FIRST READING OF THE DAY
The last Wednesday, we started our Lenten season. And it is one week now. Here is time to pause of moment and look into ourselves, actually what happened to us during this one week. Did I improve something or am I in the same way as old. Then this junction is an invitation to change our mind, our heart or anything that is against the will of God. With this small introduction I invite you all as I invite myself to reflect about today’s word.
Today I would like to reflect with you all the first reading of the day. The reading is taken from the prophet Jonah 3: 1-10. This is the explanation about the prophet’s mission in the land where Yahweh sent him. After hesitating to go there, he is pushed by God to go there and proclaim the word of God. And he is there now.
Now the prophet goes on to the roads and proclaims the word of god. And all the people hear him. At last the news come the palace of king too. He heard about the disaster that God was about sent to Nineveh. So all of them call for fasting and penance. It is important to note that even the beasts were included in the fasting act of the people.
Some important phrases that caught my attention were “only forty days more”. Now in the modern time our Lenten time too is forty days only. And for sure this time is based on the teaching of the Bible. We see these “forty” is important in the lives of the people of Israel. They were forty years in the desert. In the proclamation of the prophet in today’s reading” only forty days”. The forty days of fasting of Jesus in the desert. And so the Lenten forty days too we need to be with the Lord.
How am I giving myself to the word of God in these forty days? How am I going to change myself in these forty days? These could be a helping question during this Lenten season.
Another point is “ All are to put on sackcloth and call on God with all their might”. It is very important that these days of our lent we all call God with all our might. More clearly it is important to keep our personal prayer life more sharply. May in the duration of our “work”, our prayer life might have suffered. So this time is time of renewing and sharpening. I think repentance without prayer is not meaningful. Because turning towards God is the primary part of repentance.
“ Let everyone renounce his evil behavior and wicked things he had done”. The invitation of the lent is to turn away from our evil behavior. Most of the religious communities in all over world will agree with me that there exist a lot of evil behaviors of companions. I believe that is why one most famous founder and saint said,” community life is the living cross”(Intentionally I avoid mentioning the name of the person). So may be for many of the religious brothers and sisters (fathers are also included) to turn away from their “evil ways” and start to love one another and make a beautiful community. Same with the married life too. Many of the marriages end up in misery because of the evil doing of the husband or wife. And all the bad habits come to the children. If we look into the history we have very many examples for it. For example I would like to bring Hitler, whose father was a very stubborn and mother was physically and mentally handicapped. So when he became the ruler Hitler also became very cruel and stubborn. And he gave order to kill all the people who are mentally and physically challenged. Actually this came to him from his family. The family of Martin Luther is another example for it. Where his father was very hard task man. So he also brought the idea of faith into the Theology. Only faith can save. This idea actually comes from the family back ground of his. So all need to take away all the evil (any kind of bad behaviors) and give good examples to the children as well as in the religious communities too.
One another part in this sentence is wicked things. In the ancient Israel, wicked things meant going after different kinds of gods. May be in our time too we might be going after different kinds of gods. This Lenten season is a time of reflection and silence to look after each of our gods too. Who is my dear god? Is my TV Program? Is it my computer? Or what is my real passion for? So just let us repent and come back to the way of the Lord. For sure He is full of mercy and compassion and He will see our heart and will reward to each one. So let us do our best then God will do the rest.
By
Sanil Michael SCJ
Second year of Theology Student.
Today I would like to reflect with you all the first reading of the day. The reading is taken from the prophet Jonah 3: 1-10. This is the explanation about the prophet’s mission in the land where Yahweh sent him. After hesitating to go there, he is pushed by God to go there and proclaim the word of God. And he is there now.
Now the prophet goes on to the roads and proclaims the word of god. And all the people hear him. At last the news come the palace of king too. He heard about the disaster that God was about sent to Nineveh. So all of them call for fasting and penance. It is important to note that even the beasts were included in the fasting act of the people.
Some important phrases that caught my attention were “only forty days more”. Now in the modern time our Lenten time too is forty days only. And for sure this time is based on the teaching of the Bible. We see these “forty” is important in the lives of the people of Israel. They were forty years in the desert. In the proclamation of the prophet in today’s reading” only forty days”. The forty days of fasting of Jesus in the desert. And so the Lenten forty days too we need to be with the Lord.
How am I giving myself to the word of God in these forty days? How am I going to change myself in these forty days? These could be a helping question during this Lenten season.
Another point is “ All are to put on sackcloth and call on God with all their might”. It is very important that these days of our lent we all call God with all our might. More clearly it is important to keep our personal prayer life more sharply. May in the duration of our “work”, our prayer life might have suffered. So this time is time of renewing and sharpening. I think repentance without prayer is not meaningful. Because turning towards God is the primary part of repentance.
“ Let everyone renounce his evil behavior and wicked things he had done”. The invitation of the lent is to turn away from our evil behavior. Most of the religious communities in all over world will agree with me that there exist a lot of evil behaviors of companions. I believe that is why one most famous founder and saint said,” community life is the living cross”(Intentionally I avoid mentioning the name of the person). So may be for many of the religious brothers and sisters (fathers are also included) to turn away from their “evil ways” and start to love one another and make a beautiful community. Same with the married life too. Many of the marriages end up in misery because of the evil doing of the husband or wife. And all the bad habits come to the children. If we look into the history we have very many examples for it. For example I would like to bring Hitler, whose father was a very stubborn and mother was physically and mentally handicapped. So when he became the ruler Hitler also became very cruel and stubborn. And he gave order to kill all the people who are mentally and physically challenged. Actually this came to him from his family. The family of Martin Luther is another example for it. Where his father was very hard task man. So he also brought the idea of faith into the Theology. Only faith can save. This idea actually comes from the family back ground of his. So all need to take away all the evil (any kind of bad behaviors) and give good examples to the children as well as in the religious communities too.
One another part in this sentence is wicked things. In the ancient Israel, wicked things meant going after different kinds of gods. May be in our time too we might be going after different kinds of gods. This Lenten season is a time of reflection and silence to look after each of our gods too. Who is my dear god? Is my TV Program? Is it my computer? Or what is my real passion for? So just let us repent and come back to the way of the Lord. For sure He is full of mercy and compassion and He will see our heart and will reward to each one. So let us do our best then God will do the rest.
By
Sanil Michael SCJ
Second year of Theology Student.
posted by PRIESTS OF THE SACRED HEART, ELURU at 7:40 am
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