Signs for Every Generation

Wednesday's readings were from Jon 3:1-10; Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19; and Lk 11:29-32.

"This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign…" Jesus laments at the beginning of our gospel reading today. It occurs to me, though, that it is part of human nature to look for signs, to look for proof, especially when it comes to divine matters. In every generation, people want proof that Jesus Christ was who he claimed to be and that his teachings are valid, worth following.

Today, we commemorate St. Casimir, and I want to share with you a snippet from an account of his life. St. Casimir was a prince, and this is what someone wrote of him:

By the power of the Holy Spirit, Casimir burned with a sincere and unpretentious love for almighty God that was almost unbelievable in its strength. So rich was his love and so abundantly did it fill his heart, that it flowed out from his inner spirit toward his fellow men. As a result, nothing was more pleasant, nothing more desirable for him, than to share his belongings, and even to dedicate and give his entire self to Christ's poor, to strangers, to the sick, to those in captivity and to all who suffer. To widows, orphans and the afflicted, he was not only a guardian and patron but a father, son and brother.

I ask you: if you could have met St. Casimir, would have been inclined to believe what he had to say about Jesus Christ? As you looked at the example of his life, would it not have been easy for you to believe in Christ's teachings? Was he not a "sign" to his generation?

The discipline and penance we follow in Lent is meant to empty us out—to make the most room for what Jesus wants to give us. When we allow this to happen—allow ourselves to be filled completely with what Jesus wishes to give us—our very lives become proof and validation for the person and teachings of Jesus Christ. We give our loved ones the sign the long for so desperately.

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever!

~J