Monday of week 28 in Ordinary Time
Gospel: Luke 11:29-32In today’s Gospel, Jesus responds to a generation that continues to demand signs, even though the greatest sign is already standing before them. He speaks of Jonah, whose preaching led the people of Nineveh to repentance, and of the Queen of the South, who travelled from afar to listen to the wisdom of Solomon. Yet Jesus declares: “There is something greater than Solomon here” and “There is something greater than Jonah here.” The problem is not the absence of signs, but the absence of faith capable of recognizing what those signs reveal. Faith enables us to recognize the divinity of Jesus beyond His visible humanity. Without faith, people may admire His wisdom, be impressed by His miracles, appreciate His compassion, or even acknowledge Him as an extraordinary teacher, without discovering who He truly is: the eternal Son of God who has entered human history for our salvation. Faith does not create His divinity; it opens our eyes to recognize the divine reality already present in Him. The people of Nineveh responded to the preaching of Jonah, and the Queen of the South recognized the wisdom of Solomon. How much greater, then, should be our response to Christ, who is not merely a messenger of God but God Himself made man! The message of Christ reminds us that the deepest purpose of every sign, miracle, teaching, and encounter is to lead us into a personal relationship with Him. The greatest sign God has given humanity is not something Jesus performs, but Jesus Himself. His Incarnation, His Cross, and His Resurrection reveal the love and power of God in a way no other sign can surpass. We therefore need not continually search for extraordinary manifestations of God. What we need is a deeper faith that recognizes the extraordinary mystery already present in Jesus and responds to Him through conversion, trust, worship, and love. Let’s reflect: Do I continually look for extraordinary signs of God’s presence, or does my faith enable me to recognize and adore the divinity of Jesus, who is Himself the greatest sign of God’s love for me?
Don Giorgio