February 4, 2024
Sunday Weh Be Number Five for Ordinary Time (Year B)
Readings for Today
Listen for English
When evening reach, after sun don set, dem bring everybody weh dey sick or weh demons possess come meet am. The whole town gather for the door. He heal plenty people weh get different kinds of sickness, and He drive plenty demons comot. He no allow dem talk because dem know am. Mark 1:32–34
Jesus dey Simon Peter house, and He don just heal Simon mother-in-law. “The whole town gather for the door” when evening reach. Na Jesus first time for Capernaum since He start His public ministry, and people don already dey rush come meet am in large numbers. The next morning, Jesus get up before daybreak and go one place alone to pray. Before long, some of the disciples find am and tell am say the whole town dey look for am again.
The excitement plenty well-well. Wetin dem see amaze plenty people. And the way Jesus amaze dem no be just because dem wan know wetin dey happen. Na faith make dem get this amazement, and na why Jesus fit do plenty miracles there. The people quickly understand say na Jesus be the Person weh the prophets of old don talk about. Na Him be the Messiah, and the people give am all their attention.
This na good picture for us to think deeply about. As you dey think about the crowd and their desire weh no dey shake to dey near our Lord, think about your own desires concerning God. You dey often get strong desire weh fill your heart to find our Lord, to dey with am, to listen to am and to receive His grace and mercy? Or temptation dey come make you see Jesus and the practice of your faith as something weh dey bore you and no dey interest you? One bad effect of modern technology na say plenty things weh no get deep meaning fit easily catch our attention and hold our interest. E fit be the latest short video for one mobile app, or the latest episode of one television series weh you like well-well, or one new post weh your friend put for social media. Plenty things dey today weh dey struggle to get our attention, hold our interest and even amaze us. Jesus dey among the things weh dey do like this for your life?
For our modern world weh things dey always excite and entertain us, we need to understand the difference between how the latest popular trend dey amaze us and how the grace and divine works of our Lord dey amaze us. When we encounter God power directly for our life, e go amaze us in a way weh go fulfil us and satisfy the deepest part of our heart. Na spiritual amazement e go be, and na gift from the Holy Spirit. And the satisfaction weh we receive from this kind amazement dey change us, e dey deep, and e dey sustain us. But when we turn to the lower kinds of “amazement” weh dey mostly please our senses and weh common for our world today, we go see say dem dey last only small time. Before long, dem go leave our heart dry, and we go still dey want more.
Today, think deeply about the people for today Gospel weh Jesus captivate their heart so much that dem continue to dey look for am. Think about their excitement, their hope and their true joy as dem discover the Messiah. As you dey think about dem, consider whether you too get the kind excitement weh dem get about Jesus. If that excitement no dey, commit yourself again to dey look for our Lord. And wherever you see say that excitement dey, rejoice and give God glory.
Lord weh get glory pass all, Your love and mercy truly dey amaze person. Abeg, help me to continue to see this for my life, and make Your presence for my life continue to captivate my heart. Make I always run come meet You, as I dey give You all my attention and love. Jesus, na You I trust.
Books for Lent:
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Picture weh we feature above: Crowds gather as Christ dey heal sick people, from Wikimedia Commons
