August 25, 2024
Sọnde nke Twenty-One for Ordinary Time (Year B)
Readings for Today
Listen for English
Then Jesus tell the Twelve, “Una too want leave?” Simon Peter answer am, “Master, who we go go meet? Na You get the words of eternal life. We don come to believe, and we dey sure say na You be the Holy One of God.” John 6:67–69
These words of Saint Peter show us the firm belief wey we must get when e hard to remain faithful to wetin God want. God dey ask plenty from us. E want everything from us. We go only reach Heaven when we surrender everything to wetin the Father want and believe everything wey E don reveal. If we no do so before we die, we go need purification for Purgatory. No way to bypass this one. God dey ask everything wey E fit ask from us.
The truth be say all this na good thing. E good say God dey ask make we submit completely to His perfect will and teaching, because na exactly these things be the best for us. From time to time, because our human nature weak and don fall, we fit see wetin God want as something wey dey demand too much, and wetin E teach as something wey too hard. I really need to forgive everybody completely? I really need to give my life without holding anything back? I really need to keep the Commandments perfectly? I really need to dey perfect as the Father for Heaven dey perfect? Yes. But as we dey try do so, we go face plenty temptations to give up, as we dey think say wetin God want too hard.
Today Gospel come for the end of the beautiful teaching about the Bread of Life, where our Lord teach clearly say, “Amen, amen, I dey tell una, unless una chop the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, una no get life inside una.” For the beginning of today Gospel, after many of His disciples hear this new teaching from Jesus, dem begin murmur among themselves, dey talk say, “This talk hard; who fit accept am?” This teaching of Jesus “hard” because person need deep faith to understand am completely. But just because something hard to accept no mean say we no suppose accept am.
Wetin Peter talk wey we quote above give us the words wey we suppose talk anytime we find am hard to accept wetin God want or wetin E teach. When that one happen, we must hear Jesus dey ask us the same question wey E ask the Twelve: “Una too want leave?” Jesus no go try use tricks to control us. E no go back down when E see say we dey struggle. E no go reduce wetin e take to be His faithful follower. Instead, E go give us freedom either to believe or to leave. And when we feel like leaving, make we always remember Peter words: “Master, who we go go meet? Na You get the words of eternal life. We don come to believe, and we dey sure say na You be the Holy One of God.”
Wetin Peter talk contain everything wey we need to know when any struggle about faith dey happen inside us. True, we fit leave our Lord and do wetin we like. But where we go go? To follow the pleasures of this world wey no go last? Wetin that one go achieve? If we believe and we dey sure say Jesus na the Holy One of God, then no matter how e hard, no matter how much e demand from us, no matter the difficulty, we must choose to remain faithful to God for everything. That choice to remain faithful, especially when we dey struggle inside, na the key wey dey open the way for God power to change our lives.
Today, think deeply about any way wey you don feel say wetin God want, or any truth wey E don reveal, hard and dey demand plenty from you. When you face this kind challenge inside you, wetin you dey do? If na to turn away from God and begin slack for the way you dey faithful to Am, then think deeply about wetin Peter tell Jesus. Make those words your prayer, and let that prayer strengthen your firm belief, so that you go become God follower wey dey faithful without shaking.
My Lord wey dey ask everything from me, for Your great love and mercy, You dey require everything from me. You dey ask me to give You my life, to surrender completely and serve Your perfect will. When I weak, give me strength. When I doubt, give me faith. Help me, Lord, make my determination always grow stronger, and make I follow You with complete faithfulness. Jesus, na You I trust.
Novena to Saint Monica
(Dem dey pray am especially for children wey don go astray)
August 18-26
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
Saints of Today – Dem no dey celebrate am as liturgical memorial this year because e fall on Sunday
Saint Louis, King—Memorial wey no be obligation
Saint Joseph of Calasanz, Priest—Memorial wey no be obligation
