October 23, 2021
Saturday of the Twenty-Ninth Week for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
Saint John of Capistrano, Priest—Memorial wey no be compulsory
Listen for English
“‘For three years now, I don dey come find fruit for this fig tree, but I never see any. So cut am down. Why e go dey use up the strength of the soil?’ The man answer am, ‘Oga, leave am for this year too, make I work the ground round am and put manure; e fit bear fruit for future. If e no bear, you fit cut am down.’” Luke 13:7–9
How much good fruit your life dey bear? Na important question wey you need answer with honest heart. One of the best ways to know whether we dey do wetin God want or not na to look at the fruit wey our life dey bear.
Good fruit dey come in different ways, and e dey show for different forms. But the fruit wey you need look for get two parts. First, na the fruit wey dey inside your own soul because you dey live life of true prayer and union with God. Second, we must look for the fruit wey love of God and neighbour dey produce for the way we dey treat other people.
When you look inside your own soul with honest heart, wetin you dey see? Many times, you fit see something like war inside you, as your strong feelings and desires wey no dey proper order dey fight against the Spirit of God. To bear good spiritual fruit, you go need purification inside you. Through prayer, fasting, spiritual reading and things like these, you must look for ways wey the Spirit of God dey take control of your human nature wey no dey proper order, and put am back in order according to His holy will. Even though all of us na sinners and all of us go fall sometimes, we must work hard to overcome every action, desire and temptation wey we fit clearly judge, as e truly be, say e dey against wetin God want. Sometimes, your human nature wey sin don spoil fit drag you towards sin with so much force that e go confuse your understanding and make you begin find excuses for your sins. But if you want the fruit of God presence for your life, you must continue to choose to make your inner life garden wey dey bear fruit, where virtues wey come from God dey grow and receive plenty nourishment. So, again, wetin you truly dey see when you look inside your own soul?
As God dey nourish the virtues inside us, and our strong feelings and desires wey no dey proper order come under the control of the Spirit of God, we go also discover say we need allow the fruits of God love inside us to flow from our lives enter other people lives. We go begin desire to live without putting ourselves first and to make sacrifices. We go begin desire to put other people first. We go see other people lives as precious and full of dignity. And we go overcome the habit of condemning people, harshness, anger and things like these. We go find say we dey desire good for other people, and through God power wey pass human power, we go feel drawn to do many small acts of kindness for everybody. But all these things dey start from person inner life, wey our Lord want work on and nourish with His grace, so that the fruits of His love go grow inside the person and, in the end, show well-well for the way the person dey treat everybody every day.
Today, reflect on how your soul be like this fig tree wey never dey bear fruit. Picture our Lord as E dey come meet you and ask you to allow Am work the ground and put manure. Know say this one mean say you too must change. If you go bear good fruit, you need this help wey our Lord dey come give you. Work with Am, put serious effort, and do everything wey you fit do to begin bear plenty good fruit, so that you no go dey among those wey God justice go cut down for the end.
My Lord wey dey work hard, You no dey ever stop to work hard on the soil of my soul, so that the seeds of Your mercy go grow and produce the good fruit wey You want make my life bear. Abeg, give me the grace wey I need to remain faithful to daily prayer, to dey do penance and to dey seek Your holy Word. Change me, my dear Lord, and make my life bear the good fruit of Your holy Kingdom. Jesus, na You I trust.
Novena to Saint Jude
For Situations and Cases Wey Be Like Say Hope No Dey Again
Person fit pray am any time for the year, especially October 19–27
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
Saint for Today – Saint John of Capistrano, Priest
