Daily Readings - Mon Oct 04 2021
Jonah
1And the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying2Rise and go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach in it. For its malice has ascended before my eyes3And Jonah rose in order to flee from the face of the Lord to Tarshish. And he went down to Joppa and found a ship bound for Tarshish. And he paid its fare, and he went down into it, in order to go with them to Tarshish from the face of the Lord4But the Lord sent a great wind into the sea. And a great tempest took place in the sea, and the ship was in danger of being crushed5And the mariners were afraid, and the men cried out to their god. And they threw the containers that were in the ship into the sea in order to lighten it of them. And Jonah went down into the interior of the ship, and he fell into a painful deep sleep6And the helmsman approached him, and he said to him, "Why are you weighed down with sleep? Rise, call upon your God, so perhaps God will be mindful of us and we might not perish.7And a man said to his shipmate, "Come, and let us cast lots, so that we may know why this disaster is upon us." And they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah8And they said to him: "Explain to us what is the reason that this disaster is upon us. What is your work? Which is your country? And where are you going? Or which people are you from?9And he said to them, "I am Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.10And the men were greatly afraid, and they said to him, "Why have you done this?" (For the men knew that he was fleeing from the face of the Lord, because he had told them.11And they said to him, "What are we to do with you, so that the sea will cease for us?" For the sea flowed and swelled12And he said to them, "Take me, and cast me into the sea, and the sea will cease for you. For I know that it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.13And the men were rowing, so as to return to dry land, but they did not succeed. For the sea flowed and swelled against them14And they cried out to the Lord, and they said, "We beseech you, Lord, do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not attribute to us innocent blood. For you, Lord, have done just as it pleased you.15And they took Jonah and cast him into the sea. And the sea was stilled from its fury16And the men feared the Lord greatly, and they sacrificed victims to the Lord, and they made vows17And the Lord prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights
Luke
25And behold, a certain expert in the law rose up, testing him and saying, "Teacher, what must I do to possess eternal life?26But he said to him: "What is written in the law? How do you read it?27In response, he said: "You shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart, and from your whole soul, and from all your strength, and from all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.28And he said to him: "You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.29But since he wanted to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?30Then Jesus, taking this up, said: "A certain man descended from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he happened upon robbers, who now also plundered him. And inflicting him with wounds, they went away, leaving him behind, half-alive31And it happened that a certain priest was descending along the same way. And seeing him, he passed by32And similarly a Levite, when he was near the place, also saw him, and he passed by33But a certain Samaritan, being on a journey, came near him. And seeing him, he was moved by mercy34And approaching him, he bound up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. And setting him on his pack animal, he brought him to an inn, and he took care of him35And the next day, he took out two denarii, and he gave them to the proprietor, and he said: ‘Take care of him. And whatever extra you will have spent, I will repay to you at my return.36Which of these three, does it seem to you, was a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?37Then he said, "The one who acted with mercy toward him." And Jesus said to him, "Go, and act similarly.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound stories that invite us to reflect on our relationship with God and our neighbors. The Book of Jonah narrates the prophet Jonah's attempt to flee from God's command to preach to the people of Nineveh. His reluctance leads to a tumultuous journey, culminating in a great storm and his eventual swallowing by a large fish. This dramatic sequence underscores the futility of resisting God's will and highlights the divine mercy that allows Jonah a second chance. The story of Jonah reminds us that God's call is persistent and that our obedience, though sometimes reluctant, is essential to fulfilling His plan.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus presents the parable of the Good Samaritan, a timeless lesson on the essence of love and compassion. When a legal expert asks Jesus about achieving eternal life, Jesus redirects the question, leading the man to acknowledge the importance of loving God and neighbor. The parable challenges the boundaries of who we consider our neighbor, emphasizing that love knows no borders of ethnicity, religion, or social status. The Samaritan's selfless act of kindness towards a stranger in need exemplifies the active love that Jesus calls us to embrace.
Both stories invite us to examine our own responses to God's call and our treatment of others. Like Jonah, we may sometimes resist or hesitate to follow God's path, but His mercy is ever-present, offering us opportunities to align our will with His. Similarly, the parable of the Good Samaritan calls us to look beyond our comfort zones and societal divisions to embrace everyone as our neighbor. Let us reflect on how we can be more attentive to God's voice and more compassionate towards those around us, especially those in need. May we, like the Good Samaritan, act with mercy and love, living out the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves.