WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2024
WEDNESDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF LENT B
Jonah 3:1-10
Luke 11:29-32
WOE TO A GENERATION THAT SEEKS SIGNS.
Our Church members out of desperation and for want of miracles for themselves abandon their local church in search of centers that will offer them quick responds to their problems. These gullible and desperate Christians make up the many part of people who patronize many of these miracle centers. The great risk is that their faith is anchored if not on false faith, or to say the least on signs and wonders. Whether they actually receive their request is yet another point to consider.
Our gospel reading today condemns people who look for signs to authenticate their belief. Jesus was very vehement in this condemnation. For the people sought him for signs. Jesus offers them the one sign that resembles that of Jonah. That is, his suffering, his death and his resurrection. This is the faith that can get us to our eternal destination.
But we do not need to go far to understand the logic of life and the need to anchor our lives in Christ our redeemer. Looking around us, the finger of God is everywhere. From the time we wake up from sleep, or we realize ourselves as creatures of God to the time we get back to bed, we must be intrigued to know that our lives is even a miracle itself. The world around us is a greater miracle. It’s ordering, it’s manifestations, it’s succession seconds, minutes, hours, days, week etc.
What greater miracle can we observe in the composition of man. This complex man is much more a miracle and mystery onto himself. Our point is that we need not go far to realize the supernatural nature of the world and the saving mysteries of Christ in our world. The faithlessness in our world is so great that we even slide into all kinds of errors that portray our disparaging of God.
Nevertheless, the call of Jonah to preach the words of repentance to the people of Nineveh shows the patience of God over us. God gives us a second chance. He follows us with great understanding of our gullibility, lack and inadequacies. God understands man and his problems more that we do ourselves.
But our responds to God must show our dependence, trust and reliance on him. The people of Nineveh did heard, proclaimed fasted and repented. We must never be strong headed to the things of God, or loose faith. Rather as the people responded, we must attend always and be prompt to God’s invitation, commands and faith in God.
Resistance to God’s invitations and calls especially in this period of Lent shows faithlessness and irreligiously on the part of man.
Let us always recognize the call of faith, and respond to it with total submission and upright devotion not superficial. Our call this lenten season is to repent and return to God. God is calling. Let us listen, work with him, review our lives and commit ourselves to him. Remember, that even Jonah was offered a second chance! Let us hold on to this period with great trust and earnestness for a better life in Christ.
God our Father, help us to value our faith and grow it deeper. May we recognize the power in the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ and gain through it the salvation we desire. Give us docile heart and humble spirit to give up all sins and hold on to the grace in the cross of Jesus through the same Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
