I Saw The Sign :)

I am writing this post while singing this song from Ace of Base. :D

It is in no way related to what I am going to share. I just remember dancing to it when I was younger. :) You've got a 90's kid here! :D

On to my sharing. :)

In today's Gospel reading, the people are asking Jesus for a sign that they may believe.

"Show us miraculous signs, that we may see and believe you. What sign do you perform? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert; as Scripture says: They were given bread from heaven to eat."

Jesus then said to them, "Truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven. My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. The bread God gives is the One who comes from heaven and gives life to the world. And they said to him, "Give us this bread."

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall never be hungry, and whoever believes in me shall never be thirsty." (John 6:30-35)

I am guilty of asking for signs, too. In fact, I have made two major decisions in my life (which I regretted later on) just because I was too naive to believe the "signs." Allow me to share briefly (I'm just not sure how brief it would be. :D).

Lovelife: During my first year in college, I have come to believe that whoever I see wearing a red shirt with white sleeves after I have counted 100 Volkswagen colored red and white is the person I am going to marry. Silly, I know. Guess what? On the day that I counted the 100th Volks, a persistent suitor since high school came over to our house and he was wearing (I can still vividly remember) a red Gap shirt with white sleeves. The first thing I did when I saw him? I asked, "bakit 'yan ang suot mo?" (Why are you wearing that?!) He eventually became my first boyfriend. But after three years of being in an exclusive relationship with each other, we broke up. He now has a son, I'm not just sure if he's already married. And I am still unmarried. :)
Career/education: Writing has always been my first love. When I filled out my UPCAT application form, I wrote BA Communication Research and BA Literature as my first and second choices. However, when I learned that I was also qualified for a DOST scholarship, I felt I had no other choice but to just take a science and technology course. I ended up taking BS Computer Science. I struggled a lot and failed a lot. I came to the point of wanting to transfer from Engg to Mass Comm but the "sign" I held on to that time was a passing grade in a major subject. I would always tell myself, "if I pass this subject (kahit 3.0 lang) then I will stay." I was not happy at all. And if given the chance to study again, I am definitely going to take the course I am passionate about.

Photo Credit: ThisIsAGoodSign.com

In his homily, Fr. Benedict said, "signs impose their meaning on us." Saussure made a similar statement: "nothing is a sign unless it is interpreted as a sign."

Here is also a beautiful quote from Diane Schoemperlen, author of Our Lady of the Lost and Found: A Novel of Mary, Faith, and Friendship:“I remind myself that not everything is a sign, that some things simply are what they appear to be and should not be analyzed, deconstructed, or forced to bear the burden of metaphor, symbol, omen, or portent.”

What then do we need for us to believe?

Fr. Benedict shared his reflections during their recently-concluded retreat: "What sustains us in our mission is the unmistakable sign of God's deep love for us. Mahal kasi tayo ng Diyos. Period."

As Todd Burpo have come to realize, only faith can open our eyes. Faith in God's unconditional, unending, unchanging love for us; faith in God's plan to prosper and not to harm us; faith in God's perfect timing. :)

I cannot end this post better than how Charles H. Spurgeon put it: “Is not the gospel its own sign and wonder? Is not this a miracle of miracles, that 'God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish'? Surely that precious word, 'Whosoever will, let him come and take the water of life freely' and that solemn promise, 'Him that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out,' are better than signs and wonders! A truthful Saviour ought to be believed. He is truth itself. Why will you ask proof of the veracity of One who cannot lie?”

I have seen the unmistakable sign of God's deep love for me. It's the thing that keeps me going. And it's enough for me to believe. :)

I always love saying this: Mahal ako ng Diyos. Hindi Niya ako pababayaan... kailanman. ♥

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