October 6. When she sat down and thought about it Mitzi realised that there is a bit of Jonah in all of us. The story tells us of a Jew sent by God to the cruel and sinful people of Nineveh to call them to repent. He didn’t want them to repent, but to be punished. After running away from God he did eventually go and preach to the brutal people of Nineveh and they did repent, but his initial response had been, “No way, these wicked people should be punished.” How often have we heard people say things like, “He should rot in hell for what he has done to that woman or girl.” Some of the gender-based, xenophobic and terrorist attacks in our cities are as brutal today as those in Nineveh at that time.
It displeased Jonah exceedingly that God did not do the evil which he had said he would do to Nineveh and he was angry. And he prayed to the Lord, “I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and that you repent of evil. Therefore now, O Lord, take my life from me.” Jonah 4:1-11 Pope Francis: The unified and complete sense of human life that the Gospel proposes is the best remedy for the ills of our cities. The proclamation of the Gospel will be a basis for restoring the dignity of human life in these contexts for Jesus desires to pour out an abundance of life upon our cities. EG75. Reflect, share, act and pray. How can I contribute to the life of our city?
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