Signs and Wonders

Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,     

“Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”
He said to them in reply,
“An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it
except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, 
so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.
At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah;
and there is something greater than Jonah here. At the judgment, the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here.”

The scribes and Pharisees, the learned of the age, came to Jesus and asked him for a sign.  It would be almost as if we came up to Houdini and asked to see a trick.  Jesus knew that no matter what sign he performed for these men it would be looked upon as Egyptian magic and would provide fodder for their table talk and not much more.   Jesus was not a mere magician using sleight of hand and distraction to do what He did.  He rather reached deeply into the treasury of love that God has for His children and cured the sick, made the lame walk and yes, even raise the dead.  So, He was not about to dance for his dinner for these men.  He told them to watch for the only sign that they would receive would be the sign of Jonah.  He told them that the Son of Man would be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.  They must have been confused and had no idea of what he was speaking about.   Jesus went on talking about the story of Nineveh who repented when Jonah came to them but the Pharisees and scribes did not and had no idea who they were dealing with. 

In our day we have the benefit of hindsight and can see all around us what the Lord has done. Yet, there are those that are still looking for signs.  They consult mediums, tarot cards, tea leaves, and horoscopes all in a vain attempt to see into the future. These "New Age" practices are as evil as any that have been used in the past.  For a Catholic Christian, there is a sign that we can look at and trust in daily.  That sign is that of the Eucharist, the very Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ.  For signs and wonders, look no further for we have the very Son of God in our presence. 

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If you have a problem understanding what Purgatory is, here is a brief (4 minutes) video from YouTube on it. 

Please remember to pray for the poor souls in Purgatory today.  Remember too that as they are you may someday be.