Febuary 16, 2005 - Wednesday, First Week of Lent

Conversion

Readings:
Jon 3:1-10; Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19; Lk 11:29-32

Introduction

Even for pagans, even for those known for their cruelty, like the people that enslaved the Jews, it is possible to be converted. When the author of the Book of Jonah told this to the Jews, it was an astonishing message to them. For Jews, yes, but for pagans? Jesus seems to turn things around: pagans turn to God, but you, God’s people, don’t. Aren’t we Christians perhaps too smug too, thinking that we are God’s people, and therefore need no conversion?

Forgiving, merciful God,
we pray you for a good measure
of humility and honesty
to acknowledge before you and people
that we are weak and fallible men and women,
who often try to turn a blind eye
to our shortcomings and our sins.
Strong with the grace won in the hard way
by your Son on the cross,
we beg you for the courage
to seek your forgiveness
and to turn and return wholeheartedly to you
and to serve you and people.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

The word of Yahweh came to Jonah a second time: "Go to Nineveh, the great city, and announce to them the message I give you."

In obedience to the word of Yahweh, Jonah went to Nineveh. It was a very large city, and it took three days just to cross it. So Jonah walked a single day's journey and began proclaiming, "Forty days more and Nineveh will be destroyed."

The people of the city believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

Upon hearing the news, the king of Nineveh got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth and sat down in ashes. He issued a proclamation throughout Nineveh:

"By the decree of the king and his nobles, no people or beasts, herd or flock, will taste anything; neither will they eat nor drink. But let people and beasts be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call aloud to God, turn from his evil ways and violence. Who knows? God may yet relent, turn from his fierce anger and spare us."

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened upon them.

R/. (19b) A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

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.

As the crowd increased, Jesus began to speak in this way, “People of the present time are evil people. They ask for a sign, but no sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah. As Jonah became a sign for the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be a sign for this generation. The Queen of the South will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and here there is greater than Solomon. The people of Nineveh will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for Jonah’s preaching made them turn from their sins, and here there is greater than Jonah.”

Commentary

WE are summoned, like the great city of Nineveh, all of us, from the greatest to the least, to turn from our evil, our collusion with injustice and to honor God, fast from violence and to know the experience of God's compassion falling upon us like soft rain and comfort. What if we only had three days time to do it? We've been given another Lent, another forty days in the desert with our community and our God and we've been given the great sign of Jesus, to follow the Crucified One who leads us to Resurrection life in our baptisms and one day in fullness. We are summoned to pick up our crosses and to follow after the Son of Man who preaches good news to the poor and expects us to be that for those who cry out for justice and life. Lord Jesus, Son of Man who stands with the poor, the broken-hearted, the victims and those outcast from our society help us, from the greatest to the least to turn from our evil and to honor you in our lives. Help us to do it now, this day and every day of our lives. Amen.

General Intercessions

–   That God may give to the Church the courage to hear God’s call to constant conversion and renewal, we pray:

–   That we may hear the call of the Lord to become ever more faithful to the gospel, we pray:

–   That the Church and each of us may receive the call of prophets to change what is to be changed, we pray:

Lord our God,
your Son Jesus prayed for forgiveness
for those who tortured him.
He invited sinners to his table
as he invites us now.
Let him restore us
and make us receive humbly and graciously
his forgiving love.
May we too restore others
by sharing your mercy with them.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

Merciful God,
may we leave this eucharistic celebration
as people changed by the word of Jesus,
knowing where he wants us to go.
And may his bread of life be our strength
to follow the path he has shown us,
the way to you and to people.
For he is our way and our life,
now and for ever.

The trouble with us is that we sometimes congratulate ourselves on how good we are. Yet we are called to live the gospel more deeply, that it may be indeed good news for us and for the people around us. May God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.