Thursday, January 5, 2023
Weekday for Christmas Season for January 5
Readings for Today
Saint John Neumann, Bishop—Memorial for USA
Listen for English
Jesus decide to go Galilee, and E find Philip. Jesus tell am, “Follow Me.” Philip na person from Bethsaida, the town wey Andrew and Peter come from. Philip find Nathanael come tell am, “We don find the person wey Moses write about for the law, and wey the prophets write about too: Jesus, Joseph son, from Nazareth.” John 1:43–45
Remember say for the passage before this one for John Gospel, Andrew go meet im brother Peter to tell am say e don find the Messiah. Because of this, Peter go see Jesus and come become His disciple too. We get story wey resemble that one for today Gospel passage, and e happen shortly after that story for John Gospel. After Jesus call Philip to become disciple, Philip go find im brother Nathanael at once, to tell am the good news. Because of this, after Nathanael meet Jesus and spend small time with Am, im heart turn to God, and e talk say, “Rabbi, You be the Son of God; You be the King of Israel.”
For one way, we fit talk say conversion dey spread from person to person. Once God call person wey get good and humble heart to follow Am, and the person answer, e almost always dey feel strong urge to share how im heart turn to God with other people wey e love. And when e share this change for im heart with another person, that person wey e love go often begin get interest too, and im own heart fit even turn to God.
True-true, conversion dey spread from person to person! Na because when we come know God, come love Am deeply and choose to follow Am, the joy and strong conviction wey come with this change for our heart na things wey we naturally wan share with other people. We want make other people discover Christ with us, so dem too go experience the spiritual peace and joy wey we don find.
So this one bring this question: Your love for God don affect other people for your life? If the answer na “Yes,” then na something to thank God for. But if the answer na “No,” then e fit good make you think well about why e be so. Even though e fit no be your fault at all, e good to check whether you first allow yourself to truly experience deep change of heart to follow Christ, and then think about whether you don dey willing to share wetin dey your heart with other people.
So start with the first question. You don allow yourself to truly pass through change of heart to follow Christ? This change of heart get different levels. At first, e dey change the direction of our life as e open our eyes to see wetin truly matter for life. We come discover God glory and the deep satisfaction wey dey come when we accept His will. When this happen, the person wey im heart first turn to God go often begin turn away from every serious sin, dey pray, dey read the Scriptures, and dey show other people these changes through im life.
But conversion no be something wey dey happen only once. For example, Saint John of the Cross explain well-well say as person dey grow for life of holiness, time go come when e must pass through another change of heart wey be completely new. As e dey follow Christ, this one go draw am enter another change for im life wey go even deeper. No just dey satisfied with only the first change of heart. Still seek that continuous change wey commitment to follow Christ dey require.
As for the second question, whether your own change of heart don inspire people wey you love to follow Christ or not, just pray make God use you as E will. Dey open to Am, no fear to share wetin dey your heart, and make effort to allow the joy of following Christ shine through your own life. If other people dey open, God go touch their hearts through you.
Today, think deeply about these two basic questions for spiritual life, and commit yourself again to continue to change all through your life, and to dey open to allow God touch other people through you. For the end, na these two things really matter for life and for eternity.
Lord of all holiness, abeg, continue to draw me closer to You. Help me make my heart change for my life, make I turn away from every sin and choose to follow You with all my heart. Help me too to dey open for my journey of faith, so that other people go see everything wey You dey do inside me and accept Your invitation, through me, to follow You. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
See our materials for Christmas
Saint for Today – Saint John Neumann, Bishop
