Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Jonah 3:1-10, Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19, Luke 11:29-32

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart
for I am gracious and merciful. Jl 2:12-13


Jonah 3:1-10, Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19, 
Luke 11:29-32 

Jonah 3:1-10

The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:
"Set out for the great city of Nineveh,
and announce to it the message that I will tell you."
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.
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,"
when the people of Nineveh believed God;
they proclaimed a fast
and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.

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.
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. 
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.
Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath,
so that we shall not perish."
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.

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

From the opening verse we see that God is a God of second chances. Jonah was given another opportunity to fulfill the work that God had asked him to. This time he did with with great relish as he announced God's wrath on these pagans what he did not expect was for his words to have any effect. Not only do the people repent but the king himself orders that neither man nor beast with eat or drink water in order to make reparation and perhaps avert God's anger. 

No sin is too great that it cannot be forgiven Beloved. Your love is everlasting and Your mercy is greater than the ocean. You do not wish the death of the sinner but desire that all may be saved and come to the knowledge of Truth. Thank You for redeeming us and saving us from the jaws of death and for restoring to us all that was lost.

Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me. 
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

 Luke 11:29-32

Dear Love, Beloved of my soul,

Truly, there is something here that is greater than Jonah and the world will be condemned because they did not recognize You who are greater than Solomon, and greater than Jonah. But the world prefers sin it prefers to live feverishly on the things that pass away and decay ignoring all the while what wells up to eternal life.  Every generation seems more evil than the last with the strides that the world is making in ensuring life is more comfortable. We are distracted constantly, we are encouraged to believe that we desperately need what the world has to offer in order to be happy and nothing satisfies. We go on from one pleasure to the next and are left emptier than we ever were. Those who believe Beloved are called to be Jonah but we ignore that call just as he did. Help us not to run away from our mission but to embrace it as he finally did and thus bring Your salvation to those who would otherwise perish.





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