Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 24, 2023
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.”
Many parents tell their children that Santa Claus is coming with gifts. All they have to do is to be on their best behavior to receive these gifts. Their children do not ask, “How?” Instead, we see a positively changed attitude on their part.
Some will say, “Kids believe everything and anything is possible.” Why? Is it because they are naive or because children trust their parents will not lie to them?
This is why Jesus said we must be like the little children to enter the kingdom of God. This does not mean becoming the children we once were before now but believing totally in God our Father with complete trust.
In today’s reading, the Scribes and Pharisees requested a sign from Jesus. If likened to our illustration, it is like children asking their parents how the gifts got under the tree. Although Jesus gave them the sign of Jonah being in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, Jesus referred to them as an “evil and unfaithful generation.”
We are like the Scribes and Pharisees, too, in various ways. When events do not go as planned, when we are unwell, or when we do not get that dream job or house, do we doubt God? Do we ask for a sign to prove that God exists? Let us always remember that the Bible guides us on the path of righteousness.
If we want to understand the Word of God and grow in faith, we have to readily receive the Word of God like little children, believing without any doubt or fear, even when there are no signs. We need to have faith like Abraham, who believed that he would be a Father of many nations even when he had no child, who kept believing even when God instructed him to offer his only son Isaac as a sacrifice.
God help us to keep the faith even in perilous times.
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

Despite the fantastic stories surrounding St. Christina and her martyrdom, there is evidence that a Christian witness named Christina, a young girl, died a martyr and was honored for her faith.
Legend describes her as a young girl of a wealthy Roman family living in Bolsena, Italy. She had great beauty and many suitors came calling for her hand in marriage, but her father intended for her to become a pagan priestess. He set up a special room for her that was decorated with gold and silver images of pagan gods and instructed her to offer prayer and incense to them.
When she was visited by an angel, she became Christian. She went through the family’s house breaking up the golden and silver images of pagan gods and selling the pieces to help the poor. Her father became enraged, and threw her into a nearby lake with a stone tied around her neck. She somehow survived the incident, and was brought before authorities, who ordered her killed with arrows. Other torments were assigned to her, including bites from poisonous snakes and burning in a furnace.
While we do not know that any of this story is true, there is evidence that a maiden named Christina was martyred in Bolsena, Italy, and was venerated by Christians there as early as the fourth century. Modern excavations there have uncovered a shrine that includes a small church, catacombs, and a tomb with a name like Christina on it.
The relics of St. Christina rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Christina, you stood for your faith in the face of death and inspired other Christians, pray for us!