The Fifth Week of Lent - Passion Week
Mar 19, 2018 10:07:13 GMT
Post by Admin on Mar 19, 2018 10:07:13 GMT
MONDAY IN THE FIFTH WEEK OF LENT.
LESSON. (Jonas iii. 1 — 10.) In those days the word of the Lord came to Jonas the second time, saying: Arise, and go to Ninive the great city: and preach in it the preaching that I bid thee. And Jonas arose, and went to Ninive according to the word of the Lord: now Ninive was a great city of three days journey. And Jonas began to enter into the city one day's journey: and he cried, and said: Yet forty days, and Ninive shall be destroyed. And the men of Ninive believed in God and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least. And the word came to the King of Ninive: and he rose up out of his throne, and cast away his robe from him, and was clothed in sackcloth, and sat in ashes.And he caused it to be proclaimed and published in Ninive from the mouth of the king and of his princes,saying: Let neither men nor beasts, oxen, nor sheep,taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water. And let men and beasts be covered with sackcloth,and cry to the Lord with all their strength, and let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the iniquity that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn, and forgive: and will turn away from his fierce anger, and we shall not perish? And God saw their works, that they were turned from their evil way: and the Lord our God had mercy on the people.
INSTRUCTION. In this lesson is plainly shown the great effect produced by true penance; it took away many and grievous vices from a great city, appeased the wrath of God, turned aside His scourge, yes, even obtained grace and reconciliation, so that the Ninivites from slaves of the devil were made friends of God; from an unjust, godless, infidel, vicious people they were changed to a just, pious,faithful, holy nation. "If," says St. Bernard, "we turn to penance, we make the angels rejoice. Hasten, therefore, brethren, hasten; not the angels only, but even the Creator of the angels awaits you." Hasten to penance, that the Ninivites may not some day bear witness against you.[Matt. xii. 41.]
GOSPEL. (John vii. 32 — 39.) At that time, the rulers and Pharisees sent ministers to apprehend Jesus. Jesus therefore said to them: Yet a little while I am with you: and then I go to him that sent me. You shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither you cannot come. The Jews therefore said among themselves : Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles? What is this saying that he hath said: You shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, you cannot come? And on the last and great day of the festivity, Jesus stood and cried, saying: If any man thirst, let him come come, and drink. He that believeth in me, as the scripture saith, Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Now this he said of the Spirit which they should receive who believed in him.
EXPLANATION. In this gospel, Jesus, tells the Jews that He will soon return to the Father, meaning that He would die, rise from death, and ascend into heaven; then will they seek, but not find Him, because they did not recognize Him as the true Messiah, and they could not go whither He was going, into heaven, because they remained in their sins. Oh how terrible is the blindness of man, who knows not the time of grace and visitation, who despises the hand God stretches out towards him, and gives no heed to the call to penance! Hear what God Himself says:Because I called, and you refused: I stretched out my hand, and there was none that regarded. I also will laugh in your destruction, when sudden calamity shall fall on you, when tribulation and distress (of death and judgment) shall come upon you: then shall they call upon me, and I will not hear: they shall rise in the morning (to seek me), and shall not find me. (Prov. i. 24—28.)