September 18, 2024
Wednesday for Week Twenty-Four for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
Listen for English
“‘We play flute for una, but una no dance. We sing song of mourning, but una no cry.’ John the Baptist come, e no dey chop food or drink wine, and una talk say, ‘Demon dey possess am.’ The Son of Man come, E dey chop and drink, and una talk say, ‘See am, na person wey dey chop too much and na drunkard, friend of tax collector dem and sinner dem.’ But all the children of wisdom show say wisdom dey right.” Luke 7:32–35
Ecclesiastes 3 na reading wey people dey use well-well for burial. E talk say, “Time dey wey dem don set for everything, and time dey for every matter under heaven. Time dey to born, and time dey to die; time dey to plant, and time dey to uproot wetin dem plant…Time dey to cry, and time dey to laugh; time dey to mourn, and time dey to dance.” This reading dey comfort people wey dey mourn for burial because life full of different kinds of feelings and experiences. When people for burial think about the person wey dem love, dem go remember both the good time and the bad time, the sorrow and the joy. As dem do so, e dey help remind dem say, even though burial na time of sorrow, joy go still come for future. Na so life dey naturally take move.
For our Gospel today, Jesus challenge people wey no respond with the right human feeling at the right time. “We play flute for una, but una no dance. We sing song of mourning, but una no cry.” This picture of people wey dey play flute and sing song of mourning, and how others no dance or cry after that, show say many people no connect as dem suppose with John the Baptist and Jesus Himself during their ministry. As Saint Augustine dey explain this passage, e talk say the preaching of John the Baptist be like song of mourning wey call people to the “crying” of repentance. But when e preach, many people no respond with the repentance wey dem suppose get. When Jesus come, E preach and bear witness to the new life of grace wey E come give. Even though some people listen and respond to Am, many no do so. The message of Jesus be like flute music wey suppose move people to “dance.” But many no respond with the joy wey E invite dem to experience and live in through His message and grace wey dey change person.
True-true, time dey wey dem don set for everything and for every matter under Heaven. The mission wey dem don give us na to pay attention to wetin God dey tell us every moment of our life. Sometimes, we must “cry” as we look our sins with honest mind, feel how terrible those sins be, and reject dem with all our heart. For other times, we go “dance” when God invite us into His grace wey dey comfort us and ask us to see His merciful love clearly. For those moments, E dey invite us to get deep gratitude and to use our whole soul show that gratitude.
Today, reflect on the call wey you don receive to live in proper order. Do this as you consider how you dey pay attention to people around you. As your love dey make you pay attention, e dey help you see the pain inside the hearts of people wey dey suffer? E dey move you to listen to dem with compassion and show dem mercy from your heart? When other people dey experience the joys of life, you fit share that joy with dem? You fit do so fully, without any kind of jealousy or envy? When God inspire you to take any step to turn to Am and give you grace, you dey listen and obey without delay, and respond in the way wey fit am pass? Our souls must learn to notice how grace dey move us and respond as we suppose. Seek to get soul wey dey proper order, so that you go live and experience the life wey God put before you each day, according to His perfect will.
Lord, Your soul dey perfect order, and You always respond to the will of the Father perfectly. You stand firm when love demand am, You get courage in the face of hardship, You show mercy to the sinner wey repent, and You rejoice when anybody turn to God. Abeg, help me to always pay attention to how Your grace dey move me, and to always respond to You in the way wey You call me to respond. Jesus, na You I trust.
Prayers for di Election and di Nation
Novena for nine weeks from September 3 – November 4
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
