July 18, 2023
Tuesday for di 15th Week for Ordinary Time
Di Readings for Today
Saint Camillus de Lellis, Fada—Memorial wey no be compulsory for USA
(Dem dey celebrate am July 14 outside di United States)
Listen for English
“Wahala dey for you, Chorazin! Wahala dey for you, Bethsaida! Because if dem do the mighty works wey dem do among una for Tyre and Sidon, dem for don repent long ago, wear sackcloth and put ash for body. But I dey tell una, for judgment day, Tyre and Sidon go fit bear their punishment pass una.” Matthew 11:21–22
Chorazin and Bethsaida na Jewish towns wey Jesus dey visit often to preach and do plenty “mighty works.” Dem dey just north of Capernaum, the town where He dey live. Tyre and Sidon na cities by the sea where people dey worship pagan gods. Dem dey northeast of Chorazin and Bethsaida, for the place wey be Lebanon today, and people know them for their immoral way of life. Even though Jesus no spend plenty time for those cities, He visit them sometimes. Remember how, for the first visit wey dem record say Jesus make there, He meet the Syrophoenician woman wey beg Am to heal her daughter (Matthew 15:21–28). The passage from the Gospel wey we quote above happen before Jesus make that journey.
Why Jesus talk so strongly against the towns where He spend so much of His time? Why He rebuke Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum? To answer this, e important to remember say Jesus spend most of His time dey preach to the “sheep wey don lost from the house of Israel.” This mean say His main mission during His public ministry na to share the Gospel with Abraham descendants, the people wey God don entrust with the Law of Moses, the teachings of the prophets and the liturgical rites. Na why Jesus no only preach perfectly to these people; He still do miracle upon miracle. And even though plenty people believe in Am and become His disciples, plenty others no care, or dem refuse outright to believe in Am.
Today, we fit see Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum as signs of those Catholics wey dem born and raise inside the faith, and wey their parents and other people train well for the faith. Plenty parents wey their children don stray from the faith dey wonder wetin dem do wrong. But the truth be say people reject even Jesus Himself, despite His perfect preaching, His perfect love for God and neighbour, and His miracles wey nobody fit deny. And the same thing dey happen today. Plenty people dey wey, even though dem raise them inside the holy faith wey Christ Himself give us, dem reject that faith and choose not to pay attention to the Gospel and the Church.
The rebuke wey Jesus give those towns suppose still dey sound today for the minds of people wey don reject God, even though dem receive so much good training as dem dey grow. Of course, no be every time this rejection dey complete and total. Most times, e dey happen small-small. First, the rejection dey start with missing Mass. Then, dem begin bend the rules of good moral life. After that, faith begin fail. And at last, confusion, doubt and complete loss of faith enter.
If you don begin follow the road wey dey make you lose fire for your faith more and more, then understand say the rebuke wey Jesus give these towns na for you too, and na out of love. “Everybody wey dem give plenty, dem go require plenty from am…” (Luke 28:48). So, dem expect plenty from people wey dem don teach the faith well. And when we fail to live up to wetin God, out of love, demand from us, na holy rebuke be exactly wetin we need.
Today, think well whether the rebuke wey Jesus give these towns na for you too. You don receive the blessing of good training for the faith? If na so, you don do everything wey you fit do to nourish that faith and grow for your love for God? Or you don allow your faith to lose light, lose fire, and begin dry up and die? If dem don give you plenty, raise you inside the faith, and bless you with good examples for your life, then know say God expect plenty from you. Answer that great call wey you don receive, and respond to God with all your heart.
My Jesus wey get deep zeal, You pour out Your whole heart and soul as You dey preach to the people of Israel. Even though plenty people accept You, plenty others reject You. I thank You for the privilege wey I don receive to hear Your holy Word as dem preach am to me. Help me to respond to You with all my heart, so that I go dey among the people wey listen and believe. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
Saint for Today – Saint Camillus de Lellis, Fada—Memorial wey no be compulsory for USA
(Dem dey celebrate am July 14 outside di United States)
Featured picture for up: Judgment Day through flickr
