Daily Readings - Wed Mar 12 2025
Jonah
1Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying,2"Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you."3So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth.4Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"5And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.6The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.7And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water,8but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.9Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish."10When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
Luke
29When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.30For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.31The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.32The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of repentance, mercy, and faith. In the first reading, Jonah, after initial reluctance, obeys God's call to preach to the people of Nineveh. His message of impending doom prompts the entire city, from the king to the common people, to repent. Their sincere repentance moves God to spare the city, illustrating His boundless mercy and the power of genuine conversion.
In the Gospel, Jesus draws a parallel between Jonah's mission and His own. He critiques the generation for seeking signs while ignoring the profound message He brings. The people of Nineveh and the queen of the South, who sought wisdom, serve as examples of those who recognized and responded to God's presence. Jesus highlights that while His generation has the ultimate sign in Him, they fail to repent, unlike the Ninevites who had only Jonah's warning.
These readings challenge us to examine our response to God's call. Like the Ninevites, we are urged to embrace humility and repentance, recognizing God's mercy. In our daily lives, this means being open to conversion and not taking God's presence for granted. The spiritual reflection here is clear: repentance and humility are essential for a deep, transformative relationship with God. Let us, like the people of Nineveh, turn to God with sincerity, trusting in His mercy and grace.