(If una dey celebrate di Ascension for your diocese today, see di reflection below. If no be so, move go di next reflection and come back to di Ascension reflection on Sunday.)
To Clear Doubt Comot
May 18, 2023
Solemnity of di Ascension of Our Lord (Year A)
Listen for English
“Dem don give me all power for heaven and for earth. So, make una go make disciples from all nations, dey baptize dem for di name of di Father, and of di Son, and of di Holy Spirit, dey teach dem to obey everything wey I don command una. And see, I dey with una always, until di end of di age.” Matthew 28:18–20
Na these final words our Lord talk as He dey leave this earth. As soon as He talk dem finish, He go up Heaven to stay with His Father forever, dey prepare place for us so that one day we fit join Him. Di disciples no go ever hear Jesus speak to dem again for earth or see Him for body. Even though He go soon send di Holy Spirit come upon dem and speak clearly inside their hearts through prayer, dem no go hear His voice with their ears or see Him present for body again until dem reach Heaven.
Just before di passage wey we quote above, we read say di disciples do two things. One na di right thing to do; di other one no be so. We read: “When dem see him, dem worship am, but dem doubt.” True true, as dem worship Him, na di right thing to do, but as dem doubt, e shock person and e dey disappoint small. After everything wey dem pass through with our Lord, after everything wey dem witness and hear, dem still doubt. Dem witness Jesus cure leprosy, make blind people see again, heal people wey no fit walk, preach with new authority, turn sinners back to God, raise dead people, and even rise from di dead Himself. And after all these things, dem still get doubts.
Maybe dem record their doubts for this last time wey dem meet our Lord while He still dey earth because e dey show us our own doubts wey still dey continue. Maybe no be only di disciples really dey doubt, but each one of us too.
When you examine your own conscience, wetin you dey see? You dey see person wey get complete faith and trust in God? Or you dey see person wey dey seek to worship God but still dey struggle with doubts? Doubt na lack of faith. E different from something wey hard to understand, from when person no sure, or from confusion. Doubt na action wey we take when we deliberately choose to start to follow di road of unbelief. E pass weakness; na choice, and e no be good choice.
Di good news be say these disciples wey dey doubt later receive something wey clear every doubt comot from their minds. Dem receive di Holy Spirit, and this gift from God begin clear every temptation to doubt comot as dem receive di Gifts of di Holy Spirit. Especially, di gifts of Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge go make their faith in God deeper and enable dem both to worship and to believe.
As we dey celebrate di Ascension of our Lord, reflect today on this picture of di disciples wey dey worship God and dey doubt at di same time. If this picture touch something inside you, then pay attention to am. E good to worship God, but e also good to humbly admit where your faith never complete. Where you see this lack of faith, hold on to di hope say, just like these disciples, you go receive di Holy Spirit wey God promise, as He go pour Him out fully for your life, so that every doubt go clear comot and you go receive true Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge in all their fullness.
My Lord wey don go up Heaven, You enter di glory of Heaven, body and soul, as Your disciples dey watch. Dem worship You but dem still struggle with doubts. Help me too to worship You with my whole being. As I dey do so, show me where I lack faith and trust in You, and clear these sins comot as You pour out di Holy Spirit. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Sunday Reflections for Video
Novena to di Holy Spirit
Wey we dey pray to prepare for Pentecost
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Read More – Ascension
Prayer Meditation for di Ascension
(Na di reflection below we dey use when dem move di Solemnity of di Ascension to di coming Sunday.)
Make You Understand Pass Before
May 18, 2023
Thursday of di Sixth Week of Easter
(When dem move di Ascension to Sunday)
Readings for Today
Saint John I, Pope and Martyr—Memorial wey no be compulsory
Listen for English
So some of His disciples tell one another, “Wetin this thing wey He dey tell us mean: ‘Small time, una no go see Me, and after another small time, una go see Me,’ and ‘Because I dey go meet the Father’?” So dem talk say, “Wetin be this ‘small time’ wey He dey talk about? We no know wetin He mean.” John 16:17–18
How about you? You know wetin Jesus mean? Abi wetin He talk dey confuse you just as e confuse these disciples? Even though pride fit tempt you to claim say you understand everything wey Jesus teach finish, the humble and honest truth be say you probably resemble these disciples well well for the way dem no understand. And that one no necessarily mean say your condition bad.
First, the way these disciples no understand show say dem take Jesus serious. Dem no just act as if the matter no concern dem. Dem care, dem get interest, dem want understand, and dem must don get some faith in Jesus. If no be so, dem for no pay attention to Him. But no be so dem do. Dem listen, try to understand, discuss wetin He teach, think about His words and humbly agree say dem no understand.
Jesus no condemn dem because dem no understand. He see say dem dey try and say dem get some faith. And even though these disciples no understand, Jesus continue to use figurative language talk to dem instead of to talk straight and clear. One reason why Jesus dey use figurative language na because the message wey He dey teach get deep meaning well well. No be something wey person fit understand quick and easy, and come know am finish. The mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven deep, wide and full of spiritual wonder so tey, the only way to begin understand dem na to first get faith. Faith no mean say you understand everything finish. Faith na gift wey pass human power, wey dey make you believe even when you never fully see and understand. Na God dey give this certainty, no be your own power to reason things out. But faith always dey lead person to understand more deeply. So, as these disciples profess their faith, dem come understand too. And even though Jesus dey talk this figurative way, these disciples finally choose to believe. Later for this chapter, dem conclude say, “Now we don know say You know everything and say You no need anybody to question You. Because of this, we believe say You come from God” (John 16:30).
If you see say different matters about faith, God, how person suppose live and other things like these dey confuse you, or if the different mysteries of life itself, or your own life in particular, dey confuse you, no fear to admit say you no understand. To admit say you no understand na to humbly accept the truth, and this humility go be one helpful step towards the gift of faith.
Today, think well whether you dey struggle at all with the attitude say the mysteries of life no concern you. If na so, make up your mind to resemble these disciples more, as dem deliberately try hard to understand everything wey Jesus talk. No fear to admit say you no understand, and to carry wetin dey confuse you come before our Lord. Try hard to receive the gift of faith, and allow that small spark of faith become the road wey go lead you to understand the many mysteries of life more deeply.
My Lord wey full of mystery, You and all the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven deep so tey nobody go ever fully understand how deep, how wide and how beautiful dem be. Abeg, my dear Lord, open my mind make I understand You more deeply, so that I fit profess my faith in You and in everything wey You don choose to reveal. I truly believe, my God. Help me where I no believe. Jesus, na You I trust.
Novena to di Holy Spirit
Di novena wey we go begin dey run from May 19-27, 2023
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Saint for Today – Saint John I, Pope and Martyr
