July 24, 2021
Satide for Week Sixteen for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
Saint Sharbel Makhlūf, Priest, Hermit—Memorial Wey No Be By Force
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Jesus tell di crowd one parable. “We fit compare di Kingdom of heaven to one man wey plant good seed for im farm. As everybody dey sleep, im enemy come plant weeds all through di wheat, then e comot.” Matthew 13:24–25
Dis parable start for one very good way. E talk say dem plant good seed. For another way, dem preach di pure Gospel for good soil. Dis one mean any situation where di person wey dey preach really dey reach people well, and where di Gospel enter plenty ears and dem plant am for plenty hearts. Dis na something to rejoice about. But di parable quick show say di people wey suppose guard di good soil where dem plant di Word of God no do their duty to protect am. Because of dis, di “enemy come plant weeds all through di wheat.” For another way, di wicked one don also plant im lies for di hearts of di people wey hear di Word of God, and those lies take root and begin grow.
Dis one clearly describe di world wey we dey live inside today. First, e describe di hearts of plenty Christians wey don hear di Word of God and respond to am, but wey still dey struggle with doubts, confusion and lies wey di wicked one plant. But e also clearly describe di whole world and even di Church for earth. Plenty division dey inside communities and even inside di Church. Plenty voices dey compete with one another. And even for people wey their hearts be good soil, e fit hard to know di difference between wetin come from God and wetin be deception wey di wicked one hide well.
Di weed wey dis parable dey talk about na cockle. Cockle na weed wey, as e dey grow, dey look very much like wheat. E dey very hard to tell di difference between am and wheat until di grain begin show. But when di grain begin show, person fit clearly see di difference. And if dem mistakenly grind di cockle together with di wheat, e go make person feel like to vomit when e chop am.
Di parable clear well. Di lies wey di wicked one dey plant for di hearts of di faithful, people wey their hearts be fertile soil, dey hard to notice, especially for di beginning. Those lies wey hide well fit easily confuse us. Di wicked one no dey often succeed to mislead di faithful through serious errors wey everybody fit clearly see. So, e dey deceive with small errors. Because of dis, people often no dey recognise di error until much later, when e don begin bear fruit. Di result na division, confusion, conflict and other things like dem. Conflict inside our own souls, inside our world and even inside our Church.
Wetin be di solution? To dey watch well. We, as followers of Christ, must dey watch very well concerning wetin we dey allow our hearts to receive. Just because something sound good for di beginning no mean say e good. Na why we get Scripture, di Magisterium of di Church and di teachings of di saints. We must always use di pure teachings of our faith wey dey consistent to examine everything wey we dey allow enter our hearts, our families, our world and our churches. And when we see division, dis na clear sign say some error wey hard to notice don sneak enter. For di end, for harvest time, when all of us go face Christ our Lord for our judgement, E go separate di good from di bad. But for our own part, we must dey watch well so dat na only di pure seed of God Word we go receive and plant.
Today, reflect on your own soul as fertile ground. Which “seed” dem dey plant there? Wetin you dey allow to enter your heart and take root? You dey watch well, and you still dey pay attention to di ways wey di wicked one dey try mislead you through lies and errors wey hard to notice? Think about these questions with honest heart, and if you find conflict and confusion for your life, look more deeply into where these troubles dey come from. If lies dey wey you don allow enter your own life, hand dem over to our Lord so dat E fit remove dem for di proper time.
Most holy Word of God, na You be di living Word wey dey plant seed for di fertile ground of our hearts. You dey plant Yourself for di hearts of people wey believe, so dat Your life fit bear good fruit for di faithful. Abeg, plant di seed of Your Word for my own heart, dear Lord, and protect me from di deception of di wicked one. As You dey do dis, I pray make You produce plenty good fruit through me. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
Saint for Today – Saint Sharbel Makhlūf, Fada, Hermit—Memorial wey No Be Obligation
Featured picture wey dey above: Parable of di Person wey Dey Plant Seed, through flickr
