The Gospel according to Luke (11:29-32)
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. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 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. 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.”
REFLECTION: The question is what lenses that we choose to use that allow us to understand our lives and the world around us. How do we understand where our Triune God is operating in our lives? What gives us the capacity to even understand any of that?
Very often we are looking for a sign but because we are so busy and won’t slow down, we often miss them. We are so busy that we want God to speak loudly, clearly to us and place these signs right in our hands. But, as we know, that doesn’t always happen. More often what we experience is what appears to be silence from God. We may wonder, “Lord, where are You? Why don’t You speak to me?” But Jesus will speak to us in the same way. He will remind us that we must believe in all that He has spoken, and even if we feel like we are in the belly of a whale, hope is not lost. God is present in all things, and He is active and present to us even when He seems to be silent or far away.
A sign is some action that reveals a deep and hidden mystery. One mystery that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection reveals is that if we are to share in the new life won for us by His Cross, then we must follow the example He set by living a life of selfless sacrifice, laying down our lives for others, so that they will discover and embrace the new life of Christ’s Resurrection. Practically speaking, if you find yourself looking for answers in life, seeking signs from God about what you should do at times, then turn your eyes to the life of Christ and ponder ways in which you can more fully imitate His life in every daily practical decision you make. This is true whether you are discerning some important decision in life or some small practical decision.
This Gospel is describing how we, as in all of us, are always looking for some sign from God, some reassurance, some acknowledgement, or approval. But have you ever stopped for a moment and thought, what if God has been waiting for a sign from you? Maybe He needs some acknowledgement, response, or reassurance from you.
ACTION OF THE DAY: Go out to a park, a pond, your garden, you get the point and just listen and observe. Look for all the signs that God gives you but offer up a sign to God. He is speaking to you all the time. You just need to discern His voice.
AUDIO REFLECTION:
