August 4, 2024
Sunday Nọmba 18 for Ordinary Time (Yia B)
Readings for Today
Listen for English
“Rabbi, when You reach here?” Jesus answer dem say, “Amen, amen, I dey tell una, una dey look for Me no be because una see signs, but because una chop di loaves of bread come belleful. Make una no work for food wey dey spoil, but for di food wey dey last for life wey no dey end, wey di Son of Man go give una.” John 6:25–27
Di day before, Jesus feed di crowd through di miracle wey E use multiply bread and fish. Di next day, hunger catch di people again, so dem go find Jesus because dem think say E fit use miracle feed dem again. For di passage above, Jesus use di hunger for their body take point dem to one deeper truth about life for spirit.
Hunger dey catch each one of us. We dey always get strong desires wey we want satisfy. True true, food and drink dey among di things wey we dey long for, but di deepest desire wey each of us get na desire for spirit. Di problem be say we dey often try satisfy our hunger through ways wey no go ever satisfy us. So, each of us need hear Jesus as E talk say, “No work for food wey dey spoil, but work for di food wey dey last reach life wey no dey end, wey di Son of Man go give una.” Wetin be dat food wey di Son of Man go give us? Of course, na Im very Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. Na di Most Holy Eucharist.
Dis passage na di beginning of di long “Teaching about di Bread of Life” wey we go dey read from for di next three Sundays. Throughout dis teaching, Jesus make am clear say Im flesh na real food and Im blood na real drink. To chop Jesus flesh and blood na di only way to life wey no dey end. Some people wey hear dis teaching feel say e too hard to accept, so dem reject Jesus and Im teaching. Di teaching end as Jesus ask di Twelve whether dem too want leave. Peter give di perfect answer as e talk say, “Master, who we go go meet? Na You get di words of life wey no dey end. We don come to believe, and we dey sure say na You be di Holy One of God.”
As we dey think deeply about dis teaching of Jesus for di next few weekends, e important make we start from di foundation. Di foundation na di hunger wey we get for spirit. Each of us dey experience am. Each of us know say e dey. We no fit escape am. Because of dat, look inside your own soul. Wetin you see? You see say your soul no dey rest and say e get desire wey never get satisfaction? You dey feel di strong desires inside your own soul? When you see dis, know say you don discover where life wey get true satisfaction dey start. Unless you fit see dat hunger inside you, you no fit turn to di source wey go satisfy am.
Di Eucharist na di source of everything wey we dey long for in life; but plenty times, we no dey see am like dat. E easy make we fall for di trap of seeing di Eucharist as one duty wey we must fulfil every week. Sometimes, we fit even see Mass as something wey dey disturb our plans. If na dis struggle you dey face, try use di next few Sundays take look again at how you understand di Most Holy Eucharist.
Pass every other thing for life, we must understand say Sunday Mass na di source of di deepest satisfaction wey we fit get for life. We must see am as di answer to every deep desire and lack of rest wey dey inside us. No be money, recognition, high position, power, or any other thing for life dey give us full satisfaction. Na God. And di first and main way wey God dey come meet us na for di celebration of di Mass. You believe dis? You understand am?
Today, and for di next few weeks, think deeply about di Gift of di Most Holy Eucharist. As you dey do so, try see am as di answer to every deep desire and hunger wey you get inside you for life. Try make one act of faith in dis spiritual truth. If you no dey regularly experience di satisfaction wey receiving di Eucharist dey offer, ask yourself why. Believe everything wey Jesus teach for dis holy teaching about di Bread of Life. If you do so, you too go begin receive di nourishment wey our Lord promise.
My Lord wey dey present for di Eucharist, na You be di Bread of Life and di source of all satisfaction for life. Your Body and Blood, wey You give me as I dey take part for Holy Mass, na di greatest Gift wey I fit ever receive. Abeg, renew my love for You and make am deeper for dis Gift, so dat na for only You I go find complete satisfaction and fulfilment. 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 Jean Vianney (di Curé of Ars), Priest—Memorial
Dem no dey celebrate am as liturgical memorial dis year because e fall on Sunday
Di main picture above: Miracle of di Bread and Fish by Giovanni Lanfranco, through Wikimedia Commons
