November 12, 2021
Friday of Wik 32 for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr—Memorial
Listen for English
Jesus tell Im disciples: “As e be for the days of Noah, na so e go be for the days of the Pikin of Man; people dey chop and drink, dey marry and dey give people out for marriage, reach the day wey Noah enter the ark, and flood come destroy all of dem.” Luke 17:26–27
As we dey enter the last weeks of the liturgical year, we begin turn our attention to the final coming of Christ. For today Gospel, Jesus give us the example of Noah and Lot. For both of their stories, people dey chop, drink, marry, buy, sell, plant and build, until the very day wey flood come destroy the earth for Noah time, and fire rain down from the sky for Lot time. Both Noah and Lot escape destruction, but many other people wey dey alive that time face destruction wey happen suddenly, when dem no expect am.
Jesus talk sey the “days of the Pikin of Man” go be like these two things wey happen before. For time wey nobody expect, Jesus go return to earth, and the Final Judgment go follow. So Im message clear: Make una ready at all times.
Even though we know this teaching of our Lord, wey E don talk many times and for different ways inside the Gospels, many people no dey take the message to heart. E easy to believe sey tomorrow always dey for you to change, so you give in to temptation today. Then tomorrow come, and you give in to the temptation again, with the thought sey you go work on am tomorrow, and na so e dey continue. E easy for us to continue for our sins and dey give in to our temptations, while we still get the good intention to change tomorrow. This na mistake for two reasons.
First of all, e still possible sey our Lord go truly come today and sey today go really be the end of the world. Or, e still clearly possible sey your life go end today, suddenly and when you no expect am. If that one happen, you go fully ready to stand before the judgment seat of Christ? Most people no go ready, at least dem no go fully ready. So, this one suppose motivate us enough to work without getting tired today, so we go ready now and every moment after now.
But we suppose also see sey this prophecy of our Lord concern every present moment of every day. Jesus dey always come to us, suddenly and without warning, dey invite us to serve Am through grace. This Gospel passage talk sey, “Anybody wey try to preserve im life go lose am, but anybody wey lose am go save am.” This one concern the end of our lives and the end of the world, but e also concern every present moment of every day. If we continue to seek to lose our lives, that is, to choose the things of Heaven instead of the enjoyment of this world wey no dey last and wey dey tempt us every day, then we too go experience the grace of salvation every day, here and now, for every present moment of our lives.
Today, think deep about whether you dey regularly seek to lose your life because of the Kingdom of God. You dey always choose grace, mercy, Heaven, obedience, love, self-sacrifice, compassion, forgiveness and other things like these, for every moment of every day of your life? If na so, then our Lord go continue to give you the gift of Im saving grace here and now, dey prepare you for that final moment of judgment. If no be so, then you go be more like the people for Noah and Lot time, wey sudden destruction meet when dem no expect am at all. Live for God now, today, for this moment, and you go dey grateful forever sey you do so.
My Lord wey dey always present, You dey always come to me, suddenly and when I no expect, and many times I no dey hear You or notice sey You dey present. Abeg, help me to live for You always and through Your grace, dey choose the things of Heaven instead of enjoyment wey no dey last. Make I always live like this, dey meet You for every moment of my life and dey look forward to that glorious final meeting with You for the time of judgment. Jesus, na You I trust.
Novena to Christ the King
November 12–20, 2021
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Saint of Today – Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr
Main picture wey dey above: Noah and Im Ark wey Charles Willson Peale paint, from Wikimedia Commons
