“Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.” – John 4:48

In my years of serving the Lord, I have seen miracles and great deeds happen right before my eyes. I’m amazed and in awe when I see someone get healed after a pray-over session, or a family saved from separation after a family encounter weekend. It is in these “highs” that I feel the presence of the Lord the most.

       But when I don’t see these signs and wonders, my faith begins to shake and stumble.

       Someone wise told me, “Faith happens not when the miracle is achieved, but during the process.”

       I realized that my focus had been too much on the miracle itself, not on Jesus who made it happen. In the eyes of faith, believing is seeing the presence of God everywhere. Now I begin every single day thankful for the little things, looking forward to the miracles of God packaged in simple ways. Didoy Lubaton (christianlubaton@yahoo.com)

Reflection: What are the little things you want to be thankful for today?

Dear Lord, may I see You in every person I meet, in every place I go to, and in every activity I do today.

St. Stephen of Mar Saba, pray for us.

Isaiah speaks of a time of prosperity that will follow the suffering of exile in Babylon. Hope is a tremendously powerful reality, particularly when it is hope in the promises of the Lord. We know that they will be fulfilled. We should always reflect on God’s promise of eternal life for precisely this reason. If we want to be inspired to live good and holy lives, then think about the wonders promised to us in heaven.

17 Thus says the Lord: Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind. 18 Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create; for I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight; 19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in my people. No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there, or the sound of crying; 20 no longer shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not round out his full lifetime; he dies a mere youth who reaches but a hundred years, and he who fails of a hundred shall be thought accursed. 21 They shall live in the houses they build, and eat the fruit of the vineyards they plant.

R: I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

1 [2] I will extol you, O Lord, for you drew me clear and did not let my enemies rejoice over me. 3 [4] O Lord, you brought me up from the nether world; you preserved me from among those going down into the pit. (R) 4 [5] Sing praise to the Lord, you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name. 5 [6] For his anger lasts but a moment; a lifetime, his good will. At nightfall, weeping enters in, but with the dawn, rejoicing. (R) 10 [11] “Hear, O Lord, and have pity on me; O Lord, be my helper.” 11 [12] You changed my mourning into dancing; 12 [13] O Lord, my God, forever will I give you thanks. (R)

Jesus does not impose Himself on us. We have to choose to accept the grace of the Gospel in our lives. This grace is enormous, beyond our comprehension in fact, that it has a natural tendency to appeal to us and, thus, make us see it as good. However, we still need to accept it if it is going to have any lasting effect upon our lives. This is an inherent part of the dignity of life given to us through the gift of free will.

Seek good and not evil so that you may live, and the Lord will be with you.

43 At that time Jesus left (Samaria) for Galilee. 44 For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his native place. 45 When he came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all he had done in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves had gone to the feast. 46 Then he returned to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, who was near death. 48 Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” 49 The royal official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus said to him and left. 51 While the man was on his way back, his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live. 52 He asked them when he began to recover. They told him, “The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.” 53 The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live,” and he and his whole household came to believe. 54 Now this was the second sign Jesus did when he came to Galilee from Judea.

think: Hope is a tremendously powerful reality, particularly when it is hope in the promises of the Lord.

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Exodus 7-9

REVIEW OF THE QUARTER

NOTES:

SMILE MORE OFTEN

I remember one time in my early years as a priest, I had just finished saying Mass in the parish where I was the assistant. As was my practice, I stayed on after the Mass to greet the parishioners. That Sunday, I received the usual commendations for my homily but one comment has remained with me until today.

       “That was a very beautiful homily, Father, as always,” a lady commented. But even before I could say thank you, she added, “But you looked so serious. Smile more often. We like seeing that.”

       That evening, I set up a video camera in my room and recorded myself giving an imaginary homily before an imaginary audience. Indeed, I was too stingy with my smile, even when I was speaking on a happy subject. The First Reading is an invitation to joy. A new heavens and a new earth is to be created with the intervention of God. “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.”

       Joy is inviting and infectious. Joy is the primary mark of a redeemed people. In his Pentecost address of 2013, Pope Francis, in his usual out-ofthe-script practice, candidly reminded the crowd at St. Peter’s, “ Long-faced Christians cannot be evangelizers. Do you think the people would have believed the story of the Resurrection if the Apostles came out with long faces?” It cannot be more simple than that.

       Logic can convince minds, but it is the heart that moves people. Joy resides in and reaches out to the heart. Today, make an effort to smile more often. Warm up to the bored security guard who opens the door for you. Call by name the tired waiter who brings your food and see how immediately they will warm up to you.

       Today, radiate the joy that awaits the world with the coming of the Messiah! Fr. Joel Jason

REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you see an evangelizing dimension to your everyday dealing with people around you?

Help me to radiate Your joy, Lord, to the people I encounter today.