Feast dem and Solemnity dem

How to Prepare for Advent

Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle, November 30

As Jesus dey waka for di side of di Sea of Galilee, E see two brothers, Simon wey dem dey call Peter, and im brother Andrew, as dem dey throw net inside di sea; na fishermen dem be.  E tell dem, “Make una follow Me, and I go make una fishermen wey go dey gather people.” At once, dem leave their nets and follow Am.  Matthew 4:18-20

Na wonderful feast we dey celebrate today as we dey begin our Advent season.  Today, we dey honour St. Andrew di Apostle, wey give us perfect example of how to begin our Advent celebration.

Dis passage above show us plenty things wey we fit think deeply about.  Andrew and im brother Peter na fishermen.  Both of dem dey work hard when, all of a sudden, dis stranger, Jesus, waka pass where dem dey and call dem.  Immediately, dem leave di work wey dem dey take feed themselves and follow Jesus.

Make you no overlook wetin happen here.  Two particular things happen:  1) Jesus waka pass where these two fishermen dey and talk say, “Make una follow Me.”  2) To answer Am, these two men immediately “leave their nets and follow Am.”

Dis story of how Jesus call St. Andrew really fit di beginning of Advent, because Advent must be time when we hear Jesus dey call us afresh.  E must be new beginning and fresh turning to God for us.  As Advent dey begin, we suppose hear Jesus dey call us, “Make una follow Me!”  We suppose hear Am dey invite us to give ourselves completely to His divine plan and purpose.  Listen to Am.  You dey hear Am dey call you?

Di way we go answer, as Advent dey begin, must be di same way St. Andrew answer.  We must leave everything to follow Am, without any delay or holding back.  Wetin exactly dat one mean?  E mean say we must let go of anything and everything wey dey stop us from answering Christ.  E mean say we must dey ready and willing to do anything wey Jesus ask us to do.  And we must dey ready to do am di very moment wey E ask.

Today, think deeply about how Advent na time to begin afresh.  Na time to allow yourself answer di call to come to Christ.  Listen as E dey call you, and answer Am with all your heart.  

Lord, I love You pass everything.  Help me hear Your gentle voice wey still stand firm as You dey call me to follow You.  Give me the courage wey I need to answer Your gentle invitation as I surrender myself completely to You.  Make this Advent be time for new beginnings and stronger determination to follow You.  Jesus, na You I trust.

Our Blessed Mama: The Gift Wey God Freely Give Us

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, December 8

Mary talk say, “See, na di Lord im handmaid I be. Make e happen to me as you don talk.”  Luke 1:38

Happy Solemnity!  Dis na day to celebrate!  Today, we dey honour di glorious and miraculous Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Mother, one act wey show God im mercy wey deep well-well.

E good make we see di Immaculate Conception as one act of mercy wey deep well-well.  Why e be so?  Wetin dey about dis solemnity wey connect am so closely with mercy?

Mercy na gift wey God dey give freely.  When we talk say na gift wey E dey give “freely,” we mean say no be wetin we merit or earn.  God no owe us mercy.  If E owe us mercy, e no go be mercy again; e go be our right.  But mercy no be our right.  God dey give am freely, and E dey give am in abundance.

For dis glorious Solemnity of di Immaculate Conception, e important make we look at am as gift wey God give freely from two sides.  First, “Immaculate Conception” mean say when God create di Blessed Virgin Mary, E create her without sin.  E do dis through wetin we dey call prevenient grace.  Dis grace wey E give her na act of God im perfect mercy wey E give freely.  She no earn am or merit am; instead, God, for His goodness, choose to create her without original sin, so dat she go be suitable instrument wey di Son go pass through come into di world.  For Mary her own part, she accept dis gift with all her heart and choose to remain without sin throughout her life, as she continue to use her own free will to choose so.  

Second, as God create our Blessed Mother without any stain of sin, E no keep her for Himself alone.  E no hold her back from us for His own sake. Instead, E choose to make dis perfect work of His creation our own mother.  Mary, di Immaculate Mother, don become our spiritual mother for di order of God im grace and mercy.  Dis one too na act of perfect mercy wey our loving God give freely.  We no deserve dis kind spiritual mother wey dey protect us, but we get her, and she always dey pray for us and bring plenty graces from God to us, just as perfect mother go do.  

Today, think deeply about dis gift of God im mercy wey E give freely in two ways: 1) Na because of mercy E create Mary without any stain of sin, and 2) E give her to us as our own mother and queen.  Seek her motherly care today and throughout di year!

Mama wey I love well-well, my Queen, I dey look your beauty and holiness with wonder. Even though you na only creature, you dey perfect for every way.  God don freely give you this special grace, and you cooperate with am perfectly.  Make I always depend on your motherly love and care, and make I always allow you give me God grace as the Father plan am.  You, Mama wey I love well-well, na gift of Mercy wey God freely give all of us!  Mama Maria, I love you.  Pray for me.  Jesus, na You I trust.

Our Lady of the Americas

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12

“I greet you, you wey full of grace! The Lord dey with you.”  Luke 1:28

Today, for Mexico, the United States and everywhere for the Americas, we dey honour Our Lady of Guadalupe. 

On December 9, 1531, Juan Diego, one Indian man wey don join the faith, dey waka go one village wey dey near so that e fit attend Mass.  As e dey go, one woman appear to am as music from heaven dey sound.  She tell am say: 

I be your merciful Mama, for you and for all people wey love me, trust me and call on me for help. So, go where the Bishop dey live for Mexico City and tell am say na Virgin Mary send you to let am know wetin she greatly desire.

Even though Juan Diego no fit do this one at first, e later follow the instruction wey the Virgin of Guadalupe give am when she appear to am again, and e carry fresh roses from the mountaintop go meet the bishop as sign say the Virgin want make dem build shrine there.  Roses no dey normally grow for that time of the year, so e clear say this na miraculous sign.  When e reach where the bishop dey live, Juan Diego open the cloak (tilma) wey e use carry the roses, so e fit pour dem for ground in front of the bishop. As e do so, the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe miraculously appear for the threads of this cloak.  Anybody wey want see the cloak still fit see am for the shrine for Mexico City.  And wetin dey amazing, from science point of view, be say dem no paint the image; instead, each and every thread don change colour to form this holy image.  Another thing be say dem make the cloak from cactus plant wey normally dey fall apart within ten years.  Today, the cloak don almost reach five hundred years, and e still fresh and bright as ever.

Even though e dey wonderful to think about the miraculous nature of Juan Diego tilma, wetin matter far more na the message wey our Blessed Mama give when she appear to Juan.  ”I be your merciful Mama…” na wetin she talk.  She be our Mama when we trust her and call on her for help.  

So, we no suppose see the Feast of Our Lady as only something wey concern culture, history or miracle.  Instead, we must see am as glorious invitation from the Queen of Heaven to accept her as our Mama.  

Today, think deeply about your own relationship with our Mama for Heaven.  You trust the prayer wey she dey pray for you and the help wey she dey give?  You know say Jesus don put you for her care?  You don consecrate your life to her protection?  One of the best ways to honour our Blessed Mama na to pray the rosary.  Pray am today, at least one decade.  And as you dey pray, ask her make she gently lead you go meet her Son, Jesus.

Mama wey I love well-well, Virgin of Guadalupe, I consecrate myself to your motherly care.  I thank you for your perfect care, help and mercy. Abeg, pray for me as I put my trust in you.  Carry me go meet your Son Jesus, so that I fit love Am with your beautiful heart.  Mama Maria, pray for us.  St. Juan Diego, pray for us.  Jesus, na You I trust.

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