March 16, 2021
Tuesday for di Fourth Week of Lent
Readings for Today
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One man dey there wey don sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus see am as e lie down there and know say e don sick for long time, E ask am, “You want make you well?” John 5:5–6
Na only people wey their leg no dey work for many years fit understand wetin this man endure for life. Im leg no dey work, and e no fit waka for thirty-eight years. People believe say di pool wey e lie down near get power to heal. So, many people wey dey sick and people wey their leg no dey work go sit down near di pool and try to be di first person to enter when di water move. From time to time, dem dey talk say di person wey enter first don receive healing.
Jesus see this man and clearly understand how e want healing after all these years. Most likely, to receive healing na wetin e want pass every other thing for im life. As e no fit waka, e no fit work to provide wetin e need. E go don depend on begging and di generosity of other people. When anybody think about this man, im suffering and how e continue to try to get healing from this pool, e suppose touch di person heart with compassion. And because Jesus get heart wey full of compassion, E feel moved to give this man no be only di healing wey e want so much, but plenty more.
One virtue for this man heart wey go don especially move Jesus to compassion na di virtue of enduring with patience. This virtue na di ability to get hope even as person dey face trial wey continue for long time. Dem still dey call am “to bear suffering for long time” or “patience wey dey last.” Normally, when person face difficulty, di first thing wey e go do na to look for way out. As time dey pass and di difficulty no go away, e easy for person to lose courage and even lose all hope. To endure with patience na di cure for this temptation. When person fit use patience endure anything and everything wey e suffer for life, e get spiritual strength inside am wey dey help am for plenty ways. E go find am easier to endure other small challenges. Strong hope go grow inside am. Even joy dey come with this virtue, despite di struggle wey still dey continue.
When Jesus see say this virtue dey alive for this man, E feel moved to reach out and heal am. And di main reason why Jesus heal this man no be just to help im body, but so that di man go come believe in Jesus and follow Am.
Today, reflect on this beautiful virtue of enduring with patience. Di way we suppose see di trials of life no be as something bad, but as invitation to endure with patience. Think well about how you dey endure your own trials. Na with deep patience wey dey continue, hope and joy? Or na with anger, bitterness and loss of all hope? Pray for di gift of this virtue and try to follow di example of this man wey im leg no dey work.
My Lord, source of all hope, You endure so much for life, and You persevere through everything with perfect obedience to di will of di Father. Give me strength as I dey face di trials of life, so that I go grow strong for di hope and joy wey dey come with that strength. Make I turn away from sin and turn to You with complete trust. Jesus, na You I trust.
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Novena to Saint Joseph
March 10–18
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Scripture Meditation Dem for Lent
