January 25, 2015 - Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 68

Reading 1 JON 3:1-5, 10

Ok, we've skipped all the parts of Jonah for which the book is famous.  The running from God and being cast into the sea by pagan sailors and being swallowed by a big fish and living in his stomach for three days.  Read about that here.

The word of the LORD came to Jonah, saying:

God spoke to Jonah again.

“Set out for the great city of Nineveh,
and announce to it the message that I will tell you.”

And sent him to the city of Nineveh.

Now, for Jonah,  being sent to announce a message to Nineveh is horrible news.   That's why he ran away before.  To Jonah, it would be like sending a modern day Jew to Syria to speak to ISIS.  

So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh,
according to the LORD’S bidding.

But now, Jonah has realized that there is no running away from God.  

Now Nineveh was an enormously large city;
it took three days to go through it.
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, “
when the people of Nineveh believed God;
they proclaimed a fast
and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.

The amazing thing, is that these horrid people, with whom Jonah was loathe to associate, they heard Jonah and believed him and repented!

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.

And God saw that they were sorry for their sins and forgave them.

But this was definitely not what Jonah wanted.  Read about that, here. 

Responsorial Psalm PS 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. (4a) Teach me your ways, O Lord.

We must realize that it is not we, who first come to God.  But God who first calls us.  And it is only by His grace, guiding the way, that we can be saved.

Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.

That is the purpose of the Church.  To teach us and guide us in the ways of God that we may be holy and righteous in His eyes.

R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.

Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.

God loves and sheds His mercy on those who keep His Commandments.  Because it is those who do His Commandments who love Him.

R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.

Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice
and teaches the humble his way.

Trust in God.  He is righteous and worthy of our faith.  Believe God, trust in His promises and He will pour His grace upon you.

R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.

Reading 2 1 COR 7:29-31

I tell you, brothers and sisters, the time is running out.
From now on, let those having wives act as not having them,
those weeping as not weeping,
those rejoicing as not rejoicing,
those buying as not owning,
those using the world as not using it fully.
For the world in its present form is passing away.

We live in this world.  But we are not a part of this world.

Alleluia MK 1:15

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent and believe in the Gospel.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 1:14-20

After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

St. John the Baptist, the precursor who prepared the way of the Lord was arrested.  He would now diminish and the Lord would grow strong.

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,
he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;
they were fishermen.

And Jesus, walking on the shore, met two of St. John's former disciples.  Simon and Andrew.

Jesus said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

And Jesus called them to be His followers.

Then they abandoned their nets and followed him.

Knowing that St. John had identified Jesus as the Messiah, they abandoned their possessions and followed Him.

He walked along a little farther
and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

Further along the shore, Jesus met the Sons of Thunder, St. James and John.

They too were in a boat mending their nets.
Then he called them.
So they left their father Zebedee in the boat
along with the hired men and followed him.

He called them also.  And they abandoned even their father and followed Jesus.