June 14, 2023
Wenezde for di Tenth Week for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
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Jesus tell His disciples: “Make una no think say I come to cancel di Law or di Prophets. I no come to cancel dem, but to fulfil dem. Amen, I dey tell una, until heaven and earth pass away, even di smallest letter or di smallest part of any letter no go pass from di Law, until everything don happen.” Matthew 5:17–18
Di law and di prophets, as dem dey for di Old Testament, get three kinds. First, laws dey wey concern right and wrong, like di Ten Commandments, wey mainly get dia foundation for di natural law of God. By “natural law,” we mean say di sense wey we get as human beings fit help us understand say dem na true, like “You no go kill, steal, and so on.” Second, plenty rules for liturgy dey wey dem set down and practise to prepare for, and show beforehand, how dem go finally reach fulfilment for liturgy. We now dey find dis fulfilment for di life of di Church through di Sacraments. Third, different legal rules dey wey give clear directions about how to live every day. Dis laws include instructions about food, how to relate with other people, how to treat foreigners, cleansing, how to purify utensils, how to pay tithe, and plenty other things.
For our Gospel today, Jesus mainly talk two things. First, about di legal and liturgical rules, He talk say He come to “fulfil” dem. So, these Old Testament legal and liturgical laws no bind Christians again, because God now dey call us to fulfil all of dem for way wey high pass before. But for di moral laws, especially di ones wey dey for di Ten Commandments, no single rule wey dem teach don cancel. Instead, these Commandments don get deeper meaning, and di call to live with perfect moral conduct don clear well-well now. Na because of this Jesus continue to talk say, “So, anybody wey break one of di least of these commandments and teach other people to do di same go be di least for di Kingdom of Heaven. But anybody wey obey and teach these commandments go be di greatest for di Kingdom of Heaven.”
E important to understand say di standard wey God use for people wey live before di time of Christ no be di same standard wey He dey use for us today. Na because dem no enjoy di gift of grace wey Christ win through di Cross and wey di Holy Spirit dey give. Today, we get plenty more, and because of this, God dey call us to live life of holiness wey high far pass before. For example, we no dey celebrate di Passover again as just remembrance of wetin God do when He free di Israelites from slavery under di Egyptians. Today, we dey celebrate di New Passover as we dey take part for di Holy Eucharist, and our “remembrance” pass just to remember something wey happen long ago. Our remembrance dey make us truly take part for di sacrifice of Christ wey dey save us. We dey share for di actual event, and we dey receive our share of di grace wey Christ win for di Cross every time we celebrate di Holy Mass. As for di moral laws of di Old Testament, dem don become di lowest standard for good conduct. Di highest standard now high far pass before. We must love our enemies and pray for people wey dey persecute us. We must lay down our lives for other people and carry our crosses every day to follow Jesus. God dey call us to love with perfect love wey dey make sacrifice, and this one fit happen only as we dey share for di very life, death and resurrection of Christ our Lord.
Today, think deeply about di very high calling wey our Lord don give you. E no enough to do only di smallest thing wey dem require for our worship and moral life. To do like that fit allow you to be “di least for di Kingdom of Heaven,” but God want make you share for His greatness. He dey call you to dey among “di greatest for di Kingdom of Heaven.” You understand your high calling? Na perfect holiness be your goal? Give yourself fully to take part for di New Law of Christ, and you go dey grateful forever say you do am.
My Lord wey get glory pass all, You come to bring our lives to di fullness of grace and holiness. You dey call us to di heights of Heaven. Help me see my high calling, dear Lord, and work with all my strength to accept and obey everything wey You now command through Your New Law of grace and mercy. Jesus, na You I trust.
Novena to di Sacred Heart
Novena dates: 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
Di main picture above: Di Sermon for di Mountain By Cosimo Rosselli, through Wikimedia Commons
