March—Thoughts About How We Dey Grow Old

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March 1

I dey often see our Blessed Mother as example of how person fit live holy life for old age. From the Cross, her Son Jesus talk say, “Woman, see your son.” He give her Saint John as her son. This one must don be call for her to put her heart for life again, to love John as her son. As we dey grow old, God dey often call us, maybe for new place, to love again, to put our heart for life again.

March 2

All of us know say “old people” na very broad group. E include people wey still dey very active and healthy, people wey get some things wey dem no fit do, and people wey no fit comot from bed or from house. The Catechism of the Catholic Church talk say, “People wey their strength or ability to live don reduce or become weak deserve special respect. Dem suppose help sick people or people wey get disability to live normal life as much as possible” (#2276).

March 3

So if you dey among the “old people wey still dey active,” you get precious opportunity to make life better for people wey no fit move about like you. Call dem. Go visit dem. You fit offer to buy foodstuff for dem or carry dem go see doctor. This help wey you offer with love go be gift, no be only for the other person, but for you too!

March 4

My Auntie Mary na wonderful person, but her life full of plenty pain and hardship. One day she tell me say, “You know, Dan, anytime I begin pity myself, I dey think of somebody wey im condition bad pass my own well-well, and I go do something good for am.” I think say, “Auntie Mary, you dey right! You don discover the secret!” And e no go surprise you to hear say Auntie Mary full of joy.

March 5

To fit accept help when somebody offer am no be small grace. E dey hard for us to do. E need some humility, but when you accept the help wey another person kindly offer, you dey actually do that person good. Both of una receive blessing for that exchange—the person wey give and the person wey receive.

March 6

One day recently, I go out enter the garage, then I think say: “Now, why I come here?” Then I just begin chuckle and laugh because I don forget wetin carry me come. E be like say to forget things wey just happen na something wey almost everybody dey experience for old age. I think say na fine opportunity for us to no take ourselves too seriously.

March 7

People wey study theology dey talk about the three “Transcendentals,” or the three paths wey person fit follow come to God. Dem be Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. The wonderful “truths” of our faith dey inspire some people. Some dey see the “goodness” of other people (like Saint Mother Teresa), and that one dey open their heart to God. And some dey see “beauty,” and e dey lead dem straight to praise God.

As I dey grow older, I dey notice say “beauty” dey touch my heart more and more. The beauty of wetin God create, the smile of small pikin, or sunset—all of dem dey seem to lead me straight to praise and worship our God. One interesting thing be say plenty passages for Psalms dey talk about “beauty.” One wey I like well-well dey for Psalm 19, wey proclaim say, “The heavens dey proclaim the glory of God, and the sky dey proclaim the work of His hands…their voice dey sound reach everywhere for the Earth, and their message dey reach the ends of the world.” I praise You, God of creation!

March 8

Holy Scripture dey often talk about how our life short, no doubt to help us prepare for the moment wey we go die. Psalm 90 put am like this: “Our life dey fade away…our years dey end like sigh. Seventy na the total of our years, or eighty, if we strong…dem dey pass quick, and we don go…Teach us to count our days well, so that we fit get wisdom for heart.” We dey hope say as we know how our life short, e go lead all of us to get wisdom for heart.

March 9

One of Jesus messages about how to prepare for death wey dey make person think deeply na Luke 12:16-21, the story of the rich farmer wey build more barns to store im plenty harvest. God tell am say, “You fool, this night dem go demand your life from you.” Then Jesus call us to be “…rich for wetin matter to God.” The point be say, our Lord dey direct our attention to things of eternity and to wetin go really matter to us for the end too.

March 10

E dey bear good fruit when we ask ourselves, “Na journey towards the death wey go eventually reach me I dey make, or na journey towards life?” The final destination of our life wey we fix for our mind matter well-well. Jesus talk am simply, “But first seek the kingdom [of God]…” (Matthew 6:33).

March 11

Plenty Christian writers dey point out say the time wey God give us always come with mission. As God give us the time, e mean say we get something to do, and wetin even matter pass be say we get the kind of person wey we suppose become—pikin of God wey dey shine with His light.

March 12

Writers wey dey write about spiritual life dey talk about how “our past fit dey control us like wicked ruler” as we dey old, but this one no ever true for Christian. God don forgive all the wrong things for my past through the Sacrament of God Mercy. So now I fit even thank God for my sins and mistakes, because God fit use even the things wey my sins cause for His glory and for my own good. Everything na grace when we take the eyes of faith look our past.

March 13

For Ash Wednesday, some parents dey bring their small children wey just dey learn to waka, and even their babies, make dem receive ash for their forehead. To hear those words, “Remember, human being, say you be dust, and na dust you go return to,” dey make person think deep about life and death. Yet, even for these fine babies, na true. Nobody among us go live forever. From the first moment of our life, na for eternity God make us.

March 14

Writers wey dey write about spiritual life dey talk about how tension and stress dey real for our life. Wetin God dey call us to do na to hand that tension over to Him and to His love for us. E good to pray, “Father, I hand (whatever the matter be) over to You.” Dey repeat the prayer slowly and often, and feel as the tension dey leave you.

March 15

As we dey old, e get meaning if we fit see our life as circle of blessings wey dey grow wider. The circle fit start small—the blessings of parents, family, and how dem take raise us for the faith—but as we dey go, the circle of blessings dey big more and more! I dey notice say God love for me dey show clearly for every stage of my life. “Because His love wey no dey change for us great well-well; and the Lord faithfulness dey last forever” (Psalm 117, RSVCE).

March 16

E dey easier for us to forgive other people if we don receive God forgiveness for our life. Wetin we don receive, na im we don pass give others. But e dey hard us well-well to believe say God really dey forgive us. If we get problem to forgive others, we dey suppose say God go get the same problem to forgive us. No be so! God no get problem to forgive us. Jesus even forgive the people wey dey kill Him while He dey for the Cross!

March 17

“No be una choose Me, na Me choose una” (John 15:16, RSVCE). Think about that one. From all eternity, God choose you to be His son or daughter wey He love dearly. We dey see ourselves as people wey choose God, and na true, but no be wonderful thing to realise say na we choose second, and say from all eternity God don already choose us?

March 18

One fine saying dey point out say, “God will no go lead us go where God grace no fit sustain us.” This thought dey give courage, especially when our human mind no fit see any reason or solution for the situation wey dey before us.

March 19

Saint Joseph na the patron saint for good death. E easy to see why. We dey see am for the bed where e dey about to die, with Mary for one side and Jesus for the other side. Wetin fit better pass that one! Pray to am make e intercede for you to get good death.

March 20

Today, we dey find out say plenty people wey be 65 or older no dey go Confession again, and many times, na only once in a long while dem dey go throughout their life. If na so you be, maybe this na good time to return, or to start one whole new spiritual habit. Just go meet priest and talk say, “Father, I go like make Confession get more meaning for me. You fit help me?” And e go help you, and you fit experience the meaning of that wonderful sacrament.

March 21

Na great grace to accept God plan for our life. We fit trust His plan and stop to struggle or carry bitter mind about ourselves and the kind people we be. Whether we dey healthy or sick, strong or weak, gentle or full of strong feelings, sharp or not, we fit trust God. For every case, na only God fit fill the empty place for human heart.

March 22

Revelation 3:20 get that wonderful quotation: “Look, I stand for the door and dey knock.” No doubt, you don see that picture of Jesus for the door, as He dey knock, and you don notice say no handle dey for the door. Na only from inside the door fit open. We dey open to Jesus Christ “from inside” through prayer every day, by receiving Confession and Holy Communion often, and by doing everything we fit do to remain aware say Jesus Christ dey right there with us throughout our day.

March 23

For some reason, e dey hard for us human beings to really understand say God truly love us. Maybe we dey think say God love be like the human love wey we dey receive, wey get conditions. But no be so He love us. Jesus tell us say, “As the Father don love Me, na so I don love una” (John 15:9, RSVCE). Ask for the grace to believe wetin Jesus talk just as He talk am. “Oh Lord, our God, Your love for us no dey ever tire.” (See Psalm 86.)

March 24

Saint Mother Teresa dey often talk say when Jesus talk “I dey thirsty” for di Cross, no be something to drink E dey ask for; instead, E dey tell us say E dey thirsty for our love, make we love Am back as E don love us so much. Just think am: when we love our Lord, we dey quench Im thirst!

March 25

We fit rejoice say we dey live for time when opportunity to adore di Blessed Sacrament dey increase. Try am. Give God one hour for Im presence for di Eucharist. You fit pray or read Scripture, but di main thing na to just siddon quietly dey adore our Lord. After one hour, di peace wey dey your heart go surprise you—na God gift to you.

March 26

See one thing wey you fit do: ask God make E enter you and take charge of your life. And E go do am.

March 27

One of di times wey I like pass to pray na immediately after I receive Holy Communion. Christ Body and Blood dey truly inside your body and blood! Which prayer intentions dey deepest for your heart and matter pass to you? Na di best time be this to bring dem to our Lord.

March 28

For Philippians 3:14, Saint Paul talk say, “I still dey press on towards di goal, di prize of God call to come up, for Christ Jesus.” Make this describe our own lives too.

March 29

Catherine Doherty of Madonna House dey talk say, “Na between two Masses I dey live my life.” No be fine way be that to see our lives—as time after di last Mass wey I attend and as I dey approach di next one? Na good way to check whether di Eucharist dey di centre of our life.

March 30

E dey important to know di difference between repentance and discouragement. To repent from sin dey move us to act: “With Your help, Lord, I no go do that thing again.” Discouragement dey make us lose hope, and that one no fit come from God.

March 31

No be wonderful thing, all di opportunities wey growing old dey give us to learn make we no take ourselves too serious? No doubt, na good thing be that.