Knowing the signs of time
Introduction
The letter to the Ephesians insists on unity. Everything in our faith is a call for unity in Christ, as there is one Church, one Spirit, and one Father of all.
In its introduction, the Vatican II Constitution on the Church in the Modern World says: “The Church must continually examine the signs of the times and interpret them in the light of the gospel. Thus, she will be able to answer the questions that people are always asking about the meaning of this life and of the next and about the relation of this life and of the next and about the relation of one to the other, in a way adapted to each question.” By signs of the times we mean currents of thought and attitudes behind events, aspirations, and the like. Take the hippies, the Jesus movement, Pentecostalism, women’s lib, the hunger for liberation, the rebellion of many of the young against consumerism and hypocrisy. Can we discover points of contact and of openness to the values of the gospel?
1 Reading Ephesians 4:1-6
Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit
through the bond of peace;
one Body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.
Responsorial Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4AB, 5-6
R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Alleluia Matthew 11:25
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Luke 12:54-59
Jesus said to the crowds,
“When you see a cloud rising in the west
you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does;
and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south
you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is.
You hypocrites!
You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky;
why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
“Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate,
make an effort to settle the matter on the way;
otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge,
and the judge hand you over to the constable,
and the constable throw you into prison.
I say to you, you will not be released
until you have paid the last penny.”
Commentary
The clarity with which Paul is able to see the Law of God and the Law of Sin working within him is a spiritual gift that is worth thanking God for. Such discernment is a sign of the active presence of the Spirit within him. For, how many people fail to recognize what is evil and what is good, and end up serving the powers of evil that often present themselves under the guise of good (apparent good)! It is not without reason that we find holy men and women shedding continual tears contemplating their sinfulness and God’s mercy—they are ever sensitive to the sinful inclinations of their hearts and perceptive of God’s mercy that helps them overcome sin.
Jesus rebukes people for not reading the signs of the Spirit and not making use of the God-given powers of discernment in spiritual matters. Let us pray for the grace to put the gift of discernment to good use.
Blessing
If we want to be people living in our times, we must be open-eyed to what is going on in the world around us. “No one is an island.” No one should live in a world apart. This attitude will open our eyes too to understand our faith better. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!