The Sign Of Jonah

FEBRUARY 21, 2024 - WEDNESDAY
Wednesday of the First Week in Lent (Violet)
Memorial of Saint Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 226
CYCLE B - YEAR II

Reading 1
Jon 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.

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

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.

Verse Before the Gospel 
Jl 2:12-13

Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart
for I am gracious and merciful.

Gospel
Lk 11:29-32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,
“This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment
the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation
and she will condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it,
because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

REFLECTION:

Jesus compares himself to Jonah, another sign, calling for conversion. Our reaction to this call to conversion will be our own judgement. I ask for a listening heart, open to Jesus and ready to change its ways.

The word of God can transform us. Jonah proclaimed God’s word and the people repented. Saint Teresa of Avila, a great mystic and reformer, drew her inspiration from the riches of Sacred Scripture. Do I allow the gospels to transform me?

PRAYER:

You, Lord Jesus, are the sign of signs. Those who go seeking further wonders have not truly seen you. In you I find all that I need to be fully human and to find my destiny with God.

The Sign Of Jonah

MARCH 01, 2023 WEDNESDAY

Wednesday of the First Week in Lent (Violet)

CYCLE A - YEAR I

Lectionary: 226

Reading 1

Jon 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.

Responsorial Psalm

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

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.

Verse Before the Gospel

Jl 2:12-13

Even now, says the LORD,

return to me with your whole heart

for I am gracious and merciful.

Gospel

Lk 11:29-32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,

"This generation is an evil generation;

it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,

except the sign of Jonah.

Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,

so will the Son of Man be to this generation.

At the judgment

the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation

and she will condemn them,

because she came from the ends of the earth

to hear the wisdom of Solomon,

and there is something greater than Solomon here.

At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation

and condemn it,

because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,

and there is something greater than Jonah here."

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus compares himself to Jonah, another sign, calling for conversion. Our reaction to this call to conversion will be our own judgement. I ask for a listening heart, open to Jesus and ready to change its ways.

The word of God can transform us. Jonah proclaimed God’s word and the people repented. Saint Teresa of Avila, a great mystic and reformer, drew her inspiration from the riches of Sacred Scripture. Do I allow the gospels to transform me?

PRAYER:

You, Lord Jesus, are the sign of signs. Those who go seeking further wonders have not truly seen you. In you I find all that I need to be fully human and to find my destiny with God.

The Sign Of Jonah

OCTOBER 10, 2022, MONDAY

Monday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 467

Reading 1

GAL 4:22-24, 26-27, 31–5:1

Brothers and sisters:

It is written that Abraham had two sons,

one by the slave woman and the other by the freeborn woman.

The son of the slave woman was born naturally,

the son of the freeborn through a promise.

Now this is an allegory.

These women represent two covenants.

One was from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery;

this is Hagar.

But the Jerusalem above is freeborn, and she is our mother.

For it is written:

Rejoice, you barren one who bore no children;

break forth and shout, you who were not in labor;

for more numerous are the children of the deserted one

than of her who has a husband.

Therefore, brothers and sisters,

we are children not of the slave woman

but of the freeborn woman.

For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm

and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.

 

Responsorial Psalm

PS 113:1B-2, 3-4, 5A AND 6-7

R. (see 2) Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.

or:

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Praise, you servants of the LORD,

praise the name of the LORD.

Blessed be the name of the LORD

both now and forever.

R. Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.

or:

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

From the rising to the setting of the sun

is the name of the LORD to be praised.

High above all nations is the LORD;

above the heavens is his glory.

R. Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.

or:

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Who is like the LORD, our God,

who looks upon the heavens and the earth below?    

He raises up the lowly from the dust;

from the dunghill he lifts up the poor.

R. Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.

or:

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

 

Alleluia

PS 95:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

If today you hear his voice,

harden not your hearts.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

LK 11:29-32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,

“This generation is an evil generation;

it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,

except the sign of Jonah.

Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,

so will the Son of Man be to this generation.

At the judgment 

the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation

and she will condemn them,

because she came from the ends of the earth

to hear the wisdom of Solomon,

and there is something greater than Solomon here.

At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation 

and condemn it,

because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,

and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus compares himself to Jonah, another sign, calling for conversion. Our reaction to this call to conversion will be our own judgement. I ask for a listening heart, open to Jesus and ready to change its ways.

PRAYER:

You, Lord Jesus, are the sign of signs. Those who go seeking further wonders have not truly seen you. In you I find all that I need to be fully human and to find my destiny with God.

Sign Of Jonah

JULY 18, 2022, MONDAY

Monday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 395

Reading 1 

MI 6:1-4, 6-8

Hear what the LORD says:

Arise, present your plea before the mountains,

and let the hills hear your voice!

Hear, O mountains, the plea of the LORD,

pay attention, O foundations of the earth!

For the LORD has a plea against his people,

and he enters into trial with Israel.

O my people, what have I done to you,

or how have I wearied you? Answer me!

For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,

from the place of slavery I released you;

and I sent before you Moses,

Aaron, and Miriam.

With what shall I come before the LORD,

and bow before God most high?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,

with calves a year old?

Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,

with myriad streams of oil?

Shall I give my first-born for my crime,

the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

You have been told, O man, what is good,

and what the LORD requires of you:

Only to do the right and to love goodness,

and to walk humbly with your God.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 50:5-6, 8-9, 16BC-17, 21 AND 23

R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“Gather my faithful ones before me,

those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”

And the heavens proclaim his justice;

for God himself is the judge.

R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,

for your burnt offerings are before me always.

I take from your house no bullock,

no goats out of your fold.”

R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“Why do you recite my statutes,

and profess my covenant with your mouth,

Though you hate discipline

and cast my words behind you?”

R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?

Or do you think that I am like yourself?

I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.

He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;

and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”

R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

Alleluia 

PS 95:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

If today you hear his voice,

harden not your hearts.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel 

MT 12:38-42

Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,

“Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”

He said to them in reply,

“An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign,

but no sign will be given it

except the sign of Jonah the prophet.

Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, 

so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth

three days and three nights.

At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation

and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah;

and there is something greater than Jonah here.

At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation

and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth

to hear the wisdom of Solomon;

and there is something greater than Solomon here.”

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus reminds his hearers of Jonah, whose preaching led the people of Nineveh to change their lives. This is basic call of Jesus too: believe in the good news that I bring and change your lives, open your hearts. I pray not to be deaf to this call, not out of fear but in trust in God who sent me his dearest son, someone greater than Jonah.

PRAYER:

 

Signs from God sometimes seem desirable – and even reasonable to expect. Jesus reminds me that, if I want them, I may be looking in the wrong direction. I pray that I may see and appreciate where God is already at work in the events and relationships of my life.

The Sign of Jonah

MARCH 09, 2022, WEDNESDAY

Wednesday of the First Week in Lent (Violet)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 226

Reading I

Jon 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.

Responsorial Psalm

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

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.

Verse Before the Gospel

Jl 2:12-13

Even now, says the LORD,

return to me with your whole heart

for I am gracious and merciful.

Gospel

Lk 11:29-32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,

“This generation is an evil generation;

it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,

except the sign of Jonah.

Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,

so will the Son of Man be to this generation.

At the judgment

the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation

and she will condemn them,

because she came from the ends of the earth

to hear the wisdom of Solomon,

and there is something greater than Solomon here.

At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation

and condemn it,

because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,

and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus compares himself to Jonah, another sign, calling for conversion. Our reaction to this call to conversion will be our own judgement. I ask for a listening heart, open to Jesus and ready to change its ways.

The word of God can transform us. Jonah proclaimed God’s word and the people repented. Saint Teresa of Avila, a great mystic and reformer, drew her inspiration from the riches of Sacred Scripture. Do I allow the gospels to transform me?

PRAYER:

You, Lord Jesus, are the sign of signs. Those who go seeking further wonders have not truly seen you. In you I find all that I need to be fully human and to find my destiny with God.

The Sign Of Jonah

OCTOBER 11, 2021, Monday
Monday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
(Opt. Mem) Saint John XXIII, Pope (White)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 467

Reading I
Rom 1:1-7

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,
called to be an Apostle and set apart for the Gospel of God,
which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
the Gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh, 
but established as Son of God in power 
according to the Spirit of holiness 
through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through him we have received the grace of apostleship, 
to bring about the obedience of faith,
for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles,
among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ;
to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father 
and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Responsorial Psalm
98:1bcde, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

R.    (2a) The Lord has made known his salvation.

Sing to the LORD a new song,
    for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
    his holy arm.

R.    The Lord has made known his salvation.

The LORD has made his salvation known:
    in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
    toward the house of Israel.

R.    The Lord has made known his salvation.

All the ends of the earth have seen
    the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
    break into song; sing praise.

R.    The Lord has made known his salvation.

Alleluia
Ps 95:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Lk 11:29-32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,
“This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment 
the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation
and she will condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation 
and condemn it,
because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

REFLECTION:

Jesus compares himself to Jonah, another sign, calling for conversion. Our reaction to this call to conversion will be our own judgement. I ask for a listening heart, open to Jesus and ready to change its ways.

PRAYER:

You, Lord Jesus, are the sign of signs. Those who go seeking further wonders have not truly seen you. In you I find all that I need to be fully human and to find my destiny with God.

The Sign Of Jonah

July 19, 2021, Monday
Monday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 395

Reading I
Ex 14:5-18

When it was reported to the king of Egypt
that the people had fled,
Pharaoh and his servants changed their minds about them.
They exclaimed, “What have we done!
Why, we have released Israel from our service!”
So Pharaoh made his chariots ready and mustered his soldiers
six hundred first-class chariots
and all the other chariots of Egypt, with warriors on them all.
So obstinate had the LORD made Pharaoh
that he pursued the children of Israel
even while they were marching away in triumph.
The Egyptians, then, pursued them;
Pharaoh’s whole army, his horses, chariots and charioteers,
caught up with them as they lay encamped by the sea,
at Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
Pharaoh was already near when the children of Israel looked up
and saw that the Egyptians were on the march in pursuit of them.
In great fright they cried out to the LORD.
And they complained to Moses,
“Were there no burial places in Egypt
that you had to bring us out here to die in the desert?
Why did you do this to us?
Why did you bring us out of Egypt?
Did we not tell you this in Egypt, when we said,
‘Leave us alone. Let us serve the Egyptians’?
Far better for us to be the slaves of the Egyptians
than to die in the desert.”
But Moses answered the people,
“Fear not! Stand your ground,
and you will see the victory the LORD will win for you today.
These Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again.
The LORD himself will fight for you; you have only to keep still.”
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me?
Tell the children of Israel to go forward.
And you, lift up your staff and, with hand outstretched over the sea,
split the sea in two,
that the children of Israel may pass through it on dry land.
But I will make the Egyptians so obstinate
that they will go in after them.
Then I will receive glory through Pharaoh and all his army,
his chariots and charioteers.
The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD,
when I receive glory through Pharaoh
and his chariots and charioteers.”

Responsorial Psalm
Exodus 15:1bc-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (1b) Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

I will sing to the LORD, for he is gloriously triumphant;
horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
He is my God, I praise him;
the God of my father, I extol him.

R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

The LORD is a warrior,
LORD is his name!
Pharaoh’s chariots and army he hurled into the sea;
the elite of his officers were submerged in the Red Sea.

R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

The flood waters covered them,
they sank into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O LORD, magnificent in power,
your right hand, O LORD, has shattered the enemy.

R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

Alleluia
Ps 95:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Mt 12:38-42

Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,
“Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”
He said to them in reply,
“An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign,
but no sign will be given it
except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, 
so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth
three days and three nights.
At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah;
and there is something greater than Jonah here.
At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon;
and there is something greater than Solomon here.”

REFLECTION:

Jesus reminds his hearers of Jonah, whose preaching led the people of Nineveh to change their lives. This is the basic call of Jesus too: believe in the good news that I bring and change your lives, open your hearts. I pray not to be deaf to this call, not out of fear but in trust in God who sent me his dearest son, someone greater than Jonah.

PRAYER:

Signs from God sometimes seem desirable – and even reasonable to expect. Jesus reminds me that, if I want them, I may be looking in the wrong direction. I pray that I may see and appreciate where God is already at work in the events and relationships of my life.

The Sign of Jonah

February 24, 2021, Wednesday 
Wednesday of the First Week of Lent (Violet)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
RDGS: JON 3:1-10/ PS 51:3-4. 12-13. 18-19
GOSPEL: LK 11:29-32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,
"This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah. 
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment 
the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation 
and she will condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
and there is something greater than Solomon here. 
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it,
because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here."

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus compares himself to Jonah, another sign, calling for conversion. Our reaction to this call to the conversion will be our own judgment. I ask for a listening heart, open to Jesus, and ready to change its ways.

The word of God can transform us. Jonah proclaimed God’s word and the people repented. Saint Teresa of Avila, a great mystic and reformer, drew her inspiration from the riches of Sacred Scripture. Do I allow the gospels to transform me?

PRAYER:

You, Lord Jesus, are the sign of signs. Those who go seeking further wonders have not truly seen you. In you, I find all that I need to be fully human and to find my destiny with God.