August 18, 2022
Tosde for Week 20 for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
Listen for English
“Di servant dem go out for street and gather everybody wey dem see, both bad people and good people, and guests fill di hall. But when di king enter to meet di guests, e see one man there wey no wear wedding cloth. E tell am, ‘My friend, how you take enter here when you no wear wedding cloth?’ But di man no fit talk anything. Then di king tell im attendants, ‘Una tie im hand and leg, and throw am inside di darkness wey dey outside, where people go dey wail and grind their teeth.’ Dem invite many people, but na few dem choose.” Matthew 22:10-14
This one fit really shock us at first. For this parable, di king invite plenty people come di wedding feast of im son. Plenty people reject di invitation. So e send im servants make dem go gather anybody wey go gree come, and di hall come full. But when di king enter, one man dey there wey no wear wedding cloth, and we fit see wetin happen to am for di passage wey dey above.
Again, when we first read this, e fit shock us small. This man really deserve make dem tie im hand and leg and throw am outside into di darkness, where people dey wail and grind their teeth, just because e no wear di correct cloth? Certainly not.
To understand this parable, we need to understand wetin di wedding cloth stand for. This cloth stand for person wey don wear Christ as im cloth and, in particular, person wey love for God and other people don fill because of this. One very interesting lesson dey wey we fit learn from this passage.
First, as this man dey di wedding feast, e mean say e answer di invitation. This one na sign of faith. So, this man truly stand for person wey get faith. Second, as e no wear wedding cloth, e mean say e get faith and believe everything wey God talk, but e never allow that faith enter every part of im heart and soul reach where e go bring true change of heart and, because of this, true love for God and other people. Na because this young man no get this love, na im make dem condemn am.
Di interesting thing be say we fit get faith, but no get love for God and other people. Faith na to believe wetin God reveal to us. But even demons dey believe! Love for God and other people require make we accept that truth deep inside us and allow am change our lives. This na important point wey we need to understand, because sometimes we fit dey struggle with this same situation. Sometimes we fit see say we believe as matter of faith, but we no dey live according to am. We need both faith and love to live life of true holiness.
Today, think deeply about both your faith in everything wey God don talk and di love wey we hope say this faith dey produce for your life. To be Christian mean say you allow your faith move from your head enter your heart and your will.
Lord wey all love belong to, make I get deep faith in You and in everything wey You don talk. Make that faith enter deep inside my heart and bring love for You and for other people. Jesus, na You I trust.
Novena to Saint Monica
August 18–26
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
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