SIGNS

SIGNS

“And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” – Luke 21:7

“168: d year’s lucky #. Pas ds 2 15 pipol xcept me w/in 1 hr, n after doing it, observ 6 lucky thngs wil hpen 2 u in 8 dys. Dnt brk d chain. Ds s a feng shui belief.”

I received this text message a few days after New Year. I broke the chain and nothing untoward happened to me.

A week later, when I came across an ad in the newspaper about an expensive seminar on feng shui at a five-star hotel, I was troubled. I wondered if more people had faith in this Chinese practice than in God. I felt that because people desire to be “in control,” they are vulnerable to all kinds of signs offered by the present generation.

Jesus’ answer to the people who asked for signs was, ”See that you are not deceived.” He knows our tendency and wants to spare us from the pain of deceit, from the pain of falling into the wrong hands. Tuning in to the Lord and getting cues from Him ought to be the only signs to trust.Cristy Galang

REFLECTION:

Do I follow any other beliefs that do not spring from my faith in the Lord?

Lord Jesus, please help me to trust only in You. Do not allow me to be enticed by lucky charms, feng shui or any other superstitions that are not of You. Amen.

theRe ARe mAny deceiveRs in the WORld

We can be sure that there are plenty of powers in the world that are not the least bit interested in the truth. All they are interested in is in promoting their own goals whatever they may be. Sects will promote their own false beliefs; companies are interested in the bottom line, their profits; advertising companies are interested in selling a particular product however they can within the law and so on. None of the above will be interested in the truth of a matter unless it is in their own interests to promote it. This may sound a little negative and defeatist but it is basically a true reflection of what exists in a secular democracy.

Insofar as we live in a secular democracy it is up to us to ensure that we live our lives according to the truth revealed to us by God, knowing that this will bring us into conflict with the powers around us in the world frequently. I would rather that I not have to report this to you but it is the truth, and as such, we have to work with the reality that is our society and seek to evangelize it. I do not think we will ever be able to return to the experience of the Christendom of yesteryear, and maybe that would not be a good thing anyway. It seems that the practice of the Christian faith is stronger when there is a little bit of persecution around.

Jesus tells us in the Gospel that we should seek to avoid those who will present lies and reject their doctrines and ideas. To be able to do this, we have to make an effort to properly understand our own faith. Without this, we will not be able to refute the lies and mistakes when they are presented to us by people of different beliefs. It is our duty and responsibility to do what we can to inform ourselves of the doctrines of our faith so that in understanding them well, we will be better able to live them. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

Reflection Question:

Am I ready to refute the lies that I will encounter in the world? Have I taken the opportunities given me to learn more about my faith or have I been too lazy?

Jesus, You are the light of the world; Your word is truth and it is life. Help me to understand Your word better and so live it to the full as a witness of Your love to the world.

St. Chrysogonus, Martyr, pray for us.