We actually have two pretty spectacular readings in our Mass today. We have the legendary grandiosity of the first reading, and the amazingly simple reality of the gospel reading.
The story of the conversion of the city of Nineveh at the preaching of Jonah is packed with everything that a good story contains: suspense, drama, humor, surprise and a happy ending! And all of this in just a few short paragraphs. We can consider the story from two points of view: the first, that of the action of the Prophet, Jonah! Instead of trying to run away from God like he did in yesterday’s reading - which caused him to end up on a ship being tossed about in a great storm - the only solution to the problem of which was to be thrown overboard and swallowed up by a large fish - this time when God asks him to do something: preach to the Ninevites to repent: Jonah does not run away - but he is not too thrilled about doing his job, either! Will he do it? Will he not?
He does decide to cooperate fully with God and he begins his trek through this purposely exaggerated “enormously large” city. The enormity of the city, however, was actually not its size but its quantity and quality violence and cruelty. Now, the weapon that God armed Jonah with was just eight words: “Forty days more and Nineveh will be no more!” Were these words enough? Would they change the course of history of this sin-soaked city!
The second point of view of this story is the reaction of the city! They did immediately repent of all their evil doing! What is so surprising here is the speed - it was lightning-fast! This underlines the enormity of the change - it affected the entire city! Every single man, woman and child - even the animals, humorously enough, were joining their masters in putting on sackcloth and ashes and crying out to God for mercy! The king, then, reminiscent of the ship captain of yesterday’s story, implored God’s mercy - the One True God of Israel - and God relented and did not do what he had planned to do against them to punish them for their wickedness. The people began to reform their lives, their morals, their relationships with one another!
Now, did they do this because they believed Jonah, the half-reluctant Prophet? No! They did it because they believed God! They heard and believed the word of God - and the voice of God speaking allowed them to take an accurate accounting of their own lives and they decided that changes were necessary - immediately! Any authentic prophet is but a mouthpiece for God, and not for themselves.
In the gospel passage today Mary is at the feet of Jesus listening to his every word - and Martha is busy about many things! Jesus simply tells Martha that Mary has chosen the better part here. Listening to the voice of God speaking - is always the better part. Listening to the voice of Jesus, by the working of the Holy Spirit deep within us - when he visits the home of our hearts - is worth more than any amount of activity - for this is how we not only find out more about God - but we also find out more about ourselves, and we see that of ourselves we are nothing - we can see our sinfulness - we can see what changes need to be made in our lives - and we like the Ninevites can decide instantaneously to put on the sackcloth and ashes of praise and thanks to God for his great mercy! Jesus already told us he wants mercy from us as his sacrifice! Let us today offer him the sacrifice of a day lived in thankfulness and helpfulness and mercy to others.
Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it!
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