June 23, 2024
Sunday Nomba 12 for Ordinary Time (Year B)
Readings for Today
Listen for English
Jesus dey di back of di boat, dey sleep on top cushion. Dem wake am, come tell am, “Teacher, You no care say we dey perish?” E wake up, command di wind make e stop, come tell di sea, “Quiet! Dey still!” Di wind stop, and everywhere come calm well-well. Mark 4:38–39
You want hear God speak to you? Di way wey this dey happen pass na when we dey pray and think deep about di Gospels. For many centuries, di saints don dey pray and think deep about di Gospels, and dem don share different things wey dem understand about di stories and wetin our Lord do. Wetin dem understand no be mainly exercise to use brain reason. Instead, na first of all prayer and deep meditation, wey dey show say di Scriptures get different levels of deep meaning.
One Church Father, Saint Bede, explain from how e pray and think deep about today Gospel passage say di boat wey Jesus use cross di sea represent di Cross wey give us safe passage to reach di shores of Heaven. Di other boats wey follow represent people wey get faith in di Cross of Christ and dey follow am. Even though dem dey suffer waves of temptation and hardship, dem still dey move forward, dey depend on di saving power of di Cross. As Jesus dey sleep, e represent Im sleep of death, and as E wake, e represent Im resurrection. Di way di disciples beg am represent how we need turn to Jesus during di storms and temptations of life. Di way E command di waves to stop and di calm wey follow show di grace wey Im death and resurrection win for us, wey fit silence demons and strong desires wey no dey in proper order. Di fear wey catch di disciples point to our own fear wey dey come when we no get enough faith and trust in God.
God fit tell us these truths and many other truths through Im actions and words wey dey inside di Scriptures. Di deep meaning wey we fit receive through Im holy Word no get limit. So, even though e dey useful to think deep about di different ways wey di saints explain di Gospels, e still dey very important make we think deep about these passages by ourselves, so that we go allow our Lord tell us di message wey we need hear.
Today, think deep about this scene for di Gospel. Try find time to read today Gospel slowly from beginning reach end. Read one sentence, then close your eyes and try picture am for your mind. See Jesus as E dey enter di boat. Think deep about how di boat be image of di Cross. See di sea as di many evils wey dey inside this world. Think about di fear wey catch di disciples during di storm. See yourself inside that boat, dey wake our Lord. Listen as E dey silence di waves and bring peace back. Hear as E dey tell you about your own struggles for life: “Why una dey fear like this? Una never get faith?” As you dey pray and think deep about this Gospel passage and other ones, know say God go speak to you and show you di meaning wey E want make you understand today.
My Lord wey dey sleep, as I dey endure di many storms of life, make I always get faith in di saving power of Your Cross and Resurrection. Make I always call on You to calm di storms, and make I hear You tell me di many truths wey I need hear. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
