3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (“B”)
Q. 668: What is the relationship between Jonah and the fishermen called by Christ? (Return to INDEX page of "Didja Know?" series)
January 22, 2012
A. 668: The person who put these readings together had great insight. In the First Reading (Jonah 3:1-5,10) stubborn Jonah is given a second chance to obey God’s word. He listens to the Lord this time, and does as he is told, proclaiming doom for Nineveh because of their sinful ways. But the Holy Spirit had stung the consciences of the people of Nineveh through Jonah’s preaching. They responded in truly repentant ways, including fasting and wearing the very uncomfortable and scratchy sackcloth as a penance for their sins. God saw their true sorrow, and did not destroy their city.
In the Gospel story (Mark 1:14-20) we find Jesus proclaiming the same message of repentance, and calling Peter, Andrew, James and John to follow him. He tells these professional fishermen that he will make them fishers of people. It is a very interesting image. What is it that fishermen do to catch fish? The casual or sporting fishing style is to bait a hook; but the professional method is to use a net. Jesus called people who used nets, indicating he had a huge catch in mind. What was the bait? Well, the word of God through the Prophet Jonah caught a whole city! So it will be the word of God that is the bait. As St. Paul would later summarize this process, “faith comes from hearing and what they hear is the word of God” (Romans 10).
As baptized Christians we all have the responsibility to proclaim the Good News in a way that is appropriate to our state in life. We share in the prophetic role of Christ when we bring the teachings of Jesus to others. It can be explicit, such as teaching our children; or it can be implicit, by the way we witness with our lives in imitation of a loving and merciful Christ. As the ecumenical Council of Vatican II put it, God made the laity his witnesses and gave them the grace of speech “so that the power of the Gospel might shine forth in their daily social and family life” (Lumen Gentium, 1964; #12,35).
KNOW YOUR CATECHISM! Jesus calls everyone to conversion. It is by faith in the Gospel and by Baptism that one renounces evil and gains salvation, that is, the forgiveness of all sins and the gift of new life (CCC 1427).
Deacon Paul Rooney
Mary Our Queen Parish, Omaha
(Go back to Deacon Paul's HOME PAGE)
