Daily Readings - Wed Mar 09 2022
Jonah
1And the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying2Rise, and go to Nineveh, the great city. And preach in it the preaching that I say to you3And Jonah rose, and he went to Nineveh in accordance with the word of the Lord. And Nineveh was a great city of three days’ journey4And Jonah began to enter into the city one day’s journey. And he cried out and said, "Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed.5And the men of Nineveh believed in God. And they proclaimed a fast, and they put on sackcloth, from the greatest all the way to the least6And word reached the king of Nineveh. And he rose from his throne, and he threw off his robe from himself and was clothed in sackcloth, and he sat in ashes7And he cried out and spoke: "In Nineveh, from the mouth of the king and of his princes, let it be said: Men and beasts and oxen and sheep may not taste anything. Neither shall they feed or drink water8And let men and beasts be covered with sackcloth, and let them cry out to the Lord with strength, and may man be converted from his evil way, and from the iniquity that is in their hands9Who knows if God may turn and forgive, and may turn away from his furious wrath, so that we might not perish?10And God saw their works, that they had been converted from their evil way. And God took pity on them, concerning the harm that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it
Luke
29Then, as the crowds were quickly gathering, he began to say: "This generation is a wicked generation: it seeks a sign. But no sign will be given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah30For just as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of man be to this generation31The queen of the South will rise up, at the judgment, with the men of this generation, and she will condemn them. For she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And behold, more than Solomon is here32The men of Nineveh will rise up, at the judgment, with this generation, and they will condemn it. For at the preaching of Jonah, they repented. And behold, more than Jonah is here
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful stories that invite us to reflect on repentance, humility, and the mercy of God. The first reading from Jonah recounts the prophet’s mission to Nineveh, a city steeped in sin. Despite Jonah’s initial reluctance, he obeys God’s call and preaches a message of repentance. The people of Nineveh, from the king to the lowest citizen, respond with profound humility, fasting, and sackcloth. Their conversion is so genuine that God spares the city from destruction. This story reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of God’s mercy, and that true repentance can lead to forgiveness and new life.
In the Gospel, Jesus draws a connection between Jonah’s mission and His own. He tells the crowd that just as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so too is the Son of Man a sign to this generation. Jesus emphasizes that the people of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah, and the queen of the South came from afar to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Yet, Jesus says, “more than Jonah is here” and “more than Solomon is here.” This is a call to recognize the greater wisdom and grace present in Jesus Himself. The people of Nineveh and the queen of the South will rise up at the judgment to condemn the current generation because they failed to recognize and respond to the greater sign in their midst.
These readings challenge us to examine our own response to God’s call. Like the people of Nineveh, we are called to humility and repentance. Like Jonah, we are called to trust in God’s mercy and to share His message with others. Jesus invites us to recognize the wisdom and grace that is present in our lives and to respond with openness and faith. Let us ask ourselves: Are we willing to let go of our sins and turn to God? Do we recognize the signs of God’s presence in our lives? May we, like the people of Nineveh, embrace repentance and experience the boundless mercy of God.