Gospel
Luke 11:29-32
29 And the multitudes running together, he began to say: This generation is a wicked generation: it asketh a sign, and a sign shall not be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. 30 For as Jonas was a sign to the Ninivites; so shall the Son of man also be to this generation.
31 The queen of the south shall rise in the judgment with the men of this generation, and shall condemn them: because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold more than Solomon here. 32 The men of Ninive shall rise in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; because they did penance at the preaching of Jonas; and behold more than Jonas here.
Today, our Lord speaks of Nineveh, and the first reading is the story of Jonah preaching repentance to that city. The two passages are in stark contrast. Jonah had no desire to go to Nineveh. In fact, he openly rebelled against God’s command that he go there because the Ninevites were troublesome to the Jews and hated. It was also a center of paganism, devoted to the goddess, Ishtar. Not only did Jonah not wish to go as a missionary to Nineveh, he would rather the Ninevites be destroyed as had Sodom and Gomorrah. But, the God who made all people cared even for them. Jonah went, against his will, as a prophet to Nineveh. The people of Nineveh repented and were saved.
Jesus went willingly to the people of Israel. He preached repentance and the Kingdom of God. Unlike Jonah though, the leaders of the religious Jews rejected Him and his teaching and nearly all would reject Him in the end. By contrast, the Gospels mention several Samaritans and Greeks who embraced the Gospel as readily as the people of Nineveh embraced the words of Jonah.
Today, our culture is more wicked than even the most degraded pagan society. We crucify people publicly in terms of reputation, slaughter innocent children and engage in immorality on a scale that surpasses anything ancient nations could dream of. If Jonah or Jesus came to us today, they would be called bigots and extremists. No prophet will call our leaders in Washington, DC to repentance. Only when we as individuals and families respond to God’s call to repentance and reform our own lives will there be any hope for America… or Canada… or anywhere else.
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Gospel passages are taken from the Douay Rheims Bible.
"Today, our culture is more wicked than even the most degraded pagan society." Yes, even the barbarians didn't do what our society now "celebrates."