THE CALL TO REPENTANCE
First Reading: Jonah 3: 1-5 and 10
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 7: 29-31
Gospel Reading: Mark 1: 14-20
*First reading is from the book of Prophet Jonah. A description of how the Lord God sent Prophet Jonah to Nineveh is given. Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria - the bitter enemy of Israel. Jonah wants the city and its inhabitants to be destroyed. But the Lord God instructs Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach His Word. The Lord God wants the Ninevites to repent and renounce their sinful ways. Jonah is very reluctant to go there and he gives many excuses for not going to Nineveh. When Jonah preaches, the people of Nineveh, from the greatest to the least, repent and do penance. The Lord God spares the city from impending punishment and destruction.
*Second reading is from the first letter of St. Paul to Corinthians. Paul exhorts the Christian community at the port city of Corinth to abandon their old sinful ways to follow the teaching of the Lord Jesus. He encourages them to consider the values of the Kingdom of God above everything else. He instructs them and us that after experiencing the love of Christ, an attitude of detachment to worldly pleasures is a must.
The Kingdom of God is at hand Today's Gospel reading is from St. Mark. A description of the beginning of Jesus' ministry with the announcement of the Good News is given: "The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Good News" is the keynote. Through this announcement, Jesus tells us the following: 1. Repentance means experiencing conversion - a new way of life. It is a turning away from sin and turning to God's ways. The call to repentance is inclusive of everyone. 2. The good news is that forgiveness is available and recovery is possible. One can find one's true self even after the most disheartening fall or series of falls. We can come back to the Father's love where not judgement but welcome awaits us. In spite of our many failures and sins, we are very much loved unconditionally by God our loving Father. His love, His mercy and His forgiveness are available to us through His beloved Son Jesus. All we need to do is to recognize our need and seek His help with humility and sincerity. For Jesus invites us to repentance and to the good news of the Kingdom.
"Deep sorrow does not come because one has violated a law, but only if one knows he has broken off the relationship with Divine Love. But there is yet another element required for regeneration, the element of repentance and reparation." -Arch Bishop Fulton J Sheen
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