GREATER THAN JONAH ~ CookingFood.Org

“HONEY FROM THE ROCK”

Daily Reflections

Monday, 24^th July 2017.

Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Ex 14:5-18;

Ex 15:1-6 (R) 1;

Mt 12: 38-42.

GREATER THAN JONAH

There are some people around us who are never happy, no matter what you do for them, they are always unhappy and keep complaining. Despite all that the good Lord has done for them, nothing can satisfy them. The Jews always looked for signs to prove the authenticity of a prophet. The do not recognize Jesus, and look for more signs in order to acknowledge him. But, even if Jesus were to perform another sign, it wouldn’t have made any difference. For when he healed the man who was blind and mute (Mt 12:22), they accused him of performing the sign with the power of the prince of demons.

Jonah was a sign. He spent three days and nights in the belly of a whale. He certainly was presumed dead. But the whale acted as an instrument of God’s will in that it brought Jonah to Nineveh to preach repentance. And they did repent and change their lives! The darkness of the belly of the whale, in the end, became a blessing and a sign for ages to come. The story of Jonah is a prefiguration of the death of Jesus; His three days in the tomb and His Resurrection. This is the sign that Jesus will offer and the sign that He continues to offer. It’s a sign of great hope when we perceive it properly.

However, very often we can fall into the same temptation. Very often we also want a sign other than the signs Jesus gave us. We want some other proof from God of His will. We want Him to speak loudly and clearly. Jesus Christ is present with us every day in the Eucharist, healing us of our sickness. Jesus Christ is present in the neighbor that we encounter. The greatest sign is, God becoming man and the word becoming flesh/food for the life of the world.

Jesus today 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 or dead in a tomb, 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. He is speaking to you all the time. Learn to discern His voice.

Prayer: Lord, help me to believe in You even though I do not see miracles or signs from Heaven. Help me to believe in You despite any doubts or weaknesses I have in life. Give me a firm faith to answer Your call in my life. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.