June 7, 2023
Wenezde for di Wik Nain for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
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Some Sadducees, wey dey talk say resurrection no dey, come meet Jesus ask Am dis question. Dem talk say, “Teacher, Moses write give us say, ‘If person brother die leave wife but no pikin, im brother must marry di wife and born children for im brother.’ Now, seven brothers dey…” Mark 12:18–20
Den dis Sadducees continue to tell Jesus one long tori wey dem imagine, wey no likely happen, about how dis woman take marry all di seven brothers as each one die. For di end of dis situation wey dem imagine, di Sadducees ask Jesus, “For di resurrection, when dem rise, whose wife she go be?” Of course, Jesus give dem di correct answer, and He still talk something wey catch attention. He tell di Sadducees say dem “don really miss road.” Just before dis talk with di Sadducees, di Pharisees don ask Jesus their own question to try trap Am. Di difference be like say di Sadducees get more sincere mind as dem dey look for di truth, while di Pharisees mind dey too much on their own authority and power.
People see di Sadducees as di religious leaders wey hold tradition pass, because na only di Torah, di first five books for di Old Testament, dem accept as wetin God truly reveal. Dem no still accept say life dey after death or say di dead go rise, because dem believe say di Torah no teach those things clearly. Di Pharisees no only accept di Torah; dem still accept all di other things wey dey inside di Old Testament. Di Pharisees still accept wetin dem dey call di “tradition of di elders.” Dis mean say dem pay plenty attention to di way other Pharisees take dey add laws and rules upon laws and rules, with too much concern for every small detail, and dem try force di people to obey those laws wey human beings make.
For dis Gospel passage, di problem with di Sadducees be like say na too much worry about every small rule and di way dem no dey bend at all for matters of faith. E clear say dem depend on human reasoning, and dem use their human reasoning interpret di Torah. Even though human reasoning and di way we take follow facts reach conclusion dey help and dey necessary for life, dem try settle every matter of faith by their own effort, as dem interpret di Torah with narrow mind wey no dey bend. Dem no open themselves to di deeper wisdom of God wey dey fill person mind when di person dey pay attention to wetin God dey inspire and reveal. Instead, for all their conclusions and practices, na only one side or di other dem dey see, with no room for anything else. Dis way wey dem no dey bend make dem “really miss road.”
For our own lives, we too fit really miss road when we use di gift of human reasoning with narrow mind wey no dey bend. We must never make di faith look simpler than e really be, and we must never think say we fit easily get all di answers by our own effort. Wetin we must always aim for na to allow our minds enter fully inside di deepest wisdom of God and everything wey He don reveal. Di teachings of di Church go guide us and keep us for di straight road. But na God voice, as He dey speak to our minds in real and personal way, go help us understand how deep and wide wetin God want, im Truth and im Wisdom be.
Today, think well about any way wey you dey behave like dis Sadducees. You no dey bend at all? Or your mind narrow? You dey allow yourself miss road by thinking say you get all di answers? If na so, seek humble spirit. Humble yourself before di great mysteries of Heaven wey dey fill person with awe. Use your mind look deep into di truths wey God don reveal, and dey ready make He draw you deeper and deeper into di life of God Himself.
My Lord we get wisdom we no get end, na You be Truth Itself, and You dey continue to show us who You be. Give me di humble heart we I need to always dey open to all di Truth of God for my life, so dat I go come know You and Your holy will as You want. Jesus, na You I trust.
Novena to di Sacred Heart
Dates for di Novena: June 7-15, 2023
June 16, 2023: Solemnity of di Sacred Heart
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
Main picture for top: Di Sermon for di Mountain we Guillaume Fouace paint, from Wikimedia Commons
