fall for the trap of thinking say we deserve God mercy. We fit think say God grace na our right. And even though Jesus really want pour His grace and mercy plenty well-well for our lives, e very important make we fully understand say we no worthy before Him. The way this woman heart be give us perfect example of how we must come to our Lord.

Today, reflect on the beautiful example of this woman wey get deep faith. Read her words again and again as you dey pray. Try understand her humility, her hope, and her love for her daughter. As you dey do this, pray make you fit follow her good example, so that you too go share for the blessings wey she and her daughter receive.

My Lord wey get mercy, I trust di perfect love wey You get for me and for all di peoples of di world. I pray especially for people wey dey carry heavy burdens and for people wey evil don deeply entangle their lives. Abeg, dear Lord, set dem free and welcome dem into Your family, so dem go become true children of Your Father. Make I get di humility and faith wey I need to help bring this plenty grace to other people. Jesus, na You I trust.

To Hear and Speak the Word of God

Friday of di Fifth Week for Ordinary Time

Dem surprise well-well and talk say, “He don do everything well. He dey make people wey no fit hear begin hear, and people wey no fit talk begin talk.” Mark 7:37

This line na the end of the story about how Jesus heal one man wey no fit hear and wey also get difficulty to talk. Dem bring the man come meet Jesus, Jesus take am go one side alone, shout “Ephphatha!” (wey mean, “Open!”), and the man receive healing. And even though this na wonderful gift for this man and act of great mercy towards am, e also show say God want use us draw other people come meet Himself.

With only our natural power, none of us fit hear God voice when He dey speak. We need the gift of grace for this. Because of this, with only our natural power, we no also fit speak the many truths wey God want make we speak. This story teach us say God also want heal our ears so that we fit hear His gentle voice, and loose our tongues so that we fit become people wey dey speak for Him.

But this story no be only about how God dey speak to each one of us; e also show our duty to bring people wey no know Christ come meet Am. This man friends bring am come meet Jesus. And Jesus carry the man go one side, away from other people. This one help us understand how we fit help other people come know our Lord voice. Many times, when we wan share the Gospel with another person, we dey talk to dem and try use reasoning convince dem to turn their life to Christ. And even though this one fit bear good fruit sometimes, the real thing wey we suppose aim for na to help dem go dey alone with our Lord for some time, so that Jesus fit do the healing.

If our Lord don truly open your ears, then your tongue go free too. And na only if your tongue don free God go fit use you draw other people come meet Himself. If no be so, your work of spreading the Gospel go depend only on your own effort. So, if you get people for your life wey no seem to dey listen to God voice and follow His holy will, then before any other thing, make you yourself first commit to dey listen to our Lord. Let your ears hear Am. And when you hear Am, na His voice go then speak through you for the way wey E want take reach other people.

Today, reflect on this scene for the Gospel. Think deeply, especially, about this man friends and how dem receive inspiration to bring am come meet Jesus. Ask our Lord to use you for the same kind way. As you dey pray, think deeply about the people for your life wey God want use your help call come meet Himself, and make yourself ready to serve our Lord so that His voice fit speak through you for the way wey E choose.

My good Jesus, abeg open my ears make I hear everything wey You want tell me, and free my tongue make I fit become person wey dey speak Your holy word to other people. I offer myself to You for Your glory, and I pray make You use me as Your holy will want. Jesus, na You I trust.

Wetin Matter Pass Na Im Go First

Satide for Wik Nomba Faiv for Ordinary Time

“My heart dey full of pity for this crowd, because dem don dey with me now for three days and dem no get anything to chop. If I send dem go their house with hunger, dem go collapse for road, and some of dem come from far place.” Mark 8:2–3

The main mission wey Jesus come do na spiritual one. E come free us from the effects of sin so that we fit enter the glory of Heaven for all eternity. His life, death and resurrection destroy death itself and open the way for everybody wey turn to Am to receive salvation. But Jesus love for the people complete so well that E still pay attention to their body needs.

First of all, think deeply about the first line of wetin our Lord talk above: “My heart dey full of pity for this crowd…” Jesus divine love join together with His human nature. E love the whole person, body and soul. For this Gospel story, the people dey with Am for three days and hunger dey catch dem, but dem no show any sign say dem wan leave. Our Lord don amaze dem so much that dem no wan leave. Jesus point out say their hunger serious. If E send dem go, E fear say dem go “collapse for road.” So, na these things be the basis for His miracle.

One lesson wey we fit learn from this story concern the things wey we dey put first for life. Many times, we fit dey put the things wey suppose come first for last, and the ones wey suppose come last for first. True true, to take care of the things wey we need to live dey important. We need food, place to stay, clothes and other things like these. We need to care for our families and provide the basic things wey dem need. But too many times, we dey put these basic needs for life above our spiritual need to love and serve Christ, as if the two dey against each other. But no be so e be.

For this Gospel, di people wey dey with Jesus choose to put their faith first. Dem choose to stay with Jesus even though dem no get food to chop. Maybe some people don leave one or two days before, because dem decide say their need for food suppose come first. But anybody wey do like that miss di wonderful gift of this miracle, where di whole crowd chop belleful. Of course, our Lord no want make we neglect our responsibilities, especially if we get duty to care for other people. But this story dey teach us say our spiritual need to receive nourishment from di Word of God suppose always be wetin matter pass to us. When we put Christ first, He dey provide for all our other needs as His providence arrange.

Today, reflect on the things wey you dey put first for your own life. Wetin matter pass to you? The next better food wey you go chop? Or your life of faith? Even though these two no need to dey against each other, e dey important to always put your love for God first for life. Think deeply about this large crowd of people wey spend three days with Jesus for wilderness without food, and try picture yourself among dem. Make their choice to stay with Jesus become your own choice too, so that your love for God go become the main thing wey your life dey focus on.

My Lord wey dey provide for me, You know every need wey I get, and You care about every part of my life. Help me to trust You with all my heart, so I go always put my love for You first for my life. I truly believe say if I fit keep You and Your will as wetin matter pass for my life, all di other things wey I need for life go fall into place. Jesus, na You I trust.