Reflection: Luke 7:31-35

24th Week in Ordinary Time — Luke 7:31-35

This Gospel begins as Jesus speaking to the crowds. He says to them: “To what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like?” Jesus then continues: “They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call out to one another: ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge for you, but you did not weep.’”

I wonder what Jesus would say about the people of our generation? Perhaps we need to ask ourselves: Do we see signs of Jesus’ presence and action in our lives? Most likely, the signs of his presence will not be miraculous or spectacular. However, that does not mean that Jesus is not present to us. Perhaps we need to attune ourselves to the small happenings in life, such as a beautiful sunrise, an unexpected call from a dear friend, or your spouse or child helps you with a chore. Or perhaps we are gifted with some unexpected time to simply “be.” If we choose to, we can see these happenings as simply a random occurrence. Or we can trust and believe that these happenings are a sign of Jesus’ presence with us.

Most typically Jesus comes to us in subtle and ordinary ways: through a sunrise, an unexpected phone call from a friend or perhaps simply some time to “be quiet.” The challenge is to always be awake and alert for Jesus’ coming. If I am not looking for him and expecting him, I may completely miss the fact that he was right beside me. Today keep your eyes, minds and hearts open. Jesus will appear! I hope you don’t miss him!