February 8, 2023
Wenesde for the Fifth Week for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
Saint Jerome Emiliani, Founder—Memorial wey no be compulsory
Saint Josephine Bakhita, Virgin—Memorial Wey Person Fit Choose to Celebrate
Listen for English
Jesus call the crowd again and tell dem, “Make all of una hear Me and understand. Nothing wey enter person from outside fit make that person dirty; but na the things wey come out from inside person dey make the person dirty.” Mark 7:14–15
Wetin dey inside you? Wetin dey your heart? Today’s Gospel end with list of bad things wey, sadly, dey come from inside person: “evil thoughts, sexual impurity, stealing, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, sexual behaviour wey no get restraint, envy, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.” True true, if we look all these bad things as dem really be, none of dem na wetin person suppose want. All of dem dey really disgusting. But too often, na sins wey people dey struggle with regularly, some more than others.
Take greed as example. When person understand am well, nobody want make people know am as greedy person. Na shameful character for person to get. But when person no see greed as greed, e easy to fall inside the trap of living that kind life. Person wey greedy dey want too much of this thing or that thing. More money, better house, finer motor, holidays wey get more luxury, and so on. So, when person dey behave with greed, greed no dey look like something wey e no suppose want. Na only when person look greed as e really be, e go understand wetin greed truly be.
For this Gospel, as Jesus name this long list of bad ways, E show us mercy in one wonderful way. E shake us and call us to step back small and look sin as e really be. Jesus still make am clear say when you dey live with one or more of these bad ways, you dey become dirty. You dey become greedy person, liar, cruel person, gossip, person wey full of hatred, proud person, and so on. If we look am as e really be, nobody want this kind thing.
Which one for that list of bad ways you dey struggle with pass? Wetin you dey see inside your own heart? Tell yourself di truth before God. Jesus want make your heart pure and holy, free from these things and every kind of dirt. But unless you fit look your own heart with honesty, e go hard to reject di sin wey you dey struggle with.
Today, think deeply about this list of sins wey our Lord name. Consider each one, and allow yourself to see each sin as e truly be. Allow yourself to hate these sins with holy anger, then turn your eyes to di sin wey you dey struggle with pass. Know say as you dey deliberately recognise that sin and reject am, our Lord go begin strengthen you and make your heart pure, so that you go free from that dirt and instead become di beautiful child of God wey E create you to be.
My Lord wey full of mercy, help me see sin as e really be. Help me especially to see my own sin—that sin inside my own heart wey dey make me dirty as Your pikin wey You love. As I dey see my sin, give me the grace wey I need to reject am and turn to You with all my heart, so that I fit become new creation through Your grace and mercy. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Saints for Today –
Saint Josephine Bakhita, Vajin
Main picture above: Christ Dey Preach by Rembrandt, through Wikimedia Commons
