Have you ever asked God for a sign? Maybe you’ve told God, “If I see a blue color today, that’ll be the sign that I’ll apply for my next job.” Or maybe you’ve thought, “If I pick the right verse today, that’ll be the sign for me to give a generous amount to the church.”

Friend, God works in mysterious ways. Sometimes, we cannot understand His ways.

In the past, I also asked God for signs to be sure of His will. I asked for a sign for some decisions I had to make. I asked God for a sign if I was following Him on the right path.

And you know what I got? Nothing. No sign. No answer.

I became frustrated and angry at God.

But as I look back, I thank God that He didn’t give me a sign. He just gave me one sure sign: that He loves me dearly through His Son Jesus. 

Asking God for a sign is OK. But remember that He has already given us the only sign that really matters: the Cross. 

Gem Mailum (gemrico.mailum@gmail.com)

reflect

What sign are you asking for God? With or without a sign, what’s important is our loving relationship with Him and our trust in His ways.

Lord, when there is no sign, remind me of Jesus’ love for me every day. Amen.

Saint Romulus, pray for us.

Paul comes to Rome not to found the Christian community but to inform the Romans that he intends to visit them on his way to proclaim the Gospel to the other end of the Mediterranean, in what is now modern-day Spain. Yes, traditionally, Paul and Peter are the founders of the Church in Rome, but this is more an honorary title than an actual historical fact. 

¹ Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an Apostle and set apart for the Gospel of God, ² which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, ³ the Gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh, ⁴ but established as Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. ⁵ Through him we have received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles, ⁶ among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ; ⁷ to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4

R: The Lord has made known his salvation.

¹ Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; his right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm. (R) ² The Lord has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. ³ He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. (R) All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. ⁴ Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; break into song; sing praise. (R)

Gospel | Luke 11:29-32

As Christians, we rely on Jesus as the source of all power and strength. We will be in deep trouble unless we remember this. When we rely on ourselves and our resources, apart from those of God, we will be overcome by the works of the enemy. The devil rejoices when we arrogantly think that we can stand against him without God’s help. He doesn’t need to do anything anymore, as we have already separated ourselves from the gift of salvation.

Gospel Acclamation 

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

²⁹ While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. ³⁰ Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. ³¹ At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. ³² At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

Reflect:

“You must oppose every hatred with the invincible power of Christ’s love.” (St. Pope John Paul II)

Read the Bible in one year! Read JONAH today.

In the Gospel story today, we hear Jesus say that blessed are the people who listen and follow the Word of God. Now, as the crowds gather, Jesus speaks these weighty words: “This generation is a wicked generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” This seems to imply that the people there are only curious about the miracles that they hear Jesus performing and do not really to listen to Him and respond to the call of the Good News. They also want to see signs to prove Himself, but Jesus responds that it is not He who will prove Himself but the sign that is described by what happened to Jonah. This refers to His death and resurrection on the third day, just as Jonah also remained in the belly of a great fish for three days. However, the true sign that shows the power of God in the Lord Jesus is the transformation that He brings to anyone who believes in Him. Nevertheless, this will not be witnessed or experienced by those who, from the beginning, have no faith in Him because they have more faith in themselves.

Until our present time, many still search for signs from the Lord aside from the great sign of the death and resurrection of Jesus. In the Holy Mass, we know that the great sign or miracle is the Body and Blood of Jesus from the bread and wine, but many people still prefer the “extraordinary signs,” such as the weeping and bleeding images, water stains on walls resembling the Virgin Mary or saints, and other things that can be talked about in the news. It seems like Jesus always needs to prove Himself to us. 

Fr. Franz Dizon

reflection question

Are signs still important for you to believe in God’s goodness and love for you?

Lord, as we ask for signs, may Your goodness be always remembered, for even if we do not ask for Your mercy, You freely give it to us who are weak. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _________________________________