February 11, 2021
Thursday for Fifth Week for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
Our Lady of Lourdes—Memorial wey No Be Compulsory
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No long after, one woman wey spirit wey no clean dey possess her daughter hear about am. She come fall for His feet. The woman na Greek, and na Syrophoenician by birth. She beg am make He drive the demon comot from her daughter. Mark 7:25–26
The love wey parent get for pikin get power. And e clear say the woman for this story love her daughter. Na that love push this mama to go find Jesus, with hope say He go free her daughter from the demon wey possess her. One thing wey catch attention be say this woman no dey practise the Jewish faith. She no be Jew; she na foreigner, but her faith na real faith wey deep well-well.
When Jesus first meet this woman, she beg am make He free her daughter from the demon. The first answer wey Jesus give surprise person. He tell her, “Make the children chop belleful first. Because e no right to take the children food throw give dogs.” For another way, Jesus dey talk say His mission na first to the people of Israel, the chosen people wey dey follow the Jewish faith. Na dem be the “children” wey Jesus dey talk about, and na people wey no be Jews, like this woman, He call “the dogs.” Jesus no talk to this woman like this because He wan be rude, but because He fit see how her faith deep reach, and He wan give her chance to show that faith make everybody see am. And na so she do.
The woman answer Jesus, “Lord, even the dogs wey dey under the table dey chop the small pieces of food wey fall from the children.” Her words no only show great humility; dem still come from deep faith and deep love for her daughter. Because of this, Jesus answer her with generous heart and free her daughter from the demon immediately.
For our own life, e easy to fall for the trap of thinking say we deserve God mercy. We fit think say God grace na our right. And even though Jesus really desire to pour His grace and mercy for our life pass wetin we fit measure, e very important make we fully understand say we no worthy before am. The way this woman heart dey give us perfect example of how we suppose come meet our Lord.
Today, think deeply about the beautiful example of this woman wey get deep faith. Read her words again and again as you dey pray. Try understand her humility, her hope, and her love for her daughter. As you dey do this, pray make you fit follow her example of goodness, so that you too go share for the blessings wey she and her daughter receive.
My Lord wey full of mercy, I trust for Your perfect love for me and for all peoples. I dey pray especially for people wey carry heavy load and for people wey evil don deeply entangle their life. Abeg free dem, dear Lord, and welcome dem into Your family so that dem go become true children of Your Father. Make I get the humility and faith wey I need to help bring this plenty grace to other people. Jesus, na You I trust.
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More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Saint for Today – Our Lady of Lourdes
Main picture wey dey above: Christ and the Canaanite Woman
