“DIDJA KNOW?”
by Paul Rooney 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (“B”)
January 25, 2009

Q. 512: I fail to see a connection between the episode of the Ninevites in the “Prophet Jonah” story, and the call of four of the apostles in the Gospel. What is the link?

A. 512:
One key word is “call”; the other is “response.” Sometimes God will call individuals, as he does in our Gospel story (Mark 1:14-20). Peter, Andrew, James and John were each “called” – meaning they were invited to follow Jesus and learn from him. They responded immediately to the call, leaving behind their “old way” of life without Jesus, to embark on a “new way” of life with Jesus.

God can also issue a “call” to an entire city or nation. Through his usual prophetic method – in this case the Prophet Jonah – he calls the city of Nineveh to repent, to change its ways or face destruction (Jonah 3:1-5,10). In the scripture story, the entire city responded by immediately repenting. They also demonstrated the change in their interior attitude by depriving themselves materially with a fast, and by humbling themselves by putting on sackcloth. Sackcloth was an extremely coarse and abrasive material, usually made out of goat’s hair in Old Testament times. (Today an equivalent would be the coarse burlap bags made out of vegetable fiber.) Not only was sackcloth uncomfortable, it was intended to be an exterior sign of a person’s interior change of heart. It was a self-deprecating public display or acknowledgement of one’s sinfulness, especially the sin of pride.

Now we fast forward to you and I, today. Each one of us is being called individually by Jesus Christ, to follow him, learn from him, and become a true disciple. Then we are called to continue the mission of Jesus, passing on his truth, teachings, and love.

Our cities and nation are also called to repent. Public policies that are against truth, against life, and against love call for public repentance. Deadly legal policies have been established by our own chosen representatives, thus our entire nation shares in the sinful and prideful behavior of our politicians who have led us into a culture of death. Until the deadly self-inflicted blemishes of our society are eliminated, we are headed to self-destruction just like the Ninevites. Don’t point the finger. You are the one who put them in office. Repent and act like a true disciple of Jesus, working for a culture of life, not death.

KNOW YOUR CATECHISM! Jesus gave us a share in his mission. Only his way is the way of Truth and Life (CCC #787, 459). Follow his way or self-destruct (CCC #1033).

Deacon Paul Rooney
Mary Our Queen Parish, Omaha

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