Daily Reflection Wednesday of the First Week of Lent

 If there were ever an example of God inviting someone out of a comfort zone, it is certainly Jonah! No way does he want to preach repentance to the Ninevites, a nation of sinners. Through wrangling and machinations, Jonah crawled out of his comfort zone to do what God requested of him. Nineveh had forgotten about their relationship with God and the good that came from it. They indulged their laziness and vices. Yet, God loved the Ninevites and wanted to give them a second chance. So, he sent his messenger, Jonah, to remind them of their alliance with God….and the people repented, changed their ways. Not just a coincidence that the thread running through the Book of Job is HOPE—the theme Pope Francis proclaimed worldwide for 2025.

 

    Despite our own inclination to sin and often we relent to evil temptation, God gives each of us hope. Paul Gurr, a Carmelite Father from Australia, verbalizes this divine invitation: “Come as you are, that’s how I want you…close to my heart, loved and forgiven. Come as you are, why stand alone?” Yes, Lent is a reminder that we, too, must repent for our sin. If we are sincere in our need for goodness, God is not going to throw the gavel of retribution at us! We are invited to come close with our aching hearts desiring to live the justice that leads to peace. Only when we sit in silence with our God each day will we be able to affirm our goodness and ready ourselves to dissipate the evil.

 

    Our connection to God is not a solitary experience. Jonah was chosen by God to speak to the people. He went through a really dark night of body and soul before he relented to his divine call. Are we not the same in many ways?

All of us can preach, not necessarily using words. Our facial expressions and body language speak volumes. Lent is the Church’s “housecleaning.” What do we want to change, possibly discard? What do we want to imbibe to deepen our experience of God and each other? 

 

“May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can made a difference in the world, so that you are able with God’s Grace, to do what others claim cannot be done.”—Elaine Menardi of Catholic Relief Services

 

Listen to “Come As You Are” by Paul Gurr