Today, February 25
Feast of the Day
No feast of the day
Saint of the Day
Readings of the Day
Book of Jonah 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.
Psalms 51(50),3-4.12-13.18-19.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me. For you are not pleased with sacrifices; should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 11,29-32.
While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here."
Daily Reflection
Let us therefore repent, and pass from ignorance to true knowledge, from foolishness to wisdom, from unrighteousness to righteousness, from godlessness to God. The enjoyment of many other good things comes from this, to which God Himself alludes, speaking by Isaiah: “There is an inheritance for those who serve the Lord” (54,17). Not gold and silver, nor that which moth destroys and thieves steal (Mt 6.19), but the inestimable treasure of salvation… This is the inheritance with which God’s eternal covenant invests us, assuring us of his gifts; and thus our tenderly loving Father ceases not to exhort, to train, to love and to save us. “Become righteous,” says the Lord. “All you who are thirsty, come to the water; and you who have no money, come; buy without money and drink (Is 55,1). He invites us to the purifying bath, to salvation, to illumination… The saints of the Lord shall inherit the glory of God and his power, a glory which “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, and which has not entered the human heart” (1Cor 2,9)… You have this divine promise of grace; you have heard, on the other hand, of the threats of punishment: by these two ways the Lord saves... Why do we delay? Why do we not receive the free gift? Why do we not choose the better part?... “Behold,” he says, “I have set before you death and life.” (Dt 30,15) The Lord tries to make you choose life.” He counsels you like a father… To whom shall the Lord say, “Yours is the kingdom of heaven”? (Mt 5,3) It is yours if you want it, if your choice is set on God. It is yours, if you will only believe and follow the essence of the message, just as the Ninevites obeyed the message of the prophet and obtained a gracious salvation thanks to their sincere repentance, instead of the destruction that threatened them.