Wednesday, October 8, 2025

 

Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Jonah 4:1-11; Luke 11:1-4)

The story of Jonah testifies to the universal mission of God’s chosen people.  God called Israel to bring all the nations of the world to Himself.  This is another example of God’s care for creation.  Close to God, who is love, people thrive.  God’s unifying will is memorably expressed in the Isaiah 2: "All nations will come and say, 'Come, let's go to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob's God. He will teach us his ways, so we may walk in his paths'". 

Jonah rebelled at the thought of Israel’s enemies being converted and enjoying God’s favor.  In today’s first reading God reproaches Jonah for his narrow and spiteful viewpoint.  God tenderly expresses His love for all with His question to Jonah, “…  should I not be concerned over Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot distinguish their right hand from their left …?”

Jesus Christ has brought God’s mission to its climax.  His death on the cross and resurrection spurred the preaching of God’s love to all the world.  We like Jonah have a role in this universal mission.  God wants us to tell others of His love in both with both words and deeds.

No comments: