Light for the Middle of Darkness
Sunday Number Three for Ordinary Time, Year A
“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the road wey lead go the sea, for the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people wey sit down for darkness don see great light; light don rise for those wey dey live for land wey death cover with im shadow.” Matthew 4:15-16
This passage from Matthew Gospel na quotation from Prophet Isaiah, for the beginning of Jesus public ministry. After Jesus quote Isaiah, E go out dey talk say, “Turn from una sins come back to God, because the kingdom of heaven don near.”
This prophecy from Isaiah clearly come to pass as Jesus come. Jesus na the “great light” wey Isaiah dey talk about. So, Isaiah dey prophesy about this particular time for history when Jesus appear for our world dey preach His divine Word.
But Isaiah words no suppose only tell us about this event wey happen once for history, when Christ come and begin Him public ministry. The words suppose also show us say Jesus na the “great light” wey still dey shine for any darkness wey we face.
Take time think about that picture. Imagine say complete darkness cover the whole land. You fit imagine say you dey for wilderness one night wey cloud full the sky, and the cloud cover all the stars and the moon. Then imagine say the clouds begin separate as the sun begin rise immediately. Small small, darkness dey clear as the sun wey dey rise dey spread light across the whole land.
This one no be only picture of wetin happen long ago when Jesus come begin Him ministry. E still dey happen every time we listen to the Word of God with sincere heart and allow Him Word enter deep inside our minds and hearts. Jesus words must fill us with Jesus Himself, because na Him be the Great Light of Truth.
Today, think deeply about the part of your life wey be like say darkness cover am. Wetin dey make you feel hurt, vex or confused? Wetin dey weigh your heart down pass every other thing? Na this part of your life, pass any other part, Jesus want enter and shine the rays of His glory on.
My Lord of light, come meet me and enter the darkness for my mind and heart. Come clear away the sorrow and pain wey I dey feel today. Make wetin confuse me clear, and replace my confusion with clear knowledge say You dey with me in love. Jesus, na You I trust.
Jonah, the Man Wey Run From God
Sunday Number Three for Ordinary Time, Year B
The word of the LORD come to Jonah, say: “Set out go the great city of Nineveh, and announce to am the message wey I go tell you.” So Jonah prepare and go Nineveh, as the LORD command am. Jonah 3:1-3
Jonah na one of the prophets for Old Testament wey people love well well. Why? E fit be because of the interesting story of how one whale swallow am. This picture dey make person imagine plenty things, and e resemble fairy tale small. Na good story, and e sweet to hear!
But wetin we fit easily forget na why the whale swallow Jonah. Na because e hear God call am for one particular mission for life, and e run go the other direction as fast as e fit. E do everything wey e fit do to avoid the work wey God call am to do. But God no stop to pursue am. For the end, God win, and Jonah go Nineveh to preach. The best part be say the people of Nineveh listen to am and change their lives! For the end, Jonah preaching really succeed well well.
Imagine wetin for happen if Jonah just listen to God from the very beginning. We for no get much of that story wey resemble fairy tale, but e for surely save Jonah and other people from plenty stress. E for no need endure the heavy storm for sea, the anger of the people wey dey work for that ship, the distress of how dem throw am from the ship enter sea, and the experience of being trapped inside the whale belle for those three days. All these things for no happen if e just listen to God from the very beginning.
As we don talk that one, e still dey interesting and e fit open our eye to look di story from another angle. Di truth be say Jonah really pass through all these wahala. And even though we fit feel like to judge am because of that and point finger at am, make we careful. Why? Because e fit really be say God, through wetin Him divine will permit, allow am to pass through these struggles for one reason. E fit really be so, and e even likely, say na part of God wisdom say Jonah first resist wetin God want. Why God go do this kind thing? Most likely, na for our sake, because Jonah come become strong example for us. E clear say one of di main lessons from Jonah life na say God no dey tire to love us, and E no dey tire to call us to accept wetin E want. So Jonah life and actions come carry prophetic meaning and teach us one big lesson.
God no dey give up on us. E no dey just throw us away the moment we turn away from Am. Instead, when we reject Am, e only make Am more determined to continue to pursue us. E dey take the ways wey we don break inside, our lack of determination, our failures and weaknesses, and use dem for Him glory and Him perfect plan.
Today, think well about whether your life dey discourage you and you feel say you don fail to follow wetin God want for your life. If na so, Jonah message clear. No give up. No lose hope. God never give up on Him plan for you, and E never lose hope. For di end, you fit discover say God grace go completely turn around those parts of your life wey look like your biggest burden and obstacle, and dem go become di very place wey Him glory go show!
My glorious Lord, You no dey ever give up on me. You no dey ever lose hope. Give me the grace to change, to listen and to respond. Use my weakness and the way I don break inside, and let Your strength and grace shine through. Jesus, na You I trust.
Di Gift of Holy Scripture
Third Sunday for Ordinary Time, Year C
Since many people don take am upon themselves to put together di account of di things wey don happen among us as dem suppose happen, just as di people wey see dem with their own eyes from di beginning and serve di word pass dem down to us, I too don decide, after I don investigate everything carefully again, to write am down for you one after another as dem happen, most excellent Theophilus, so that you go know how sure di teachings wey you don receive be. Luke 1:1-4
St. Luke start him Gospel with this short explanation. This introduction to him Gospel give us chance to look more deeply into di Holy Bible.
How you dey approach the Bible? How often you dey read am? How well you understand am? Na the Bible be the foundation of your life of faith and wetin you know about God?
Holy Scripture na gift wey pass wetin we fit imagine. Na gift from God wey E dey use to reveal Him perfect love and Him perfect plan for us. We suppose know di Scriptures well, read dem often, use di verses pray, and allow everything wey God reveal inside those pages to become di foundation of our lives. Make we think well about one particular side of Holy Scripture.
Di Bible na 100% God work and 100% di work of di human writer. We fit call am 100/100. This mean say di human writer cooperate fully with di inspiration of di Holy Spirit to write each book and letter. And God, for Him own part, make sure say everything wey dem write come from Him heart and inspiration. So, this work wey dem do together show say God use di human writer for divine purpose.
E dey very important to understand this for two reasons. First, e show say we suppose love Scripture because e reveal God heart and truth, and e still show di special character and human nature of di human writer. So we dey benefit from di full revelation of God and from di special gift of di human writer.
Second, e suppose show us say, even though God no go use us for di same way (that is, to add to di Bible), E still want use us for divine purposes. E want take di whole of di special character wey each of us get as human being and use us to make di beauty and splendour of Him divine nature shine out. E want make we too cooperate with Am 100/100, so that E go shine brightly through us.
Today, reflect on two things. First, reflect on the gift of the Bible and how God use the human writer give you this gift. Second, reflect on the fact say God want use you, with all your weakness and sin, to bring His divine presence into our world. Open your heart to that gift so that you fit become living gift of the Word of God to the world.
Eternal Word wey get glory pass all, I thank You for the wonderful gift of Holy Scripture. Thank You for everything wey You don reveal through this gift and for how You use the human writer to pass Your life to us. Help me to always open my heart to Your divine Word and to always dey willing to become the living presence of that Word for our world. Jesus, na You I trust.
The Sin Against the Holy Spirit
Monday for the Third Week for Ordinary Time
“Amen, I dey tell una, all the sins and all the blasphemy wey people talk, dem go receive forgiveness for them. But anybody wey talk blasphemy against the Holy Spirit no go ever receive forgiveness; instead, the person dey guilty of sin wey go last forever.” Mark 3:28-29
Now, this na thought wey fit make person fear. Normally, when we dey talk about sin, we dey quickly focus on God mercy and how much He want forgive. But for this passage, we get something wey, at first, fit look like say e dey against God mercy. Na true say some sins dey wey God no go forgive? The answer na yes and no.
This passage show us say one particular sin dey, the sin against the Holy Spirit, wey God no go forgive. Which sin be this? Why God no go forgive am? Traditionally, dem don understand this sin as refusal to repent till the end, or as presumption—when person just assume say God go forgive am. Na situation where person commit serious sin and then either no feel any sorrow for that sin or just take God mercy for granted without truly turning from sin to God. Whichever one e be, this lack of sorrow dey close the door to God mercy.
Of course, we must also talk say any time person heart change, and the person begin get deeper, sincere sorrow for sin, God dey there to welcome the person back immediately with open arms. God no go ever turn away from anybody wey humbly return to Him with heart wey truly sorry for sin.
Today, reflect on God mercy wey full and plenty, but also reflect on your own duty to help true sorrow for sin grow for your heart. Do your own part, and you go get assurance say God go pour Im mercy and forgiveness on you. No sin too big when our hearts dey humble and truly sorry for sin.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, sinner. I truly admit my sin, and I dey sorry for am. Help me, dear Lord, to continue to grow for my heart in deeper sorrow for sin and deeper trust in Your Divine Mercy. I thank You for Your perfect love wey no dey ever fail, for me and for everybody. Jesus, na You I trust.
To Become Member of Jesus Family
Tuesday for the Third Week for Ordinary Time
“Who be my mama and my brothers?” As E look round at the people wey siddon round Am, E talk say, “See my mama and my brothers here. Because anybody wey do wetin God want na my brother and sister and mama.” Mark 3:33-35
Jesus talk many things wey shock people throughout His public ministry. Dem “shock” people because His words many times pass wetin plenty people wey hear Him fit understand. One interesting thing be say He no dey make am His habit to quickly try clear up wetin people misunderstand. Instead, many times He leave people wey misunderstand wetin He talk to remain without understanding. One powerful lesson dey inside this.
First of all, make we look at the example for this passage from today Gospel. No doubt, e fit be say everywhere come quiet small among the crowd when Jesus talk this thing. Many people wey hear Am most likely think say Jesus dey disrespect Im mama and relatives. But na so E dey do? Na so Im Blessed Mother understand am? Certainly not.
Wetin this dey bring out clearly be say, above everything else, Im Blessed Mother be Im mama mainly because she obey wetin God want. The blood relationship wey she get with Am matter. But she be Im mama even more because she fulfil wetin e take to obey God will perfectly. So, through her perfect obedience to God, she be the mother of her Son perfectly.
But this passage also dey show say plenty times, Jesus no too worry about the fact say some people misunderstand Am. Why e be like that? Because E know how to pass Im message and the best way for people to receive am. E know say na only people wey listen with open heart and faith fit receive Im message. And E know say people wey get open heart with faith go understand, or at least dem go continue to reflect on wetin E talk until the message enter their heart well.
People no fit argue and defend Jesus message the same way dem fit argue and defend some principle for philosophy. Instead, na only people wey get open heart fit receive and understand His message. No doubt suppose dey say, as Mary use her perfect faith listen to those words wey Jesus talk, she understand dem and joy fill her heart. Na her perfect “Yes” to God make her fit understand everything wey Jesus talk. Because of this, Mary fit bear the holy title “Mama” far more because of this bond than because of their blood relationship. No doubt, their blood relationship get great importance, but their spiritual bond pass am well-well.
Today, reflect on the fact say you too get the call to be member of Jesus close family. Na through your obedience to His holy will you get the call to enter His family. You get the call to pay attention, to listen, to understand and then act on everything wey He talk. Tell our Lord “Yes” today, and let that “Yes” be the foundation of the family relationship wey you get with Him.
My dearest Lord, help me to always listen with open heart. Help me to reflect on Your words with faith. As I make this act of faith, let the bond between me and You grow deeper as I enter Your divine family. Jesus, na You I trust.
To Plant the Word of God…No Matter the Result
Wednesday for the Third Week for Ordinary Time
“Make una hear this! One person wey dey plant seed go out to plant.” Mark 4:3
Na this line begin the Parable of the Sower wey we know well. We know the details of this parable: the person wey dey plant seed scatter seed for road, for ground wey stone full, for among chuku-chuku plants and, finally, for good soil. The story show say we must try hard to be like that “good soil”: we must receive the Word of God inside our souls and allow am to get care so that e fit grow well-well.
But this parable show another thing wey person fit easily miss. E show this simple truth: for the person wey dey plant to put at least some seed inside good soil wey fit produce well, e must take action. E must go out dey scatter plenty seed. As e dey do this, e no suppose lose heart if most of the seed wey e don plant no reach that good soil. The road, the ground wey stone full and the ground wey chuku-chuku plants full, all na places wey seed fall but later die. Na only one out of the four places wey this parable mention produce growth.
Jesus na the Divine Sower, and His Word na the Seed. So, make we understand say we too get the call to act in His person by planting the seed of His Word for our own lives. Just as He dey willing to plant even as He know say no be every seed go bear fruit, na so we too must dey ready and willing to accept this same fact.
The truth be say, many times, the work wey we offer God to build up His Kingdom dey produce only small fruit wey people fit see, or no visible fruit at all, for the end. People hearts dey hard, and the good wey we do, or the Word wey we share, no dey grow.
One lesson wey we must learn from this parable be say, to spread the Gospel, we need to put effort and remain committed. We must dey willing to work and labour for the Gospel, whether people dey willing to receive am or not. And we no must allow ourselves to lose courage if the result no be wetin we hope for.
Today, reflect on the mission wey Christ don give you to spread His Word. Say “Yes” to that mission, and then look for ways, each and every day, to plant His Word. Expect say, sadly, plenty of the effort wey you put in go bear only small fruit wey people fit see. But get deep hope and confidence say some of that seed go reach the soil wey our Lord want make e reach. Give yourself fully to planting the seed; God go take care of the rest.
My God wey dey sow seed, I make myself ready for You to use for di work of di Gospel. I promise to serve You every day, and I commit myself to sow Your Word wey be Word of God. Help me make I no put too much mind for di result of di effort wey I put; instead, help me leave those results only for Your hand and for di care wey You, as God, take dey direct everything. Jesus, na You I trust.
One Good Reason to Show Mercy
Thursday for the Third Week for Ordinary Time
E still tell dem, “Make una take care about wetin una dey hear. Na di measure wey una use measure, dem go use measure for una, and dem go still give una more.” Mark 4:24
How you go like make other people deal with you? How you go like make dem treat you? No doubt, all of us go like make dem treat us with mercy. We want make dem show us kindness, compassion, care, honesty, and other things like these. One thing wey this passage above show us na say God go deal with us di same way we dey deal with other people.
As e suppose be, we suppose show other people mercy and goodness just because na di right thing to do. God dey call us to live life wey love for God and our neighbour full, and we suppose desire to live that kind life. But if we dey struggle to show other people this love, one thing wey fit encourage us na to remember say dem go treat us di same way we dey treat other people.
Even though this fit put one kind “holy fear” for our hearts and encourage us to show mercy, e suppose also make us desire to do pass just wetin we must do, and to show love and compassion wey plenty well-well.
Think about am. If you spend your whole life dey try to forgive, to show love, to make peace again, to help people wey dey in need, and so on, you too fit get assurance say you go receive these gifts in abundance now and for di end. You fit get assurance say God no go hold anything back from you. Instead, with joy, He go pour blessings on you pass anything wey you fit ever expect or hope for.
Today, think deeply about how God dey call you to live life wey generosity full. Di ways wey He dey call you to show generosity to other people no get number. Give yourself fully to this life of goodness, and then look forward to everything wey God go pour on you.
Lord wey Your generosity no get end, help me make I give myself fully to love others and show dem compassion. Help me to forgive, to show kindness, to show mercy and to do all these things without holding back. I love You, my dear Lord. Help me make I also love di people wey You don put for my life with love wey complete and no lack anything. Jesus, na You I trust.
Na Only Small Thing E Need
Friday for di Third Wik for Ordinary Time
“Wetin we go compare di Kingdom of God with, or which parable we fit use describe am? E be like mustard seed wey, when dem plant am for ground, na di smallest of all di seeds for earth. But once dem plant am, e go sprout and become di biggest of all di plants…” Mark 4:30-32
To think about am dey really amaze person. This tiny seed get plenty things wey e fit become. Inside that small seed, e get di ability to become di plant wey big pass all, something wey go provide food, and place for birds of di air to live.
Maybe this comparison wey Jesus use no dey move us as e suppose, because we know say all plants dey start from seed. But try think about this wonderful thing for di world wey we fit see and touch. Try think about how that small seed carry so much wey e fit become.
This truth show say Jesus want use each one of us to build up His Kingdom. We fit feel say we no fit do much, say we no get gifts reach other people, or say we no go fit bring much change, but that one no true. Di truth be say each one of us carry ability wey pass wetin we fit imagine, and God want make this ability bear fruit. He want bring glorious blessings for di world through our lives. All we need to do na to allow Him work.
Like seed, we must allow make dem plant us for di fertile soil of His mercy through faith and by surrendering to His will as God. We must let daily prayer water us and allow di light of di Son of God shine on us, so that E fit bring out from us everything wey E desire and don plant since di foundation of di world.
Today, think deeply about di great things wey God don put inside your soul wey you fit become and do. He make you with di intention to bring His Kingdom through you, and to do am in abundance. Na your responsibility to simply believe this and allow God do wetin He desire to do for your life.
Lord wey wetin You fit do no get end, I love You and I thank You for everything wey You don do for my life. I thank You ahead for everything wey You still want from me. I pray make I surrender myself to You every day, so that You fit come nourish me with Your grace and make my life bear plenty good fruit. Jesus, na You I trust.
To Make Di Sea Calm
Saturday for di Third Wik for Ordinary Time
Jesus dey di back of di boat, dey sleep on top cushion. Dem wake am and tell am, “Teacher, You no care say we dey perish?” He wake up, rebuke di wind, and tell di sea, “Quiet! Make you still!” Di wind stop, and everywhere calm well-well. Mark 4:38-39
And everywhere come calm well well! Even though this one dey talk about how di sea come calm, e still be message about di trouble wey we dey face sometimes for life. Jesus want bring deep calm into our lives.
E dey very easy to lose courage for life. E dey very easy to put all our mind for the confusion wey surround us. Whether na harsh word wey another person talk wey pain us, family problem, trouble for society, money wahala, and other things, plenty reasons dey wey fit make each of us fall inside the trap of fear, frustration, deep sadness and worry.
But na because of this Jesus allow this thing happen to Him disciples. E enter the boat with Him disciples and allow dem experience strong storm while E dey sleep, so that through this experience, E go fit give all of us message wey clear and wey go convince us.
For this story, di disciples put all their mind for one thing: Dem dey perish! Di sea dey toss dem up and down, and dem fear say disaster don nearly reach dem. But through all of this, Jesus dey there dey sleep well, dey wait make dem wake Am. And when dem wake Am, E take control of di storm and make everywhere calm completely.
Na so e still be for our lives. Di stress and difficulties of everyday life dey shake us so easily. Plenty times, we dey allow di problems wey we dey face to overwhelm us. Di main thing na to turn our eyes to Jesus. See Am there, for your front, dey sleep and dey wait make you wake Am. E always dey there, always dey wait, always ready.
To wake our Lord no hard pass to turn our eyes comot from the rough sea and trust say E dey with us as God. Na trust be the whole matter. Complete trust wey no dey shake. You trust Am?
Today, reflect on wetin dey cause you anxiety, fear or confusion every day. Wetin be that thing wey be like say e dey toss you here and there, dey give you stress and worry? As you dey see this burden, still see Jesus there with you, dey wait make you come meet Am with trust, so that E fit take control of every situation wey you find yourself for life. E love you and E go surely take care of you.
My Lord wey dey sleep, I turn to You inside di challenges of life, and I want wake You make You come help me. I know say You always dey near, dey wait make I trust You for everything. Help me make I turn my eyes to You and get faith in di perfect love wey You get for me. Jesus, na You I trust.
Week Number Four for Ordinary Time
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