Daily Gospel Reflection
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March 12, 2025
While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,
“This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment
the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation
and she will condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it,
because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here.”
Imagine standing in the crowd, eagerly waiting for Jesus to preach. You have heard about this incredible man, a so-called “miracle-worker” and the prophesied Son of God. You are excited and eager. Yet, when he begins speaking, he delivers a stark address. He rebukes those searching for signs and presents a serious situation of judgment and lost opportunities.
Placing yourself in a scene can help you to visualize the reality of it. Our Lord speaks to us in the gospels, a true gift of sacred Scripture. Jesus warns of the danger of searching for signs rather than trusting in God. Christ emphasizes that the only sign given is Jonah, not a voice from the sky or a burning bush. Rather, our God speaks to us through people; he gives us a man as a sign.
Jesus acknowledges Jonah as a great sign to the people; however, he displays himself as a sign to the current generation. While Jonah was a great prophet, Jesus Christ is far greater. He is the Son of God. Christ draws parallels between himself and Jonah; just as Jonah was swallowed by a whale and came back, so too will Christ die and be risen from the dead. The distinction, however, is that Christ reigns above all, greater than Solomon and Jonah.
As you approach today, reflect on the words of Jesus. Ask yourself, “Is Christ above all else in my life?” If not, turn to him today, for he is your loving Lord!
Prayer
Father in Heaven, as he was lifted high on the Cross your son Jesus Christ gave us the ultimate sign of your love. Convert our hearts to rely on you. Deepen our faith, help us to carry our own crosses, so that we may place all our hope in your power to save. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Seraphina, also known as Fina, is venerated for the courage with which she endured the suffering of illness.
Fina was born to a poor family in the town of San Gimignano, in the Tuscan region of Italy, in the 13th century. She was a beautiful child and had a strong devotion to prayer and to serving others. Even though her family was poor, she always kept half of her food to give to those who were also hungry. She helped her mother with chores and sewing during the day.
Her father died when she was still young, and at about that same time, she was struck with a mysterious disease that deformed her head, hands, eyes, and feet. Her physical appearance changed drastically and she eventually suffered paralysis and had to be carried around on a plank. The slightest movement caused great pain.
Though her mother had to leave her for hours on end to work or beg, Seraphina never complained. She strove for peace in her terrible pain by identifying her own suffering with Jesus’, saying, “It is not my wounds but thine, O Christ, that hurt me.”
When her mother died suddenly, she was left in utter poverty, reliant on other neighbors who were poor and who did not want to be exposed to her sores. She learned about St. Gregory the Great, who also suffered from a debilitating illness, and she developed a devotion to him, asking him for prayer that God might grant her patience in her suffering.
St. Gregory appeared to her to foretell the day she would die, which came to pass on this day in 1253. When her body was removed from the plank on which it rested, the wood was found to be covered with white flowers. Her relics rest in the reliquary chapel of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Notre Dame's campus.
St. Seraphina, who even in weakness became a strong sign of hope to the town of San Gimignano—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Seraphina is in the public domain. Last accessed February 6, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
