Repentance and Redemption - Jonah's Lesson for the Modern World

Julie South [00:00:05]:
Welcome to your Catholic Corner. I'm your show host, Julie south. Your Catholic Corner helps Catholic spiritually prepare for each Sunday's mass starting midweek each week. You can listen to your catholic corner@yourcatholiccorner.com. To today we are uncovering we're in the third week of ordinary time, and we are uncovering the biblical gems hidden in the books of Jonah. We continue reading Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, and we are back in Mark's gospel. As I said in catholic speak, we're back in ordinary time in year b. We'll start this episode with this week's question of the week.

Julie South [00:00:58]:
Why is there always so much standing up and sitting down at a catholic church service? Thank you for that listener. We'll listen to the readings, and I will share what I hear God saying to me through Jonah, St. Paul and St. Mark. My personal reflections.

Julie South [00:01:19]:
But before that, a quick word about your catholic corner, just in case this is your first time here. Regardless of where you are on your spiritual journey, whether you've only just heard of that man called Jesus, you're new to Catholicism or you're a cradle catholic, my prayer is that your catholic corner will help bring God's word to life in your heart through insights, reflections and practical applications that help deepen your relationship with God. Every Thursday, we'll start preparing for Mass by uncovering the richness hidden in each Sunday's Bible readings, from Old Testament prophecies to gospel parables. I invite you to join me and the parishioners of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Hamilton, New Zealand, sponsors of your catholic corner so that together we can hear God's word and echo. Samuel, speak, Lord, your servant is listening. Now let's get back to today's show.

Julie South [00:02:20]:
If you haven't been to many catholic church services, which are called masses or Mass, you'll probably have noticed that there's a lot of standing up and sometimes kneeling as well as regular sitting. Why is that? I know when I first started going to Mass, I was lucky because Alan, my husband, he wasn't then, he is now, would make sure that we sat at the back of the church. We did that so that he could whisper to me what was going on and tell me when to stand, sit and kneel. In some churches, they let the congregation know when to stand up and kneel on the PowerPoint, on the words that are overhead, if you like. This helps visitors and those new to the faith know what to do, but it doesn't happen at every church. So why is there so much activity of sitting and standing? Well, there are quite a few reasons why. One reason is because a catholic mass is very structured and a ritualized service. Unlike many denominations.

Julie South [00:03:28]:
It doesn't matter where in the world you attend a catholic mass, it will always be the same. The only variation mostly is the language that it's spoken in. And this is because there are certain parts of the mass that are always done in the same way, in the same order, and usually take about the same amount of time. It's these parts that involve sitting and standing and sometimes kneeling. For example, the priest and the congregation always stand when the gospel is read, and they always sit when the creed is recited. The gospel is the Bible reading that only the priest reads. The creed is the profession of faith, which everyone says together. This is usually on a PowerPoint, on a PowerPoint presentation, so everyone can pray out loud together.

Julie South [00:04:23]:
Another reason for sitting and standing is that it helps to keep the congregation, you and me, engaged and involved in the service. When we're sitting, we're more likely to listen to the readings and the prayers, and when we're standing, we're more likely to sing and participate in the responses, the various replies that we make and take place sitting and standing and or kneeling. We're also showing respect to God. When we stand or kneel, we're showing that we're paying attention, that we're taking the service seriously. Hopefully when we sit, we're showing that we're being humble and that we're hopefully open to God's word. The Catholic Mass is the Catholic Mass service is divided into two main parts, the liturgy of the word and the liturgy of the Eucharist. I've explained what liturgy is in other episodes and I'll put a link to that in the show notes page@yourcatholiccorner.com. For you to check out if your like to do that.

Julie South [00:05:31]:
The liturgy of the word is when the priest reads from the Bible and we the congregation, you and me, when we sing hymns as well, we are seated during this time so we can focus on the readings and the music. The liturgy of the Eucharist is when the priest celebrates the Eucharist, which is the central part of catholic worship. During this time, we the congregation your and me, we stand. We do this to show our reverence for the Eucharist. There's a great website I found that outlines the different parts of the Catholic Mass. I won't read it out here because it's quite long. The website is reverentcatholicmass.com I'll put a link to the show notes page for you or in the show notes page for you@yourcatholiccorner.com. The website that I've just referred to has a downloadable pdf, so you can print that out and take it with you to Mass.

Julie South [00:06:33]:
Hopefully that explains a little bit of standing and sitting and why it all happens at a Catholic Mass service. Now let's look at the connecting thread between each of today's or this coming Sunday's Bible readings. Today we are looking at Jonah chapter three, verses one to five and ten one corinthians chapter seven, verses 29 through 31 and Mark's gospel chapter one, verses 14 to 20. So what's the connecting thread between all of those and even is there one? The first place I go to have a look to see whether it makes sense or not is each day's responsorial psalm. The response for today's psalm that goes with these readings is, Lord, make me know your ways. Then I ask myself, does it give me any hints? I think that in this case, the psalm response is a great place to start because it speaks of the love, the faithfulness, and the hope that we have in God. Hopefully. Second, we are reminded that we need to change our ways to stop doing things, some things, in other words, sinning, to live our lives in a way that's honoring him.

Julie South [00:08:09]:
So I think that that response is a good place to start. Now let's have a top level look at each of these three Bible passages and see what's going on in them individually. And then maybe how are they connected? In Jonah, chapter three, verses one through five and ten, Jonah is sent by God to Nineveh to preach repentance. The people of Nineveh repent and God spares them from destruction. The passage can be seen as a metaphor for the way that God's willing to forgive us, to give us a second chance if we repent, genuinely repent and are sorry, are apologetic for our sins. In the first Corinthians letter from Paul, chapter seven, verses 29, 30 and 31, Paul tells the people of Corinth, the Corinthians, that they should focus on the things of God and not on the things of this world. Paul says the time is short and that they should live in such a way that they'll be ready for the coming of Christ. This passage could be seen as a metaphor for the way we should live our lives in light of the fact that Jesus is coming again.

Julie South [00:09:28]:
And then in Mark chapter one, verses 14 through 20, Jesus begins his public ministry, and he begins by preaching a message of repentance and calling people to turn to God. What we have here in this passage is the metaphor for the way that we need to repent of our sins and turn to Jesus in order to be saved. So one connection that can be made between these metaphors is that they all point to the importance of repentance and of turning to God. Another connection that can be made between these is the metaphors that they all point to the fact that Jesus is coming again. He will return. In Jonah, we've got the people of Nineveh repenting because they know that God is coming to judge them. In one corinthians, we've got Paul telling the Corinthians to live in such a way that they will be ready for the coming of Christ. And then in Mark, we've got Jesus beginning his public ministry by preaching a message of repentance and of calling people to turn to God.

Julie South [00:10:37]:
They all emphasize the fact that Jesus is coming again and that we yup your and me us, we need to be prepared for his coming. Now, let's give one of these passages, and this time we're going to look at Jonah, a bit of context, historical context, so that we can get a better understanding about those ancient times that it was written in. Because what's going on in the world, the in Jonah's time, will be completely different to what's going on in your world and my world right now. Today, context is everything. So let's have a look at Jonah. Who was he? Or Jonah is known as one of the twelve minor biblical prophets. The context of chapter three, verses one to five and ten have both theological and historical relevance. From a theological context, we've got the book of Jonah telling the story of a prophet named Jonah, who's called by God to go to the city of Nineveh and preach against it because of its wickedness.

Julie South [00:12:00]:
Initially, Jonah puts his feet in, he digs his heels in, and he tries to flee from this mission and goes in the opposite direction, which leads him to the famous episode of him being swallowed by a great fish, which most people think is a whale, but it's not. It's just a great fish. After living in the fish and then being spat out by it, Jonah finally obeys God's command and goes to Nineveh. In today's selected verses, we hear about Jonah's prophetic ministry. In Nineveh, God tells Jonah a second time to go to Nineveh and deliver his message. This time, Jonah complies and enters the city, proclaiming that Nineveh will be overthrown in 40 days. It's not a message that those people want to hear, however. Remarkably, the people of Nineveh believe God's message delivered through Jonah.

Julie South [00:12:59]:
And from the greatest to the least, from God to them sinners, they declare a fast and put on sackcloth to show their repentance. In the final verse of Jonah today, verse ten, God sees their actions, that they've turned from their evil ways, and at that point, he has compassion, and he didn't bring the destruction on them that he had initially threatened. So that's the theological context going on with a historical context. It's generally agreed that the events described today in today's reading were set in the 8th century BC, when Nineveh was a significant city in the Assyrian Empire. The Assyrians were known for their military prowess and their harsh treatment of those that they conquered, which is probably reason enough for Jonah to stay away in the first place and why he resisted actually going. The Assyrian Empire was one of the most powerful empires of the ancient near east. It dominated much of Mesopotamia, parts of Anatolia, the Levant and Egypt at different times through its history. Looking at it from a world context, during this period, several important civilizations were developing and they were interacting across the ancient world.

Julie South [00:14:32]:
As well as the assyrian empire, other major powers included the Babylonian Empire, the kingdom of Israel, which was divided into the northern kingdom of Israel, and the southern kingdom of Judah. We had the egyptian empire, and then later on, the rising power of the Medis and the Persians. It was also a time when some of the other biblical prophets were around and they were pretty active. These were Isaiah and Hosea in Israel and Amos in Judah. As you'll read in their books. In the Bible, these men often spoke against social injustices, and they warned of divine judgment while calling for repentance. Jonah's story stands out among the prophetic books because it was focused on God's mercy and the potential for repentance and forgiveness for having second chances. Even for a foreign city like Nineveh, this challenges the idea of that God's interest and compassion was limited to Israel alone.

Julie South [00:15:41]:
Instead, we have a more universal perspective on God's mercy being presented to us through Jonah. Now, before we read each of these three Bible passages, let's have a look at some of the metaphors so that you can listen out for them to give you a bit more depth and understanding. We're going to go a bit deeper than the obvious metaphors and see what else God might be saying to us. Let's start with Jonah. I've mentioned second chances a couple of times already. For me, this is exactly what it's about. We've got the story of Jonah's second call to go and prophecy to the city of Nineveh, the great enemy of Israel. The passage starts with God giving Jonah a second chance, just as he gave the people of Nineveh a second chance.

Julie South [00:16:45]:
God's message to Jonah is clear. God wasn't exactly leaving anything open to interpretation or chance. He said, go to Nineveh and proclaim the message I give you. Also in this passage there are several other metaphors that go beyond superficial interpretations. The tone of the voice that Jonah uses in delivering God's message to Nineveh is an important metaphor. It's critical. The author notes that Jonah's sermon consists of just a few words. 40 days more and Nineveh will be overthrown.

Julie South [00:17:26]:
There's no mincing that, there's no mucking around. The tone of Jonah's message is blunt. It lacks any mention of repentance or response, and this could be seen as a metaphor for justice and the justice and the judgment of God. We also have the idea of a second chance, of a metaphor that runs throughout the entire passage. Actually, it's a message that runs throughout the Bible in different ways. Today, though, Jonah himself is given a second chance, a second chance to fulfill the mission that God's given him. Coupled with that, the people of Nineveh are also given a second chance to repent, to turn around, to turn back to God. This is quite a clear metaphor, highlighting God's mercy and the opportunity for redemption.

Julie South [00:18:22]:
For second chances, we also have the response of the people of Nineveh, and this is characterized both inner morning and outer change. Using the symbol of wearing sackcloth, the people of Nineveh turn from their evil ways and their violence. They start fasting. In fact, they are so repentant that they even make their animals fast as well. This is a great metaphor, demonstrating and representing their genuine repentance and their total transformation of heart. Another metaphor here also reveals God's character, demonstrated through the actions and the response of the people. We have hope. We have hope.

Julie South [00:19:10]:
When the Ninevites ask in verse nine, who knows? Maybe God will change his heart and relent. This is another highlighting that God's mercy or highlighting God's mercy and compassion. God's change of mind and sparing of Nineveh from destruction clearly shows us today and the Ninevites then, of God's 100% dominion and sovereignty over absolutely everything. Onto the second Bible passage, one corinthians, chapter seven, verses 29, 30, and 31. Here this passage addresses the christian believers in Corinth in relation to their current circumstances and the brief nature of life. The are encouraged to live in the now as if as if there's no tomorrow, because life is short. When Paul says the time is short, this is in verse 29. He's not referring to clock time, to Kronos time, but to Kairos time.

Julie South [00:20:21]:
This is like divine time, the absolute right time. It's all about significant and or critical times in God's plan. This is an ancient greek term which I really like. It's about everything happening in the right order of time, Cairus time according to God's clock. What we have here is the metaphor referencing the nearness, the imminence of Christ's second coming and the need to have urgency of living with a future orientation, also of living as God would want us to live. At the same time, Paul's also advising the Corinthians to have a detached and an undivided focus on the Lord. He encourages them to live as if they had no wives, to weep as if they did not, and buy as if it were not theirs to keep. These metaphors, I think, represent the need for us to prioritize the eternal over the earthly, that is, the here and now, instant gratification, if you will, and to live with the willingness to let go of attachments to worldly things, to consumerism.

Julie South [00:21:42]:
Perhaps we also have the passage emphasizing the need to maintain proper perspective amid fleeting and changing circumstances. Paul acknowledges the reality of present pain and sorrow, but then he encourages believers to live with hope and anticipation of Christ's return. This metaphor urges the Corinthians to hold their earthly responsibilities and relationships in one hand whilst recognizing their temporary nature in the other, and to maintain their focus on the light of the kingdom of God. And then finally, in Mark's gospel, we've got the call to discipleship. Because Mark's gospel here in chapter one, it recounts the beginning of Jesus'ministry and his call to Simon, Andrew, James, and John to become fishers of people. Jesus'call to the disciple to become those fishers of people is his metaphorical invitation to take their first steps in their mission of evangelization, of spreading the gospel and bringing others into the kingdom of God. This metaphor aligns the disciples occupation as fishermen and connects it with their new calling to gather and bring people to Jesus. We also have Jesus's proclamation that the kingdom of God is near.

Julie South [00:23:13]:
This is in chapter one, verse 15. This metaphorical statement refers to the presence and accessibility of God's rule and reign. It highlights the urgent need for repentance, for remorse, for being genuinely sorry and contrite, and aligning their lives, our lives, yours and mine, with the values and the principles of living like Jesus wants us to live, of living like Jesus does, of doing what Jesus does. Then we also have the disciples'immediate response to Jesus'call to follow him, which comes from the metaphor for the radical, the extreme and the wholehearted commitment required of those who choose to become Jesus'disciples. The metaphorical notion of leaving their nets and following Jesus that suggests total transformation of priorities and allegiances. Would you leave your job, your profession, your family? Would you down tools and follow Jesus without question? Because that's the metaphor and that's what the disciples did on that day. We also have this passage showing us the transformative power of Jesus'call by declaring that Simon and Andrew will become fishers of people, and James and John will leave behind their father and the family business to follow Jesus. What we have here are the metaphors signifying the mammoth shift in identity and a new purpose in life that these men have, that you and I can have.

Julie South [00:25:17]:
Now, with all of these metaphors giving you some backdrop and context, let's now pray together and listen to God's word via Jonah, St. Paul and St. Mark. A reading from the book of Jonah. The word of the Lord was addressed to Jonah. Up he said, go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach to them as I told you, Jonah set out and went to Nineveh in obedience to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was a city great beyond compare. It took three days to cross it.

Julie South [00:26:01]:
Jonah went on into the city, making a day's journey. He preached in these words, only 40 days more and Nineveh is going to be destroyed. And the people of Nineveh believed in God. They proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth. From the greatest to the least. God saw their efforts to renounce their evil behavior, and God relented. He did not inflict on them the disaster which he had threatened. The word of the Lord.

Julie South [00:26:48]:
A reading from the first letter of Paul to the corinthians. Brothers, our time is growing short. Those who have wives should live as though they had none, and those who mourn should live as though they had nothing to mourn for. Those who are enjoying life should live as though there were nothing to laugh about. Those whose life is buying things should live as though they had nothing of their own. And those who have to deal with the world should not become engrossed in it. I say this because the world as we know it is passing away the word of the Lord. A reading from the gospel of Mark.

Julie South [00:27:45]:
After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the good news from God. The time has come, he said, and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent and believe the good news. As he was walking along by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the lake, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, follow me and I will make you fishes of men. And at once they left their nets and followed him. Going on a little further, he saw James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

Julie South [00:28:24]:
They too were in their boat mending their nets. He called them at once and leaving their father Zebedee, in the boat with the men he employed, they went after him. The gospel of the Lord. What was God saying to you? Remember that we each hear God differently depending on what's going on in our lives at the time. What God is saying to me may not be what God is saying to you, but here's what messages I heard from God, from those Bible passages from the first one from Jonah. With God in our lives, it's possible for leopards to change their spots. Second chances. If God's prepared to give people second chances, I think we too should be able to dig deep in our hearts and give others second chances as well.

Julie South [00:29:31]:
This can mean forgiving people who have wronged us. It can mean accepting apologies when they're given to us or giving people another chance to make good in their lives. Or maybe, just maybe, it's about God giving us a second chance of us believing we're deserving of a second chance. Also that we need to get to recognize that the Bible has the power to transform our thoughts and our actions if we just let it. Look at the Ninevites. When the heard Jonah's message, they put on sackcloth, fasted, and even made their animals fast as well. If we but allow it, God's word can absolutely reshape our thinking, our mindsets and our behaviors. But we have to be prepared to genuinely listen and then genuinely apply what we're reading.

Julie South [00:30:30]:
What about from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians? Here I hear the need to drop consumerism, to let go of tomorrow and to live in today, and paradoxically, to focus on the big picture of heaven and let go of today they are total paradoxes. What about in Mark's gospel? How truly, genuinely do we follow Jesus? Do I follow Jesus? Do you follow Jesus? Am I a fisher of people? Do I evangelize? Do I really spread God's word? Am I truly a disciple of God? Do I follow and have Jesus in every area of my life or only when it suits me? An example of that could be Ash Wednesday, which isn't that far away, mid February this year. Am I prepared? Are you prepared to go to an early ashes service and the wear your mark of discipleship on your forehead all day in public where people will see and maybe ask questions? Are you that committed? Am I that committed? Those were my reflections today. I hope you found all of this interesting and helpful. I hope that this podcast helps your prepare and maybe even understand, just a teeny, tiny, incy wincy, dinky bit better, the wonderful world of God and the catholic faith. Thank you for spending the last half an hour or so of your life with God, Jonah, Paul, Mark and me. I pray that each of these men, coupled with my history, context and reflections, hopefully has been able to make the difference that God wishes for you today in their own way, in your life. Thank you for getting this far.

Julie South [00:32:40]:
Can I ask you to do me a huge favor? Please? If you enjoyed today's show, can you please help me spread God's word about your catholic corner? All you have to do is tell your friends and family, maybe even your priest, about this podcast so they can hopefully benefit and spread the word as well. Letting them know about it is really easy. Just invite them to visit yourcatholiccorner.com where they can subscribe and follow the show. From there. It's free and it doesn't cost anything. Thank you very much. Wherever you are, I pray that God's glass of love overflows in your heart and your life, and that when you're ready, you're able to accept God's invitation to you to join him to share in holy Communion this week at your local parish. And finally, I'd like to say thank you to the parishioners of the cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ann Hamilton, who helped bring this podcast to you today.

Julie South [00:33:51]:
I pray that you are able to believe that second chances are possible that leopards can change their spots. This is Julie south signing off until next week. Peace be with you, God.