July 2, 2022
Saturday for di 13th Week for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
Listen for English
Di disciples of John come meet Jesus come talk say, “Why we and di Pharisees dey fast plenty, but Your disciples no dey fast?” Jesus answer dem say, “Di people wey dem invite come wedding fit dey mourn as long as di bridegroom still dey with dem? Di days go come when dem go take di bridegroom comot from dem, and na dat time dem go fast.” Matthew 9:14-15
You want dey free? You want discover wetin true freedom be for your life? E sure say you want am. But wetin dat one mean? And how you go take get am?
Na to dey free God create us for. God create us make we dey free to live life to di fullest and enjoy di joy and blessings wey no person fit measure, wey E want give us. But plenty times, we no understand wetin true freedom really mean. Above every other thing, freedom na to experience di joy of di Bridegroom dey with us. Na di joy of di Lord wedding feast. God create us make we celebrate how we dey united with Am for all eternity.
For today Gospel, Jesus talk am clear say di people wey dem invite come wedding no fit mourn as long as di bridegroom still dey with dem. But, “Di days go come when dem go take di bridegroom comot from dem, and na dat time dem go fast.”
E good make we look how fasting and freedom take connect. At first, e fit look like say di two no suppose go together. But if we understand fasting well, we go see am as road wey lead to di glorious gift of true freedom.
Some times dey for our life when “dem take di Bridegroom comot.” Dis one fit mean plenty things. One thing wey e mean especially na those times when we feel like say we don lose Christ for our life. Our own sin fit surely cause dis kind feeling, but e fit still happen because we dey draw closer to Christ. For di first case, fasting fit help free us from di many sinful things wey our heart don hold tight for life. Fasting fit make our will strong and purify wetin our heart dey desire. For di second case, some times dey when we dey draw very close to Christ and, because of dat, E hide His presence from us. At first, dis one fit sound strange, but E dey do am so dat we go seek Am even more. For dis case too, fasting fit become way to make our faith and di way we give ourself to Am grow deeper.
We fit fast for different ways, but di main thing na simply to deny ourself some things and make sacrifice for God. E dey help us overcome di desires for things of dis world and of di flesh, so dat our spirit go fit desire Christ more fully.
Today, think deeply about how much you desire Christ for your life. If you see say other desires dey struggle to take His place and push Am aside, think about how you fit fast and deny yourself other things as offering to God. Make dem small sacrifices for God, and you go see di good fruit wey dem go bear.
My Lord we offer Yourself as sacrifice, na You I want for my life pass everything. Help me make I see di things we de compete with You for my love, and make sacrifice so dat my soul go fit become pure and live for di freedom we You want for me. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
Picture we dem Feature: Carl Oesterley, Public domain, through Wikimedia Commons
