The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to be open to the Wisdom of God and desire of God to grant pardon for our deviations from His Way.
Wisdom and Pardon
The reading from the Book of Jonah describes the conversion of Nineveh.
* [3:9–10] Scripture frequently presents the Lord as repenting (or, changing his mind) of the evil that he threatens; e.g., Gn 6:6–7; Jer 18:8.1
Psalm 51 is a prayer for cleansing and pardon.
* [51:18] For you do not desire sacrifice: the mere offering of the ritual sacrifice apart from good dispositions is not acceptable to God, cf. Ps 50.2
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus proclaims the sign of Jonah.
* [11:29–32] The “sign of Jonah” in Luke is the preaching of the need for repentance by a prophet who comes from afar. Cf. Mt 12:38–42 (and see notes there) where the “sign of Jonah” is interpreted by Jesus as his death and resurrection.3
Fr. Andy Alexander, S.J. comments that Lent is an opportunity to let God grace us with a much deeper transformation. We all know how difficult change is. Most of us resist it mightily, and even avoid the one who offers us change - even change that will make us happier, freer and more like Jesus.
When I confront my resistances, placing myself in the loving embrace of Jesus, the door to grace opens and Lent becomes a season of grace. I won't immediately become more patient, more compassionate, better at dialogue and full of mercy, overnight. I won't immediately begin grieving at the plight of the marginalized and the poor, right away. But, experiencing Jesus' love for me will begin to soften me. I'll feel the contrast between old patterns and Jesus' way, the way of his heart.4
Don Schwager quotes “Don't put off conversion - tomorrow may never come,” by Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"God is not now so long-suffering in putting up with you that He will fail to be just in punishing. Do not say then: 'Tomorrow I shall be converted, tomorrow I shall please God, and all that I shall have done today and yesterday will be forgiven me.' What you say is true: God has promised forgiveness if you turn back to Him. But what He has not promised is that you will have tomorrow in which to achieve your conversion." (excerpt from Commentary on Psalm 144,11)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19 notes that the psalmist reminds us of two foundational truths: we are utterly dependent on God for his mercy, and we can trust that his “goodness” and the “greatness” of his “compassion” far outweigh our sin (Psalm 51:3).
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt (Psalm 51:4). “Sometimes I have a hard time believing you want to forgive me. Guilt makes my failures loom large before me. Lord, help me to believe in your mercy, no matter what I’ve done. Help me understand that I am your beloved, made in your image. My sins don’t define who I am.”6
Friar Jude Winkler shares the backstory to the reluctance of Jonah to preach repentance to Nineveh. Signs of absolute truth are contrary to faith which is based on trust. Friar Jude notes that Luke uses the sign of Jonah to indicate Jesus' mission to the Gentiles will follow rejection by the Jews.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, observes that in order to grow in wisdom, we need to move beyond cerebral, rational knowing. As wisdom teacher Cynthia Bourgeault puts it: “Wisdom is not knowing more, but knowing with more of you, knowing deeper.” [1] Fr. Richard has created a list of seven “ways of knowing” that together can move us toward greater wisdom. He shares the first four.
Intellect: The lens that we most associate with knowing is intellectual knowing. It’s the result of formal education and it has to do with science, reason, logic, and what we call intelligence.… Will: The second way of knowing is volitional knowing. It comes from making choices, commitments, and decisions, then sticking with them, and experiencing them at different stages…. The Franciscan scholar John Duns Scotus (1266–1308) felt that volitional knowing, or will, was higher and closer to love than intellectual knowing. Emotion: Great emotions are especially powerful teachers. Love, ecstasy, hatred, jealousy, fear, despair, anguish: each have their lessons. Even anger and rage are great teachers, if we listen to them…. Senses: Bodily or sensory knowing comes through the senses, by touching, moving, smelling, seeing, hearing, breathing, tasting—and especially at a deep or unconscious level…. It is no surprise that Jesus touched most of the people he healed. Something very different is communicated and known through physical touch, in contrast with what is communicated through mere words.7
The wisdom of those who turn back to the Lord is a sign for us to continue to seek communion with God as expressed today by the Psalmist.
References
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