A Good Use of Your Time

Jan. 21: Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Time is running out in today’s readings, for Nineveh, for Corinth, for John the Baptist. What do we do when time is short? We act.

Reading 1

Jon 3:1-10

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 made ready and went to Nineveh, according to the LORD's bidding. 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.

When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes. Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his nobles: “Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep, shall taste anything; they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water. Man and beast shall be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God; every man shall turn from his evil way and from the violence he has in hand. Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath, so that we shall not perish.”

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.

Jonah’s a short book, and this is the beginning of the second half. Jonah’s already fled across the sea, gotten eaten by a whale,¹ and spat out again. So he finally goes to Nineveh, as God instructed a couple chapters ago, to preach repentance.

At this point in the story, though, we don’t actually know why he doesn’t want to preach. Jonah was already a prophet, so what’s his problem?

Nineveh is the capital of Assyria, Israel’s mortal and ancient enemy. Jonah doesn’t want them to repent, he wants God to destroy them! Notice when he preaches, he doesn’t technically tell anyone to repent. He just says Nineveh will be destroyed in 40 days.

Still, the Ninevites, from the lowliest peasant to the king himself, hear the message and repent. God sees their repentance and, being merciful, forgives them. (In the next chapter, Jonah’s mad at God for forgiving them.)

So Jonah is pretty much the worst prophet ever. And yet, God finds a way to work through him and save a people who were otherwise hopeless and horrible.

Responsorial Psalm 

Ps 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
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.
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.
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.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.

When we know we don’t have much time, we want to act. But how? We have to seek guidance, from God, and scripture. Most importantly, Jesus, who was fully man as well as divine, teaches by his example.

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.

Paul advises Christians to go about the ordinary activities of life in a manner different from those who are totally immersed in them and unaware of their transitoriness. Nothing is permanent except for God, and we’ll be surprised how quickly everything else fades.

Alleluia

Mk 1:15

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent and believe in the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Kingdom of God is not something that happens instantaneously. Rather, it’s an ongoing process that culminates in the Second Coming. We are actually participating in the Kingdom right now, by how we treat others, either building it up or tearing it down.

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."

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."

Then they abandoned their nets and followed him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother 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.

Jesus heard His cousin was arrested, but He doesn’t stop His holy work. He keeps going, because the people still need him.

He finds more helpers, knowing full well that His time on Earth will be limited, but the Kingdom will still need to be proclaimed for the rest of time.

1. I know it’s not “a whale,” but it’s funnier this way.