Jonah is the focus of the readings today. The first reading is from the Book of Jonah, chapter 3. Jonah has gone into the city of Nineveh and told them to repent. Word gets to the king, who calls a fast and calls all the people to repentance. They repented of their evil ways, and God relented in his punishment.
In the Gospel reading from Luke 11, Jesus says to the crowd, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus came as did Jonah, preaching a message of repentance. But there’s one major difference. Jesus said, “There is something greater than Jonah here.”
When you received ashes on your forehead on Ash Wednesday, you may have been told, “Turn away from your sins and be faithful to the Gospel.” The Church echoes the voice of Jesus: repent! Hopefully we will be like the people of Nineveh. They repented. Will we? Will you?
Father, you know our evil ways. We repent of our wickedness today. Give us the grace to be faithful to the Gospel. Amen.
Attention Catholic men in the Newark, NJ area: Gus will be speaking at the Newark Catholic Men’s Conference on Saturday, March 5, 2016. Please come! Get more details here.
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