1ST READING
Sometimes,
if not many times, we are like Jonah, in that we are not as obedient as
we should be and it takes us a few attempts to get things right. Does
this justify disobedience? No, it does not. Just because God is
forgiving and compassionate, it does not mean we should take advantage
of Him. A true disciple will always do his best to be obedient the first
time around and, thus, avoid all the problems that inevitably result
from disobedience.
Jonah 3:1-10
1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you.” 3 So
Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh, according to the Lord’s bidding.
Now Nineveh was an enormously large city; it took three days to go through it. 4 Jonah
began his journey through the city, and had gone but a single day’s
walk announcing, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,” 5 when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth. 6 When the news reached
the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe,
covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes. 7 Then he had this proclaimed
throughout
Nineveh, by decree of the king and his nobles: “Neither man nor beast,
neither cattle nor sheep, shall taste anything; they shall not eat, nor
shall they drink water. 8 Man
and beast shall be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God; every
man shall turn from his evil way and from the violence he has in hand. 9 Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath, so that we shall not perish.” 10 When
God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he
repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them; he did
not carry it out.
P S A L M
Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19
R: A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
1 [3] Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. 2 [4] Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. (R) 10 [12] A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. 11 [13] Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take
not from me. (R) 16 [18] For you are not pleased with sacrifices; should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it. 17 [19] My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. (R)
GOSPEL
Jonah’s
sign is the sign of obedience — no matter how hard he tried, he could
not escape being obedient in the end. This is a lesson to us all that it
is simpler to be obedient from the start rather than try to blaze a new
path with our own will, expecting to do better than following God’s
way. Jonah’s sign is also the path of repentance, modeling for us the
way to take when we have been disobedient. Let us seek to follow the
first path more than the second one.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart for I am gracious and merciful.
Luke 11:29-32
29 While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. 30 Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 At the judgment the
queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she
will
condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the
wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. 32 At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.”
think: A true disciple will always do his best to be obedient the first time around.
T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ___________________________
____________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today_________
____________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Philippians 1-4
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