January 21, 2021
Thursday for di Second Week of Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
Saint Agnes, Virgin wey Die for di Faith—Memorial
Listen for English
E tell Im disciples make dem get one boat ready for Am because of di crowd, so dem no go crush Am. E don heal many people, and because of this, people wey get sickness dey press come near Am to touch Am. Mark 3:9–10
E dey amazing to think about how so many people take get strong eagerness for Jesus. For di passage above, we see say Jesus ask Im disciples make dem get one boat ready for Am so di crowd no go crush Am as E dey teach dem. E don dey heal many sick people, and di crowd dey press come near Am just to try touch Am.
This scene show us wetin suppose happen inside our hearts for our relationship with our Lord. We fit talk say di people put their whole mind for their devotion to Jesus, and their desire for Am strong well-well. True, e fit be say part of wetin make dem desire Am na their own interest: dem want healing for their sickness and di sickness of people wey dem love. But even with that, wetin draw dem to Am na real and strong thing, wey move dem to put all their attention on our Lord.
As Jesus choose to enter boat and stay small distance from di crowd, that one too na act of love. Why? Because wetin E do allow Am help dem turn their attention again to Im mission wey go deeper. Even though E do miracles because E get compassion and to show Im almighty power, Im main focus na to teach people and lead dem enter di full Truth of di message wey E dey preach. So, as E separate Imself from dem, E dey invite dem to listen to Am instead of just trying to touch Am because dem want miracle for their body. For Jesus, to make their spiritual life whole, as E desire to do, matter far more than any healing wey E also give their body.
For our own life, Jesus fit “separate” Imself from us for some ways wey no really go deep, so we go open our hearts more to di purpose of Im life wey go deeper and fit change us more. For example, E fit remove some feelings of comfort, or allow us face some trial wey go make am seem like say E no dey near us as before. But whenever this happen, na always so we go turn to Am with deeper trust and hearts wey open more, so E go draw us deeper into relationship of love.
Today, think about whether you dey serve our Lord with one mind for your devotion to Am. From there, think too whether you hold on more to di good feelings and comfort wey you dey seek, or whether your devotion go deeper and focus more on di message wey our Lord want preach to you to change your life. See yourself for that shore, as you dey listen to Jesus speak, and allow Im holy words change your life more deeply.
My God wey dey save me, today I turn to You, and I seek to love You and give myself to You with one mind. Help me, first before any other thing, to listen to Your Word wey dey change life, and to allow that Word become di main focus of my life. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Saint of di Day – Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr
Picture wey dey above: Christ dey preach to di crowds, by James Smetham
