Breaking the Word

27^th Week in Ord. Time, Friday – 13^th October 2023 – Joel 1, 13-15 & 2,1-12; Lk 11,15-26

Never Ending Needs

In the first reading, prophet Joel calls for repentance of the people from their sinfulness and gives a warning about the Day of Yahweh. He advises them that if they don’t turn away, then they will be held accountable for their wayward actions and the supreme judge, God will condemn them accordingly.  He excludes no one from the need to repent and do penance. He begins with the priests and all those who serve in the Temple. Like the Amos, Hosea, Micah and Jeremiah, he too insists on the need for inward conversion. He warns the people to get ready for the coming of the Lord. The ‘Day of Yahweh’ refers to the decisive intervention of God in history, through the invasion of locusts that darken the sky in Joel. Darkness is a common prophetic figure used of the day of the Lord and generally a metaphor for distress and suffering. Despite the apocalyptic language, the words of the prophet are relevant to our situation. In the Church too, both priests and people have failed in their Christian responsibilities. There is always a time for us to repent and to some purifying penance.

27^th Week in Ord. Time, Wednesday – 11^th October 2023 – Jonah 4,1-11; Lk 11,1-4

Unchanged Heart

In the first reading, Jonah is angry because God will not destroy Nineveh and its people as Jonah has announced. He preached the “doomsday” message and didn’t want to look like a prophet whose words do not come true. Jonah, as a true human, becomes upset that God is so merciful with the Ninevites. Right at the start, Jonah fled from God because he did not want to meet the fate of the prophets – being rejected and possibly murdered. When he finally is directed back to doing God’s will and announces God’s message, he is not persecuted but is listened to by the Ninevites. Now Jonah became furious because he believes that God should punish them. He really doesn’t rejoice with God’s mercy and forgiveness because it puts him down as a prophet, who is not believable. Even after God provides for Jonah shade under the leaves of a fast-growing plant, Jonah still misses the point of God’s desire to have all people return to his fold. Jonah does admit that God is known for divine mercy, but he believes that applies only for himself and the chosen ones.