The sign of Jonah

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 11:29-32.
While still more people gathered in the crowd, he said to them, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.

Commentary of the day
Saint Irenaeus of Lyons (c.130-c.208), Bishop, theologian and martyr
Against the heresies III, 20, 1 (cf SC 34, p. 339)

The sign of Jonah

God showed patience in the face of man's weakness because he saw beforehand the victory he would eventually give him through his Word. For, when «power was made perfect in weakness» (2Cor 12,9), the Word caused God's goodness and tremendous power to be made manifest.

Indeed, it was the same with man as it was with the prophet Jonah. God permitted Jonah to be swallowed by a sea-monster, not to make him altogether vanish away and die but so that when he had been vomited out by the monster he would become more subject to God and would give all the more glory to him who had given him this unexpected deliverance. It was, too, to lead the Ninevites to firm repentance and to convert them to him who would deliver them from death, amazed as they were by the sign accomplished in Jonah... In the same way, God permitted man to be swallowed by that great monster, the author of disobedience, not so that he should altogether vanish away and die but because God had prepared beforehand the salvation fulfilled by his Word by means of the «sign of Jonas». This salvation has been prepared for those who have the same feelings for God as Jonah did and who confess him in the same words: «I am the servant of the Lord and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land» (Jon 1,9).

God desired that man, by receiving an unanticipated salvation from him, would rise from the dead and worship God, saying with Jonah: «Out of my distress I called to the Lord; from the midst of the nether world he heard my voice» (Jon 2,2). God desired, too, that man would always remain faithful in giving him worship and unceasing thanks for the salvation he has received from him.

courtesy of the daily gospel

“Why does this age seek a sign?” - Believing even in darkness

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 8:11-13.
The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation."
Then he left them, got into the boat again, and went off to the other shore.


Commentary of the day : Saint [Padre] Pio de Pietrelcina
“Why does this age seek a sign?” - Believing even in darkness

The Holy Spirit tells us: Don’t let your mind succumb to temptation and sorrow, for joy of the heart is life for the soul. Sorrow is no good for anything and causes our spiritual death.

It happens sometimes that the darkness of trial overwhelms your soul’s heaven; but this darkness is light! Thanks to it, you believe even in darkness; the mind feels lost, it fears no longer being able to see, no longer understanding anything. But this is the moment when the Lord speaks and makes himself present to the soul; and the soul listens, understands and loves in the fear of God. So don’t wait for Tabor to “see” God when you are already contemplating him on Sinai.

Progress in the joy of a sincere heart that is wide open. And if it is impossible for you to keep that happiness, at least don’t lose courage and keep all your trust in God.

The kingdom of God is at hand for you

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 10:1-9.

After this the Lord appointed seventy (-two) others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.'
If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'

Commentary of the day
Pope Benedict XVI
General Audience of 13/12/2006 (© copyright Libreria Editrice Vaticana)

Timothy and Titus : two of Paul's collaborators

Three Letters traditionally attributed to Paul are addressed to his two closest collaborators, two to Timothy and one to Titus. 'Timothy' is a Greek name which means "one who honours God". Whereas Luke mentions him six times in the Acts, Paul in his Letters refers to him at least 17 times (and his name occurs once in the Letter to the Hebrews). One may deduce from this that Paul held him in high esteem...

Then, as regards the figure of Titus, whose name is of Latin origin, we know that he was Greek by birth, that is, a pagan (cf. Gal 2: 3). Paul took Titus with him to Jerusalem for the so-called Apostolic Council, where the preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles that freed them from the constraints of Mosaic Law was solemnly accepted... After Timothy's departure from Corinth, Paul sent Titus there with the task of bringing that unmanageable community to obedience...

To conclude, if we consider together the two figures of Timothy and Titus, we are aware of certain very significant facts. The most important one is that in carrying out his missions, Paul availed himself of collaborators. He certainly remains the Apostle par excellence, founder and pastor of many Churches. Yet it clearly appears that he did not do everything on his own but relied on trustworthy people who shared in his endeavours and responsibilities. Another observation concerns the willingness of these collaborators. The sources concerning Timothy and Titus highlight their readiness to take on various offices that also often consisted in representing Paul in circumstances far from easy. In a word, they teach us to serve the Gospel with generosity, realizing that this also entails a service to the Church herself... Through our commitment in practice we can and must... be rich in good deeds and thus open the doors of the world to Christ, our Saviour.

Persecutor transformed into preacher

Marcos 16: 15-18

15 At sinabi ni Jesus sa kanila, "Habang kayo'y humahayo sa buong mundo, ay ipangaral ninyo sa lahat ng tao ang Magandang Balita. 16 Ang sinumang sumampalataya at mabautismuhan ay maliligtas, ngunit ang ayaw sumampalataya ay paparusahan. 17 Ang mga sumasampalataya ay bibigyan ng kapangyarihang gumawa ng mga himala: sa pangalan ko'y magpapalayas sila ng mga demonyo at magsasalita ng iba't ibang wika. 18 Hindi sila maaano kahit dumampot sila ng ahas o uminom ng lason; at gagaling ang mga maysakit na papatungan nila ng kamay."

(English Version)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 16:15-18.

He said to them, "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.
These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents (with their hands), and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

Commentary:

From heaven's height Christ's voice overturned Saul. He received a command to carry out his persecutions no more and fell face downwards to the ground. He had first to be knocked down and afterwards raised up; first struck, then healed. For Christ would never have come to live in him if Saul had not died to his former life of sin. Cast down to the earth in this way, what was it he heard? «Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goad» (Acts 26,14). And he replied: «Who are you, Lord?» Then the voice from on high continued: «I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting». The members are still on the ground while the head cries out from the heights of heaven. It is not saying: «Why are you persecuting my servants?» but «Why are you persecuting me?»

And Paul, who had put all his energy into his persecuting, is already preparing to obey: «What do you want me to do?» The persecutor is already transformed into preacher, the wolf has become a sheep, the enemy a defender. Paul learns what he is to do: if he has become blind, if this world's light is held back from him for a while, it is so as to make the light within shine in his heart. Light is taken away from the persecutor so that it may be given to the preacher; at the very moment he no longer saw anything of this world, he saw Jesus. This symbolizes the believer: those who believe in Christ must fix the eyes of their soul on him without paying attention to outward things...

So Saul was led to Ananias; the ravaging wolf is led to the sheep. But the Shepherd, who guides everything from heaven above, reassures it...: «Don't worry. I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name» (Acts 9,16). What wonder is this! The wolf is led, a captive, to the sheep... The Lamb who died for the sheep teaches them not to be afraid any more.

Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "Be made clean."

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 5:12-16.

Now there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where he was; and when he saw Jesus, he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said, "Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean."
Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I do will it. Be made clean." And the leprosy left him immediately.
Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but "Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them."
The report about him spread all the more, and great crowds assembled to listen to him and to be cured of their ailments,
but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray.


Commentary of the day : Saint John Chrysostom
Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "Be made clean."

Jesus did not just say: «I will do it. Be made clean.» He went further: «He stretched out his hand and touched him.» Now here is something worthy of our notice. Given that he cured him by an act of his will and with a word, why did he touch him with his hand? For no other reason, it seems to me, than to demonstrate that he is not inferior but superior to the Law and that, from now on, nothing is impure for those who are pure... Jesus' hand did not become impure at the leper's contact; to the contrary, the leper's body was purified by means of the holiness of the hand. For Christ did not just come to heal bodies but to raise up souls to sanctity, and here he teaches us to care for our soul and purify it without bothering ourselves about external ablutions. The only leprosy we need to be afraid of is leprosy of soul, that is to say, sin...

As for us, let us show thanksgiving to God at all times. Let us thank him, not only for the gifts he has given to us but, still more, for those he has granted to others. In this way we shall be able to destroy our envy and nurture and increase our love of neighbor

"And their eyes were opened"

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 9:27-31.

And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed (him), crying out, "Son of David, have pity on us!"
When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I can do this?" "Yes, Lord," they said to him.
Then he touched their eyes and said, "Let it be done for you according to your faith."
And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, "See that no one knows about this."
But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.


Commentary of the day : Saint Symeon the New Theologian
"And their eyes were opened"

"Doing the will of my Father"

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 7:21.24-27.

Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined."


Commentary of the day : Vatican Council II
"Doing the will of my Father"

Mindful of the Lord's saying: "by this will all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35), Christians cannot yearn for anything more ardently than to serve the men of the modern world with mounting generosity and success. Therefore, by holding faithfully to the Gospel and benefiting from its resources, by joining with every man who loves and practices justice, Christians have shouldered a gigantic task for fulfillment in this world, a task concerning which they must give a reckoning to Him who will judge every man on the last of days. Not everyone who cries, "Lord, Lord," will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but those who do the Father's will by taking a strong grip on the work at hand. Now, the Father wills that in all men we recognize Christ our brother and love Him effectively, in word and in deed. By thus giving witness to the truth, we will share with others the mystery of the heavenly Father's love. As a consequence, men throughout the world will be aroused to a lively hope-the gift of the Holy Spirit-that some day at last they will be caught up in peace and utter happiness in that fatherland radiant with the glory of the Lord.

Now to Him who is able to accomplish all things in a measure far beyond what we ask or conceive, in keeping with the power that is at work in us-to Him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus, down through all the ages of time without end. Amen. (Eph. 3:20-21).