September 17, 2023
Sunday Nomba 24 for Ordinary Time (Year A)
Readings for Today
Listen for English
“‘You wicked servant! I forgive you all di debt wey you owe me because you beg me. No be so you suppose pity your fellow servant, as I pity you?’ Then, because im master vex, e hand am over to people wey go torture am until e pay back all di debt. Na so my Father wey dey heaven go do to una, unless each of una forgive im brother from im heart.” Matthew 18:32–35
Love, kindness, gentleness, mercy…e easy to think about these good qualities and plenty others like dem. Dem dey inspire us to become holy as we dey grow for good character. But sometimes we need more. Sometimes, to think deeply about di beauty of these good qualities and di fruits of di Spirit no dey enough to help us embrace holy life. Na one of di reasons for our parable today be this.
Di Exercises for Spiritual Life of Saint Ignatius of Loyola give us one plan wey spiritual director fit use guide person through private retreat of thirty days. Ignatius arrange meditations wey go cover thirty days. Wetin catch attention be say Ignatius no start by inviting di person to think deeply about di beautiful good qualities wey God dey call am to get. Instead, for di first week, e make di person wey dey do di retreat think deeply about how terrible sin be and di serious damage wey sin dey cause for soul. As di person dey do this, im eyes go open more fully to im own sin, so dat for di three weeks wey follow, im heart go dey more ready to reflect on di life of Christ wey dey inspire us and all His good qualities.
For one way, our Gospel today na just di right Gospel to think deeply about during dat first week of retreat wey follow Saint Ignatius method. And na why e also be just di right Gospel to think deeply about anytime we want put our spiritual life in order. E very easy to begin feel say we no need to put more effort for our Christian journey. E easy to become lukewarm for our prayer and even for di way we dey choose between good and bad. If this describe you even small, then this Gospel deserve make you pay close and full attention to am.
Di sin wey Jesus dey talk about for this passage na di sin of no gree forgive. E show clearly di anger of God wey go fall on people wey no gree forgive others. Di “wicked servant” wey these words dey address na man wey God forgive one “very huge debt.” Na all of us be this. God don forgive each of us debt wey cost Jesus His very life. Di result of our sins na di death of di Son of God. Each of us deserve death as punishment. But now, through forgiveness of sins, death don turn to di very way wey dey lead to new life. And if we want receive forgiveness of sins and di new life wey dey wait for us, we must fully share for God’s forgiveness. No be only to receive His forgiveness; we must also forgive people wey don sin against us. Completely. Totally. Without holding anything back.
For this parable, di wicked servant no forgive di small debt wey im servant owe am. In fact, every sin wey person commit against us, no matter how serious e be for God’s eyes, na small debt compared to di debt wey we owe God. Because of this, we must never hesitate to forgive. Never. If this hard, and if to reflect on God’s mercy, kindness, compassion and love no move you to forgive everybody completely, then spend time with this parable. “You wicked servant! I forgive you all di debt wey you owe me because you beg me. No be so you suppose pity your fellow servant, as I pity you?” Na us these words dey address when we no forgive completely from di depth of our hearts. Na words of mercy from Jesus to help us wake up to wetin we need to do.
For di explanation wey St. Thomas Aquinas give about this passage, di “people wey go torture us,” wey dem go hand us over to if we no forgive, na evil spirits. Dem go torment us when we no forgive others. For now, di torture go come as to dey think about our wounds without rest, to dey dwell on thoughts of revenge, to dey keep grudge, and to no get peace inside our hearts. Na di work of evil spirits be this, and dem go torment us this way until we forgive.
Today, reflect on how forgiveness na something wey Christian life demand without exception. Mercy fit look like wetin no fair. If we look am only from di side of strict justice, e no fair. But if we look am from di side of freedom and di good qualities of Heaven, mercy make complete sense. No hesitate to forgive, because if you fit do so from di bottom of your heart, God go pour di riches of di Kingdom of Heaven on you in abundance.
Lord wey get mercy pass all, You don forgive me one very big debt. Na Your death for Cross be wetin my sin cost You. Abeg, fill my heart with deep gratitude for this gift, so that I too go show other people this same deep mercy. Make I no ever slack for this deep mercy, so that I go dey free from the torment wey dey come when person no gree forgive. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
Saints of Today – Dem no dey celebrate am as liturgical memorial this year because e fall on Sunday
Saint Robert Bellarmine, Bishop and Doctor of di Church—Memorial wey no compulsory
Saint Hildegard of Bingen, Virjin and Doctor of di Church—Memorial wey no be compulsory
