August 25, 2023
Friday for di 20th Week for Ordinary Time
Di Readings for Today
Saint Louis, King—Memorial wey no be obligation
Saint Joseph of Calasanz, Priest—Memorial wey no be obligation
Listen for English
“Make you love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. Na this be the greatest commandment and the first one. The second one be like am: Make you love your neighbour as you love yourself.” Matthew 22:37–39
We know this passage wey dey above well-well. Na the answer wey Jesus give the Pharisees wey come test Am. Before this time, one group of Sadducees don try to trap Jesus, but dem fail. So now, na the Pharisees try their very best to trap our Lord. As we know, Jesus give perfect answer. And when He finish this answer, Jesus too come ask the Pharisees some questions wey dem no fit answer, and dem no dare ask Am any other question that time.
Sometimes, when another person challenge us about matters of faith, e dey help us because e dey give us chance to make wetin we really believe clear. Even though Jesus no need to make anything clear for His own sake, He still make the matter clear as dem dey try to trick Am, so that He go help both the Pharisees and His followers wey dey listen with full attention.
Person don ever challenge you about matters of faith? If so, wetin be your answer? You fit answer through the inspiration and clear understanding wey the Holy Spirit give you? Or you waka comot with confusion, without any answer to give? When another person challenge our faith, e go either leave us for confusion or help us understand more deeply.
As Jesus answer this question the way He do, He present the whole Law wey Moses give inside the Ten Commandments for one new way wey bring everything together in short form. The first three of the Ten Commandments concern love of God, and the last seven concern love of neighbour. The second commandment wey Jesus give, “Make you love your neighbour as you love yourself,” flow from the first commandment. How you go take “love yourself?” Na by obeying the first commandment wey Jesus give: “love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” When you love God pass everything else, to love your neighbour simply mean say you love God wey dey live inside your neighbour, according to the way God love that person.
E good too to note say e possible to “love” our neighbour in one way wey go against love of God. For example, if we show our love for neighbour in one way wey go against Love of God, then that one no be true love. Make we say your neighbour don choose one way of life wey seriously bad for moral matter. How you go take love am with the love of God? You no go tell am say, “I support you for this bad way wey you dey live.” To do that one no be love of God; na selfish kind of love wey care more about how the person go respond to you than about the person’s soul wey go live forever. The right way to love person wey don go astray in one way wey truly bad for moral matter na to let am know say you love am, but you no support the choices wey e dey make. And even though the person fit react badly to this, to care about im eternal salvation must come before any desire just to dey on good terms with am.
To love your neighbour fit hard sometimes, especially when the “neighbour” na family member wey don turn away from God. But when e hard like that, think about how the Sadducees and Pharisees dey always try to trap Jesus. He always give the perfect answer of love, and He no ever allow their talk wey miss road to leave confusion behind. Na so e be for us too: we must depend on the wisdom and love of God when to love another person hard. For that kind situation, God must guide every talk wey we talk, so that the other person go know say we love am, and so that our love no go turn away from the pure love of God.
Today, reflect on the high calling wey you don receive to love God pass everything else, and to love your neighbour with that same love wey you get for God. If you find say to love somebody hard, pray for the wisdom wey you need to remain faithful to the person in God’s love alone. And if person challenge your love, depend on our Lord to lead you and give you the words wey you need when you need them pass.
My Lord wey full of love, You love everybody with love wey perfect, and You dey call all of us to love You with all our heart, soul and mind. You dey also call us to love other people with di same love wey You get for dem. Make love for You and for everybody full my heart, especially for those wey hard pass to love. Give me wisdom, my dear Lord, make I know how to love other people in You, so dem go experience Your perfect love for their lives. Jesus, na You I trust.
Novena to Saint Monica
(Dem dey pray am especially for children wey don go astray)
August 18-26
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
Saints for Today –
Saint Louis, King—Memorial we person fit choose to celebrate
Saint Joseph of Calasanz, Priest—Memorial wey no be obligation
Di main picture we dey above: Di Messiah dey give di New Law, from flickr
