16TH MONDAY HOMILY OF ORDINARY TIME: YEAR A
HOMILY THEME: GREATER THAN JONAH
BY: Bishop Gerald M Musa
Jesus gave them the sign of Jonah; they wanted the sign of Netflix. This is because modern minds often crave sensation over substance. In the words of St. Thomas Aquinas, “The story of Jonah and the whale, as related in the book of Jonah, is one of the miracles of the Old Testament, …the truth of the story has been confirmed by Jesus Christ.” A crowd asked Jesus for a sign to prove his divine origin. Jesus described the crowd as an evil and adulterous generation. Jesus said, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the belly of the earth” (Matthew 12:40). Referring to himself, he added, “…Something (Someone) greater than Jonah is here” (Matthew 12:41).
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Among several lists of most influential people in history, Jesus comes first. In many ways, Jesus is over and above all those who spoke in God’s name, including Jonah. For example, Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and was miraculously delivered, but he died later; Jesus was in the belly of the earth and rose on the third day, and he ascended into heaven. The resurrection of Jesus is a greater miracle that makes Jesus unique and distinct from every Lord, King, Priest, and Prophet. We have become a generation of sign-seekers who have little appetite for goodness and mercy but are always seeking other miracles and wonders. What other sign do we need to believe in the divine authority of Jesus?
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