Sign of God

Today’s Gospel Text: Now he was casting out a demon that was dumb; when the demon had gone out, the dumb man spoke, and the people marveled. 15 But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Be-el'zebul, the prince of demons"; 16 while others, to test him, sought from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 18 And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Be-el'zebul. 19 And if I cast out demons by Be-el'zebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace; 22 but when one stronger than he assails him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoil. 23 He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. Luke 11:14-23

Reflection: A person who does not easily believe could always ask for a sign to believe.  Even the intellectuals would look for a sign but their rational mind betrays them.        

Extraordinary signs or miracles can influence our way of thinking yet in the midst of these signs we could always have people who could rationalize with what they have seen.

One could see a dead man being raised to life and yet not believe but instead rationalize about it either by asserting that the person was never dead or that it was staged managed or the person by chance came back to life.

These are all rational arguments and don’t take long for any mind who hears it to doubt the veracity of a miracle.

On the other hand there could be situations where subtle magic tricks could be used in order to lay claim to a miracle and thus making many who understand these crooked ways doubt the existence of God through generalization. 

In today’s Gospel Jesus perform a mighty sign of delivering a demon possessed man and some of them seek a sign from him after seeing one of those signs in their presence.

Hence miracle are not always a safe bet for us to believe in God and in his intervention in creation, even though God does work miracles in our midst even in our days for the benefit of the simple of heart who would not believe him otherwise.

But still it is no excuse for anyone not to believe in God. If one is earnest with ones rational mind then one has hope but to the one who is dishonest they will never arrive at the doorstep of legitimate faith.

When a sincere heart seeks God in all earnestness, then God reveals himself to them through his many types of leading and even solves the puzzles of the human mind according to the category that they hold on to.

To have such a sincere mind, and giving God a chance to prove his existence and power doesn’t make a person a looser, but not doing could cost them their eternity.  Humbly give God a chance!

Prayer:  O God who reigns in the highest heaven, reveal your presence to those who seek you with an earnest and sincere heart.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Know God

Today’s Gospel Text:  Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe." 26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you." 27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing." 28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." John 20:24-29

Reflection: It’s a normal human psyche either to believe blindly, or to discerningly doubt or never to believe. 

You tell people that you have seen a tiger and some may actually believe you even if you have not seen one.  Make up a few interesting stories and they will have no doubts that you indeed are one of those brave one’s. 

For a few, there could be reasons to be skeptical about it and may pooh-pooh the whole story as something that is made up.

What if the narrator is really telling the truth and has had an encounter with a tiger? Then what? Unless he has some concrete evidences to prove his point, the listener could forfeit the benefit of learning from a beautiful incident, from a firsthand narrator.  Thanks to our limitations, wherein we cannot be present at the scene of the incident in retrospect nor easily comprehend or easily verify the truth of the incident.

Anyway, knowing about the tiger, or seeing a film personality or the president or prince are not important elements of life.  They will not affect our life.  Someone else’s encounter with these personalities and they benefitting from it may make an interesting story which could lead us into a dream world. Some could then be waiting for their prince charming!

But there is an encounter which can be a reality and which is necessary for us and for the world to believe and that encounter is that of the apostles and specifically that of Thomas the apostle.  It is an encounter that can really transform our whole life unto eternity.

It is an encounter which anyone can have and all can benefit from it.  This encounter may not be of the same kind as that of Thomas but it could vary from people to people.

In this encounter, you have to give up on your reasoning’s or rather, more appropriately, acknowledge the limitations of your reasoning’s  and give God a chance, that one chance to prove himself to you. He will do it, because Jesus is God with us.

Prayer:  Lord, help me know the limitations of my mortal mind and seek you and your wisdom in all things.  Speak to my heart and reveal to me my limitations, that I may know for sure that you exist and reign over all the earth.   St. Thomas, Apostle; Pray for us.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us