Monday, August 19, 2019
Monday for di 20th Wik for Ordinary Time
Saint John Eudes, Fada – Memorial wey No Be Must
Listen for English
“If you want dey perfect, go sell wetin you get, give di money to poor people, and you go get treasure for heaven. Then come follow Me.” When di young man hear this talk, e comot with sadness, because e get plenty possessions. Matthew 19:21-22
Thank God say Jesus no tell you or me this! No be so? Abi He tell us? This one concern all of us if we want dey perfect? Di answer fit surprise you.
Na true say Jesus dey call some people to really sell all their possessions and give wetin dem get to others. People wey answer this call dey discover great freedom as dem no let any material possession hold their heart. Their vocation na sign for all of us of di deep call wey each of us don receive for inside our heart, wey suppose change us from di root. But wetin about di rest of us? Wetin be this deep call wey our Lord don give us for inside our heart? Na call to poverty for spirit. By “poverty for spirit,” we mean say God dey call each and every one of us make we no let di things of this world hold our heart, just as people wey He call to live without material possessions. Di only difference be say one call concern both di inside and di outside of person, while di other call concern only di inside. But e must still change us from di root in di same way.
How poverty for inside person dey look? Na one of di Beatitudes. “Blessed na people wey poor for spirit,” as St. Matthew talk, and “Blessed na poor people,” as St. Luke talk. Poverty for spirit mean say we dey discover di blessing of spiritual riches as we no let di material things wey dey entice people for this age hold our heart. No, material “things” no be evil. Na why e no bad to get personal possessions. But e dey common well-well for us to still let di things of this world hold our heart tight. Too many times, we dey want more and more, and we dey fall inside di trap of thinking say more “things” go make us happy. This one no true, and we know am deep for our heart, but we still dey fall straight inside di trap of behaving as if more money and possessions go satisfy us. As one old Roman catechism talk am, “Person wey get money no dey ever get money wey reach am.”
Today, think deeply about di clear call wey you don receive to live for this world without letting di things of this world hold your heart. Possessions na only means to help you live holy life and fulfil your purpose for life. This one mean say you go get wetin you need, but e also mean say you go try hard to avoid excess and, especially, no let worldly possessions hold your heart.
Lord, with my free will, I renounce everything wey I get and own. I give am to You as spiritual sacrifice. Receive everything wey I get, and help me use am only as You want. As I no let these things hold my heart, make I discover di true riches wey You get for me. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Saint of Today – Saint John Eudes
