November 17, 2022
Thursday for di Thirty-Third Week for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious—Memorial
Listen for English
As Jesus dey near Jerusalem, E see di city and cry because of am, as E talk say, “If only today you know wetin dey bring peace—but now dem don hide am from your eye.” Luke 19:41-42
E hard to know exactly wetin Jesus know about wetin go happen to di people of Jerusalem for future. But from dis passage, we know say wetin E know make Am cry with sorrow. See some points wey we fit take meditate.
First, e important to picture Jesus as E dey cry. To talk say Jesus cry mean say no be just small sadness or disappointment E feel. Instead, e mean say di sorrow deep well-well, sotey real tears comot for Im eye. So start with dat picture and let am enter your heart well.
Second, Jesus dey cry because of Jerusalem because, as E dey near di city and see am well, E know at once say plenty people go reject Am and Im visit. E come to bring dem di gift of eternal salvation. But sadly, some people no pay Jesus attention because dem no care about Am, while others vex for Am well-well and look for how to kill Am.
Third, no be only because of Jerusalem Jesus dey cry. E dey cry because of everybody too, especially people wey go later belong to Im family of faith. E cry especially because E fit see say plenty people no go get faith. Jesus know dis matter well, and e pain Am deep for heart.
Today, reflect on di serious temptation wey all of us dey face: to no care about Christ. E easy for us to get small faith and turn to God when e go benefit us. But e still easy well-well to no care about Christ when e be like say everything for life dey go well. We dey easily fall for di trap of thinking say we no need to surrender ourselves to Am every day as completely as we fit. Today, remove from your heart anything wey dey make you no care about Christ, and tell Am say you want serve Am and do Im holy will with all your heart.
Lord, I dey beg You, root out every way wey I no dey care for my heart. As You dey cry because of my sin, make Your tears wash me and make me clean, so that I go fit give myself to You completely as my Divine Lord and King. Jesus, na You I trust.
Novena to Christ di King
As tradition be, na nine days before di Solemnity of Christ di King
Dem dey pray di Novena every day from November 11–19
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Saint for Today – Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious
Di main picture wey dey above: Jesus Cry, wey James Tissot paint, through Wikimedia Commons
