Signs of the Way of Love

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present our desire to understand what signs, if any, guide us to understand what God requires from His people.

Sign of Hope

The Reading from the Prophet Micah identifies three actions that the LORD requires of us.

* [6:1–5] The Lord, through the prophet, initiates a legal case against the people. The initial calls (vv. 1–2) signal the beginning of a trial, and the proclamation that the Lord intends to enter into a legal dispute with Israel. One would expect accusations to follow such an introduction, but instead the Lord speaks in self-defense, reciting mighty acts done in behalf of Israel (vv. 3–5).

* [6:5] The Lord calls for the people to remember the saving events of the past, from the encounters with Balak and Balaam (Nm 22:23) during the wandering in the wilderness to the entrance into the promised land (“from Shittim to Gilgal,” Jos 3–5).

* [6:6–8] These verses continue the previous unit (6:1–5), the dialogue between the Lord and the people in the pattern of a trial. The Lord has initiated proceedings against them, and they ask how to re-establish the broken relationship with God (vv. 6–7), and are given an answer (v. 8). The form of the passage borrows from a priestly liturgical pattern. When worshipers came to the temple, they inquired of the priest concerning the appropriate offering or sacrifice, and the priest answered them (see Ps 15; 24; Is 1:10–17; Am 5:21–24).

* [6:7] The questions reach their climax with the possibility of child sacrifice, a practice known in antiquity (cf. 2 Kgs 16:3; 21:6).

* [6:8] To do justice refers to human behavior in relationship to others. To love goodness refers to the kind of love and concern which is at the heart of the covenant between the Lord and Israel; it is persistently faithful. To walk humbly with your God means to listen carefully to the revealed will of God. (Micah, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 50 proclaims that what God really wants is the sacrifice of praise accompanied by genuine obedience.

* [Psalm 50] A covenant lawsuit stating that the sacrifice God really wants is the sacrifice of praise accompanied by genuine obedience (cf. Mi 6:1–8). It begins with a theophany and the summoning of the court (Ps 50:1–6). Then in direct address God explains what is required of the faithful (Ps 50:7–15), rebukes the hypocritical worshiper (Ps 50:16–21), and concludes with a threat and a promise (Ps 50:22–23; cf. Is 1:19–20). (Psalms, PSALM 50 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus responds to the Demand for a Sign from the scribes and Pharisees.

* [12:38–42] This section is mainly from Q (see Lk 11:29–32). Mk 8:11–12, which Matthew has followed in Mt 16:1–4, has a similar demand for a sign. The scribes and Pharisees refuse to accept the exorcisms of Jesus as authentication of his claims and demand a sign that will end all possibility of doubt. Jesus’ response is that no such sign will be given. Because his opponents are evil and see him as an agent of Satan, nothing will convince them.

* [12:38] Teacher: see note on Mt 8:19. In Mt 16:1 the request is for a sign “from heaven” (Mk 8:11). (Matthew, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

Desiree Nownes observes that we seek signs in our lives to tell us whether we are doing the right thing or whether we should choose one thing over another. We ask for guidance and advice when troubling events occur. The unknown is as exciting as it is scary.

With the state of the world, I admit I am troubled and often ask for guidance in a world that seems to have forgotten that love and truth are not opposites but are in communion with one another. If love is the order from God, why do judgment and hate get a front seat to all the preachers on Sundays? God calls us to love, to forgive, to trust in faith, not by sight but by hope. I am renewed in my faith when I reflect on these teachings and readings from Christ’s path. Listen for God’s voice to speak to you and renew a heart full of caring and forgiveness. I faithfully pray for the hearts of men and women to turn to love and peace. Through these moments of reflection, may we all pray for a more Christ-like way of moving forward together.

Psalm 95 – If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. (Nownes, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “The stumbling block of the cross,” from an anonymous early Christian teacher

"What is the sign of Jonah? The stumbling block of the cross. So it is not the disputers of knowledge who will be saved but those who believe true teaching. For the cross of Christ is indeed a stumbling block to those who dispute knowledge but salvation to those who believe. Paul testifies to this: 'But we, for our part, preach the crucified Christ - to the Jews indeed a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God' (1 Corinthians 1:23-24). Why do the Jews seek signs and the Greeks seek wisdom? God pointed to the sign of the stumbling block of the cross to both the Jews and the Greeks. Thus those who wish to find Christ not through faith but through wisdom will perish on the stumbling block of foolishness. Those who wish to know the Son of God not through faith but through a demonstration of signs will remain trapped in their disbelief, falling on the stumbling block of his death. It is no small wonder that the Jews, considering the death of Christ, thought he was merely a man, when even Christians - as they purport to be but really are not - because of his death are reluctant to declare the only begotten, the crucified, as incomparable majesty. (excerpt from INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 30) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the texts for today. Micah speaks a plea that God makes in Hebrew or a “RIB” It is usually a law suit, God calls them to be witness to the trial coming but they turned to sin. How can they regain oneness with the Lord ? Micah simply advises three requirements: do right; love goodness; and walk humbly with God. Friar Jude suggests we start with simply “Be a good kind person”. In the Gospel of Matthew, the Pharisees ask Jesus for a sign as proof of His being the Messiah. Jesus cites the sign of Jonah as His response. Friar Jude offers two interpretations of this sign. The 3 days of Jonah in the belly of the whale are a sign of Jesus' three days in the tomb and the preaching and conversion of Nineveh. Pagans are converting in Matthew’s Gospel, written for a Jewish audience. This suggests the pagans are more ready to receive Christ than the Jews? Friar Jude notes that the pagan Queen of the South was seeking greater wisdom than the wisdom of Solomon. Everything that was said in the Hebrew Testament was referring to Jesus as Wisdom Incarnate.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Micah 6:1-4, 6-8 comments that from the beginning, God knew every situation we would face. He knew what our family would be like. He knew the struggles we would encounter growing up. Nothing in our life comes as a shock to him. No matter what our situation may be, his overflowing grace is always available to us.

So remember that no matter how complex the world becomes, God’s promises remain as simple as the day you were born. He has called you by name, and everything you need is found in him. Nothing brings him more joy than when you turn to him for guidance in every situation. He wants to walk with you every step. All he asks is that you walk humbly with him!

“Holy Spirit, teach me how to walk humbly with my Father.” (Meditation on Micah 6:1-4, 6-8, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, shares his deep respect and admiration for the Missionaries of Charity, the community of sisters founded by Mother Teresa (1910–1987) in Calcutta, India. He spent three days immersed in the life, spirit, and ministries of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity community at the motherhouse in Calcutta—a year after her death.

Through that experience, I finally met a “conservative” yet fully contemporary form of religious life that I could trust. The sisters were not rigid; rather, they were simply devoted women. They did not need security, answers, and order, as we see in most traditionalist movements in the West. In fact, they were willing to live without security, with very few answers to their questions of mind and heart, and amid almost total disorder. All in union—hour by hour—with God. They lived that amazing and rare combination of utter groundedness and constant risk-taking that always characterizes the true gospel.

The sisters don’t waste time fixing, controlling, or even needing to understand what is wrong with other people. Instead, they put all of their time and energy into letting God change them. From that transformed place, they serve and carry the pain of the world, which they are convinced is the pain of God. This is the synthesis on a communal level that I am always seeking. I have encountered it in many individuals, but hardly ever in public and social form. (Rohr, n.d.)

We contemplate the signs on our journey that point to the action that God offers to us to increase our Wisdom of the Divine Path to live our Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and leader. 

References

Matthew, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 20, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/12? 

Meditation on Micah 6:1-4, 6-8. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 20, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/07/20/1626981/ 

Micah, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 20, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/micah/6? 

Nownes, D. (2026, July 20). Daily Reflection July 20, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved July 20, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-20-2026 

Psalms, PSALM 50 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 20, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/50? 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Saint Teresa of Calcutta: A Mother to Many. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 20, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/saint-teresa-of-calcutta-a-mother-to-many/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). An Adulterous Generation Seeks for a Sign. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 20, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Signs for Transformation

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to be aware of the “signs” present in our society that call us to present Jesus' Way to love and transformation in our environment.

Hope and Transformation

The Reading from the Book of Jonah proclaims Jonah’s Obedience and the Ninevites’ Repentance.

* [3:5] Great and small: the contrast can refer to distinctions of social class (prominent citizens and the poor).

* [3:7–8] Fasting and wearing sackcloth are signs of human repentance; here they are legislated even for the animals—a humorous touch, perhaps anticipating 4:11.

* [3:9–10] Scripture frequently presents the Lord as repenting (or, changing his mind) of the evil that he threatens; e.g., Gn 6:6–7; Jer 18:8. (Jonah, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 51 asks deliverance from sin, not just a past act but its emotional, physical, and social consequences.

* [Psalm 51] A lament, the most famous of the seven Penitential Psalms, prays for the removal of the personal and social disorders that sin has brought. The poem has two parts of approximately equal length: Ps 51:3–10 and Ps 51:11–19, and a conclusion in Ps 51:20–21. The two parts interlock by repetition of “blot out” in the first verse of each section (Ps 51:3, 11), of “wash (away)” just after the first verse of each section (Ps 51:4) and just before the last verse (Ps 51:9) of the first section, and of “heart,” “God,” and “spirit” in Ps 51:12, 19. The first part (Ps 51:3–10) asks deliverance from sin, not just a past act but its emotional, physical, and social consequences. The second part (Ps 51:11–19) seeks something more profound than wiping the slate clean: nearness to God, living by the spirit of God (Ps 51:12–13), like the relation between God and people described in Jer 31:33–34. Nearness to God brings joy and the authority to teach sinners (Ps 51:15–16). Such proclamation is better than offering sacrifice (Ps 51:17–19). The last two verses express the hope that God’s good will toward those who are cleansed and contrite will prompt him to look favorably on the acts of worship offered in the Jerusalem Temple (Ps 51:19 [20–21]). (Psalms, PSALM 51 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus addresses The Demand for a Sign.

* [11:29–32] The “sign of Jonah” in Luke is the preaching of the need for repentance by a prophet who comes from afar. Cf. Mt 12:38–42 (and see notes there) where the “sign of Jonah” is interpreted by Jesus as his death and resurrection. (Luke, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. Rashmi Fernando, SJ, comments that the invitation of Jesus, therefore, is to stop searching for extraordinary proofs and instead recognize God’s presence in the ordinary, demanding moments of daily life: in conscience, in Scripture, in the quiet invitations to repent and return. 

 

Lent, then, is not about waiting for a sign but about becoming one. Like Jonah, our lives are meant to point beyond ourselves. Like Nineveh, our communities are called to collective conversion. And like the psalmist, we are invited to trust that God never rejects a heart that turns toward Him—however late, however imperfectly.

Questions for Reflection:

1. Where might God be calling me “a second time” this Lent, and how am I responding?

2. What concrete action—not just intention—can express my repentance and desire for change?

3. Am I seeking signs from God, or am I willing to recognize His presence in what is already given? (Fernando, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “Don't put off conversion - tomorrow may never come,” by Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"God is not now so long-suffering in putting up with you that He will fail to be just in punishing. Do not say then: 'Tomorrow I shall be converted, tomorrow I shall please God, and all that I shall have done today and yesterday will be forgiven me.' What you say is true: God has promised forgiveness if you turn back to Him. But what He has not promised is that you will have tomorrow in which to achieve your conversion." (excerpt from Commentary on Psalm 144,11) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler notes that Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh the capital of Assyria but he wanted to see retribution against the enemies of Israel. Jonah walks for three days through the great city and the people turn away from their sin on the first day. God’s response to sin is to hurt for the damage it does to us. In the Gospel of Luke, people ask Jesus for a sign. Friar Jude notes two versions of the sign of Jonah: who was buried in the belly of the whale for three days and the preaching of conversion to Nineveh as Jesus is Wisdom Incarnate as sought in the Hebrew Testament.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 11:29-32 comments Jesus is looking for people who recognize that “something greater than Jonah” is in their midst (11:32). It’s important to see that Jesus’ reaction to such an attitude is not one of condescension or condemnation; it comes from a heart yearning to see his people turn to his Father.

Ask the Holy Spirit to stir your heart today. Make time for quiet listening so that you can hear his voice in a noisy world. Jesus is greater than Jonah. He is greater than Solomon. He is greater than any celebrity or politician or internet influencer. And yet, as great as he is, he wants to spend time with you.

“Jesus, open my ears and my heart to receive your words!” (Meditation on Luke 11:29-32, n.d.)

Brian McLaren describes some of the modern addictions that keep us from choosing the difficult path to freedom. Author Cole Arthur Riley reminds us of the slow work of liberation.

Could you wander for forty years if it meant freedom? If you listen, you can still hear them groaning—they who were rescued, only to find that freedom is never so easily won. That liberation is a path marked by uncertainty and thirst and grief over all that was lost in the revolution. In Exodus, we are faced with a God of slow rescue…. Perhaps God knew that part of liberation is confronting anything you might hunger for more than it. [1] (McLaren, n.d.)

McLaren continues:

The wilderness journey is always difficult and seems to last forever…. But the truth is, if we arrive before we’ve learned the lessons of the wilderness, we won’t be able to enjoy the freedom that awaits us in the promised land beyond it. There is wisdom we will need there that we can gain only right here. There is strength and skill we will need in the future that we can develop only here and now, on the wilderness road. There is moral muscle we will need then that we can exercise and strengthen only through our struggles on this road, here and now….

We will often be tempted to return to our old lives, but in that tension between a backward pull and a forward call, we will discover unexplainable sustenance (like manna) and unexpected refreshment (like springs in the desert). Against all odds, walking by faith, we will survive, and more: we will learn what it means to be alive. (McLaren, n.d.)

We seek the inspiration of the Spirit to be the sign of the freedom and fullness of life that Jesus offers to all people.

References

Fernando, R. (2026, February 25). Daily Reflection February 25, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved February 25, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-february-25-2026 

Jonah, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 25, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/jonah/3?1 

Luke, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 25, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/11?29 

McLaren, B. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 25, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-wilderness-journey/ 

Meditation on Luke 11:29-32. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved February 25, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/02/25/1508528/ 

Psalms, PSALM 51 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 25, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/51?3 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Sign of Jonah for an Evil Generation. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 25, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/