June 14, 2024
Friday for Week Ten for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
Listen for English
If your right eye dey make you sin, pluck am comot and throw am away. E better make you lose one part of your body than make dem throw your whole body inside Gehenna. And if your right hand dey make you sin, cut am comot and throw am away. E better make you lose one part of your body than make your whole body enter Gehenna. Matthew 5:29–30
Dis picture of person wey dey pluck im eye comot and cut im hand comot clearly na to make us pay attention. Even though we fit dey sure say Jesus no really dey suggest make we damage our bodies like dat, we no suppose hesitate to think deeply about dis picture with prayer, so dat we go understand di truths wey Jesus dey talk.
As Saint Augustine dey reflect on dis passage, e talk say: “Di eye here mean di friend wey we value pass…” Augustine still point out say Jesus specifically mention di “right eye” to show those friendships wey get “deeper affection” (Serm. in Mont. i. 13.). So, even though friendship—especially very close friendship—na gift, sometimes people wey close to us fit become source of sin or wetin fit lead us into sin. If na so, dem no truly be friends, and e fit better to reduce or even end dat relationship instead of to allow am lead us into sin.
Think about di people for your own life. Even though we must love everybody with di love of God, friendship pass love alone. Friendship dey form special bond with another person, and e dey open your life to di person presence and influence. When you start friendship with somebody, you dey allow di person get some influence for your life. When dat influence good, di friendship go bear plenty good fruit. But when dat influence bad, di friendship go become danger to di good of your soul. If na so, e fit need to be uprooted or cut off, so dat e no go draw you into serious sin or even put you for situation wey fit lead you into sin.
When one friend for your life become person wey fit lead you into sin, your love for am must remain, but e must also change. For dis kind situation, love fit mean to correct di person with love, to draw your heart back, or to reduce how much una dey relate. But dis na love. To use similar example, when person sin against God, im relationship with God dey change too. God dey withdraw His friendship. His presence for di person life dey reduce, and di communion wey dem get inside dey reduce or even end when di sin serious. Dis no mean say God no get love; na simply di effect of sin. Na so e still be for our relationship with another person: when two people no dey give and receive di grace of God from each other, friendship for di truest sense no fit dey. True friendship always get God grace as e centre, and e depend on dat grace. So, when dem leave God out of one relationship, dat relationship must change from true friendship to relationship wey dey imitate God love for sinner. We must continue to offer mercy, compassion and forgiveness, but di communion and unity wey dey inside go end. But dis na love.
Today, reflect on di people for your life wey God don give you to love. First, reflect on those relationships wey truly get God for centre. Dis kind relationships go become true friendships and bear plenty good fruit for your life. Rejoice for these friendships and thank God for dem. Second, reflect on any relationship wey no dey bear good fruit. As you dey do so, pray and think about how you dey handle dat relationship. You dey try to maintain “friendship” even though God no fit dey for di centre of dat relationship? If na so, think deeply about how God dey call you to change dat relationship, so dat e go show more fully di love wey God get for you and for dat other person for your life.
My Lord and true Friend, I thank You because You dey love me with perfect love. I pray make I always open my heart to dat love, so dat my union with You go continue to grow deeper. I still pray make I be instrument of Your love to other people. Abeg, give me di grace to love everybody for my life di way wey You love dem, no less and no more. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
Di pictures wey dey above: Christ di Saviour Dey Give Blessing, through flickr
