Gospel Commentary for monday, October 13, 2025

octubre 13, 2025

When we hear about signs, we usually think of extraordinary things: a star crossing the sky, miraculous healings, and so on. That’s probably the kind of signs the people around Jesus were expecting too. But that’s not what Jesus had in mind. He himself is the sign—the great sign—the one that reveals God’s presence in our world and marks the beginning of the Kingdom. No stars falling from the sky or spectacular wonders. The great sign is a man: Jesus, who draws close to the poor, walks with everyone, speaks about God the Father, and makes his own life a living testimony of the Father’s mercy for all—especially for those most abandoned, marginalized, and oppressed.

The problem with signs is that they’re always a bit ambiguous. Everything depends on interpretation—on one’s perspective, on how we choose to see them. The miracles Jesus performed were, for some, clear signs of God’s presence and power. But others thought he did those miracles by the power of Beelzebul (cf. Mt 12:24).

Even today, there are plenty of signs around us. It all depends on the eyes that see and the heart that receives them. There are even negative signs. Isn’t it a sign that wars keep breaking out in our world and never really solve anything—usually making things worse? Wouldn’t it be more logical, even smarter, to reject war altogether as a possible way to solve our problems? And yet, we keep going to war, building armies, and convincing ourselves it’s necessary.

Of course, there are also many positive signs—both near and far. I’ll leave it to you, the reader, to think about what some of those might be. Seeing and recognizing them as signs will inevitably depend on the eyes and the intentions with which we look. Maybe we should ask God in prayer to give us a well-adjusted pair of “spiritual glasses” so we can discern those signs that strengthen our faith and help us keep working for the Kingdom—for fraternity and justice.

Fernando Torres, cmf