28TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

She came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon.

Can you imagine how amazing it must have been to see the Queen of Sheba’s arrival in Jerusalem to meet King Solomon? She came into the city “with camels bearing spices, a large amount of gold, and precious stones” (1 Kings 10:2). After she met Solomon, she proclaimed that his wisdom and wealth far exceeded her expectations.

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus tells his listeners that they don’t need yet another sign like the Queen of Sheba’s visit to show them the significance of the man who was standing before their eyes. His words and actions should have been more than enough to convince them that he had come from God. All they had to do was look back over the past few months or years and tally them up. How could Jesus perform all of those wonders if he were powerless or a fraud?

We have all had times when we asked for some dramatic sign in order to confirm our faith in the Lord. Maybe we were looking for a miraculous healing. Maybe we were praying that we would win the lottery. Or maybe we wanted to see the sun dance as it did at Fatima.

But the truth is that nothing is more miraculous than the fact that the Holy Spirit—almighty God himself—lives in our own human, conflicted, slow-to-believe hearts. How could someone as perfect and holy as God take up residence in us? How could he promise never to leave us as orphans? And yet, that is what he has done. And even more amazing is the fact that he continues to work in our lives, even when we can’t sense his presence.

Whenever you feel the desire to demand that God give you a dramatic sign, look back and recall the many ways you’ve already witnessed the Spirit at work in your life or in the life of a loved one. Recall the miracle of his very presence in you and his faithfulness to you. Let these truths convince you that no matter what your current need is, he sees it. He knows it. He embraces it. And he is working out his plan to help you with it.

“Holy Spirit, you are the greatest sign of God’s presence and power and love in my life. Help me trust in you even more.”

Galatians 4:22-24, 26-27, 31–5:1
Psalm 113:1-7
Luke 11:29-32