(Note: Two reflections dey below: Dem dey use ‘Thursday for di Sixth Week of Easter’ for dioceses where dem move di Ascension to di Seventh Sunday of Easter. For dioceses wey dey celebrate di Ascension today, click here or scroll go down.)
May 21, 2020
Thursday for di Sixth Week of Easter
Readings for Today
Listen for English
“Amen, amen, I dey tell una, una go cry and mourn, while di world dey rejoice; una go get sorrow, but una sorrow go turn to joy.” John 16:20
Sorrow, mourning and even crying na part of life. Children dey often cry for even di smallest difficulty, but all of us dey face sorrow and sadness throughout life.
For dis passage above, Jesus tell His Apostles say sorrow and sadness go be part of their life. Dis na serious statement wey show di reality of life, wey our Lord make. Na because He love His Apostles, He tell dem plainly about di hardships wey dem go face.
Di good news be say, after Jesus make dis statement, He give dem news wey bring hope: their “sorrow go turn to joy.” Dis na di most important part of wetin Jesus talk.
Na so e still be for our own life. Jesus no promise us say hardship and pain no go dey for our life. He no tell us say to follow Him mean say everything for life go easy. Instead, He want make we know say we go follow His footsteps if we choose to follow Him. He suffer, dem maltreat Him and, for di end, dem kill Him. And dis one for be tragedy if He no later rise from di dead, go up enter Heaven and turn all di sorrow and pain wey come before into di very means for di salvation of di world.
If we follow His footsteps, we need to see every sorrow for our life as something wey fit become means of grace for plenty people. If we fit face di hardships of life with faith and hope, nothing go fit keep us down for di end, and God go fit use everything for His glory, and e go bring great joy.
Today, reflect on dis words of Jesus. Know say no be only His Apostles He dey talk to; He dey talk to you too. No let any difficulty wey life bring make your faith shake or shock you. No lose hope when suffering come your way. Surrender everything to our Lord and allow Him turn am into di joy wey He promise for di end.
Lord, I surrender all di suffering for my life to You. I put my sorrow, hardships, sadness and confusion for Your hands. I trust say all power belong to You and You want turn everything into means for Your glory. Give me hope when I dey lose hope, and trust when life hard. Jesus, na You I trust.
Novena to di Holy Spirit
Prayer wey we dey pray to prepare for Pentecost
E dey start Friday, May 22
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Saint for Today – Saint Christopher Magallanes, Priest and Martyr, and Im Companions, Martyrs
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Our Lord Wey Dey Always Present
Solemnity for di Ascension of Our Lord
Listen for English
“So, make una go and make disciples from all nations, baptize dem for di name of di Father, and of di Son, and of di Holy Spirit, and teach dem to obey everything wey I don command una. And see, I dey with una always, until di end of di age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (Year A)
Jesus finish His mission for Earth and go up enter Heaven to sit down for His glorious throne for all eternity. But na so e really be? Di answer na yes and no. Yes, He sit down for His glorious throne, but no, He no finish His mission for Earth. Di Ascension na both di end and di beginning. Na movement enter di next stage for di Father perfect plan. And when we understand how dis plan dey unfold, e suppose fill us with wonder and deep reverence.
True true, e be like say fear catch di Apostles small and dem confuse. Jesus dey with dem, then E die, then E rise from death and appear to dem different times, and then E go up go meet di Father for their very eyes. But E still tell dem say e good make E go. In fact, E talk say e better make E go. Dem go don really confuse. Jesus still tell dem say Im Advocate go come lead dem into all Truth. So di Apostles move from joy to fear, then to relief and more joy, then to confusion and sorrow, and then to wanting to know wetin go happen and not being sure.
Dis one sound familiar? Maybe na so some people see their life. Better times and hard times, twists and turns, joy and sorrow. Every stage dey reveal something new, something wey bring challenge, something glorious or something wey bring sorrow. Di good news be say di Father plan dey unfold perfectly.
Di part of di perfect plan wey we dey celebrate for dis solemnity na di part where Jesus begin direct Im mission to establish di Kingdom of God from Heaven. In one way, Im throne be like di driver seat for our lives. From Heaven, Jesus suddenly begin dey come down into our lives continually, as E dey fulfil Im mission inside and through di Apostles, and inside and through all of us too. Di Ascension no mean say Jesus don leave us; instead, e mean say Jesus now dey present to each and every person wey turn to Am and surrender their life to Im mission. From Heaven, Jesus fit dey present to everybody. E fit live inside us, and E dey invite us make we live inside Am. Na di new beginning of di Church. Now, all wey di Apostles need to do na to wait make di Holy Spirit come down.
Today, reflect on how our Lord dey remain close to you and dey present for your life. Know say Jesus dey invite you to take part for His mission. From His glorious throne, He want make we “preach everywhere.” He want invite each one of us to do our own part. Di part of di Father plan wey He put for each person hand, He no put am for another person hand. All of us get part for dat plan. Wetin be your own part? How Jesus dey direct His mission through you? Think deeply about dis question today, and know say He dey go with you as you say “Yes” to your own part as His perfect plan dey unfold in glory.
Lord, I truly see say my life full of plenty ups and downs, twists and turns. Joy and sorrow dey, and times dey when I confuse and times when I understand clearly. For everything, help me make I continue to say “Yes” to Your plan. Jesus, na You I trust.
Novena to di Holy Spirit
Prayer wey we dey pray to prepare for Pentecost
E dey start Friday, May 22
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Read More – Ascension
Prayer Meditation for di Ascension
Image: Ascension wey Benjamin West make
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