WEDNESDAY, TWENTY SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Jon 4: 1-11 Ps 86: 3-6, 9-10 Lk 11: 1-4
COMPASSIONATE AND FORGIVING GOD
Prophet Jonah is angry that God has forgiven Nineveh. Jonah felt that the people deserved to suffer for their sins, yet, there had been none. A sulking Jonah walks away to the east of the city and makes a little shelter for himself. God ordains a castor oil plant to grow over Jonah, to give him shade for his head, and to soothe him. Jonah is delighted with the shade the plant provides, but then as quickly as it came, the tree withers away in the scorching sun. Now Jonah is really upset and God asks as to why he should be upset over the fate of the plant? Then comes the lesson that – Everything is God’s doing. He is the ultimate Lord; He gives and takes from whomever/whatever he wishes at His will.
Jonah is upset over a tree that he had not even planted, how then could God not be patient with the 1,20,000 people whom He had created? Jonah sees willfully wicked people, but Yahweh sees a people who have erred and turned back. Jonah is shocked; he declares that he is fully justified in his anger. God’s patience is a strong contrast to Jonah’s quick anger. The message is clear that God’s compassion reaches out to all, Jews and Gentiles. Jonah represents those Israelites, who considered God’s mercy & salvation as their birthright; it was unimaginable that God would show mercy to others. God rebukes such hardness and reveals his graciousness.
In the Gospel, Jesus’ teaches his disciples to pray. Prayer is an important element of Luke’s Gospel where we often find Jesus praying. Jesus teaches the Lord’s Prayer to the disciples. The prayer is beautiful, yet it is challenging; it needs to be prayed slowly, consciously entering into each petition. It is a universal prayer of brotherhood under one father, turning entire humanity into one family. Today, the liturgy invites us to look at humanity as God’s people, whom he loves and cares for. Let us not therefore, make classifications, like the Jews, but be human, kind and considerate to all!
Response: You are slow to anger, O Lord, and abundant in mercy.
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