Word of the day

A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans
Rom 1:1-7

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,
called to be an Apostle and set apart for the Gospel of God,
which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
the Gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh,
but established as Son of God in power
according to the Spirit of holiness
through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through him we have received the grace of apostleship,
to bring about the obedience of faith,
for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles,
among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ;
to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.

From the Gospel according to Luke
Lk 11:29-32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,
"This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment
the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation
and she will condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it,
because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here."

Jonah was inside the whale for three nights and three days, a reference to Jesus in the tomb – to His death and Resurrection – and that is the sign that Jesus promises, against hypocrisy, against this attitude of perfect religiosity, against this attitude of a group of Pharisees.

The true sign of Jonah is the one that gives us the confidence of being saved by the blood of Christ. How many Christians think that they will be saved only for what they do, for their works. Works are necessary, but they are a consequence, a response to that merciful love that saves us. But works alone, without this merciful love, are of no use. There are two words in the first reading that connect with this. Paul says of himself that he is an apostle not because he studied this, no: an apostle by calling. And to Christians, he says, 'You are called by Jesus Christ.' The sign of Jonah calls us: to follow the Lord, sinners as we all are, with humility, with meekness. There is a call, even a choice." (Santa Marta, 14 October 2013)