BEADS OF JOY 07-18-16
“The Sign of Jonah”
©2016 James Dacey, Jr. OFS
My Friends,
Today’s
Gospel: Matthew 12:38-42 (The Sign of Jonah)
“Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign; but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.”
“Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign; but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.”
Reflection:
Are we in many ways like the scribes and Pharisees of their time? Do we demand a sign from God? Is our faith so uncertain that we will only believe if we see? I plead before you not to surrender with doubt or questions; rather get on your knees in humility and embrace Jesus with love and confidence and trust in Him. He is faithful! He is loving! He will never forsake us! Even unto death He shall be by our side loving us; but we must not turn from Him or doubt Him or question Him; only Trust in Him. Jesus Loves You more than we will ever know. Have Faith !!
Are we in many ways like the scribes and Pharisees of their time? Do we demand a sign from God? Is our faith so uncertain that we will only believe if we see? I plead before you not to surrender with doubt or questions; rather get on your knees in humility and embrace Jesus with love and confidence and trust in Him. He is faithful! He is loving! He will never forsake us! Even unto death He shall be by our side loving us; but we must not turn from Him or doubt Him or question Him; only Trust in Him. Jesus Loves You more than we will ever know. Have Faith !!
Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a
clearer understanding and more knowledge of God and His ways. Do you thirst for
God’s wisdom? Look what is written in the book of James 3:17-18, “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is
first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow
in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” We must be humble before
Almighty God, like a student before the teacher with an open mind ready to
learn.
"Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see
what you believe." ~St. Augustine
"Faith has to do with things that are not seen, and hope with things that are
not in hand."
~St. Thomas Aquinas
"I believe though I do not comprehend, and I hold by faith what I cannot grasp with the mind." ~St. Bernard
"I believe though I do not comprehend, and I hold by faith what I cannot grasp with the mind." ~St. Bernard
“To one who has faith, no
explanation is necessary. To one without faith,
no explanation is possible.” ~St. Thomas Aquinas
Side Note: "What is The Sign of Jonah? The stumbling block
of the cross. So it is not the disputers of knowledge who will be saved but
those who believe true teaching. For the cross of Christ is indeed a stumbling
block to those who dispute knowledge but salvation to those who believe. Paul
testifies to this: 'But we, for our part, preach the crucified Christ - to the
Jews indeed a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness, but to those who
are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of
God' (1 Corinthians 1:23-24). Why do the Jews seek signs and the Greeks seek
wisdom? God pointed to the sign of the stumbling block of the cross to both the
Jews and the Greeks. Thus those who wish to find Christ not through faith but
through wisdom will perish on the stumbling block of foolishness. Those who
wish to know the Son of God not through faith but through a demonstration of
signs will remain trapped in their disbelief, falling on the stumbling block of
his death. It is no small wonder that the Jews, considering the death of
Christ, thought he was merely a man, when even Christians - as they purport to
be but really are not - because of his death are reluctant to declare the only
begotten, the crucified, as incomparable majesty. (excerpt from INCOMPLETE
WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 30)
LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!
Your brother in Christ Jesus
And His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS
And His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS
