July 16, 2023
Sunday nomba 15 for Ordinary Time (Yia A)
Readings for Today
Listen for English
“Anybody wey get, dem go give am more, and e go grow rich; anybody wey no get, even di one wey e get, dem go collect am from am. Na why I dey use parables talk to dem, because dem dey look but dem no dey see, and dem dey hear but dem no dey listen or understand.” Matthew 13:12–13
How person fit look without seeing, or hear without listening or understanding? Dis one fit happen only when di person eyes and ears dey work well, but im mind dey somewhere else, and e no dey pay attention to wetin e dey see or hear. For example, make we say you dey listen as dem dey read one book, then you suddenly realise say even though you hear wetin dem read, your mind dey somewhere else and you no know wetin dem talk. Na something wey dey happen to everybody from time to time.
Dis part of di Gospel wey we quote above come just after Jesus tell di crowd di Parable of di Sower from inside boat. For dat parable, seed fall for road, for ground wey get plenty stone, among chuku-chuku, and for good soil. Na only di seed wey fall for good soil grow and bear good fruit. So, Jesus teaching wey we quote above, together with di parable wey E tell before am, dey teach say plenty people hear di Word of God and see di miracles wey Jesus do, but dem no allow His teachings and miracles bring faith into dia hearts.
Dis Gospel passage dey especially important for people wey don be Catholics for many years but dia faith no dey grow again. When person dey go Mass every week, dey listen to di Gospel and dey receive di Eucharist, but e no continue to grow for holiness and for understanding of di Mysteries of Heaven, even di small faith wey e get go dey reduce small-small. E go become Catholic wey no hot or cold for faith, wey just dey follow di routine but no dey bear di good fruit wey true faith dey produce.
When you look back at your life as Catholic wey dey practise di faith, wetin you dey see from year to year? Time dey when your faith strong, but you don dey close your ears to di Gospel small-small and dey drift away from di deep relationship with our Lord wey prayer dey nourish inside your heart? Or when you look back, you dey see say di Lord don continue to give you more and more, dey lead you enter life wey full of true spiritual riches? Di Gospel don enter no be only your ears, but also your mind and your understanding? You dey both see and recognise wetin God dey do for your life and for di world around you? You dey actively live di life of grace, and you dey see say you dey draw closer to God every day? Or, sadly, you don lose interest and zeal, and now you dey see say you dey drift away small-small from practising your faith for way wey dey bear fruit?
Today, think deeply about dis important questions and try your best to answer dem with honest heart. If you no dey see say your faith dey grow every year and say you dey truly grow rich for di grace of God, then know say something need to change. To stop growing for faith, or to no hot or cold for am, no good. Dem dey make person lose everything small-small. As you dey think about your own journey of faith, commit yourself again to embrace di Gospel with zeal, so dat your soul go truly be good soil wey dey continue to bear plenty good fruit.
Lord, You want make everybody hear Your Word and see wetin You dey do for dia lives. Abeg, continue to pour Your grace into my life so dat I go continue to grow rich for Your mercy. I pray make my eyes and ears dey open to You more fully every day. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
Saint of di Day – Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Dem no dey celebrate am as liturgical memorial dis year because e fall on Sunday
Main image above: Christ Dey Teach from Simon Peter Boat, from flickr
