October 10, 2022 – Monday of the 28^th Week in Ordinary Time

Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101022.cfm)

Do you also ask signs from God? This is surely a common experience to many of us to ask signs from God especially when we are about to make a major decision in life or undergoing difficult situations. We take comfort and assurance when we also believe that we already have the sign that we have been asking. This belief must be coming from our need to see something physical or concrete because we want certainty and security.

However, the divine signs that we ask for may not appear to what we expect it to be. Meaning, we could be more focused to look for what is extra-ordinary and out of this world signs when in fact, the Lord reveals his presence and graces through ordinary means. This is something that we have heard in today’s Gospel which is both a warning and an invitation for us.

The people who were around Jesus asked for a sign from him. They want Jesus to do something extra-ordinary, perhaps, some kind of magic. This was the sign that they wanted to ask before they would believe in him. Yet, as Jesus said, no sign shall be given them.

They did not realize that Jesus himself, his very presence in their midst is the greatest sign shown by the Lord God to them. Jesus is the Word-made-Man, God who dwells among us, nevertheless, people were unable to recognize such Divine Presence because they were blinded and deaf. They were blinded by hatred and bitterness in their hearts. They have become deaf to God’s invitation because of being self-righteous and self-centered.

Indeed, we could become a person who is blinded and deaf of God’s self-revelation and invitations when we only think of ourselves and more busy of looking for extra-ordinary things to happen. Let us remember, God manifests himself in ordinary ways, through our human experiences, through the movements of the world and the whole creation. Let us be more welcoming of the presence of a person in our life, of an embrace of a loved one, of the kind words and generosity of our friends.

Thus, we are invited to be more attuned to God’s many manifestations in our life and in the world. It is by being able to discern and recognize God’s invitation that we also discover more God’s desire for us. Kabay pa.