Lenten Pilgrimage: Feb. 25, 2015 Wednesday of the First Week of Lent

A Lenten Pilgrimage

Wednesday of the First Week of Lent
February 25, 2015

"This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah" Luke 11:29b

 In today’s Gospel passage the Ninevites heard and accepted the word of God spoken by Jonah, and they repented. Jonah was God's sign and his message was the message of a merciful and forgiving God. But Jonah was more than a sign; he also foreshadowed Jesus Himself. Jonah spent three days in the belly of a fish before being released onto the land – a prefiguring of the greatest sign of all, Jesus’ three days in the tomb before His glorious Resurrection. There is no greater sign of Jesus’ overwhelming love for us than that of His death and resurrection.

Do we really need miracles to believe? Let’s hope not, at least nothing more than the miracle of the Eucharist, the miracle of Emmanuel, of "God with us" every day until the end of time.

We too are called to be signs and the best sign we can give to the world is our genuine love for each other. Jesus began His public ministry by calling us to do just that. In His words: "Repent and believe in the Gospel." During this Lent, let us focus on accepting Jesus’ invitation to turn back to God, and discover the mystery of joy and freedom in that turning.