GOD PROVIDES WITH COMPASSION

 Saturday, February 11, 2023.

OUR LADY OF LOURDES, (OPT MEMORIAL)

BVM ON SATURDAY 

First Reading.  Genesis 3: 9-24

Psalm 90: 2-6, 12-13 (R. 1)

Gospel. Mark 8: 1-10


TOPIC FOR REFLECTION 

GOD PROVIDES WITH COMPASSION. 

My dear, please can you kindly get yourself a seat, sit and relax on it. If possible, close your eyes, take a deep breath and try to go out of yourself. 

As you have come out of yourself, please don't go far, just stand in front of the chair where you are seated relaxing with your eyes closed. 

Now, as you are standing in front of yourself, can you begin to imagine yourself getting to the stage you are now recalling where you began your tough-rough journey of life, yet you are still strong and healthy?

As you are looking at yourself,  can you recall those moments of your life when you had nothing to eat, no money to meet your immediate essential needs, those moments when... 

***As a student, you attended lectures on an empty stomach, yet no assurance of what to eat after the lecture. 

Those moments when you have to read for an exam with little or no hope of how tomorrow would look like. 

----- But today, you are looking at yourself relaxing with your eyes closed. Is it by your power that you are where you are today, even though you are still moving on? 

Thank God for His providence. 

***As a family man/woman, you have no substantial work or business to sustain your family. Multiple issues to solve such as feeding the family, house rent, utility bills, your children's school fees, lack of basic amenities, etc. 

----- But today, as you are looking at yourself, are you not surprised that despite the lack of the aforementioned,  you and your family never go hungry, though your food may not be satisfactory,  your children never drop out of school, in fact, you could not say exactly what sustained you to date. It all remains a mystery to you. 

Thank God for His providence. 

My dear, in all honesty, situations such as those narrated above have no logical explanation, but to say it is God's grace. 

Imagine what average Nigerians are passing through currently, 

***No money, No food, No fuel, No regular power supply, etc. 

The present Nigeria situation gave a perfect meaning to this common saying that, THE RICH ALSO CRY. 

Yet, in all of these worst situations, one could say at this moment that it is God who is sustaining one. God's love is compassionate, He never turns His back on His children. 

It is this compassionate mercy of God that made him pity the crowd. 

There was nowhere to buy food to eat, so he took seven loaves of Bread and a few fishes to feed four thousand people, still, seven filled basket was left after they all ate to their fill. 

The truth remains that God never stops blessing His children despite their numerous sins.

Imagine God's action in today's first reading, Adam and Eve, even after offending God through disobedience, we are made to understand that the Lord God made for Adam and his wife garments of skins, and clothed them. 

Can you see our compassionate God who was offended by Adam and Eve, did not because of their disobedience left them naked? 

Similarly, let us learn to admit our fault and stop shifting blame from one person to another. Adam was practically shifting the blame to Eve, while Eve was also shifting the blame to the snake. The question is, who will the serpent shift the blame to? 

In summary, despite our present situations in life, God will not abandon nor forsake us. 

Peace ✌️ be with you.  

Rev. Fr.  Segun Oladeji,  CRS. 



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