"Now," "When, I missed it," "Just now!"

“Who, that guy?”

Have you ever been approached by a job opportunity or a scout or a coach, or a recruiter? They tell you how great your life could be if you became a part of their institution. “Join the Navy and see the world!”

That happened to me when I was 11 and my dad was approached by a baseball coach. I wasn’t so thrilled about playing for the guy. My dad, who knew what was best for me, encouraged me to embrace the intensity and join that guys team. I joined one of the best teams in the country always placing in the top 3, usually 2nd, in national and even international tournaments. On my own I would have chosen an easier path, “A path well traveled.”

Now, that was just to play baseball, can you imagine Zebedee? “Hey dad, He’s calling us, we want to go,” “Yes, you have to! This moment will not present itself again.” We say we want what’s best for our spouses and our kids…until that affects me!

To Choose the Good

Isn’t this the point of our lives?! Aren’t we always trying to decide what the good is, to reject the bad, and to choose the higher of two goods?! “What do I want to do?” should always be paired with, “Jesus, what do you want for me?” Because Jesus doesn’t always call us to what I WANT!

Jonah

Take the first reading from Jonah 3:1-3

Jonah 3:1–3 (NABRE)

The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you. So Jonah set out for Nineveh, in accord with the word of the Lord.

Now Nineveh was an awesomely great city; it took three days to walk through it.

Isn’t Jonah the best?!?!

Its at this moment when we should pause and note that today is called “Sunday of the Word of God.” Pope Francis called this day “Not a yearly event but rather a year-long event, for we urgently need to grow in our knowledge and love of the Scriptures and of the risen Lord, who continues to speak his word and to break bread in the community of believers.” (Aperuit illis, 8)

And so, its within this context, that we always need to understand Scripture better!

So I ask again, Isn’t Jonah the Best!?!?!

Well no! In fact, he’s the worst, and he disobeyed God. So a whale ate him and he died!

This is also why we love Jonah the worst, because he is us!

He is brought back to life and spit out onto the shore and he starts over again. We’re watching his second life. And God calls him and he goes right away!

And yet he’s still not fully converted, you would think!

Go preach to the Ninevites, the enemies of Israel in the North, fine, I’ll preach,

“40 days and you’re dead meat!”

“Well you know what God,” I can hear Jonah saying, “I’ve never had so much fun following you!”

“Now I’ll just sit back and watch the action of fire consuming them from heaven!!! Look at them, they’re all trying to repent, isn’t that adorable, you think that’s gonna save you? Nice try! Too little too late! I mean cmon, no one people ever fully repents, God won’t be fooled by this!…wait…what’s that God? you’re going to withhold the malice that you had threatened to do to them? But no, er, you can’t! They’re OUR ENEMIES! Show them your wrath!”

And so the most reluctant prophet was also the most successful.

Peter and Andrew, James and John

And so in the Gospel we have our fledgling band of apostles

They knew the story of Jonah

They had come to know Christ, and like in last week’s Gospel out of John 1:41

John 1:41 NABRE

He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed).

On John the Baptist’s authority and on Jesus’ own they became convinced. They were then working for the next months pondering what was going to be happening to the people of Israel. Then Christ appears! A new Jonah appears on the scene Mark 1:14-15

Mark 1:14–15 (NABRE)

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.”

Maybe he would have done better if He said like Jonah “Repent or die!”

But no, the Kingdom of Heaven is voluntary, and in the Kingdom of God there is Mercy, a greater Kingdom than whatever civilization we are currently a part of.

Back to Word of God Sunday, why fishers of men?

Well, fishers are patient, and convincing, and early risers, and tough, and technical, and prayerful, and dependent on God and harmonize with nature...

But also and mainly because in Jeremiah 16:16 it reads!

Jeremiah 16:16 NABRE

Look!—oracle of the Lord—I will send many fishermen to catch them. After that, I will send many hunters to hunt them out from every mountain and hill and rocky crevice.

And so, by knowing the Holy Scriptures old and new, we know ourselves to be the Gentiles that God’s fishermen and huntsmen have been scouring the world to hunt down, to die to sin and our old way of life, and like Jonah to be spit back up on the shore where Christ is walking by. Now he gives us the chance to repent and go out on mission! But He has to train us first!

This Word of the Lord Sunday is a permanent institution! Your New Year commitment should have something to do with Holy Scripture and the Catechism and prayer. Your Lenten penances, which starts in less than a month, should also further emphasize this point.

Admonition

Therefore, train yourselves to love the Good, to love God, that you give yourself away to Him and encourage your family and friends to follow Him too

1 Corinthians 7:29–31 (NABRE)

I tell you, brothers, the time is running out. From now on, let those having wives act as not having them (Meaning God comes before your spouse, and Father and Mother), those weeping as not weeping, those rejoicing as not rejoicing (Life is sad and hard, and fun and exciting, emotions do not rule the day), those buying as not owning, those using the world as not using it fully (and God comes before and after our Work). For the world in its present form is passing away.

“Lord, don’t let us miss you!, hunt us down, catch us on your divine hook!, call to us, keep calling, call us again, make us good, be patient with us, and accomplish in us your holy will.”