March 16, 2024
Saturday for Week Four of Lent
Readings for Today
Di guards answer, “Nobody don ever talk like dis man before.” So di Pharisees answer dem, “Dem don deceive una too? Any of di leaders or di Pharisees don believe in am? But dis crowd wey no know di law dey under curse.” John 7:46–49
We hope say di Pharisees wey dem mention above change deep inside dia hearts and turn to God before dem die. If dem no do so, then di day wey God judge each of dem after death for shock dem and make dem fear well-well. Di greatest act of love wey anybody don ever know na say God become one of us, through di power of di Holy Spirit dem conceive Am for di womb of di Blessed Virgin Mary, E grow up for di household of Saint Joseph, and at last E begin His public ministry. Through dis ministry, dem proclaim di truth of di Gospel wey dey save, so dat everybody fit come know God and receive salvation. And na dis act of perfect love wey God give us di Pharisees attack, and dem call di people wey believe in am people wey dem don “deceive” and people wey “dey under curse.”
Even though di Pharisees no give us much wey fit inspire us, dem give us plenty lessons. For di passage above, di Pharisees show us one of di tricks wey di wicked one dey use most often. For im well-known spiritual book, Di Exercises for Spiritual Life, Saint Ignatius of Loyola explain say when person dey move from life of sin to life of holiness, di wicked one go attack am for different ways. E go try disturb your mind and make you worry pass wetin you suppose about serving God. E go try make you sad with sorrow wey you no fit explain, put obstacles for your way as you dey try live good life, so dat you go feel say di whole thing too much for you and think say you too weak to live good Christian life of virtue. E go also tempt you to lose your peace of heart by making you doubt God love or wetin E dey do for your life. E look clear say na these same things di Pharisees want achieve with dis attack.
Again, even though dis fit no look like wetin dey “inspire,” e good well-well to understand am. Di Pharisees attack with wickedness, no be only Jesus, but also anybody wey begin believe in Jesus. Dem tell di guards wey Jesus words touch, “Dem don deceive una too?” E clear say na di wicked one dey work through dem, as e dey try use fear hold di guards and anybody wey get mind to believe in Jesus back.
But to understand di tricks of di wicked one and im messengers get great value, because e dey help us reject di lies and deceit wey dem dey pour on us. Sometimes, na individuals dey tell these lies, and dem dey direct dem straight at us. Other times, di lies dey spread reach more people through di media, di culture and even, sometimes, di government.
Today, think deeply about di bitter words of these Pharisees wey no good to hear. But do am so dat you go understand di tricks wey di wicked one dey often use as you dey seek to grow for holiness. Make you know for sure say di closer you dey get to God, di more attacks you go face. But no fear. Recognize every attack for wetin e be, whether e come from person, society, culture or even government. Get confidence, and no let anything hold you back as you dey seek to follow Christ more fully every day.
My God and Judge of everybody, when time reach im end, You go establish Your Kingdom of truth and justice wey go last forever. You go rule over everybody and give everybody Your mercy and justice. Make I live fully for Your truth, and make the attacks and lies of the evil one no ever turn me comot from am. Give me courage and strength, dear Lord, as I dey always trust You. Jesus, na You I trust.
Day Twenty-Eight Meditations:
40 Days for Desert & 40 Days for the Cross
Novena to Saint Joseph. Dem dey pray am from March 10-18.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Scripture Meditation Dem for Lent
Images wey we show above: Secret Plan of the Jews By James Tissot, through Wikimedia Commons
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