May 19, 2021
Wednesday for di Seventh Week of Easter
Readings for Today
Listen for English
“I don give dem Your word, and di world hate dem, because dem no belong to di world, just as I no belong to di world. I no dey ask make You take dem comot from di world, but make You protect dem from di Wicked One.” John 17:14–15
Sadly, di wicked one dey real. Na im rank pass among di angels wey fall, wey still get di spiritual power wey God give dem as part of how E create dem. God create all angels so dem go serve His holy will. Scripture reveal say nine levels, or “choirs,” dey wey these angels belong to. Among di angels wey fall, di one wey rank pass dey direct di others, and di name wey tradition give am na Lucifer or “di devil.”
One of di spiritual powers wey these angels wey fall still get from how God create dem na di power to influence people and suggest thoughts to dem. God create dem to carry His truth come meet us; but, as dem don fall, dem dey try to bring confusion and lies instead. So, e dey help us well-well to understand how di wicked one and di other angels wey fall dey communicate with us, so we go fit reject their lies and listen only to God voice.
For im rules about how to recognise which spirit dey work, Saint Ignatius of Loyola explain say when person dey move “from mortal sin to mortal sin,” di wicked one and di other demons dey continually put for di person mind di “things wey look like pleasure” and “bodily enjoyment” wey di person dey get from im sin, so that di sin go continue to hold am tight. But when person dey “work hard to cleanse imself from sin and dey move from good to better,” di wicked one and di other demons dey act di opposite way. Dem go “bite am, make am sad and put obstacles for im way, dey trouble am with false reasons, so e no go continue” to pursue holiness. God and di good angels go act di opposite way. For people wey don sink inside sin, God and di good angels go use “di opposite method, dey prick dem and bite their conscience through reasoning,” so dem go draw dem comot from sin. And when person truly dey grow for holiness, God and di good angels go “give am courage and strength, consolation, tears, inspiration and peace, dey make things easier and remove all obstacles, so e go fit continue to do good” (See mycatholic.life/ignatius).
These spiritual lessons about how to recognise which spirit dey work get great value, and dem go help you for your daily struggle against sin and your daily effort to grow for holiness. When we understand di tricks of di wicked one and recognise di ways wey di grace God give us dey move us, e dey help us see our daily life clearly and know how to direct all our actions. Di good news wey di Scripture passage above reveal na say our Lord know everything wey di wicked one dey do, E don pray for you, and E go help you as you dey try to fight these lies and tricks for your life.
Today, think deeply about how e dey important to learn how to recognise both God voice and di lies of di wicked one. Make effort to recognise God voice so you go fit follow Am more faithfully. And try to recognise di lies of di wicked one so e no go fit influence you, and you go fit reject am directly. Give yourself to checking these spiritual experiences for your life more carefully, and allow this prayer of Jesus to lead you into His holy will.
My Lord wey get all power, You don conquer di wicked one, and You dey give me all di grace wey I need to overcome im lies and tricks. Open my mind make I recognise Your voice, and make me recognise di wicked one voice clearly, so I go fit choose You with all my heart and reject everything wey di wicked one dey try to tell me. Jesus, na You I trust.
Novena to di Holy Spirit
Prayer wey we dey pray to prepare for Pentecost
Day Six – Wednesday, May 19
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Picture inside di post: “Chase Our Satan Comot”, photo wey Lawrence O.P. take, Flikr
Catholic Daily Reflections
Sizin of Ordinary Time: May 24–August 31
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