Daily Readings - Tue Oct 10 2017
Jonah
1Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:2"Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you."3Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city-a visit required three days.4On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned."5The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.6When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.7Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink.8But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.9Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish."10When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.
Luke
38As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things,42but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of repentance, mercy, and the importance of prioritizing our relationship with God. In the first reading from Jonah, we see the people of Nineveh responding to Jonah’s warning with immediate repentance. They fast, wear sackcloth, and cry out to God, trusting in his mercy. This dramatic change of heart moves God to spare the city, showing us that true repentance leads to forgiveness and salvation. The reading reminds us that God is always ready to forgive when we turn to him with sincere hearts.
In the Gospel, we encounter Martha and Mary, two sisters who represent two different ways of living the Christian life. Martha is consumed by her duties, anxious about serving and ensuring everything is perfect. Mary, on the other hand, chooses to sit at Jesus’ feet, listening to his words. Jesus gently rebukes Martha, not because service is unimportant, but because she has allowed her busyness to distract her from what truly matters: being present to God. Mary’s choice to prioritize time with Jesus teaches us that our spiritual lives must come first; everything else flows from that relationship.
Together, these readings call us to examine our own lives. Like the people of Nineveh, we are called to repentance—to turn away from sin and toward God with humility and trust. Like Mary, we are invited to create space in our lives for prayer, reflection, and intimacy with God. In a world that often values productivity and activity, these readings remind us that our ultimate priority should be our relationship with God. Let us strive to balance our actions with contemplation, trusting that when we seek God first, everything else will fall into place.