Reading 1 Jas 1:1-11
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greetings.
Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters,
when you encounter various trials,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
And let perseverance be perfect,
so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
But if any of you lacks wisdom,
he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly,
and he will be given it.
But he should ask in faith, not doubting,
for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea
that is driven and tossed about by the wind.
For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,
since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.
The brother in lowly circumstances
should take pride in high standing,
and the rich one in his lowliness,
for he will pass away "like the flower of the field."
For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass,
its flower droops, and the beauty of its appearance vanishes.
So will the rich person fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 119:67, 68, 71, 72, 75, 76
R. (77a) Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I hold to your promise.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
You are good and bountiful;
teach me your statutes.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
that I may learn your statutes.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
I know, O LORD, that your ordinances are just,
and in your faithfulness you have afflicted me.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
R. Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.
Gospel Mk 8:11-13
The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus,
seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said,
"Why does this generation seek a sign?
Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation."
Then he left them, got into the boat again,
and went off to the other shore.
Meditation: Mark 8:11-13
Why does this generation seek a sign?” (Mark 8:12)
Some people are never satisfied, are they? If you invite them over for dinner, they will wonder why you offered only one dessert instead of two. If you got a 95 percent on a test, they will ask why it wasn’t a perfect one hundred. If you finish your report at work on time, they will expect you to beat the deadline the next time. You simply can’t please them.
This is one way of looking at the Pharisees who came to Jesus asking for a sign to validate his ministry. Hadn’t they seen enough already? What about all the diseases he healed and all the demons he cast out? What about the way he miraculously fed thousands, or calmed a dangerous storm on the lake? Would they never be satisfied?
Finally, Jesus sighed deeply and said there would be no more signs. No more big public displays. From now on, his healings would be intimate affairs, taking place quietly and apart from the crowds. And there would be far fewer of them as well. He had done all he needed to do in order to prove himself. Now it was a question of whether the people would believe him and listen to his teachings. After all, that’s what the miracles were for: to point beyond themselves to Jesus and his mission.
The same is true for us. Jesus gives us signs every day and in many different ways. Some are very dramatic, like unexpected healings, but many are more ordinary, like a beautiful sunrise or a word of encouragement from a friend. But whatever these signs are, they are enticements. They are meant to spark us to seek Jesus, the giver of the gifts, so that we can find the full healing that his salvation brings— the healing of our souls along with our bodies.
What signs will the Lord give you today? Keep your eyes and ears open, and you will undoubtedly find a great many of them. But don’t stop at the sign! When one comes along, accept it gratefully—of course!—but also take it for what it is. It’s pointing you to Jesus. So turn to him, and let him speak his words of wisdom and love to you!
“Holy Spirit, open my eyes today. I want to see Jesus in every sign he gives me!”
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