A sign for our times

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the signs we may have encountered that are calling us to a deeper involvement in the Life of Christ.

A change of direction

The parable of Jonah’s obedience and the Ninevites’ repentance puts the power of what we hear to change our mind in sharp perspective.

* [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 

The Psalmist prays for the removal of the personal and social disorders that sin has brought.

* [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 

Jesus, in the Gospel from Luke addresses the demand for a sign from the religious leaders in Jerusalem.

 * [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

Nancy Shirley shares that the Jonah episode really made her think about the times she says she will do something differently, be less judgmental or be kinder to those who are not so nice to her. Yet, she asks, are my actions in line with my words?

 The responsorial psalm continues to remind us that our God is merciful – that when our hearts are contrite and humble, we are forgiven.  This forgiveness thing is still so difficult for me. Not the part about wanting forgiveness. It’s the part of really forgiving others that seems to be a huge challenge for me.  How can I possibly expect more than I am willing to give? Perhaps, that is what my next 40 days (or what’s left of them) need to focus upon. Not the words of it but the real actions.4

Don Schwager shares a warning “Don't put off conversion - tomorrow may never come,” by 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 Jonah 3:1-10 invites us to think of a time when we heard someone give a compelling speech.

 This is what happened in the story of the prophet Jonah. It should have taken him three days to spread God’s message throughout the city of Nineveh, but the people who heard his word on the first day told everyone they knew, and the message traveled with lightning speed. Within twenty-four hours, the entire city had turned back to God!6

Friar Jude Winkler sets the stage for the entry of Jonah into the capital of a warring empire that had already attacked the northern kingdom of Israel. There are two signs that Jonah presents to Christians today. Friar Jude notes that Luke emphasizes that pagans are often more open to conversion than the people of God.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, continues gleaning insights Louis Savary has drawn from Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.

 The evolving noosphere [sphere of human thought] . . . calls for . . . people, individually and collectively, [to] create and contribute to its evolution. The purpose of such a relational spirituality is to bring the noosphere to its highest level of convergence, eventually operating as a single consciousness. This convergent oneness of humanity and the planet will be a knowledge-based and love-inspired union and communion. Only in this collective way may we create an adequate infrastructure for the full emergence of Christ as a Cosmic Christ (1 Corinthians 6:15, 17, 19). In this perspective, when Jesus says, “The Kingdom of God is among you,” [Luke 17:21] it would mean, in Teilhard’s language, that the divine project is already under way
Teilhard believed that those who grasped this idea would feel the call to spend their energies not only on their own personal salvation but, with their eyes focused on the vision of humanity as a whole, would put their minds, hearts, and energy into building the great Body of Christ.7,8

Our mind may be changed toward deeper conversion by the events and people we encounter today. Openness is our key to a richer journey.

References

1	(n.d.). Jonah, Chapter 3 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Retrieved March 13, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/jonah/3:1
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 51. Retrieved March 13, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/Psalms/51:3
3	(n.d.). Luke, chapter 11. Retrieved March 13, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/luke/11:29
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved March 13, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 13, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(2019, March 13). 1st Week of Lent - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily Meditations for .... Retrieved March 13, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/03/13/
7	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: March 2019 - Center for Action and .... Retrieved March 13, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2019/03/page/2/
8	(n.d.). Louis M. Savary - Paulist Press. Retrieved March 12, 2019, from http://www.paulistpress.com/Author/Default.aspx?AuthorId=162833