Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary:
68
The word of the LORD came to Jonah, saying:
"Set out for the great city ofNineveh ,
and announce to it the message that I will tell you."
So Jonah made ready and went toNineveh ,
according to the LORD'S bidding.
NowNineveh
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 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.
"Set out for the great city of
and announce to it the message that I will tell you."
So Jonah made ready and went to
according to the LORD'S bidding.
Now
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 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 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. (4a) Teach me
your ways, O Lord.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice
and teaches the humble his way.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice
and teaches the humble his way.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Reading
2 1 Cor 7:29-31
I tell you, brothers and sisters, the time is running out.
From now on, let those having wives act as not having them,
those weeping as not weeping,
those rejoicing as not rejoicing,
those buying as not owning,
those using the world as not using it fully.
For the world in its present form is passing away.
From now on, let those having wives act as not having them,
those weeping as not weeping,
those rejoicing as not rejoicing,
those buying as not owning,
those using the world as not using it fully.
For the world in its present form is passing away.
Gospel Mk
1:14-20
After John had been arrested,
Jesus came toGalilee
proclaiming the gospel of God:
"This is the time of fulfillment.
Thekingdom
of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel."
As he passed by theSea of Galilee ,
he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;
they were fishermen.
Jesus said to them,
"Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."
Then they abandoned their nets and followed him.
He walked along a little farther
and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They too were in a boat mending their nets.
Then he called them.
So they left their father Zebedee in the boat
along with the hired men and followed him.
Jesus came to
"This is the time of fulfillment.
The
Repent, and believe in the gospel."
As he passed by the
he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;
they were fishermen.
Jesus said to them,
"Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."
Then they abandoned their nets and followed him.
He walked along a little farther
and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They too were in a boat mending their nets.
Then he called them.
So they left their father Zebedee in the boat
along with the hired men and followed him.
SCRIPTURE STUDY :
This
Sunday the readings call us to consider the role of sin and repentance in our
lives. Jonah reminds us of the effect that a call to repentance can have on
people who are willing to listen to the call. The disciples in the Gospel are
called to follow Jesus. Such a call to wholeheartedly follow the Lord is
fundamentally a call to continual conversion and repentance. We are constantly
being called to turn, more and more away from sin and more and more towards
God. This was true in the first century and it is still true in the 21st
century. Paul reminds us that the totality of our commitment must affect how we
live. While often, the outward acts may not be much different than those of the
society around us, our inner motives and purposes must be those of Christ.
NOTES on First Reading :
* 3:3 After having refused to obey God
before, this time Jonah goes to Nineveh
apparently having realized that he can't get away from God.
* 3:4 The Hebrew expression for
"shall be destroyed" is probably intended to remind the reader of the
"overthrowing" of the wicked cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, by a special
act of God (Gen 18:21; 19:13, 25).
The city is described as being so large
that it takes three days to go through it (Jonah 3:3). The city was legendary
for both the enormity of its size and the enormity of its cruelty and violence.
The greatness of the miracle is enhanced by the conversion having happened
after Jonah had barely begun his preaching. The suddenness and totality of the
conversion are contrasted against the barely begun half-hearted efforts of an
unenthusiastic and reluctant prophet.
In Hebrew, the proclamation of Jonah is
barely five words long and yet it achieves an incredible effect on the people.
In the scriptures forty is usually a symbolic number referring to a sufficient amount. It usually means as long as or as much as is necessary.
In the scriptures forty is usually a symbolic number referring to a sufficient amount. It usually means as long as or as much as is necessary.
* 3:5 This verse expresses the total
change that Nineveh
underwent. The term that is translated as "believed God" is the same
term used in key texts such as Gen 15:6 and Exod 14:31 where Abraham and the
people of God respond with true faith in God. It refers to something far
greater than simply believing the words of Jonah's warning. Wearing sackcloth
was an ancient sign of repentance.
* 3:10 St. Augustine
wrote that Nineveh
was indeed "overthrown. " It was "overthrown in evil, but
rebuilt in goodness."
NOTES on Second Reading :
* 7:29-31 Paul believes that the world
will pass away soon because Jesus is about to return and so he advises
Christians to go about all the ordinary activities of life in a manner which is
different from the rest of humanity who are totally immersed in those
activities and are unaware of their transitory nature. Today, most of us are
not expecting Jesus' return to be imminent but the advice is still good because
the world as we know it is passing away. Regardless of how much time is left
before the return of Jesus, He will come and the world will pass away. For us
the question must be: " Is my life ordered toward the passing values of
the world or is it ordered toward the everlasting values of Jesus?"
NOTES on Gospel:
*1:14 In Jesus, the Kingdom of God
is near and that is Good News. The Rule of God is described in Ps 97:1-12
98:1-9 99:1-9.
* 1:15 The word, "Fulfilled,"
expresses the continuity between the stages of God's plan. The Kingdom of God is present when the will of God is
done. In Jesus the will of God is lived out perfectly and so the Kingdom of God is always present in Him.
* 1:18 In abandoning their nets, the
newly called disciples leave their old lives behind in a radical response to
the call to repent and believe in the Good News. Repenting and believing the
Good News is the same as following Jesus. It is still the way to follow Him today.
Although not all are called to live it out in such a radical way, all are
called to follow Jesus with the same radical degree of commitment.
* 1:19 Peter, James and John form the
inner circle of Jesus' followers. They form his special prayer team who go with
Him into the house of Jarius (5:37), the mount of transfiguration (9:2), and in
the Garden of Gethsemane (14:33). Gal 2:9 says that
they were considered to be pillars of the church.
Courtesy of: http://www.st-raymond-dublin.org:80/scripture.php - St. Raymond Parish, Dublin , CA
Meditation: "The kingdom of God is at hand"
What is
the gospel of God which Jesus came to preach? The
word "gospel" literally means "good news". When a king had
good news to deliver to his subjects he sent messengers or heralds throughout
the land to make a public announcement – such as the birth of a new king or the
defeat of an invading army or occupied force. God sent his prophets to announce
the coming of God's anointed King and Messiah. After Jesus was baptised in the
River Jordan and anointed by the Spirit he begins his ministry of preaching the
gospel – the good news that the kingdom
of God was now at hand
for all who were ready to receive it.
What is
the kingdom of God ? The word "kingdom" means
something more than a territory or an area of land. It literally means
"sovereignty" or "reign" and the power to "rule"
and exercise authority. The prophets announced that God would establish a
kingdom not just for one nation or people but for the whole world. The
scriptures tell us that God's throne is in heaven and his rule is over all
(Psalm 103:19). His kingdom is bigger and more powerful than anything we can
imagine because it is universal and everlasting (Daniel 4:3). His kingdom is
full of glory, power, and splendor (Psalm 145:11-13). In the Book of Daniel we
are told that this kingdom is given to the Son
of Man and to the saints
(Daniel 7:14,18,22,27). The Son
of Man is a Messianic title
for God's anointed King. The New Testament word for "Messiah" is
"Christ" which literally means the "Anointed One" or the
"Anointed King". God sent us his Son not to establish an earthly
kingdom but to bring us into his heavenly kingdom – a kingdom ruled by truth,
justice, peace, and holiness. The kingdom
of God is the central
theme of Jesus' mission. It's the core of his gospel message.
As soon
as John the Baptist had finished his testimony, Jesus began his in Galilee , his home district. John's enemies had sought to
silence him, but the gospel cannot be silenced. Jesus proclaimed that the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Jesus takes up John's message of
repentance and calls disciples tobelieve in the gospel--the good news he has
come to deliver. What is the
good news which Jesus delivers? It is the good news of peace (restoration of
relationship with God - Ephesians 6:15), of hope (the hope of heaven and
everlasting life - Colossians 1:23 ), of truth (God's word is true and reliable
- Colossians 1:5), of promise (he rewards those who seek him - Ephesians 3:6)),
of immortality (God gives everlasting life - 2 Timothy 1:10), and the good news
of salvation (liberty from sin and freedom to live as sons and daughters of God
- Ephesians 1:13).
How do
we enter the kingdom
of God ? In announcing the
good news, Jesus gave two explicit things each of us must do to in order to
receive the kingdom
of God :repent and
believe. When we submit to
Christ's rule in our lives and believe the gospel message the Lord Jesus gives
us the grace and power to live a new way of life as citizens of his kingdom. He
gives us grace to renounce the kingdom of darkness ruled by sin and Satan, the
father of lies (John 8:44) and the ruler of this present world (John 12:31).
That is why repentance is the first step. Repentance means to change – to
change my way of thinking, my attitude, disposition, and life choices so that
Christ can be the Lord and Master of my heart rather than sin, selfishness, and
greed. If we are only sorry for the consequences of our sins, we will very
likely keep repeating the sin that is mastering us. True repentance requires a
contrite heart (Psalm 51:17) and sorrow for sin and a firm resolution to avoid
it in the future. The Lord Jesus gives us grace to see sin for what it really
is – a rejection of his love and wisdom for our lives and a refusal to do what
is good and in accord with his will. His grace brings pardon and help for
turning away from everything that would keep us from his love and truth. To
believe is to take Jesus at his word and to recognize that God loved us so much
that he sent his only begotten Son to free us from bondage to sin and harmful
desires. God made the supreme sacrifice of his Son on the cross to bring us
back to a relationship of peace and friendship with himself. He is our Father
and he wants us to live as his sons and daughters. God loved us first and he
invites us in love to surrender our lives to him. Do you believe that the
gospel – the good news of Jesus – has power to free you from bondage to sin and
fear?
When
Jesus preached the gospel message he called others to follow as his disciples
and he gave them a mission – "to catch people for the kingdom of God ".
What kind of disciples did he choose? Smelly fishermen! In the choice of the
first apostles we see a characteristic feature of Jesus' work: he chose
very ordinary people. They were non-professionals, had no wealth or
position. They were chosen from the common people who did ordinary things, had
no special education, and no social advantages. Jesus wanted ordinary people
who could take an assignment and do it extraordinarily well. He chose these
individuals, not for what they were, but for what they would be capable of
becoming under his direction and power. When the Lord calls us to serve, we
must not think we have nothing to offer. The Lord takes what ordinary people,
like us, can offer and uses it for greatness in his kingdom. Do you believe
that God wants to work through and in you for his glory?
Jesus
speaks the same message to us today: we will "catch people" for the kingdom of God if we allow the light of Jesus
Christ to shine through us. God wants others to see the light of Christ in us
in the way we live, speak, and witness the joy of the gospel. Paul the Apostles
says, But thanks be to God,
who in Christ Jesus always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the
fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to
God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing (2 Corinthians 2:15). Do you witness
to those around you the joy of the gospel and do you pray for your neighbors,
co-workers, and relatives that they may come to know the Lord Jesus Christ and
grow in the knowledge of his love?
"Lord
Jesus, you have called me personally by name, just as you called your first
disciples, Simon, Andrew, James, and John. Help me to believe your word and
follow you faithfully. Fill me with the joy of the gospel that your light may
shine through me to many others."
This
reflection is courtesy of Don Schwager, whose website is located at:
http://www.rc.net/wcc/readings/
January 22
St. Vincent
(d. 304)
(d. 304)
When Jesus deliberately began his
“journey” to death, Luke says that he “set his face” to go to Jerusalem . It is this quality of rocklike
courage that distinguishes the martyrs.
Most of
what we know about this saint comes from the poet Prudentius. His Actshave
been rather freely colored by the imagination of their compiler. But According to the story we have (and as with some of the other early martyrs the unusual devotion he inspired must have had a basis in a very heroic life), Vincent was ordained deacon by his friend St. Valerius of Zaragossa in
Valerius was sent into exile, and Dacian, the Roman governor, now turned the full force of his fury on Vincent. Tortures that sound like those of World War II were tried. But their main effect was the progressive disintegration of Dacian himself. He had the torturers beaten because they failed.
Finally he suggested a compromise: Would Vincent at least give up the sacred books to be burned according to the emperor’s edict? He would not. Torture on the gridiron continued, the prisoner remaining courageous, the torturer losing control of himself. Vincent was thrown into a filthy prison cell—and converted the jailer. Dacian wept with rage, but strangely enough, ordered the prisoner to be given some rest.
Friends among the faithful came to visit him, but he was to have no earthly rest. When they finally settled him on a comfortable bed, he went to his eternal rest.
Comment:
The martyrs are heroic examples of what God’s power can do. It is humanly impossible, we realize, for someone to go through tortures such as Vincent had and remain faithful. But it is equally true that by human power alone no one can remain faithful even without torture or suffering. God does not come to our rescue at isolated, “special” moments. God is supporting the super-cruisers as well as children’s toy boats.
The martyrs are heroic examples of what God’s power can do. It is humanly impossible, we realize, for someone to go through tortures such as Vincent had and remain faithful. But it is equally true that by human power alone no one can remain faithful even without torture or suffering. God does not come to our rescue at isolated, “special” moments. God is supporting the super-cruisers as well as children’s toy boats.
Quote:
“Wherever it was that Christians were put to death, their executions did not bear the semblance of a triumph. Exteriorly they did not differ in the least from the executions of common criminals. But the moral grandeur of a martyr is essentially the same, whether he preserved his constancy in the arena before thousands of raving spectators or whether he perfected his martyrdom forsaken by all upon a pitiless flayer’s field” (The Roman Catacombs, Hertling-Kirschbaum).
“Wherever it was that Christians were put to death, their executions did not bear the semblance of a triumph. Exteriorly they did not differ in the least from the executions of common criminals. But the moral grandeur of a martyr is essentially the same, whether he preserved his constancy in the arena before thousands of raving spectators or whether he perfected his martyrdom forsaken by all upon a pitiless flayer’s field” (The Roman Catacombs, Hertling-Kirschbaum).
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