Posted by The WORD in Other Words by Fr Roger Solis SVD (Philippines) Friday Week 29 Ordinary Time, Lk 12:54-59
Being responsive to signs of the times is one of the characteristics of a discerning spiritual person. Thus, it is a constant challenge to all of us to develop that same perceptivity.
In today‘s Gospel, Jesus used two different illustrations not only to stress the importance of spiritual discernment but also to challenge his critics. He talked about the weather changes and lawsuit. But these illustrations are directed toward one goal, that is, to make his listeners responsive to the signs of the times.
People during the time of Jesus were very observant of environmental changes because during that time there was no device available to predict erratic weather changes. Most of them relied on their personal judgment shaped by experience, and they were very good at making such judgments. However, good as they were in reading the weather, they were incapable of interpreting the changes that the coming of Jesus brought about. They could not interpret the signs of the times.
Indeed, how sad it is that even people nowadays can easily interpret and explain environmental movements and other cosmic changes yet they are blind to the plan of God for the whole of creation. They know how to reach the moon, the stars and other planets but they do not know how to go to heaven.
Thus, we are simply reminded to be more responsive to the signs of the times because God‘s wondrous deeds are constantly revealed in day—to—day life. It is intertwined in the fabric of our daily life. All we need is to look at everything in the eyes of faith because God‘s message goes beyond what our eyes can see.
