Daily Catholic Lectio
Friday, 27 October 2023
Friday of the Twenty-Ninth Week of the Year
Romans 7:18-25a. Luke 12:54-59
Interpreting and responding
“Interpreting the signs of God in our lives and responding to them immediately gives us life.”
Archbishop Fulton Sheen writes about the arrival of the Magi in his famous The Life of Christ: “On that day when the star appeared, it was visible to everyone. Some looked at it with awe and wonder; to those who dwelt in the palace, the star looked dim because their eyes were inebriated; for the people of Jerusalem, the star was of no concern, for their concern was to earn their daily livelihood; but the Magi, who saw the star at the horizon, interpreted its appearance and responded accordingly. They began to follow the star.”
The people of Jerusalem not only failed to recognise the appearance of the star, but they also failed to recognise Jesus, who stood in front of them. This is the setting of today’s gospel reading.
Jesus pointed out to his contemporaries that their failure to recognise him was because of two reasons: (a) hypocrisy in interpretation and (b) postponement.
(a) Hypocrisy in interpretation: in Jesus’ time and earlier, people forecast weather based on the movement of the celestial bodies. This knowledge was passed over from generation to generation. As per this knowledge, clouds forecasted rain and wind forecasted heat. The sailors identified directions based on the stability of the stars; they identified the land by the hovering birds; and they predicted the earthquakes by observing the behaviour of the cattle. The people who were experts in interpreting the signs of the sky failed to interpret the signs of the kingdom. Jesus’ preaching, miracles, and journeys were signs. But people did not interpret the signs. Jesus calls this hypocrisy in interpretation. By failing to interpret, they failed to respond.
(b) Postponement: The people who heard the words of Jesus and who saw the signs he performed postponed their response. Some became his enemies. Instead of recognising the Messiah who stood before their eyes, they were looking for him in the future. During the apostolic times as well, people failed to respond to the gospel that they preached.
Jesus warns his audience about the danger of postponement through a parable. If one who is taken to court fails to compromise with his accuser, if he fails to set terms with him along the way, he will be handed over to the judge and put behind bars. Here, ‘you’ refers to ‘Jesus’ contemporary audience,’ ‘accuser’ is ‘Jesus’ (accuser could be translated as adversary as well),’magistrate’ is ‘God the Father,’ ‘way’ is ‘life here on earth’ (in Luke, way is a key motif), ‘judge’ is ‘the Risen Lord who is seated at God’s right hand,’ ‘officer’ refers to ‘the Holy Spirit’ or ‘the angels.’
One who sees Jesus now as his adversary will have to meet him later as the judge. If he fails to make use of the time that he gains along the way, he will face severe consequences. Postponement of conversion or transformation is deadly!
What are the lessons that we learn from this reading?
(a) Learning to interpret! Today we need not learn about the interpretation of the signs of the sky and the earth, for we have delegated this work to the satellites; they do this work with accuracy, precision, and speed. But it is in our hands to interpret the signs of life in the spiritual realm. Gaudium et Spes, the Second Vatican Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, invites us to interpret the signs of the times (cf. n. 4). We become members of Christ’s mystical body through our baptism; our faith formation takes place through our parents, godparents, elders, priests, and religious. But everything stops there. The learning does not convert to a God experience. This happens because of our failure to integrate life events with God. It is necessary that we learn to interpret the signs.
(b) Averting postponement. When we are taken by the accuser to the magistrate, we gain time. The time has to be made use of immediately if we want to escape punishment. Postponing will incur a lot of pain and loss. Often, we postpone God experience to our old age, or we say that this is not meant for us. Due to postponement, we incur many losses in our work lives and relationships. Responding to Jesus and to the signs of the kingdom must take place here and now.
After narrating the contrasts between faith and works, justified and condemned, freedom and slavery, grace and sin, eternal life and death, Paul briefs in the first reading how this contrast plays havoc in his own personality: “I am not able to do what is right despite my willingness to do; I land up doing what is evil, which I don’t desire.” These words are true of our experiences as well. Like Paul, we too are wretched and pitiable!
“Interpreting the signs of God in our lives and responding to them immediately gives us life.”
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The Catechism of the Catholic Church talks about interpreting the signs: “Signs of the human world. In human life, signs and symbols occupy an important place. As a being with both body and spirit, the human person expresses and perceives spiritual realities through physical signs and symbols. As social beings, we need signs and symbols to communicate with others through language, gestures, and actions. The same holds true for our relationship with God.” (cf. n. 1146).
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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