Daily Catholic Lectio
Mon, 20 July 2026
XVI Week in Ordinary Time
Mic 6:1-4, 6-8. Mt 12:38-42
What God Asks, and We Ask
Human relationships are often built around desires and expectations. A husband has expectations from his wife, and a wife from her husband. Parents have expectations from their children, and children from their parents. A leader has expectations from workers, and workers from the leader. Friends also place expectations before one another.
When our desires and expectations are not fulfilled, relationships face obstacles or divisions.
In our relationship with God, what does God ask from human beings? What does He desire? What does He expect?
Today’s first reading gives the answer to this question. Human beings often think that God desires sacrifices. But God corrects their understanding.
The prophet Micah says: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”
God expects from us a life marked by justice, mercy, and humility.
But many times, instead of following what is right, we prefer to follow what is easy. Offering sacrifices is easier. Practising justice, showing mercy, and walking humbly before God are harder.
In today’s Gospel, human beings ask something from Jesus.
The people of His time had lived with Him, heard His teaching, and seen His mighty works. Yet they struggled to believe in Him. They said: “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”
Jesus presents Himself as greater than Jonah and greater than Solomon. Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, and they repented. Solomon’s wisdom drew the queen of the South from far away. But now someone greater than Jonah and Solomon stands before them, and they still ask for a sign.
God’s asking comes from His faithfulness. Human asking comes from their lack of faith.
God asks for justice, mercy, and humility because He wants human life to become whole.
Human beings ask for signs because they hesitate to trust what God has already revealed.
Today’s readings invite us to examine both questions: what does God ask from us, and what do we ask from God?
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
A Yesni Prays Initiative
Yesu Karunanidhi 
Leave a comment