“In the fullness of time” – These are the words that St. Paul employs in his letter to the Galatians to refer to the birth of Jesus in history. The phrase seems to imply a perfect and ideal time, prepared by God from all eternity and announced by his prophets in the centuries leading up to that momentous event. The centuries after the birth of Christ would look back to it, fixing their eyes on the historical Jesus of Nazareth while awaiting his second coming. Indeed, in the much of the world, the advent of Jesus has served to demarcate two distinct periods of history, the period before Christ, and the ‘Anno Domini’, the year of the Lord.
Christians down the ages, while looking at the life of Jesus, have become somewhat painfully aware of the seemingly vast difference existing between the circumstances of their own lives and that of the Messiah. How often have we not heard the refrain, “Oh, if only Jesus were here in our day and age…” This statement often betrays a desire to have Jesus, walking and talking with us on this earth, giving us clear-cut answers to everything and leaving no room for any second thought or opinion. However, we know well that Jesus is indeed present with us today, and his presence is no less real than what it was before. In order for us to experience his guidance in the circumstances of our day and age, we need to embark upon the process of reading the signs of the times.
“Test everything; hold fast what is good.” (1 Thess 5:21)
Western philosophy was born out of the sense of wonder that animated the earliest philosophers to seek an explanation for the changing world around them. These men would gaze into the heavens and study the earth for some explanation to the incomprehensible universe. This search to understand our surroundings has continued throughout the ages, bearing witness to man’s desire to know and understand, the manifestation of his rationality. In Matthew 16:3, Jesus reproves the Pharisees and Sadducees, saying, “You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.” Jesus’ words here seem to draw a similarity between our ability to understand and interpret the natural phenomena around us with our ability to spiritually interpret the situations and circumstances that surround us. This may come as quite a surprise to those who believe that this spiritual discernment is something like rocket science, reserved only for those who are adept in this ability after much training and experience. Reading the signs of the times is more of an instinct that one should develop in the course of time. If one cannot understand at least a little of the natural phenomena that surrounds him or her, we could seriously doubt his or her natural growth. It would be apt ‘living under a rock’, thereby implying that the person is hopelessly out of touch with reality, and is deprived of something quite important to his natural growth as a human being in the world.
Similarly, if a Christian were unable to spiritually interpret and understand the world and the society that he lives in, we could arrive at much the same conclusion, namely, that such a person was out of touch with the spiritual reality, and is deprived of something quite essential to his spiritual growth as a follower of Christ. St. Paul reminds us that “[W]e are not contending against flesh and blood, but … against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph 6:12) If we are not even aware of the spiritual dangers that surround us we could easily fall prey to them; and if we are not aware of the graces that God makes available to us, we could easily fail to make use of them. Thus Jesus, comparing his disciples to sheep in the midst of wolves, cautions them to be wise as serpents, yet innocent as doves (Cf. Mt 10:16). Jesus expects his disciples to exhibit the good sense of being able to make the necessary judgments and decide on appropriate courses of action with the aid of the Holy Spirit. If we expect God to give us tailor-made answers to every situation or to unmistakably announce every solution in our ears, we are insulting the gift of reason (a gift that distinguishes and crowns human beings over the rest of material creation) that he has given us. God did not make us computer programmes, but human beings who use reason to give him glory, by employing it in seeking out his will, in conjunction with faith. A failure to read the signs of the times is indicative not only of a failure to use the gifts of God but also is also a failure to live our lives in accordance with his desire.
“Teach me good judgment and knowledge.” (Ps 119:66)
But what are these signs of the times? They could be as minute as the chirping of birds early in the morning, inviting us to rise and pray. They could be as momentous as wars, accidents and natural calamities. They could be as subtle as the changes in social conditions and lifestyles over the years. They could be as personal as the loss of a loved one, or the accomplishment of some long-desired goal. These signs could be in any sphere of life – social, political, religious, economic etc. They are interwoven with every reality of our lives on earth, and as such, they are inescapable. Some of the prominent examples of the signs of our times are climate change, the deterioration of social and family values, an ever-increasing individualism and relativism, the dominance of technology, the impoverishment of cultures, and the constantly looming threat of war and unrest. In our country, more particularly, we can see the signs of communalism, fundamentalism, a widening gap between the rich and the poor, the exploitation of the marginalised and so on. But this should not lead us to become ‘prophets of doom’ who only see signs of destruction around us. There are plenty of positive signs around as well. Take for instance the growing emphasis being placed on social work, sustainable development, the eradication of unjust structures and systems and so on. It is comforting to know that many of the horrific evils of the past have almost died out and will be relegated only to the pages of history.
In his great priestly prayer, Jesus prayed for his disciples to His Father, saying, “I do not pray that you should take them out of the world… They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (Jn 17: 15-17) This difference between being in the world and being of the world is one of the greatest significance for the followers of Jesus, one that can only be made with discernment that is aided by the Holy Spirit. It follows then, that this task is an important part of the vocation of every Christian, and consequently of the entire Body of Christ, the Church. The Second Vatican Council, in its document Gaudium et Spes affirms that “the Church has always had the duty of scrutinizing the signs of the times and of interpreting them in the light of the Gospel. Thus, in language intelligible to each generation, she can respond to the perennial questions which men ask about this present life and the life to come, and about the relationship of the one to the other. We must therefore recognize and understand the world in which we live, its explanations, its longings, and its often dramatic characteristics.” (No. 4)
One of the best illustrations that the modern world has witnessed in this aspect of the Church’s vocation is none other than the Second Vatican Council itself. In a time when the Church was being slowly relegated to the back seat, it was the visionary and dynamic leadership of St. Pope John XXIII which invited the Church to a time of reflection and renewal, to “ever look to the present, to the new conditions and new forms of life introduced into the modern world,” as he remarked in his homily at the Opening of the Council This Council, in the aforementioned document, surveyed and sketched out the main features that characterised man’s situation in the modern world. It states that, “Today's spiritual agitation and the changing conditions of life are part of a broader and deeper revolution…[I]n the face of the modern development of the world, the number constantly swells of the people who raise the most basic questions or recognize them with a new sharpness: what is man? What is this sense of sorrow, of evil, of death, which continues to exist despite so much progress? What purpose have these victories purchased at so high a cost? What can man offer to society, what can he expect from it? What follows this earthly life?” In the midst of this analysis, the Council wisely remarked that “the imbalances under which the modern world labours are linked with that more basic imbalance which is rooted in the heart of man.”
“So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (Jn 3: 8)
This Council is not an isolated case for consideration. The pages of Church history are enriched with accounts of those men and women who could discern the signs of the times, and offer a fitting response to them. The numerous Councils, Synods, Popes and Bishops, often in the midst of much tumult, were able to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and thus, guide the life of the Church through some of its most turbulent and confusing periods. Founders and foundresses of religious Orders and congregations were able to discern the call of God to radical discipleship in ever-new ways of life and mission. Intrepid missionaries adapted themselves to the harshest conditions and penetrated the most hostile lands with the burning torch of the Gospel, always finding new ways to evangelize. Men and women, even youth and children, belonging to various lands and to various epochs of history, have responded to the challenges of their times, offering a brilliant testimony of faith.
Around eight centuries ago, Dominic de Guzman was able to read the signs of the times that presented themselves to his ever-reflective eyes. Looking at the spiritual destitution and poverty of the people, his heart was moved with compassion to reach out to them in a manner that was most suited to their need. To a Church whose pastoral effectiveness was being suffocated by the pursuit of honours and wealth, he and friars brought the treasure of evangelical poverty. To a Church being viciously attacked by heresy, they proffered the shield of sacred study and doctrinal preaching. They were able to respond to an urgent need of the Church, to bring about a much-needed renewal. In reflecting on Dominic’s life, one could recall the words of John’s Gospel, wherein Jesus describes the man born of the Holy Spirit with the metaphor of the wind, which blows where it wills. The same holds true for all those illustrious sons and daughters of St. Dominic, who have lived out his charism in varied ways, responding to the signs of their times. Over the last eight centuries, the Church has distinctly heard the mighty wind of Dominic and his Order, a wind blowing in and out of season, a wind that has swayed some of the tallest cedars and danced with the daintiest flowers, a wind that has refreshed, rejuvenated, confronted, guided and challenged many. This wind is not something altogether apart from that mighty wind which rushed into the world from the Cenacle on that day of Pentecost.
The gift of the Holy Spirit was promised by Jesus before his Ascension. With the arrival of the Spirit at Pentecost, the disciples would no longer be orphans, in the face of the challenges that the world brought to their faith. because the Holy Spirit would guide them into the fullness of truth. “He will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (Jn 16:14) It is imperative, then, for Christians to continually attune themselves to the voice of the Holy Spirit, in order to make sense of their surroundings and situations, as well as their response to them. The process of discernment will be fruitless if it is not centred on listening to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. G. K. Chesterton writes, “We do not want a Church that will move with the world. We want a Church that will move the world.” Without listening to the Holy Spirit, our process of discernment will be merely moving with the world, lacking the ability to move and transform the world. In the book of Revelation, the angelic voice cries out, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (2:7) This invitation is extended to all of us today. Heeding the promptings of the Holy Spirit, may we fulfill the aspiration expressed in one of the Church’s liturgical prayers: “[T]hat all the faithful of the Church, looking into the signs of the times by the light of faith, may constantly devote themselves to the service of the Gospel.” (EP For Various Needs, III)
Nigel Savio Furtado