August 4, 2023
Fraide for Wik 17 for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
Saint Jean Vianney (di Curé of Ars), Priest—Memorial
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Jesus come di town wey E come from, and E teach di people for dia synagogue. Di thing surprise dem well-well, and dem talk say, “Where dis man get dis kind wisdom and power to do mighty works?” Matthew 13:54
Di Gospel for today continue to tell us say di people for Nazareth, di town wey Jesus come from, vex for Am. Na dis make Jesus talk say, “Prophet no dey lack honour except for di place wey e come from and for im own house.” E dey surprise person small say dem vex for Jesus after dem don see Im wisdom and mighty works. Di people for di town know Jesus well-well, and e be like say na because dem know Am like dis, dem begin doubt say Jesus na special person.
Make we note say, for plenty ways, di people wey don know Jesus for many years suppose be di first people to see how great He be. And e really fit be say some people from His hometown see am. Dem go don know Jesus mama, di Blessed Virgin Mary, and her everyday life go don show good qualities wey wonderful well-well. Dem go don know Joseph as man wey truly dey live right and dey do wetin just. And as Jesus dey grow, He go don show every good quality wey human being suppose get, without any fault. Again, e suppose dey easy to notice all this. But plenty people no see di holiness of Jesus and di Holy Family.
Dis experience of our Lord suppose remind us say e easy to miss di presence of God all around us. If di people wey close to Jesus pass no recognise Am as man wey get extraordinary virtue and holiness, how much more we fit fail to see di presence of God for di lives of di people wey we dey meet every day? For one reason or another, maybe because of our struggle with pride and anger, e easier to look at another person faults than to look at di virtues wey di person get. E easy to dey find fault with dem and to keep our mind on di weaknesses and sins wey we think say dem get. But dis Gospel story suppose encourage us to do everything we fit do to look beyond wetin dey show for outside, and to see say God dey present for di life of every person wey we meet.
For di most basic level, God dey live inside each and every person wey E don create. Even people wey still dey remain for mortal sin without leaving am, God still make dem for Im image, and di very nature wey dem get dey reflect God. And we must see dis. And people wey dey for state of grace carry di presence of God, no be only inside dem through dia nature, but also through wetin God dey do for dia lives. Every virtue wey any person get dey there because God dey work inside di person. And we must make effort to see dis work of God for dia lives.
Start by thinking about di people wey close to you pass. When you think about dem, wetin dey come your mind? As years dey pass, we fit form di habit of keeping our mind on other people faults. And e hard to break those habits. But di only way to break dem na to deliberately look for di presence of God for dia lives. As we don note, if di people for Jesus own town find am hard to do dis with Am, even though E perfect, then dis suppose show us say e go even harder for us to do am with people wey no perfect. But we must do am, and na very holy work.
Today, think deeply about di important mission wey dem don give you: to see di presence of God for di lives of all di people around you. What if na for your town Jesus grow up? What if na your neighbour E be? And even though di Son of God wey become human being no dey live for di house next to your own as E do for Nazareth, E dey live inside each and every person wey you meet every day. Think honestly about how well you dey see Am, and commit yourself to di holy mission of seeing Am more clearly, so that you fit rejoice for Im greatness wey truly dey show all around you.
My Lord wey truly great, You truly dey present all around me. You dey alive and You dey live for di lives of di people wey I dey meet every day. Abeg, give me eyes of faith to see You and heart wey love You. Help me to look beyond other people faults and weaknesses. 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 Jean Vianney (di Curé of Ars), Priest
Di main foto for up: Crowds gather as Christ dey heal sick people, through Wikimedia Commons
