The Proof is in the Asking
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The Proof is in the Asking
Prompted by this morning’s Gospel reading (Monday October 16, 2023), I was inclined to reflect during Mass on the notion of asking God for a sign. A couple of months ago, before football season began, I was invited by the head football coach at Catholic High School here in Baton Rouge to offer a prayer and reflection for an event known as the Blessing of the Helmets. It was more than blessing the helmets, obviously. We asked for a blessing on the entire team and staff, as well as parents. In my remarks, I suggested that, for us to be truly happy in life and have the strongest faith possible, we might need to redefine our concept of winning. I think it might be the same when it comes to asking God for a sign. We may need to redefine or at least broaden our awareness of how the answer comes. I do not know if you have ever actually asked the Lord for a sign. I know I have. However, and here’s the thing, other than one time when I recall something seemingly coincidental happening, most times that’s not been the case. Every single time, deep down beneath the fear, the doubt, and the hurt, I have always known that things would ultimately be okay. I always knew that, no matter how things turned out, God had already given me everything I would need to endure and rise above it. I just had to let go of it and trust. In the Gospel today (Luke 11:29-32), Jesus says to the crowd gathered around him, “This generation seeks a sign…but you have a greater than Jonah here.” In other words, in him, in his person, standing right there in their midst was everything they needed. Jesus himself was the sign. He was with them and would always be with them. He had desperately hoped they would see that and believe it. Perhaps, then, that could be the gift for which we want to pray; namely, the vision to see as Christ sees, the vision to see him present in the midst of our troubles. Besides, would we even be asking if we didn’t already know that God would provide? I have often suggested prayer is not so much about whether we get what we ask for or not but about what we become in the process. Truly, the proof, the sign is in the asking.