“Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” – Matthew 12:38

       When I was young, I’d always wish to see a rainbow. My sisters saw one after a heavy rain had cleared, but I couldn’t see it. I was so frustrated. I felt like I was missing out on something great.

       As I grew older, I realized that rainbows are merely caused by the refraction of light, whether or not you see one. It’s like how we wish to see big signs of God’s love, but don’t realize that it’s there even without the sign. It reminds me of a song called “Waiting for Lightning” by Steven Curtis Chapman:

       Night falls and the curtain goes down,

       There’s no one around except you and the truth,

       And you lie and wait for a feeling to take you by storm.

       You’re waiting for lightning,

       A sign that it’s time for a change,

       You’re listening for thunder,

       While He quietly whispers your name.

       But the sign and the Word have already been given,

       Now it’s by faith we must look, we must listen.

       As I grew in my faith, I eventually learned that God doesn’t always give us spectacular signs or proof of His love. He wants us to believe in Him even without those things. That said, every now and then, He’ll lovingly throw a rainbow our way. George Tolentino Gabriel (george.svp@gmail.com)

Reflection: Are you waiting for lightning in your life? God might already be whispering something to you.

St. Lawrence of Brindisi, priest and doctor of the Church, pray for us.

Today let us reflect upon these words of the prophet: “You have been told, O man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you: Only to do right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.” If we can obey this then there is no doubt in my mind that we will become saints.

1 Hear what the Lord says: Arise, present your plea before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice! 2 Hear, O mountains, the plea of the Lord, pay attention, O foundations of the earth! For the Lord has a plea against his people, and he enters into trial with Israel. 3 O my people, what have I done to you, or how have I wearied you? Answer me! 4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, from the place of slavery I released you; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 6 With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow before God most high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriad streams of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my crime, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: Only to do right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.

R: To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

5 “Gather my faithful ones before me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” 6 And for the heavens proclaim his justice; for God himself is the judge. (R) 8 “Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you, for your burnt offerings are before me always. 9 I take from your house no bullock, no goats out of your fold.” (R) 16 “Why do you recite my statutes, and profess my covenant with your mouth, 17 though you hate discipline and cast my words behind you?” (R) 21 “When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it? Or do you think that I am like yourself? I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes. 23 He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me; and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.” (R)

People often look for signs of the Lord’s blessing on a particular project. Sometimes this is OK but, generally speaking, if it is a good thing and you can do it and you want to do it, then that should be enough to go ahead with it. Sometimes we waste a lot of time and effort looking for signs when they are not really necessary. Talk to someone whose discernment you trust and see what he has to say.

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

38 Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 He said to them in reply, “An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 40 Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41 At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here. 42 At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here.”

think:  Sometimes we waste a lot of time and effort looking for signs when they are not really necessary. Talk to someone whose discernment you trust

and see what he has to say.

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Tobit 4-7

TESTING JESUS’ PATIENCE

Most, if not all of us, experience being pushed to our limits, especially when it comes to our patience. At some point in our lives, we reach the boiling point and almost always we end up dismayed and blowing our top. That is the situation expressed by the prophet Micah in our First Reading today. The Lord makes an impassioned plea to Israel: “O my people, what have I done to you, or how have I wearied you? Answer me!”

       A similar exasperation is also found in Jesus in today’s Gospel. Some scribes and Pharisees ask Him for a sign to validate His preaching. He replies to them, “An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.”

       In an effort to assuage the Lord for the dismay the Israelites have caused Him, they ask, “With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow before God most high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriad streams of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my crime, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”

       God’s answer is very compelling. “You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: Only to do right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.”

       Jesus echoes the same thought. By citing examples from Israel’s past, He pleads for a greater faith and acceptance, for more openness and humility, for greater righteousness and moral consistency. People before have responded positively to the preaching of Jonah and to the wisdom of Solomon; why do they now respond negatively to Him who is greater than either Solomon or Jonah?

       Hopefully we won’t push Jesus to His limit or make Him blow His top. Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB

REFLECTION QUESTION: In what ways do you think you are testing Jesus’ patience?

Lord, forgive me for the times I have tested Your patience — in how I pray, in how I sin again and again, in how I run away from You.