August 7, 2023
Monday for Week Eighteen for Ordinary Time (Year B&C)
Readings for Today
Saint Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and Im Companions, Martyrs—Memorial Wey No Be Compulsory
Saint Cajetan, Fada—Memorial Wey No Be Compulsory
Listen for English
E take the five loaves of bread and the two fish, look up to heaven, pray the blessing, break the bread, and give am to the disciples, wey then give am to the crowd. All of dem chop belleful, and dem gather the pieces wey remain—twelve baskets wey dem weave with cane, all full. Matthew 14:19–20
One important part of this miracle wey person fit easily overlook na say Jesus use Im disciples as instruments to multiply the bread and fish. E do this as E invite dem to help share the bread and gather the pieces wey remain. This show say God dey often use us as people wey through dem E dey give other people Im grace wey plenty pass measure. Even though God fit pour out Im mercy directly, most times E dey do am through other people.
As you dey think deeply about this miracle, try see yourself as one of the disciples wey Jesus invite to share the bread give the people. If you bin dey there and hunger dey catch you, then dem give you bread, e for tempt you to chop the bread yourself before you give anybody any. But Jesus give the bread to Im disciples wey hunger dey catch, with instruction say make dem first give other people.
Sometimes, when God call us to give other people Im mercy, we dey become selfish. E easy to think say we must first take care of ourselves and wetin we need. We dey wrongly believe say na only after we don get wetin we need we fit show other people mercy. For example, imagine say as the disciples receive the bread from Jesus, dem decide say dem go first chop from am. Then, if anything remain, dem fit give other people. If dem bin do this, the bread for no multiply reach that plenty wey pass measure. For the end, the disciples themselves receive food wey plenty pass measure—na exactly because dem first give out wetin dem receive.
For spiritual matter, na so e still be with us. When we receive spiritual food from our Lord, the first thing we suppose think na how to give am to others. We must first see everything wey we receive from God as opportunity to give other people those blessings. Na so grace be. For example, if God give us peace or joy inside our hearts, we must understand say this peace or joy wey we receive na gift wey we must share with other people immediately. If God give us spiritual understanding of Scripture, the first and main reason why E give us na to share am with others. We must understand every gift wey we receive from God as gift wey E give us so that we fit share am with others immediately. The good news be say when we try to give out wetin we don receive, we go receive more and, for the end, we go get far more.
Today, think deeply about how the disciples receive this food from our Lord and immediately give am out. See yourself inside this miracle, and see the bread as sign of every grace wey you receive from God. Wetin you don receive wey God want make you share give others? Any grace dey wey you don receive but you dey selfishly try to keep for only yourself? The nature of grace be say God give am to us make we give am to others. Try to do this with every spiritual gift wey you receive, and you go see say the grace dey multiply reach the point wey you go receive pass anything wey you fit ever imagine.
Lord wey dey give pass all, You dey pour out Your grace and mercy wey plenty pass measure. As I dey receive everything wey You give, abeg fill my heart with spirit of generosity so that I no go ever hesitate to show other people Your mercy. Abeg use me as Your instrument, my dear Lord, so that through me, You go fit feed other people with plenty. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
Saints for Today –
Saint Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and Im Companions, Martyrs
