Daily Readings - Wed Oct 11 2023
Jonah
1But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry.2He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.3Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live."4But the LORD replied, "Have you any right to be angry?"5Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city.6Then the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine.7But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered.8When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, "It would be better for me to die than to live."9But God said to Jonah, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?I do," he said. "I am angry enough to die."10But the LORD said, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight.11But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?"
Luke
1One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."2He said to them, "When you pray, say: "'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.3Give us each day our daily bread.4Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. '"
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on prayer, trust in God’s plan, and the call to compassion. In the first reading from Jonah, we see the prophet’s struggle with anger and disappointment. Jonah is upset because the plant that provided him shade has withered, and he feels justified in his anger. God, however, uses this moment to teach Jonah a deeper lesson about mercy and compassion. While Jonah grieved over a plant he did not even cultivate, God spared the vast city of Nineveh, filled with people and animals who did not know right from wrong. This exchange highlights God’s patience and mercy, even in the face of human stubbornness.
In the Gospel, Luke presents Jesus teaching his disciples how to pray. The Lord’s Prayer is a model of humility, trust, and forgiveness. Jesus emphasizes that prayer is not about reciting formulas but about surrendering to God’s will, seeking daily bread, and asking for forgiveness as we forgive others. This teaching reminds us that prayer is a dialogue of love and trust, where we acknowledge God’s holiness and providence while also expressing our dependence on Him.
Both readings challenge us to examine our relationship with God and others. Jonah’s story reminds us that God’s ways are not our ways, and His mercy often exceeds our limited understanding. The Lord’s Prayer teaches us to approach God with humility and to live out our faith through forgiveness and trust. In our daily lives, let us strive to surrender our will to God’s plan, even when it is difficult, and to cultivate compassion for others, just as God has shown compassion to us. May our prayers reflect a deep trust in His providence and a commitment to living as instruments of His mercy.