By Amala William csc –
Readings: Jon 4:1-11; Lk 11:1-4
In the first reading, Prophet Jonah expects God to punish the people of Nineveh for their unfaithfulness. But in turn God wanted to teach him a lesson so he created a plant and destroyed it a day later. Looking at that, Jonah was annoyed and pitied the plant. Then, God said ‘You pity the plant, for which you did not labor’, and ‘Should not I pity Nineveh?,’ in which God expressed his unconditional mercy and love for them.
In the gospel, we have only one prayer that was taught by Jesus to his disciples. This prayer can be considered as a ‘Universal Prayer,’ for all who believe in God. In this prayer, we see the petitions of human beings to God. As Catholics, we are initiated into Church through the sacrament of Baptism, by which we become the adopted children of God, and we call God as ‘Abba Father’. This right assures us that God is our Heavenly Father. When God has been so faithful to us, in response, as his children, how should we live our lives? We are supposed to demonstrate what we have imbibed from our father in our relationship with him and others.
The nature of God is slow to anger, steadfast in love, and mercy. All of us have a primary call of living our lives by the values we have inherited through the Holy Spirit. On this day, let us live true to God’s conscience that we may treat and respect everyone as
children of God.