August 1, 2023
Tuesday for Week Seventeen for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, Bishop wey also be Doctor of di Church—Memorial
Listen for English
“Then people wey dey righteous go shine like sun for the Kingdom of their Father. Anybody wey get ear suppose hear.” Matthew 13:43
This passage na the end of Jesus explanation of the Parable of the Weeds for Farm. Remember say for this parable, dem sow good seeds for one farm. The Person wey sow the seeds na the Son of Man, Jesus, and the seeds wey He sow na the children of the Kingdom, wey include all the people wey dey in a state of grace. The farm na the whole world. So, Jesus dey talk say He don send His followers, each one of us, enter the world to build His Kingdom. But the evil one too dey sow him own “children,” wey mean all the people wey dey live evil life wey dey against God will. The passage above dey talk about the reward wey the children of the Kingdom go receive, while the passage just before this one show say for the end of the age, dem go condemn the children of the evil one and send dem “enter the furnace of fire, where crying and grinding of teeth go dey.”
Wetin go happen for last to the children of the Kingdom dey give plenty hope. “Then people wey dey righteous go shine like sun for the Kingdom of their Father.” We suppose think deeply about this promise from our Lord, believe am, and allow am become wetin dey drive our hope for life.
Hope na one very important virtue wey we no dey talk about enough. The gift of hope no be just to wish say something go happen, like when person hope say e go win lotto. The theological virtue of hope na gift from God wey stand on truth. The truth wey e stand on na the promise of eternal life for Heaven, if we accept everything wey God dey tell us and if we carry out His glorious will for our lives.
For example, make we say you get big housing loan wey you never finish to pay for your house. And make we say the bank dey do one promo where dem go pay off the housing loan for one family wey go win. And na your family win. Dem contact you and tell you say all you need to do na to fill application form for this free financial help, and then dem go give you the money. Wetin you go do? Of course, you go go fill the form. The bank na bank wey you fit trust, and you dey sure say if you do wetin dem ask, that small work of filling the form, dem go keep their promise to pay off your housing loan. In one way, hope don begin dey inside you once you hear about this offer; and that hope, wey stand on true promise, na wetin dey push you to do that small work of filling the form.
Na so e be with God. The “housing loan” wey He promise to pay na the gbese of all our sins. And wetin we must do to receive this promise na to remain faithful to everything wey He command us for our own good. The problem be say many times, we no fully understand the reward wey He promise us. That reward na to “shine like sun” for the Kingdom of our Father for Heaven. For bank to pay off your housing loan na something wey clear, wey you fit see the result, and wey you go really want. But the reward to shine like sun for the Kingdom get value wey pass that one without any limit. You believe that?
The best way to strengthen the theological virtue of hope for our lives na to dey more and more sure say our Lord promise na truth. We need to understand Heaven and the value wey no get limit wey we go receive when we reach there. If we really understand wetin Jesus dey promise us, our desire to do everything wey He command us go strong so much that na only this our whole life go face. The hope go become strength wey strong so much that to do anything and everything wey we need to do to receive this kind reward go fill our whole mind and heart.
Today, think deeply about how deep di hope wey you get for your life be. How much di promises wey our Lord make dey move you? How clearly you understand those promises? If you dey struggle to get hope, then spend more time dey think about di final reward wey Jesus promise you. Believe wetin E talk, and make that final goal di main thing wey your life dey focus on.
My glorious King, You dey invite everybody to share for the glories of Heaven. You promise us say if we remain faithful, we go shine like sun for all eternity. Help me understand this glorious gift so that na only this my hope go rest on, and na this go drive everything wey I dey do for life. 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 Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of di Church
Main image above: The Saints Go Shine, through flickr
