Readings:
Genesis 4: 1-15, 25
Mark 8: 11-13
Reflection:
He sighed deeply in his spirit and said,
“Why does this generation ask for a sign?”
Surely, for Jesus, the miracles he had performed in themselves were sufficient evidence of the in-breaking of the Kingdom of God. He has no interest in so-called signs from heaven. The focus for Jesus, and consequently for his followers, is the concrete task of implementing the Kingdom.
This has important lessons for us. God’s interaction with us is through our everyday encounters with ordinary people. Of course, it is sustained through our attention to God’s Word and the sacramental life, but its missionary expression is within our daily lives. It is Jesus who is the sign from heaven; in fact, as Shchillebeeckx emphasised, the ‘sacrament of God’ and our daily lives should be signs of Jesus to our world.
How aware am I of my daily life as a sign of Jesus? What is one conscious action can I do today to contribute to God’s Kingdom?
John McGrath is a parishioner of St Brigid’s Marrickville.