February 21, Wednesday of the First Week in Lent
Memorial of Saint Peter Damian, bishop and doctor of the Church
Daily Readings: Jonah 3:1–10, Luke 11:29–32
Prophet Jonah becomes a concrete example of how the Word of God spoken through Prophet Joel 2:12-13 becomes a reality: “Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart for I am gracious and merciful”. Before Jonah could preach the message of repentance, he had to return to the Lord. He ran away from the sight of God, unwilling to go to Nineveh. Once the Lord appeared to him the second time, Jonah could not resist his call.
The response of the Ninevites was something amazing. They didn’t know the God of Israel. Jonah, too, was a stranger to them, but the message was acutely true. It needed a quick and positive response. The Lord stirred up the minds of the people to return to Him. The Lord did it so that Jonah might not tend to take away any credit for the success.
Nothing can change the mind of God except righteous living. As the Psalmist rightly says in Ps 51, “A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.” There is no doubt that God loves the humble, pure, and contrite heart. He does not need burnt offerings or holocausts, but a heart that burns with love for God and His people.
Jesus and Jonah have something in common, not just that Jesus was in the belly of the earth for three days as Jonah was in the belly of the fish. Jonah was a sign to the people of Nineveh, while Jesus was the sign for that generation. Jonah’s ministry saved an entire nation from a dreadful disaster. But Jesus himself affirms that he is greater than Jonah. He is the Word of God. He is the Son of God. And yet, the people are evil enough to ask for a sign. Jesus rebukes their evil intentions. He can do that because Jesus is greater than Solomon, the wisest man of his time.
Holy Mother Church honors the memory of St. Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church. As a Benedictine monk, he encouraged the Pope to invest in the revitalization of the Church and clerical discipline.
Call to Action for Catholic Living: God needs a heart that burns with love. How are we going to create a heart of that sort?
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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