July 1, 2020
Wednesday for Week Thirteen for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
Saint Junipero Serra, Priest—Memorial wey No Be Compulsory for USA
Listen for English
When Jesus reach di territory of di Gadarenes, two men wey demons dey possess come out from di tombs meet Am. Dem wild so tey nobody fit pass dat road. Dem shout, “Wetin concern You with us, Son of God? You come here to torment us before di time wey dem don appoint?” Matthew 8:28-29
Dis passage for Scripture show us two things: 1) Demons dey fierce well-well; 2) Jesus get complete power over dem.
First of all, make we notice say di two men wey demons dey possess “wild so tey nobody fit pass dat road.” Dat statement get plenty meaning. E clear say di demons wey dey possess dis two men wicked well-well, and dem make di people for di town fear no be small. Dem fear so tey nobody even wan come near di men. Dis kind thought no sweet at all, but na reality, and e worth make we understand am. Na true say we fit no dey encounter evil directly like dis too often, but sometimes we dey face am. Di Wicked One dey alive and active, and e dey always try to build im kingdom of demons here for Earth.
Think about times wey evil show face clearly, dey oppress people, dey seek to harm dem, dey carefully planned, and so on. Times dey for history when e look like say di Wicked One dey win with great power. And different ways still dey wey we fit see im work for our world today.
Dat one bring us to di second lesson for dis story. Jesus get complete authority over di demons. Wetin draw attention be say E drive dem enter di herd of pigs, and di pigs then run down di hill and die. Strange thing. Di thing overwhelm di people for di town so tey dem ask Jesus to leave di town. Why dem go do dat kind thing? Part of di reason seem to be say, as Jesus drive di demons comot from dis two men, e cause plenty commotion. Dis na because evil wey don show face no dey leave quietly.
Dis na important lesson wey we need to remember for dis our time. E important because e look like say di Wicked One dey make people notice im presence more and more today. And e surely get plans to make people notice im presence even more for di years wey dey come. We dey see dis for di way our societies dey fall for moral life, di way people dey openly accept immoral behaviour, di way different cultures for di world dey push religion comot from everyday life, di increase for terrorism, and so on. Ways wey make e look like say di Wicked One dey win di battle too plenty to count.
Jesus get all power, and E go win for di end. But di hard part be say Im victory go most likely cause plenty commotion and make many people no dey at ease. Just as dem tell Am to leave their town after E free di men wey demons dey possess, na so plenty Christians today dey all too ready to ignore di way di kingdom of di Wicked One dey grow, so dat dem go avoid any disagreement.
Today, think deeply whether you dey ready to face di “things wey go follow,” as we fit call am, if you use di Kingdom of God stand against di kingdom of di Wicked One. You dey ready to do wetin e go take to stand strong inside culture wey dey continue to spoil? You dey ready to stand firm even as di Wicked One dey make noise? To talk “Yes” to dis one no go easy, but e go be glorious way to follow di example of our Lord Imself.
Lord, help me to remain strong as I face di Wicked One and im kingdom of darkness. Help me to stand against dat kingdom with confidence, love and truth, so dat Your Kingdom go take im place. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Saint for Today – Saint Junipero Serra, Priest
Picture: Krankenheilung wey Gebhard Fugel paint
