Daily Readings for October 11, 2017

1ST READING

Jonah throws a tantrum at the Lord’s pardon of the people of Nineveh. He complains to God that he knew all along that God would relent if the people repented and now he, Jonah, looks like a fool having preached destruction of the city due to their sins. God shows Jonah that he has no right to be angry because He, God, is merciful.

Jonah 4:1-11

1 Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry that God did not carry out the evil he threatened against Nineveh. 2 He prayed, “I beseech you, Lord, is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I fled at first to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, rich in clemency, loathe to punish. 3 And now, Lord, please take my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 But the Lord asked, “Have you reason to be angry?” 5 Jonah then left the city for a place to the east of it, where he built himself a hut and waited under it in the shade, to see what would happen to the city. 6 And when the Lord God provided a gourd plant, that grew up over Jonah’s head, giving shade that relieved him of any discomfort, Jonah was very happy over the plant. 7 But the next morning at dawn God sent a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8 And when the sun arose, God sent a burning east wind; and the sun beat upon Jonah’s head till he became faint. Then Jonah asked for death, saying, “I would be better off dead than alive.” 9 But God said to Jonah, “Have you reason to be angry over the plant?” “I have reason to be angry,” Jonah answered, “angry enough to die.” 10 Then the Lord said, “You are concerned over the plant which cost you no labor and which you did not raise; it came up in one night and in one night it perished. 11 And should I not be concerned over Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot distinguish their right hand from their left, not to mention the many cattle?”

P S A L M

Psalm 86:3-4, 5-6, 9-10

R: Lord, you are merciful and gracious.

3 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for to you I call all the day. 4 Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. (R) 5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in kindness to all who call upon you. 6 Hearken, O Lord, to my prayer and attend to the sound of my pleading. (R) 9 All the nations you have made shall come and worship you, O Lord, and glorify your name. 10 For you are great, and you do wondrous deeds; you alone are God. (R)

GOSPEL

The fundamentals of prayer are simple. Prayer can be summed up as “having an honest and wide-ranging conversation with God about the state of our lives.” We cannot survive without spending time with God in prayer. The less we pray, the more sin gets hold of our lives, and we go   astray. If we want to grow in holiness, we need to spend long hours in prayer, soaking up the presence of God so that we can persevere in following His call.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

You have received a spirit of adoption as sons through which we cry: Abba! Father!

Luke 11:1-4

1 Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread 4 and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.”