June 5, 2023
Monday for Week Nine for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr—Memorial
Listen for English
Jesus begin dey use parables talk to di chief priests, di teachers of di Law, and di elders. “One man plant grape farm, put fence round am, dig pit to press grape for wine, and build tower. Then e rent di farm give some farmers and travel go. When di right time reach, e send one servant go meet di farmers to collect some of di harvest from di grape farm. But dem grab am, beat am, and send am go empty-handed.” Mark 12:1–3
Na dis servant be di first among di “plenty” servants wey di owner of di grape farm send go meet di farmers to collect some of di harvest. Dem treat some of di servants badly, beat some, and kill others. For di end, di owner send im son. Di farmers kill am, because dem think say dem go inherit di grape farm if di son don die.
Di situation wey make Jesus tell dis parable dey important. Jesus just enter Jerusalem for di beginning of di first Holy Week, wey go later end with His death and resurrection. Di day before, Jesus don drive di people wey dey change money comot from di Temple to cleanse am. Di chief priests, di teachers of di Law, and di elders vex well-well and begin plan how dem go kill Am. Na especially dem Jesus dey talk to with dis parable.
To understand dis parable, you need understand who each person stand for. Di religious leaders of Israel na di farmers wey rent di farm, di grape farm na di Jewish nation, God di Father na di man wey plant di grape farm, di plenty servants wey e send to collect di harvest na di prophets of old, and Jesus na di Beloved Son wey dem kill. Di parable end by saying say di owner of di grape farm (God di Father) go kill di farmers and give di grape farm to other people. This one mean say, before long, dem go take di religious authority from di teachers of di Law, di Pharisees, di chief priests, and di elders, and give am to di Apostles and di people wey go succeed dem. So, dis parable show us, in short, how di Church take start.
E good make we note say di religious leaders of dat time know say na dem Jesus dey talk to with dis parable, but dem no take di lesson to heart. As e suppose be, if dem open their hearts to di gift of faith, dem for realise say dem dey try steal di “grape farm” from God. Dem dey try control di Kingdom of Israel and turn am anyhow dem like, make am become wetin dem want, and ignore di will of God wey establish am.
Dis parable dey especially important for anybody wey dey use any kind of holy authority. Parents get authority for house. Bishops and priests get authority inside di Church. And all of us dey use one kind of spiritual authority when we dey try fulfil di special mission wey each of us get for life. Di lesson from dis parable simple: no misuse your authority. No use your authority as you alone like; use am with humility, only as God want. Every leader, every time and everywhere, must lead according to di mind and will of God. If dem fail, dem go suffer di consequences.
Today, reflect on any way wey God don put spiritual duty for your hand to carry out His mission for dis world. When dem put di duty to lead for person hand, dem also give di leader spiritual authority to carry out dat duty according to di mind and will of God. This one need humility all di time, so dat na only wetin God want go happen. Try to use every authority wey you get according to di mind and will of God, and di grape farm wey dem put for your care go bear plenty good fruit.
Father wey full of love, You don choose to send me, as farmer wey rent farm for Your Kingdom, to bear good fruit for eternal life. Abeg, help me make I always use di authority and carry out di duty wey You put for my hand with humility, so dat I go seek to fulfil Your will and Your will alone. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Saint for Today – Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
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