June 9, 2022
Thursday of Wik Ten for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
Saint Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor of di Church—Memorial wey no compulsory
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“Settle with di person wey you get case with sharp-sharp while una still dey road dey go court. If not, di person go hand you over to di judge, and di judge go hand you over to di guard, and dem go throw you inside prison. Amen, I dey tell you, dem no go release you until you don pay di last penny.” Matthew 5:25-26
Dat na thought we dey make person fear! At first, person fit see dis tori as if mercy no dey inside at all. “Dem no go release you until you don pay di last penny.” But di truth be say, na act of great love.
Di main thing for here be say Jesus want make we reconcile with Him and with one another. In particular, He want make all di vex, bitterness and grudge comot from our souls. Na why He talk say make you “Settle with di person wey you get case with sharp-sharp while una dey road dey go court.” In other words, ask for forgiveness and reconcile before you find yourself for di judgment seat of divine justice.
Di justice of God dey fully satisfied when we humble ourselves, ask for forgiveness for our faults, and sincerely try to make things right. Once we do dis, we don already pay every “penny.” But wetin God no dey accept na stubborn refusal to change. Dis kind stubbornness na serious sin, and e no fit receive forgiveness unless di person let go of di stubbornness. To stubbornly refuse to admit our fault for any quarrel na very serious matter. To stubbornly refuse to change our ways na serious matter too.
Di punishment be say God go carry out His justice on us until we finally repent. And dis na act of love and mercy from God, because His judgment dey focus especially on our sin, wey be di only thing wey dey block our love for God and other people.
To pay back di last penny fit also serve as picture of Purgatory. Jesus dey tell us make we change our lives now, make we forgive and repent now. If we no do am, we go still need to deal with those sins after death, but e far better make we do am now.
Reflect today on wetin you need to do to “settle with di person wey you get case with.” Who be di person wey you get case with? Who be di person wey you get grievance against today? Pray make God show you di way to become free from dat burden, so you fit enjoy true freedom!
Lord, help me make I forgive and forget. Help me make I look for anything we dey stop me from loving You and all my neighbours fully. Make my heart pure, O Lord. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Saint of di Day – Saint Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor—Memorial we person fit choose to celebrate
Main picture above: Di Last Judgement by Fra Angelico, through Wikimedia Commons
From June 7, 2022, we enter Ordinary Time:
Ordinary Time: Weeks 1–17
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