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Third Sunday, Ordinary Time
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“When God saw by their actions
how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had
threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.”
Jonah 3:10
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Dear John,
I
love the Book of Jonah. In fact it is my favorite book of the Bible.
Why? It is a story, it is short, it is humorous, and it has a message of
Good News. Poor Jonah, the reluctant prophet who runs away from the
Lord, ends up in the belly of the whale. But he repents and then carries
out his mission, a mission which leads to the conversion of the great
city of Nineveh. Even more remarkable than the repentance, the change in
Jonah is the change in God. It says—as we have quoted—that “God
repented”! Yes, God changes His mind in view of the good work done by
Jonah the prophet.
If even God can change, then surely we can, too. Might we not be a bit
more mindful of the millions of children and mothers who suffer because
of lack of health care, lack of education, lack of access to water and
medicine? One way to show that we are mindful is to contribute to some
charitable organization such as the Catholic Medical Mission Board. In
this way we gain an increased awareness of the needs of mothers and
children in Africa and elsewhere, and more important, we also bring aid
to them. 
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Rev. Peter Schineller, SJ
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Lord God, here on earth You
are constantly seeking to change us. At times, like Jonah, we wish to
flee into the wilderness to avoid You. Teach us to be open to Your call,
Your voice, Your inspiration. Teach us to be open to the needs and
sufferings of Your people. And teach us how best to respond to that
call, following the life and example of Jesus Christ. We pray in His
name, Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Our mailing address is:
CMMB
10 West 17th Street
New York, NY 10011
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