BELIEF AS SIGN

MONDAY, 4TH WEEK OF LENT

Isaiah 65: 17-21 We’re still waiting for this sign

John 4:43-54 Christ is the sign of healing

HOMILY

What signs have we been looking for that Christ is near, and that we are loved by God?  Perhaps we’ve looked for God in our fasting hoping that our lives have been somehow improved.  If I give up alcohol for Lent I might lose a few pounds.  If I give up chocolate, or caffeine, or other kinds of stimulants, I might become a slightly calmer person.  If I dedicate a special time for prayer I might become a holier person.  Then, when Lent is over and we experience the Triduum, we can go back to our old way of life as if nothing changed.  What kind of sign is that?

The Boy in the gospel got better because his father believed.  His only sign that Jesus healed him was that at 1:00 the day before, the same time the father spoke to Jesus, the boy started showing signs of improvement.  That was enough to convert his entire family.

Sometimes I think we look for signs that are unrealistic.  We want the sun to reverse its course across the sky to prove that God can do great and wonderful things.  We hope to lose a few pounds because we’ve fasted.  The signs we look for are either too grandiose, or too mundane, and they never seem to point to the presence of God.  Perhaps the greatest sign of God’s love is simply the power we have to believe that God exists, and that we are dependent upon divine providence for our peace of mind.  Lent is a time for us to reach with greater intensity for that power to believe, the desire to follow, and the longing to live in union with the God who loves us.  In this way we become the sign we seek, and as living signs of God’s presence in the world, we can help others to believe as well.