August 31, 2023
Thursday for di 21st Week for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
Listen for English
“Make una no sleep! Because una no know which day una Lord go come. Make una know this one well: if the master of the house know which time for night the thief go come, e for stay awake and no let the thief break enter im house. Na so una too must dey ready, because the Son of Man go come for time wey una no expect.” Matthew 24:42–44
Our Lord show the difference between the call to stay awake and people wey dey sleep. As Jesus talk “Make una no sleep!” with so much emphasis, e clear say He dey also tell us say e easy to fall asleep for spiritual life. So, most times, you dey awake and dey pay attention to His presence? Or na sleep you dey sleep most times, so you no dey aware say He dey present?
First of all, we must understand say this strong appeal dey refer to when we go comot for this life. Even though most young people no expect to die suddenly when dem no ready, we know say this kind thing dey happen. E fit happen to any one of us at any time, when we no expect am and without any warning. So, we must see this heartfelt appeal from Jesus as clear warning say make we always dey ready to meet Him for the judgment wey each of us go face when we comot for this life.
Apart from that one, this passage dey also invite us to dey more and more aware of the countless ways wey Jesus dey speak to us each and every day. The aim of Christian life must be to dey pray continually. This one no mean say we must dey “talk” prayers all day, every day. Instead, e mean say we dey build spiritual habit of always paying attention to the ways wey grace dey move us throughout our lives. God want lead us always. He want use His grace inspire us every day, throughout the day. He want make we keep one eye on the things wey dey occupy our day and the other eye on Him, as we allow Him to lead us sofri-sofri through everything.
Sometimes, we fit fall into the trap of thinking say na only big decisions for life God care about. But the truth be say na inside the small-small things of life we dey find God most clearly, even the smallest ones: short talk with person for our family, smile wey we give person wey we dey work with, kind thing wey we do for stranger, and prayer wey we just happen to pray for person wey we no know but wey need that prayer. All these na just few examples of the many ways wey God want share close fellowship with us every day, throughout the day. And this one fit happen only if we always dey awake and dey pay attention to the sofri-sofri ways wey His grace dey move us.
How this one go happen? How we go learn to pay attention to God as He dey speak to us and guide us every moment of every day? Na by building spiritual habit of prayer wey dey continue. We begin by setting time aside for prayer every day, time wey na only prayer we go do. We put aside everything wey fit distract us and begin to offer prayers, reflect deeply on Scripture, attend Mass, speak from our hearts, and so on. But from there, this special prayer time wey we set aside for God alone must begin to affect us throughout the day. And when things of this world distract us, we stop again, put all our attention on God, and invite Him to dey with us once more. Then we do this one again, and again, and again. Prayer must become habit wey go fill our whole life, so that God go dey present in everything we do. When this one happen, we go always dey spiritually “awake” to Him.
Today, reflect on this clear and short appeal from our Lord. “Make una no sleep!” Let those words continue to sound inside your heart. Hear them as call to build this holy habit of prayer throughout the day. If you do so, God go gradually take charge of your life and lead you each and every day into His holy will. And through you, God go fit reach many people for your life and beyond with His love and mercy.
My Lord wey dey demand much from me, You want make I live each day, every day, for way wey I go always dey pay attention to You. Abeg, help me to form holy habit of listening to You and always responding to everything wey You dey tell me. My life na Your own, my dear Lord. Dey lead me always with Your gentle Hand of grace. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
Main picture wey dey above: Deep Suffering for the Garden, from Web Gallery of Art
