Life Wey Be Ordinary?
Monday for the First Week of Ordinary Time
As e dey pass beside di Sea of Galilee, e see Simon and im brother Andrew dey throw their net enter di sea; na fishermen dem be. Jesus tell dem, “Make una follow me, and I go make una fishers of people.” Dem leave their net at once and follow am. Mark 1:16-18
Christmas season don finish now, and we dey enter the First Week of Ordinary Time. Time don reach to return to the “ordinary” things of life. But Christian life na ordinary life? Anything really “ordinary” dey about to follow Jesus?
Di Gospel for today show di call from Jesus to follow Am—call wey no be ordinary at all and wey dey demand complete change. Na Simon and Andrew answer di call for this passage, but their answer still dey invite all of us to comot from ordinary life enter life wey pass ordinary.
This passage especially show two things: 1) how these Apostles answer at once, and 2) how dem answer with their whole self. E clear say dem no hold anything back or hesitate as dem answer Jesus wey invite dem to follow Am.
How about you? You dey hear Jesus dey call you? You dey hear am dey speak to you, dey call you to follow am? We hope say, as our Lord dey speak to each one of us, we go answer am at once and with our whole self. We hope say we no go hesitate to accept di glorious calling wey each one of us don receive.
Today, reflect on di fact say you too don receive call to live life of grace wey pass ordinary, wey demand say you surrender yourself completely and commit yourself fully. You don receive call to answer Jesus’ invitation at once and of your own free will. As you dey begin this liturgical season of Ordinary Time, enter fully into this life of grace wey pass ordinary, and accept am with all your heart.
Lord, I love You and I thank You for di extraordinary life of grace wey You don call me to live. Help me make I answer Your invitation by surrendering my mind and my will completely to You. Jesus, na You I trust.
Jesus’ Authority Dey Clear
Tuesday for di First Wik for Ordinary Time
Jesus come Capernaum with im followers, and for Sabbath e enter di synagogue and teach. Di people wonder well-well at im teaching, because e teach dem like person wey get authority, no be like di scribes. Mark 1:21-22
As we enter dis First Wik for Ordinary Time, we see di picture of Jesus as E dey teach for synagogue. And as E dey teach, e clear say something special dey about am. Na person wey dey teach with new authority.
This statement for Mark’s Gospel show di difference between Jesus and di scribes, wey be like say dem dey teach without this authority wey nobody fit mistake. Make we no overlook this statement.
Jesus use His authority for His teaching, no be mainly because E want to, but because na wetin E must do. Na who E be. Na God E be, and when E speak, E dey speak with di authority of God. E dey speak for way wey make people know say di meaning of His words get power to transform dem. His words dey bring change for people life.
Dis suppose make each one of us reflect on di authority of Jesus for our life. You dey notice His authority inside wetin E dey tell you? You dey see how His words for Sacred Scripture dey affect your life?
Today, reflect on this picture of Jesus as E dey teach for di synagogue. Know say di “synagogue” stand for your own soul, and Jesus want dey there dey speak to you with authority. Allow Im words enter deep inside you and change your life.
My Lord wey get authority, I open myself to You and to Your voice wey carry authority. Help me make I allow You speak clearly and truthfully. As You dey do so, help me make I dey open to allowing You change my life. Jesus, na You I trust.
Di Purpose of Jesus’ Mission
Wednesday for di First Wik for Ordinary Time
E wake very early, before day break, comot go one lonely place, where e pray. Simon and di people wey dey with am follow go find am, and when dem find am, dem talk say, “Everybody dey look for you.” E tell dem, “Make we go di villages wey dey near, so I fit preach for there too. Na for this purpose I come.” Mark 1:35-38
Why Jesus come? Wetin be di purpose of His life for dis world? Dis passage show say E come to preach di Good News to everybody.
But make you understand that statement well. E no mean say Jesus’ life na only about wetin E teach. No be as if na just one great wise man E be, wey come share Im wisdom with us. Even though that statement na true, e no show di full truth about Jesus and Im mission.
So wetin be di main thing wey E come do? Na to preach Himself as DI Truth wey dem dey speak. Jesus NA di full revelation of di Father for Heaven, and na di revelation of ALL Truth. So, wetin Jesus talk mean say E come to give everybody His whole self. E come to give Himself to di people wey E preach to, for real, as E travel from village to village. E mean say E still dey give Himself to all of us every time we listen to and receive His Living Word: Di Living Word of His very life.
Today, reflect on di fact say Jesus want to “travel” come di village of your mind and heart. E want to look for you and bring no be only His words of eternal life, but His very self too. Let Jesus minister to you, and allow am speak to you clearly and truthfully.
My Lord of all Truth, I dey seek You, and I open myself make You seek me. Help me make I dey open to everything wey You want reveal to me, and help me make I receive You as di Living Gospel. Jesus, na You I trust.
Na About Make Heart Change, No Be to Become Popular
Thursday of di First Wik for Ordinary Time
The man comot go begin tell everybody the whole matter. E spread the news everywhere, sotey Jesus no fit enter any town openly again. He stay outside for places wey nobody dey live, and people continue to come meet am from everywhere. Mark 1:44-45
We fit understand why di man wey go away come “begin tell everybody about di whole matter” do so. E don dey suffer from di terrible sickness of leprosy, and e very likely say e don dey lose hope. E come meet Jesus, kneel down before am with humility, and show di deep faith wey e get. E talk say, “If You want, You fit make me clean.” Of course, Jesus want make am clean, and E heal di man wey get leprosy at once.
Wetin dey interesting be say, after Jesus heal di man, E tell am make e no tell anybody. But because di man happy well-well, e go dey tell everybody. Di result be say Jesus name and fame spread greatly, and people everywhere begin want know more about am. People dey look for am with so much interest that, as dis passage talk above, “E no possible for Jesus to enter any town openly.”
Dis story suppose naturally raise some questions for our mind. One interesting thing to think about be say Jesus no seem to get any interest to become “popular.” E for fit easily go from town to town, and as E enter new town, announce say, “Everybody, listen…I don come!” People for gather come meet am at once. But instead of accepting di fame wey come so quickly, E go places wey people no dey. People come meet am for dis lonely places wey hard to reach.
Jesus go places wey nobody dey live, dey wait make people come look for Him, because the whole purpose of His life na to help souls truly change, no be to become popular for society. He no dey look for honour from wetin people of this world think; na only to change hearts He get interest in. So, as He withdraw go places wey nobody dey live, He fit let the Father for Heaven bring people wey dey open to true change of heart come meet Him.
Na so e still be with us. Di “popular Jesus” no always be di “real Jesus.” In other words, di true Gospel message no normally be wetin di popular culture around us go present as something wey dey excite people. Jesus and His true Gospel message no go always make big headlines for national news. Instead, if we want find am, we must seek am with serious effort for di hidden and quiet places where E dey wait for us.
Today, think deep about Jesus as He dey wait for you for silence. Where that quiet “place wey nobody dey live” dey, where He dey wait? Where He dey wait make you come meet Him? Look for Him, and when you find Him, you go dey grateful forever say you make the effort.
My Lord wey hide Yourself, I dey look for You, but I still know say I never dey look for You reach as I suppose. You dey there, dey wait for me in ways wey nobody fit count. You dey call me make I enter deeper into quietness and staying alone with You. For di lonely places of life, You want care for my soul. Help me make I listen to You and make di journey come meet You. And as I find You, help me make I truly accept di change of heart wey You want for me. Jesus, na You I trust.
Di Way Jesus Dey Draw Us Near
Fraide for di First Week for Ordinary Time
When Jesus return to Capernaum after some days, people hear say e dey house. Plenty people gather, sotey space no remain for dem, even for around the door, and e preach the word to dem. Mark 2:1-2
People wey dey come meet Jesus plenty so tey space no dey for everybody, even for around the door of the house wey He dey. This situation get something wey person fit think about. If we look am for practical way, why Jesus no notice this problem and do something about am? Why He no move go bigger place where everybody go fit see and hear Am?
E hard to answer that question, but one thing dey wey we fit dey sure of. We fit dey sure say those wey come listen to Am, even if dem no fit enter, receive plenty reward because of their faith. This passage show one very important truth about spiritual life. E show say the strong desire to dey near Jesus, by itself, dey change person.
Plenty times, we go experience something like this. We fit find say we dey long to hear Jesus talk to us, but e be like say we no fit hear Him. E fit be say e look to us like He dey silent, or say we no know where to find Him. But no let your heart weak if na wetin you dey experience be this. Di truth be say your desire to dey with Him na great gift by itself, and e get power to change your life.
Today, think deeply about wetin we fit call “the silence of God.” Some times fit dey for your life when e go be like say God dey far away and you no fit find Am anywhere. When this happen, make you understand say na one way wey God dey use call you even closer to Himself. Na one way wey God dey whisper so that you go give Am all your attention. If na this kind “struggle” you dey experience sometimes, face our Lord with even more attention, and allow your desire for Am to grow. Na this desire to dey near Jesus fit even bear far more fruit for your life than if you hear Am loud and clear.
My Lord wey dey silent, abeg, make di desire to dey near You grow inside me. Help me make I long for You with all my heart. As I dey long for You, help me make I drop everything wey no come from You and give You all my attention. Jesus, na You I trust.
Who You Dey Keep Company With?
Satide for di First Week for Ordinary Time
“Why he dey chop with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus hear this and tell dem, “People wey well no need doctor, but sick people need doctor. I no come to call people wey dey do wetin right for God eye, but sinners.” Mark 2:16-17
Jesus do am; how about you? You ready make people see you with those wey be “sinners”? One thing wey worth to notice for this passage from Scripture na say EVERYBODY na sinner. So, the truth be say everybody wey Jesus spend time with na sinner.
But this passage and the way dem criticize Jesus no really concern say He dey spend time with people wey don commit sin; rather, na more about how He dey spend time with people wey the high-ranking people for society dey look down on. Jesus freely spend time with people wey others “no want near dem.” He no fear make people see Am with those wey others dey despise. The scribes and Pharisees quick notice say Jesus and His disciples welcome these people. Dem chop and drink with tax collectors, people wey dey commit sexual sins, thieves and others like dem. Even more than that, e look like say dem welcome these people without judging dem.
So, make we go back to the first question…You ready make people see you with, and make you spend time with, people wey others no like, people wey their life no dey go well, people wey dey suffer, people wey dey confused, and others like dem? You ready make your good name suffer because you love and care for people wey dey in need? You even ready to reach the point of making friend with person wey go spoil your good name for society?
Today, think deep about di person for your life wey you fit feel like avoiding. Why you dey feel like that? Who be di person wey you fit no want make people see you with, or wey you fit no too want keep company with? E fit be say, pass any other person, na this person Jesus want make you spend time with.
My loving Lord, You love everybody with deep and perfect love. You come especially for people wey their lives don scatter and wey dey live for sin. Help me make I always look for people wey need help and love everybody with love wey no dey shake and wey no dey condemn people. Jesus, na You I trust.
Di Second Wik for Ordinary Time
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