1ST READING
Jonah eventually obeys God and does what is asked of him. The
result is the repentance of Nineveh. But Jonah is not happy. This means that
God will relent on His threat to destroy Nineveh and he, Jonah, will look
foolish. Let us never allow the opinion of others to hinder our commitment to
proclaim and live the Gospel. What matters is that we do all that God asks
us to do.
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
We are all given opportunities to repent. What will make the
difference in our lives is whether we take them up or not. This will define our
character. This is the challenge of the moral life — realizing that our choices
do matter. We have to be attentive to themovement of grace in our lives and
cooperate with it each time we make a moral choice.
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: What matters is that we
do all that God asks us to do.
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 James 1-5
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