September 2, 2023
Saturday for Week Twenty-One for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
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“Di one wey receive five talents come forward with five more. E talk say, ‘Master, you give me five talents. See, I don make five more.’ Im master tell am say, ‘You do well, my good servant wey dey faithful. Since you dey faithful for small matters, I go give you big responsibilities.’” Matthew 25:20–21
Many times, when we hear story wey show success and tragedy side by side, na di tragedy we dey first notice. Di parable wey dem give us today, di Parable of di Talents, show us three people. Two of dem get stories of great success. But one get story wey end for greater tragedy. Di sad story end as di master tell di servant wey bury im money say e be “wicked, lazy servant!” But di two success stories end as di master talk say, “You do well, my good servant wey dey faithful. Since you dey faithful for small matters, I go give you big responsibilities.” Make we focus on these success stories.
Di two servants wey succeed each make di master money become twice wetin e be before. Even if person look am only from worldly angle, na something wey really deserve praise. If you put money for investment with person wey dey advise people about money matters, and small time later dem tell you say your money don become double, you go really happy. This kind profit no dey common. Na di first lesson we suppose learn from this parable be this. To make di gifts and graces wey God give us become double na something wey we fit really do. Di main reason no be because of us; na because of God. As God gifts be by their very nature, dem suppose grow. By di very nature of grace, e dey flow plenti pass measure; and when we cooperate with God grace, e dey multiply more and more.
When you think about your own life, which gifts God don give you wey E want make you use for Im glory? Any gifts dey wey you don bury, wey no dey grow, or worse still, wey you dey use do things wey dey against God plan for your life? Some of di gifts wey easy to notice, wey dey inside your human nature, na your power to understand and your will to choose. Apart from these, you fit get special talent for one thing or another. All these na gifts wey God give you for your natural life. Apart from these, God dey often give supernatural gifts plenti when we begin use wetin we get for Im glory and for di salvation of other people. For example, if you work to share di truths of our faith with other people, God go begin deepen your supernatural gifts of Good Advice, Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding, so that you go fit talk about God and wetin E want. All di seven Gifts of di Holy Spirit na some of di clearest examples of supernatural gifts wey God dey give, and dem be: Wisdom, Understanding, Good Advice, Courage, Knowledge, Devotion to God, Fear of di Lord. Di prayer wey end this reflection come from one traditional novena to di Holy Spirit. E no only ask for these gifts; e also describe dem small so that we go understand dem better.
Today, think well about how you must dedicate wetin God don give you, both natural and supernatural gifts, to serve God and other people. You dey do this? You dey try use every talent, every gift, every part of who you be for God glory and for di eternal good of other people? If you no dey do am, those gifts go dey reduce small-small. If you dey do am, you go see those gifts of God grace grow for many different ways. Try well to understand di gifts wey you don receive, and make firm decision to use dem for God glory and di salvation of souls. If you do so, one day you too go hear our Lord tell you say, “You do well, my good servant wey dey faithful.”
O Lord Jesus Christ, give me the Spirit wey dey give wisdom, make I look down on the things of this world wey no go last, and desire only the things wey go last forever; the Spirit wey dey give understanding, make the light of Your divine truth shine for my mind; the Spirit wey dey give good counsel, make I choose the surest way to please God and reach Heaven; the Spirit wey dey give strength, make I fit carry my cross with You and get courage to overcome every obstacle wey stand against my salvation; the Spirit wey dey give knowledge, make I know God, know myself, and grow perfect for the knowledge wey the Saints get; the Spirit wey dey give devotion to God, make service to God sweet me and make I love am; the Spirit wey dey give fear of the Lord, make my heart full of love and deep respect for God, and make I fear to displease Am in any way. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
