Sr. Bincy Thumpanathu CMC
READING: “The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord. (Jonah 1:1-3).
REFLECTION : The well-known story of Jonah, which is narrated in a short book consisting of just four chapters, continues to capture the imagination of the readers right down to the present day. Here our focus is on the first three verses of the book. Worthy of note is the fact that Jonah had received a message from the Lord (1:1), and the message is very precise in that Jonah is instructed to go to the city of Nineveh and to preach against it. Unfortunately, rather than meeting a Jonah ready and willing to act according to the Lord’s command, we see one who was resolute in his resistance to his calling and commissioning. Instead of going to Nineveh as directed, he decided to make his way to Tarshish. This all gives rise to the suspicion that he was more concerned about his own welfare than what the Lord actually wanted of him. Confirming that, this is in fact the case are the phrases ‘Jonah ran away from the Lord’ (1:3), ‘he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish (1:3), and ‘flee from the Lord’ (1:3). Not wishing to become involved in confronting the people of Nineveh, Jonah’s immediate thought on hearing God’s command was to take evasive action. In other words, he decided to take the easy way out. Pope Francis termed this the ‘Jonah syndrome.’ He explained: “Jonah did not want to travel to Nineveh and to preach against it. If they are sinners, they can sort it out for themselves; I have nothing to do with it. And he fled to Tarshish.”
Sometimes we too find ourselves in such a position, where we prefer to remain aloof and anonymous being indifferent to the needs of others. Our attitude in turning a deaf ear to their pleas displays a certain coldness and callousness on our part. Unlike Jonah, Jesus travelled through all the towns and villages actively engaging with the people as he went. and involved in the lives of the people: when he saw the crowds, he was moved with compassion for them (Mt 9:36), he healed all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people (Mt 4:23), Jesus reached out his hand and touched the leper and immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy (Mt 8:3), Jesus healed the deaf and mute (Mk 7:31-37), the blind and the lame came to him and he healed them (Mt 21:14). As Christians, we are invited today to get involved in the same way as Jesus did. We should strive to follow the example set by the new Jonah who went on to successfully convert Ninevites, thus fulfilling the Lord’s wishes.
PRAYER : Lord, grant us a listening heart, that we may come to recognize your wishes and plans for our lives. Grant us a dedicated mind, one that is receptive to your call that we may work diligently to bring your people back to you. Grant us eyes with vision, that we may discern the various needs of the people around us and respond to them wholeheartedly and constructively. May we become the leaven and the salt of the earth.
CONTEMPLATION: Calm your soul and bring yourself into the presence of the Lord. Consider how Jonah, filled with trepidation, tried to avoid his mission of preaching the word of God and who thought by running away he could find a safe hiding place and be freed of his responsibilities. This calls to mind of the attempts by Adam and Eve to conceal themselves, believing that they could evade the all-seeing eye of God. In his eagerness to escape, Jonah forgot about the Psalmist’s contemplation on the Lord’s omnipresence. The Psalmist asks, “where shall I go to escape your spirit? Where shall I flee from your presence? If I scale the heavens you are there, if I lie flat in Sheol, there you are” (Ps 139:7). Like Jonah, we too often hide from the Lord, and ponder only our own thoughts and plans. Repent of those moments and seek God’s endless mercy and forgiveness. Be charitable of mind and long for a life of dedicated service, giving of yourself selflessly to those found to be in need.
ACTION: Have an obedient heart and respond joyfully to the call and commissioning of God. However challenging the task, never refuse what the Lord asks of you.
Maintain a cheerful disposition and do the will of God with energy and enthusiasm. “In the service of the Lord, work not half-heartedly but with conscientiousness and on eager spirit” (Rom 12:11).
