Posted by The WORD in other words (2022) by Fr. Sherwin Tristan B. Aromin, SVD — Christ the King Mission Seminary
Monday 28th Week in Ordinary Time
There is a famous saying, “To see is to believe.” Human as we are, we seek proofs, pieces of evidence, or concrete signs to believe. Unless we do not see, we will not believe.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus condemns the Jews because they always seek signs “This is an evil age. It seeks a sign.” (Lk 11, 29) The Jews did not believe in Jesus’ prophecy because they adhere to the saying, “To see is to believe.” They always seek for signs to make their eyes see and believe. They failed to recognize the greatest sign of God in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus manifested many signs like miracles, healing, and the proclamation of God’s Kingdom, but they did not believe because of their lack of faith in Him.
When I entered the seminary, I was also like the Jews. I sought for God’s sign if He really called me to the priesthood. I waited for God’s sign, but He did not give me a concrete answer or a visible sign assuring me that I am for the priestly vocation. If I remained stuck in my quest for God’s signs, for sure I would not become a priest. But I realize that what matters most in our life is not concrete signs but our total trust and faith in God. And this led me to persevere through the long formation years in the seminary. When I began to submit my whole self to God’s hand in faith and trust, I realized that every day God was giving me a lot of signs that He called me to this kind of vocation.
Often we fail to recognize the signs of God’s presence in our lives because we are too focused on ourselves. We want to be in control of our life, not God controlling us. And because of this, there are many instances in our life that we miss the signs that God manifests in our lives. When we focus too much on ourselves, we miss God’s message and even misinterpret the will of God for us. When we are too focused on ourselves, looking for concrete signs, we can miss many opportunities of encountering God in our life.
And so in our lives, let us not say “Lord to see is to believe” but instead, “Lord here I am, I come to do your will.” Let us not miss the opportunity to allow God to reveal Himself to us.
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