August 23, 2020
Twenty-First Sunday for Ordinary Time, Year A
Readings for Today
Listen for English
Then He give Im disciples strong order say make dem no tell anybody say na Him be the Messiah. Matthew 16:20
This line for today Gospel come just after Peter declare im faith say Jesus na the Messiah. Jesus, for Im own part, tell Peter say na “rock” e be, and na on top this rock He go build Im Church. Jesus still tell Peter say He go give am the “keys to the Kingdom.” Then He tell Peter and the other disciples say make dem keep who He be as tight sikrit.
Why Jesus go talk this kind thing? Wetin make Am talk am? E be like say Jesus go want make dem go out tell everybody say na Him be the Messiah. But no be wetin He talk be that.
One reason for this “Sikrit about the Messiah” na say Jesus no want make the news about who He be spread anyhow. Instead, He want make people discover who He truly be through the powerful gift of faith. He want make dem meet Am, open their heart with prayer to everything wey He talk, and then receive the gift of faith from the Father for Heaven.
This way of revealing who He truly be show how e dey important for person to know Christ personally through faith. Later, after Jesus die, rise from death and ascend go Heaven, God call the disciples to go out and preach openly about who Jesus be. But when Jesus still dey with dem, people come know who He be as dem meet Am personally.
Even though God call all of us to proclaim Christ openly and all the time for this our own time, na only through meeting Am personally we still fit understand and believe who He truly be. When we hear people proclaim Am, we must open our heart to Im divine presence, as He dey come meet us and speak to us deep inside our being. Na Him, and only Him, fit “convince” us about who He be. Na Him be the one and only Messiah, the Son of the Living God, as Saint Peter declare. We too must come understand this same truth as we meet Am personally for our hearts.
Today, reflect on how deep your faith and your knowledge of the Messiah be. You believe in Am with all your strength? You don allow Jesus to reveal Im divine presence to you? Try discover the “sikrit” of who He truly be by listening as the Father dey speak to you for your heart. Na only there you go come get faith in the Son of God.
Lord, I truly believe say na You be the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the Living God! Help me for where my faith no reach, so that I go fit believe in You and love You with my whole being. Dear Lord, invite me enter the hidden deep places of Your heart, and allow me to rest there with You in faith. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Saint of the Day – Saint Rose of Lima, Virgin
Dem no dey celebrate am as liturgical memorial this year because e fall on Sunday
Picture: Flevit super illam by Enrique Simonet
