May 27, 2020
Wenezde of di Seventh Week of Easter
Readings for Today
Saint Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop—Memorial wey no be Compulsory
Listen for English
“I don give dem Your word, and di world hate dem, because dem no belong to di world, just as I no belong to di world. I no dey ask You to take dem comot from di world, but make You protect dem from di Wicked One. Dem no belong to di world, just as I no belong to di world. Set dem apart for You inside di truth. Your word na truth.” John 17:14–17
“Set dem apart for You inside di truth. Your word na truth.” Na dis be di key to survive!
Scripture show us three main temptations wey we dey face for life: Di flesh, di world and di devil. All three dey work to lead us astray. But one thing fit help us defeat all three…di Truth.
Dis Gospel passage above dey talk specifically about di “world” and di “wicked one.” Di wicked one, wey be di devil, dey real. E hate us and e dey do everything wey e fit do to mislead us and destroy our lives. E dey try fill our minds with empty promises, offer us pleasure wey no dey last, and encourage us to pursue wetin go benefit only ourselves. E be liar from di beginning and e still be liar till today.
One of di temptations wey di devil bring to Jesus during His forty-day fast for di beginning of His public ministry na to get everything wey di world fit offer. Di devil show Jesus all di kingdoms of di Earth and talk say, “I go give You all these things, if You go lie flat for ground and worship me.”
First of all, dis temptation no make sense, since Jesus already be di Creator of everything. But even so, E allow di devil to tempt Am with dis thing of di world wey dey attract person. Why E do dis? Na because Jesus know say di many things wey dey attract people for di world go tempt all of us. When we talk “world,” we mean many things. One thing wey come to mind for dis our time na di desire make di world accept us. Dis na serious problem wey dey hard to notice, but e dey affect plenty people, even our Church itself.
Because of di strong influence of di media and di political culture all over di world, pressure dey today, pass ever before, for us as Christians to just follow di ways of our time. Temptation dey for us to do and believe wetin popular and wetin society accept. And di “gospel” wey we dey allow ourselves to hear na di message of di world wey put God aside and dey act as if e no matter whether something good or bad.
One strong way of thinking dey spread for society (e dey spread all over di world because of di Internet and media): make we become people wey ready to accept anything and everything. We don lose our sense of wetin e mean to stand firm for wetin right and true. So, we need to hold on to di words of Jesus today pass ever before. “Your Word na Truth.” Di Word of God, di Gospel, everything wey our Catechism dey teach, everything wey our faith dey reveal na di Truth. Na dis Truth alone must be di light wey dey guide us, no be any other thing.
Today, reflect on how much di culture wey put God aside dey influence you. You don give in to pressure from dis world, or to di worldly “gospels” of dis our time? E take strong person to resist these lies. We go fit resist dem only if we remain set apart for God inside di Truth.
Lord, I truly dey set myself apart for You. Na You be di Truth. Na Your Word I need to keep my mind on di right thing and to find my way through di many lies wey surround me. Give me strength and wisdom so that I go always remain under Your protection, far from di wicked one. Jesus, na You I trust.
Novena to di Holy Spirit
Prayer wey we dey pray to prepare for Pentecost
Day Six – Wenezde, May 27
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Saint of di Day – Saint Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop
Picture: Jesus Wey Dem Tempt, by Carl Heinrich Bloch
