Sunday, June 9, 2024
Sunday Nomba Ten for Ordinary Time (Yia B)
Readings for Today
Listen for English
“Amen, I dey tell una, people go get forgiveness for all dia sins and all di blasphemy wey dem talk. But anybody wey talk blasphemy against di Holy Spirit no go ever get forgiveness; instead, e dey guilty of sin wey go remain forever.” Na because dem don talk say, “E get unclean spirit.” Mark 3:28–30
Jesus talk these words to di crowd wey gather round His house for Capernaum because two groups of people don just condemn Am badly for public. First, some of His relatives arrive and tell everybody say, “E don lose His senses.” Then some scribes from Jerusalem talk say, “Beelzebul don possess Am.” So Jesus make am clear say dia blasphemy na sin against di Holy Spirit, and di consequences go last forever.
Why some sins no go ever get forgiveness? Wetin exactly be sin against di Holy Spirit? For di teaching wey our Church don pass down, di Church don explain this sin for more than one way. First, na to refuse to repent till di end; that na di sin of stubbornly continuing for grave sin. This stubbornness, or refusal to repent, na sin wey no fit get forgiveness, simply because di person wey dey commit am no dey ever seek forgiveness. Dem don hold dia sin so tight sotey dem refuse to change. So, God’s mercy no fit enter dia heart. Second, di Church don also identify am as presumption, wey mean say person dey sin as e dey expect God to forgive am. Presumption no dey easy to notice like that; but e still dey stop person from repenting with di true heart wey forgiveness need. Di person wey dey presume like this no dey repent fully or change dia life as long as dem remain for dia sin.
Among all di many sins wey you dey struggle with, or wey you fit struggle with for future, pay special attention to sins against di Holy Spirit. Even though we no suppose ever think say we get right to God’s forgiveness, we must always believe say God’s mercy so great that di moment we humbly admit our sin and repent from true heart, God go forgive us. But di main thing na “true heart.” Before we fit get forgiveness, di repentance inside us must come from true heart; e must be genuine, real and complete. We no fit deceive God. We fit surely deceive ourselves, but no be God.
One of di best ways to dey sure regularly say you no dey guilty of any sin against di Holy Spirit na to go for di Sacrament of Confession and confess your sins openly, fully and with humility. Accept responsibility for your sin. Admit am. Feel sorrow for am. Make firm decision to change. Then confess am and trust God’s mercy.
Today, reflect on any way wey your repentance from sin no dey come from true heart or no dey complete. You dey honest with yourself about di sins wey you don commit? You don accept responsibility for those sins? If na so, you don also confess dem to God and make firm decision say you no go ever commit dem again? Take repentance seriously so that you no go even begin to slide down di slippery path wey dey lead to any sin against di Holy Spirit.
Lord wey full of mercy pass all, You dey offer forgiveness to everybody wey come meet You with humility and sorrow from true heart. Abeg, fill me with these virtues and give me firm mind to change as I open myself to Your mercy wey nobody fit measure. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
Saint for Today – Saint Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor
Dem no dey celebrate am as liturgical memorial this year because e fall on Sunday
Main image above: Jesus Wey Dem Tempt by Carl Bloch, through picryl
