May 11, 2021
Tuesday for Week Six of Easter
Readings for Today
Listen for English
Jesus tell His disciples: “Now I dey go meet the One wey send Me, and none of una dey ask Me, ‘Where You dey go?’ But because I don tell una this thing, sorrow don fill una heart. But I dey tell una the truth: e better for una make I go. Because if I no go, the Advocate no go come meet una. But if I go, I go send Am come meet una.” John 16:5–7
Jesus continue to tell His disciples, as prophecy, why He must go meet the Father so that He fit send the Holy Spirit. One thing wey stand out for this passage na how Jesus tell His disciples say “sorrow” don fill their heart because of wetin He don tell them. E clear say this sorrow dey their heart because dem no understand wetin dem go soon experience, and dem no want make their relationship with Jesus change.
All through our life, our Lord go dey call us to change. Sometimes, He dey call us comot from wetin we don know well and wey dey make us comfortable, and He dey call us enter something new. This fit make us fear, and e fit cause “sorrow” for us too. To help us, make we look this passage wey dey above well well.
Remember say, many times before Jesus die, He begin reveal small small to His disciples, especially the Twelve, say He go go meet the Father and He no go dey with them again the way He don dey with them before. Jesus want make the Twelve begin understand say their relationship with Him, with the Father and with the Holy Spirit go soon get new meaning for their life. But because this na something new, a change from wetin dem don get used to, dem put their mind more on the sorrow wey loss dey bring than on the joy wey dey wait for them.
This same kind experience fit happen often for all of us. Even though big changes no dey necessarily happen every time for life, almost everybody go experience change at different times for life. And when that change follow wetin God want, we must welcome am with hope and strong expectation.
For example, changes for our vocation, like to marry, to get children or to enter religious life, always dey bring plenty change—but na change wey God fit use do plenty good. Also, when person wey we love die, when we move go new community, start new work or school, form new relationships and other things like these, e fit hard, but e fit still bear good fruit. Since the Gospel passage wey dey above dey talk specifically about the change wey come when God pour out the Holy Spirit, e fit help us to remember say anytime new change happen for our life, the Holy Spirit dey there, dey wait to enter the new situation in ways wey we no fit ever imagine. So if sometimes you dey feel sorrow because you lose something or somebody, or you dey face difficulty as you start something new for life, know say the disciples experience something like that too. But for the end, wetin Jesus talk come true—“e better for una make I go.” Even though dem no want see Jesus die and later ascend go Heaven comot from their sight, this na part of God plan for their life. Na so too, when the changes wey we face for life na part of God divine plan, we fit dey sure say good things dey wait for us.
Today, think well about anything wey our Lord fit dey ask you to do concerning a change for your life. Your heart dey open, you ready, and you willing to do anything wey He ask? Or the thought of some change dey make you fear or feel sorrow? Open your heart to anything wey our Lord ask you, and know say na only when you accept His holy will with your whole heart you go follow the road wey lead to true happiness for life.
My dear Jesus, You prepare Your disciples for the new life of grace wey dem go receive after Your death and Resurrection. Even though dem dey fear and dem no sure of wetin go happen, dem accept the new life wey You call them to live, and You do wonderful things through them. Abeg, open my heart make I accept my vocation with my whole heart, together with any changes wey You want for my life. I tell You “Yes,” my Lord, and I pray make You work with power through me by the Holy Spirit. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Images wey dey above: God the Father by Jacob Herreyns I, through Wikimedia Commons
