September 7, 2024
Satide for Wik 22 for Ordinary Time
Di Readings for Today
Listen for English
“The Son of Man na lord over the sabbath.” Luke 6:5
Jesus talk this short but powerful word to answer the Pharisees wey ask am why His disciples dey do wetin look like something wey law no allow for sabbath. Dem dey pass through farm where grain dey grow, dey pluck grain as dem dey waka, and dey chop am to get strength for their journey from one town to another.
This question wey the Pharisees use challenge Jesus show how dem dey follow moral law with too much fear of doing wrong. Remember the Third Commandment wey God give through Moses: “Remember sabbath day—keep am holy. You fit work for six days and do all your work, but the seventh day na sabbath for the LORD your God. Make you no do any work…” (Exodus 20:8–10). From this Commandment, the Pharisees don develop one complicated explanation wey talk in plenty detail about the kinds of work wey, for their own understanding, law no allow for Sabbath. One of those rules forbid people to pluck and grind grain. So, dem judge say na this the disciples dey do and, because of that, dem dey break the Third Commandment.
We must follow God laws completely, exactly as God give dem. His divine Law dey refresh us, give us new strength and help us live in union with am. But the Pharisees get strong desire to control people life through their own human explanation of God Law, and this desire dey trouble dem well-well. As Jesus talk say “The Son of Man na lord over the sabbath,” E make am clear say this explanation of the Third Commandment wey the Pharisees dey teach, with their too much fear of doing wrong, no agree with the truths of God Law.
One lesson wey we fit learn from this encounter be say each of us fit easily fall inside this kind trap. E easy to use our own understanding of faith and right and wrong replace God true Law. We be weak human beings, and plenty things dey affect how we dey think and wetin we firmly believe for life. Our feelings, habits, family relationships, friendships, media and plenty other things dey affect us strongly. Sometimes na for good, and sometimes na for bad. We fit easily reach some conclusions about faith and right and wrong wey no fully correct, because dem stand on small errors wey no easy to notice. Because of this, our thinking and wetin we firmly believe fit easily begin go wrong way. As time dey pass, we fit discover say we don go far from God truths. When this happen, e fit hard to accept am with humility and change wetin we firmly believe.
Today, reflect on this truth wey call us to humility: na Jesus, and only Jesus, be Lord over God Law. This mean say we must always dey ready to change our opinions when we hear our Lord dey speak to us. Think about any way wey you don hold your own opinions too tight. If dem dey produce peace, joy, love for God and neighbour, and things like these, then e very likely say dem dey in union with God. If dem dey weigh you down, cause confusion, quarrel or frustration, then you fit need to step back and, with humility, examine again wetin you firmly believe, so that the One wey be Lord over everything go fit speak His divine Law to you more clearly.
Lord of all Truth, na You, and only You, dey guide my life. Na You, and only You, be the Truth. Help me to get humility, my dear Lord, so that I go fit recognise any error for wetin I firmly believe, and turn to You and Your divine Law as the one and only guide for my life. Jesus, na You I trust.
Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows
As tradition be, dem dey pray am September 7–15
Prayers for di Election and di Nation
Novena wey go last nine weeks from September 3 – November 4
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
