HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 1ST WEEK OF LENT, LITURGICAL CALENDAR [YEAR B]
THEME: As Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be a sign
BY: Fr Deotacious Chikontwe SMA
READINGS OF THE DAY
Jonah 3:1-10
Psalm 50:3-4,12-13,18-19
Luke 11:29-32
LITURGICAL COLOUR
PURPLE/VIOLET
INTRODUCTION
Good morning my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate Wednesday of the First Week of Lent, Liturgical Calendar Year B.
ALSO RECOMMENDED: HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 1ST WEEK OF LENT.
FROM OUR FIRST READING
In our first reading today, we hear from the Book of the prophet Jonah in which the ministry of Jonah to the city and the people of Nineveh has been highlighted to us all. At that time, the prophet Jonah had been sent by God to the people of Nineveh, the then great capital of the mighty Assyrian Empire, which had ruled over many other nations and states, and committed many atrocities and vile deeds during their campaigns of destruction and conquest. They were a warlike and proud race of people, who had glorified themselves over their conquest of many of those whom they had defeated, and therefore, God sent Jonah to them to remind them of the consequences and the retribution for their many sins and wickedness, and that in the end, whatever earthly glory they had gained and amassed, all are nothing before the Lord.
FROM OUR SECOND READING
In today’s gospel the religious leaders demand a sign from Jesus. The Jews are characterized as people who demand signs from God’s messengers to authenticate their claims. When they demand Jesus to give evidence for His claims He says that there is no need because He is God’s sign, that is, His very own person and presence to them. Jesus is the great sign of the Father’s love and mercy. He goes around showing people God’s generous love. Jesus confirms this with the many miracles He performs in preparation for the greatest sign of all, His resurrection on the third day but still they do not believe in Him. They refuse to put their trust in Him and in His word. For them Jesus is an ordinary sign. They want something spectacular and extraordinary. They want something grand and glorious. Actually, they are used to ask signs from God. Like for example, Jonah was God’s sign and his message was God’s message for the Ninevites. The Ninevites recognized God’s warning when Jonah spoke to them and they repented. Another one was the Queen of Sheba. And she recognized God’s wisdom in Solomon. Sad to say, the religious leaders in Jesus’ time are not contented to accept the Sign, Jesus Himself, right before their eyes. They have already rejected the message of John the Baptist and now they are going to accept Jesus as God’s Anointed One (Messiah), for them that cannot be. So, they reject Jesus and His message and fail to heed it.
CONCLUSION
Like Jesus’ contemporaries, we can look for signs without recognizing the powerful signs of his presence that are all around us. The greatest sign of the Lord’s presence, a sacred sign or sacrament, is the Eucharist. In the Eucharist the Lord is present to us under the form of bread and wine, saying to us, ‘This is my body… This is my blood’. In coming to the Lord in the Eucharist we are coming to someone greater than Jonah or Solomon. The Lord is present to us in other ways also. We take his presence seriously by responding to his call and following in his way, as the people of Nineveh responded to Jonah’s call,. Having been graced by the Lord’s presence, we are to respond to his presence by living in a graced way.
Stay with us Lord, and let your presence surround and protect our life.
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