March 3, 2021
Wenezde for di Second Week of Lent
Readings for Today
Saint Katharine Drexel, Virgin—Memorial Wey No Be Obligation for USA
Listen for English
As Jesus dey go up to Jerusalem, E take di Twelve disciples go one side by demself, and E tell dem for road, “Make una see, we dey go up to Jerusalem, and dem go hand di Son of Man over to di chief priests and di scribes. Dem go condemn Am to death, and hand Am over to di Gentiles so dem go mock Am, flog Am and crucify Am, and on di third day, E go rise from death.” Matthew 20:17–19
Dat talk must really touch dem! As Jesus dey travel go Jerusalem with di Twelve, just before di first Holy Week, E talk openly and clearly about wetin dey wait for Am for Jerusalem. Imagine wetin di disciples for dey think. For many ways, wetin E talk for too much for dem to understand for dat time. For many ways, e fit be say di disciples prefer make dem no hear wetin Jesus wan talk. But Jesus know say dem need to hear dis truth wey hard to accept, especially as di time for di Crucifixion dey come near.
Plenty times, e dey hard for us to accept di full message of di Gospel. Na because di full message of di Gospel go always point us, above all, to di sacrifice of di Cross. We need to see, understand, love, fully accept and confidently proclaim di love wey dey make sacrifice and di full acceptance of di Cross. But how we go do dis? Make we start with our Lord Himself.
Jesus no fear di truth. E know say His suffering and death don near, and E ready and willing to accept dis truth without hesitation. E no see His Cross as something wey bad. E no see am as tragedy wey E must avoid. E no allow fear to stop Am. Instead, Jesus use di light of truth look di suffering wey dey come near. E see His suffering and death as one glorious act of love wey E go soon offer. So E no fear, no be only to accept dis suffering, but also to talk about am with confidence and courage.
For our own lives, every time we must face something wey hard, we dey receive invitation to follow Jesus’ example of courage and love. When dis happen, some temptations wey dey common na to vex because of di difficulty, to find ways to avoid am, to blame other people, or to give in to despair and things like dat. Plenty ways wey we dey use manage difficulties dey quickly enter our mind, and we dey tend to use dem try avoid di crosses wey dey wait for us.
But wetin go happen if, instead, we follow di example of our Lord? Wetin go happen if we face each and every cross wey dey ahead with love and courage, and accept am willingly? Wetin go happen if, instead of to find way to escape, we find way to enter inside, as we fit talk am? Dat mean say we go find way to accept our suffering as sacrifice, without hesitation, as we dey follow Jesus’ example of how E accept His Cross. Every cross for life fit become instrument of plenty grace for our own lives and for other people lives. So, when we look am from di angle of grace and eternity, we must accept crosses, no be to avoid dem or curse dem.
Today, reflect on any difficulty wey you dey face. You dey see am di same way wey Jesus dey see am? You fit see every cross wey dem give you as chance to love with sacrifice? You fit accept am with hope and confidence, as you know say God fit bring good come out of am? Try follow our Lord example by accepting di difficulties wey you dey face with joy, and for di end, dose crosses go share for di Resurrection with our Lord.
My Lord wey suffer, You freely accept di injustice of di Cross with love and courage. You see beyond wetin look like scandal and suffering, and You turn di evil wey dem do You into di greatest act of love wey anybody don ever know. Give me di grace to follow di example of Your perfect love, and to do am with di strength and confidence wey You get. Jesus, na You I trust.
40 Days for the Foot of the Cross – Reflection Fourteen – “Do Anything Wey E Tell Una”
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Scripture Meditation Dem for Lent
Saint for Today – Saint Katharine Drexel
Main image wey dey above: Jesus Dey Discuss with His Disciples, by James Tissot
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