July 2, 2024
Tuesday for Week 13 of Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
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As Jesus enter boat, His disciples follow Him. Suddenly, strong storm start for di sea, sotey waves dey fill di boat with water; but Jesus dey sleep. Matthew 8:23–24
Wetin happen really touch di disciples, and we fit see this from how dem write am for all di three Synoptic Gospels. We still see am for di words wey end di story after Jesus calm di storm: “Di men wonder well-well and talk say, ‘Which kind man be this, wey even di wind and di sea dey obey?’”
As tradition don teach, this story na picture of both di whole Church and each person’s soul. Di boat na picture of di Church, wey dey carry us Christians through di dangers of this life. We must remain inside di Church to survive. Each person inside di boat stand for each one of us wey be member of di Church. Di strong storm na picture of di plenty personal struggles wey we dey endure for life, and also di persecution wey di Church don endure and go continue to endure till di end of time.
As di storm dey shake di boat, Jesus dey sleep. But reason dey why He dey sleep. When we look human history, especially di history of di Church, we go see plenty times when e be like say God no dey or He “dey sleep” when trouble, persecution and hardship come. Plenty people, if no be everybody, don get this same experience at one time or another for life. As di disciples dey face this storm, dem show us one good way to pray when temptation dey come make we lose hope for life. Dem wake Jesus and talk say, “Lord, save us! We dey perish!” And even though Jesus rebuke dem because dem no get enough faith and dem dey fear, He still answer their cry for help and calm di storm.
Wetin di disciples suppose do for this situation? Dem suppose trust Jesus and allow Him continue to sleep? Even though our Lord rebuke dem because dem no get enough faith, di main thing wey this story dey reveal na God’s mercy when temptation dey come make we fear. God know say sometimes, all of us go feel say di trouble don pass wetin we fit bear, and we go face this kind temptation. He know say our faith never perfect, so He allow His disciples set this example for us. So, anytime we feel say trouble don pass wetin we fit bear and fear dey catch us for life, make we cry to Him to save us. He want make we turn to Him.
Today, think deeply about this prayer of di disciples. If you see say you dey face some personal crisis, or bigger family problem wey never get solution, or you dey notice more and more other struggles wey dey trouble di Church or di whole society, then try follow this prayer of di disciples: “Lord, save us! We dey perish!” Even though these words fit first sound like words of people wey don lose hope, dem really be words of hope and trust. Dem point us to Him wey be di only source of di peace wey we dey find for our souls, our families, di Church and our world. Look for di many ways wey you and other people dey feel say una “dey perish,” and use all your heart cry to our Lord to save you and everybody wey need help.
Lord wey get power pass all, Your divine power and how You fit make the storms wey dey trouble Your people calm down completely dey amaze me. Abeg, fill me with hope and humility, so I no go ever hesitate to turn to You when I need help, and to also cry out to You make You continue to intervene for other people life. Wake up, O Lord, and save Your people, because true-true, we go perish without You! Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
