12 October 2015
Monday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s reading speaks of the sign of Jonah. What that sign of Jonah exactly is has created no small debate among biblical scholars. Looking for signs seems to be a human pastime that extends the full length of human history. We all would like to know, with some sense of security, what we should do and how best to do it. St. Ignatius of Loyola gives some guidance on this issue with his identification of thankfulness as the first step in his five step examination of conscience. Thankfulness reminds us of what we have that satisfies what we require and therefore provides us with an opportunity to reflect on what we truly need. So often our lives are a bit confused and are accompanied by anxiety that so often walks with confusion because we really don’t know what we want. The best sign we can look for is the results a serious evaluation of what we truly need rather than the needs foisted on us by the media. When we identify our true needs, frequently these become the signposts that will direct our decisions and remove some of the anxiety that so often has become part of our lives.