Today is the Third Ordinary Sunday and the Lunar New Year Eve. The readings today provide us with a lot of food for thought.
The first reading was taken from the book of Jonah, chapter 3. Jonah was a prejudiced prophet. He disliked the people of Niveveh and thought that they were sinners and deserved to be destroyed by God. So, when God sent him to tell the Nivevites to repent, Jonah ran away from the face of God (Jonah 1:3). Why should a righteous God give sinners a chance? It was unfair to those who observed the Law. After some dramatic interventions, Jonah obeyed reluctantly to proclaim the doomsday of Niveveh (Jonah 3:4). According to the story, Niveveh was an exceedingly great city of 3-day's journey. Jonah had walked one day and made the announcement. Surprisingly, all the Nivevites repented! Certainly, it could not be Jonah's effort but God's mercy that spared the Nivevites. Therefore, faith is truly a gift of God. Our salvation is not earned through our own effort. We are unworthy. We don't deserve.
The reading the Diocesan Liturgical Commission provides comes from the New American Bible. The translation is a bit ambiguous.
Jonah began his journey through the city, and had gone but a single day's walk announcing, "Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed," (Jonah 3:4 NAB)
For how many days did Jonah walk, one or two? It depends on the meaning of the word "but". If it means "except", Jonah had one more day to walk. If it means "only", Jonah had walked one day only.
Was Jonah announcing while he was walking, or did he walk and then announce? Enjoy the ambiguity. The Hebrew text only reads "... and he shouted and he said ..."
Last Sunday, we read the call of Simon Peter in the gospel of John. This Sunday, we read again the familiar story in Mark. The story took place along the Sea of Galilee when Simon and Andrew were casting nets in the sea (Mark 1:16). Jesus called them to become fishers of men and they left their nets to follow Jesus (Mark 1:17-18). The Johannine version is not. There, the theme is to rename Simon Cephas, the Rock on which Jesus will build his Church. Therefore, when we read the gospels, we should bear in mind that we are reading different traditions. The Evangelists compiled their materials to meet the needs of the communities from where they came. If we ever try to harmonize the different traditions, we will come into difficulties.
Fr. Martin Ip took a different approach. He looked at the timing of Jesus' call. Like it or not, Jesus does not call us at our convenience. Simon and Andrew were busy catching fish. James and John had finished fishing and mending their nets (Mark 1:19). Perhaps you are playing online games, or working hard at your desk, or eating, or chatting with friends or perhaps even simply walking home after a day's work. But when Jesus calls, will you put down your things at hand and follow? May God grant you the grace to respond generously.
I leave the second reading the last because it was not touched by the priests and the deacon in their homilies. Paul's exhortation touches upon a sensitive issue: married life. Paul says
I mean, brethren, the appointed time has grown very short; from now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none (1 Corinthians 7:29).
To be frank, I don't like Paul's teachings on marriage in the epistle to the Corinthians. He was too negative. He did better in the epistle to the Ephesians. Once more, it confirms my conviction. However, this verse cannot be read out of context. It must be read together with 7:32-35.
Married life is a life of sanctification. Paul mentions this in the context of divorce (7:14-16)! We commit ourselves totally to our spouses and together, sanctifying each other, we become one in the Lord.
I have to confess that I have done a very stupid thing in the past. I distanced myself emotionally from Erminia to "prepare" her for her future widowhood because of my diabetes! How stupid I was! Luckily, it is not too late to repent and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15b).
Dear Lord, on this New Year Eve, I thank You for all the graces You have bestowed me. Strengthen my feet on Your path of peace. Amen.
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