Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 18, 2022
Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,
“Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”
He said to them in reply,
“An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign,
but no sign will be given it
except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights,
so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth
three days and three nights.
At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah;
and there is something greater than Jonah here.
At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon;
and there is something greater than Solomon here.”
When my five-year-old gets worked up, I help him to practice putting his hands on his heart and slowing it down with his breath. As I look around the joyful chaos of our home and this journey of motherhood, I think I should take my own advice more regularly—take a deep breath and slow it down.
As I read today’s gospel, I admit I empathized with the scribes and Pharisees. I wish to see a sign. I look for them all the time. Did my children eat the food on their dinner plates? Is the T-ball uniform washed for tonight’s game? Is there toilet paper in the bathroom? Underneath it all, I know I am looking for a sign that will answer the question I seem to constantly ask, “Am I a good mother?”
But instead of giving us (the scribes, Pharisees, and me) that sort of a sign, Jesus says there is no sign except for the one I already gave you—Jonah and the whale. Did you not see that sign? “I most definitely did not see that sign,” I respond to Jesus. I’m afraid I must have missed it amidst the groceries, laundry, and children. Meanwhile, I’m still over here wondering, “Am I a good mother?”
Not only has Jesus told us he already gave us a sign but that the thing we’re seeking is more significant than a personal affirmation. If we pay attention, what we should be seeking is already there.
One night I was tending to the chaos at home and looked up through the kitchen window to see my five-year-old riding his bike in the driveway. He caught an edge and wiped out. “Uh-oh,” I thought, “here come the tears. Do I have clean washcloths to wipe off the scrape? Did I restock the ziplock bags to fill with ice?” But then he hopped up, put his hands on his heart, took a breath, and slowed down.
A sign already present.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, your life, preaching, death, and resurrection are signs of your love and care for us. When our faith is tested and we seek some other sign, give us the strength to continue to trust in you. Lead us, by your preaching and wisdom, to ever deeper faith, so that we can follow you to the new life that you promise in the Kingdom of Heaven. We ask this in your most holy name. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Frederick was the beloved bishop of Utrecht who challenged his flock—including the empress Judith of Bavaria—to live a Christian way of life. Frederick was born around 780.
Frederick was prepared for his pastoral vocation at a young age. He was ordained a priest and sent to a mission diocese in the northern region of the Netherlands and Germany. In the more rural areas, incestuous relationships were common, and Frederick worked hard to change this tradition. This caused many of the villagers to resent Frederick.
Frederick was appointed the Bishop of Utrecht around 815. It was in this role that he called upon the empress Judith to cease her debaucherous lifestyle at court. Either the empress or disgruntled members of his congregation hired hitmen to do away with Frederick.The latter is most likely.
Frederick was assassinated on July 18 , 838, after celebrating Mass at the Cathedral in Utrecht. His dying words were those of psalmist: "I will praise the Lord in the land of the living." Frederick is the patron saint of the deaf.
St. Frederick, bishop and martyr who called his flock to conversion—pray for us!
Image credit: Engraving of St. Frederick by Frederik Bloemaert, ca. 1630