1ST READING
Jonah eventually obeys God and does what is asked of him. The result is the repentance of Nineveh. But Jonah is not happy. This means that God will relent on His threat to destroy Nineveh and he, Jonah, will look foolish. Let us never allow the opinion of others to hinder our commitment to proclaim and live the Gospel. What matters is that we do all that God asks us to do.
Jonah 3:1-10
1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you.” 3 So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh, according to the Lord’s bidding. Now Nineveh was an enormously large city; it took three days to go through it. 4 Jonah began his journey through the city, and had gone but a single day’s walk announcing, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,” 5 when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth. 6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes. 7 Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his nobles: “Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep, shall taste anything; they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water. 8 Man and beast shall be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God; every man shall turn from his evil way and from the violence he has in hand. 9 Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath, so that we shall not perish.” 10 When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.
P S A L M
Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19
R: A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
1[3] Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. 2[4] Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. (R) 10[12] A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. 11[13] Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me. (R) 16[18] For you are not pleased with sacrifices; should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it. 17[19] My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. (R)
GOSPEL
We are all given opportunities to repent. What will make the difference in our lives is whether we take them up or not. This will define our character. This is the challenge of the moral life — realizing that our choices do matter. We have to be attentive to the movement of grace in our lives and cooperate with it each time we make a moral choice.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart for I am gracious and merciful.
Luke 11:29-32
29 While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. 30 Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. 32 At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.”
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