Reflection: Tuesday July 17th

As a seminarian I am often asked to give an account of my vocation story.

I don’t like to tell it, however; not because I am ashamed of it or out of some false humility, but rather because in telling it my story seems to become so much less mysterious, less awesome, less miraculous, than it is to me. To me it is a miracle that I am where I am today.

You see, my vocation story, like the vocation stories of so many others is not like that of Peter and Paul, who saw great signs and miracles, but rather more like the vocation of the disciples on the road to Emmaus.

Walking along the road to Emmaus, Jesus appeared to them, though they did not recognize Him, and began to explain to them how all the things they had experienced
over the past years, as they traveled with Jesus, pointed to the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus, and pointed them toward their own personal vocations.

Jesus set their hearts on fire, pointing out God’s plan for them by showing them how seemingly unimportant encounters really had great significance in light of the Paschal Mystery and in light of their Vocation.

It was this way for me, as well—when I tell my vocation story it sounds like a long string of events and coincidences none of which justify my vocation.

However, taken together in the light of faith, all these little
encounters and experiences, many of which are very normal everyday events, led me to listen to and heed the calling of Jesus Christ, which called me to his Ordained Priesthood.

We are a people who believe in a God who has a plan,
So why is it so strange that in hindsight we see his plan unfold before our eyes.

Why must we look at the world and at history with the skepticism of post-modern Man?

Is it only possible to believe that God is at work when an overt miracle occurs?

In today’s Gospel Jesus chides two towns, which had seen great works done in their midst, but despite the things they had seen, they did not believe in Jesus.

This is a recurring theme in the history of salvation. Throughout the scriptures we see God’s great signs and miracles, However, despite these great signs after a short period of terror people almost always return to their old, sinful, ways of life.


Think of a few more recent examples of Miracles:
1) the miracle of the Sun in Fatima, witness by 20 thousand in Portugal;

2) the Eucharistic miracle of Orvieto, which cause the conversion of the strongly anti-Christian atheist doctor
who investigated the miracle;

3) or the healings at Lourdes and other Marian Shrines, attested to by thousands of crutches and mementos of cures that hang on the shrine walls.

The list could go on.

Even just recently I read about a miraculous cure in Boston
attributed to the intercession of John Henry Cardinal Newman.

Panels of doctors and scientists attest regularly that these and other miracles like them are scientifically unexplainable
and yet despite these great miracles people still do not believe.

I believe that every day God is active in the world, that every day we are surrounded by miracles, great and small, which many people call coincidences. In today’s reading from Exodus, the child Moses just happen to be found by pharaoh’s daughter, who just happened to be well disposed toward him, is this a coincidence or is this a miracle and act of God’s providence in history. The believer would answer this is a miracle, this is God’s will.

You see, great signs do not cause faith, rather what causes faith is God, that is Jesus who walks with us connecting the dots of our lives, to show us how all his actions in our lives point to his plan, and his great love, for us.

As Christian’s we must evaluate reality based on our faith in God’s love for us. Not looking for great miracles, which occasionally may come, but rather attempting to see with the eyes of faith.

Finally, and most importantly, we must help others see the reality that we see, to help others open up their sacramental imagination, to see with the eyes of faith.

When we look at the world in this way, with faith, we are not delusional, we are just Christians.

Remember what Jesus said to Thomas,
who touched the wounds of Christ:

Blessed are they who have not seen and still believed