Today’s Reflection
Gospel: Matthew 12: 38-42
July 21, 2025 | Monday

Today’s Gospel

Then, some teachers of the law and some Pharisees spoke up, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” Jesus answered them, “An evil and unfaithful people want a sign; but no sign will be given them except the sign of the prophet Jonah. In the same way, as Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

At the judgment, the people of Nineveh will rise with this generation, and condemn it; because they reformed their lives at the preaching of Jonah, and here, there is greater than Jonah. At the judgment, the Queen of the South will stand up and condemn you. She came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and here, there is greater than Solomon.

Today’s Reflection

The Pharisees had been watching closely and receiving reports about Jesus and His miraculous deeds. Yet, they demanded proof of His divinity, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” They would not admit or give credence to whatever Jesus had done or will do and say. Their primary purpose in asking for a sign from Jesus would be to find a way to disprove or discredit Him, to find excuses for their disbelief. Jesus answered them, “An evil and unfaithful people want a sign; but no sign will be given, them except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”

There are those among us who are like those Pharisees – cynical, skeptical, incredulous – who, for personal reasons, will refuse to believe in the Lord under any circumstances. Some would want to personally witness or hear about an extraordinary event or occurrence before believing. Others would condition their belief on the grant of their prayers or petitions or the success of a venture. Faith in God does not require any sign or proof, Neither should it be contingent on a future event. It must be unquestioning, unconditional, and unlimited. Thus, Jesus answered the Pharisees, “An evil and unfaithful people want a sign, but no sign will be given them except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”

The reference to Jonah, who stayed in the belly of a fish for three days, is an allusion to the three days of Jesus in the tomb before the Resurrection. Jesus has only one sign to give us – His resurrected self – which is more than enough to show His divinity. We must believe in Him without the fulfillment of any precondition or prerequisite. We should entrust everything to His hands. Pray that we are endowed with the grace of full faith, total trust, and complete confidence in Him so we will perceive and be grateful for the many miracles and marvels in our lives as we surrender our will to His will.

/Vulnerasti, 2025