November 17, 2024
Sọnde Nọmba 33 for Ordinary Time (Year B)
Readings for Today
Christ Pantocrator by Adam Fagen; license: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
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Jesus tell His disciples: “For those days after that oke wahala, sun go turn dark, moon no go give im light, stars go dey fall from sky, and di powers for di heavens go shake.” Mark 13:24–25
Di “oke wahala” wey our Lord dey talk about mean serious persecution against di Church and people wey get faith. About this oke wahala, di Katekism of di Catholic Church talk say:
Before Christ come di second time, di Church must pass through one final trial wey go shake di faith of plenty believers. Di persecution wey dey follow di Church as e dey make im pilgrimage for this earth go show di “mystery of wickedness” through one religious deception wey go offer people wetin go look like solution to their problems, but di price na to turn their back on di truth. (#675).
This “final trial” dey happen today? Even though we no fit point to one particular time and say na that time Jesus’ prophecy and di teaching of di Katekism dey refer to, di truth still be say this trial and oke wahala go happen. That one sure. But we no know how or when e go happen. E fit be say e don already happen, or e dey happen right now. Na only God fit interpret these words of prophecy well.
Even with all this, this final trial and “mystery of wickedness” dey happen for all our lives in different ways. When we give ourselves fully to love and serve God, we fit dey sure say our faith go face test and we go experience persecution one way or another. But to know this no suppose make us fear. Instead, our Lord talk am to prepare us and help us endure any trial wey we face for life. Jesus’ words suppose put hope inside us when we dey endure suffering wey evil cause.
Jesus also talk say when we see persecution, trials and oke wahala, we must “know say He dey near, for di gates.” This mean say di more suffering person dey endure because of im faith, di more God dey present. He dey there, for di gate of your heart, dey wait make you run come meet Am with trust and hope.
As we dey near di end of our present Church year, most of our readings for Mass go focus on di end times. We go read about how Jesus go return in glory, di end of di world, and how His Kingdom wey go last forever go stand as Heaven and earth join as one. E fit happen today or tomorrow, or e fit no happen for thousands of years. But e go happen. For that day, di day of di final judgment, na only how we remain faithful to God go matter. Na why we must try hard every day to live as if na today be that day. We must prepare well for that day and live for only that glorious moment. If life easy now, we suppose work to put ourselves aside more and make more sacrifices so that we go dey ready. If life hard now, we must face those challenges with hope and trust, dey join every suffering with Christ’s sufferings as sacrifice of love.
Today, reflect on Jesus’ prophecy say “sun go turn dark, moon no go give im light, stars go dey fall from sky, and di powers for di heavens go shake.” As you dey do so, know say these words no be only for di whole Church, but for you too. Jesus want make you know say any suffering and oke wahala wey you endure, every time wey “sun turn dark,” or any way wey you feel say something don “shake” you, na opportunities for you to turn to God with trust. Invite our Lord enter these experiences and know say dem be signs say He dey near to help purify you and prepare you for di glorious day wey He go return.
Judge wey glory pass all, one day You go return in glory to judge di living and di dead. Before that day, You don reveal say Your Church go endure plenty suffering. Abeg, give me hope for those moments for my life, so that I fit offer You every suffering wey I endure as sacrifice of love, wey I dey offer together with Your own perfect sacrifice. Jesus, na You I trust.
Novena to Christ di King
Nine Days Before di Solemnity of Christ di King, as Tradition Be
Novena wey dem dey pray every day from November 15–23, 2024
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
Saint of di Day – Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious
Dem no dey celebrate am as liturgical memorial this year because e fall on Sọnde
Di Readings wey You Fit Choose for Mass
