July 20, 2023
Thursday for Week Fifteen for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
Saint Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr—Memorial wey no be compulsory
Listen for English
“Carry My yoke for una body and learn from Me, because I dey gentle and humble for heart; and una go find rest for unaself. Because My yoke easy to carry, and My load light.” Matthew 11:29–30
For those first followers of Jesus, “yoke” na word wey dem know well. Many of dem for don dey use cows and other animals regularly to plough their farms. To do this work, dem go put yoke wey dem make with wood on the cows. This yoke na one kind harness wey dem still join to the plough, to make am easier for the cows to turn the soil. To tie animal with yoke na sign say e dey serve under somebody, because na that kind work the cows dey do.
As Saint Augustine dey explain this passage (for Sermon 126), e compare Christ yoke to bird wings. Bird wings big when you compare dem to the bird body. So, if somebody conclude say to remove bird wings go make life easier for the bird because e go free am from that extra weight, that action go only make the bird remain for ground. But give the bird im wings back, and that “yoke” go make am fit fly high through the sky.
Na so e still be with our Lord Im yoke. If we accept di invitation to be servant of God and carry Christ Im yoke so that we fit fulfil di mission of service wey we get, we go discover say to serve dey make us light, refresh us, give us strength and put new energy for our body. Na to serve God dem make us for, just as dem make bird to get wings. And like di bird, if we remove di yoke of service to God from our life, heavy load go hold us down, and we no go fit do di good wey we suppose do.
Dis passage still tell us say no be we own yoke we suppose carry; instead, na Christ Im yoke we suppose carry. “Make una carry My yoke put for una shoulder…,” na wetin Jesus talk. To carry Jesus Im yoke mean say dem call us to live our life with Am and inside Am. E come to serve and to give Im life for other people. Na our duty to do di same thing by allowing Am to do am inside us. Na Christ and di way E give Imself to service suppose be di reason and foundation for di way we dey live.
Today, think deeply about di call wey you get to be servant for Christ. How God dey call you to serve? Who God dey call you to serve? And as you dey answer that question, how you see di service wey you dey do? To serve dey look like heavy load to you? Or you understand say na wetin dem make you for? If you see humble service as heavy load, maybe na because you never really try to serve with Christ Himself and inside Am. Try think deeply about Jesus as E dey put Im yoke for your shoulder. Talk “Yes” to wetin E dey do and to di mission of humble service wey E call you to fulfil. If you do so with all your heart, e no go only refresh you; e go still give your life meaning and purpose.
My gentle Lord, You come meet us to serve and to give Your life because of love. Give me di grace wey I need to accept di service wey You dey do for me, and to follow Your example and take part for di service wey You call me to do. Help me carry Your yoke put for my shoulder, dear Lord, so that I fit fulfil di mission wey You put for my hand. 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 Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr
Featured picture wey dey above: flickr
