10/6/21 Mercy
Homily for the twenty-seventh Wednesday of Ordinary Time.
In the story of Jonah, God commissions Jonah to go and preach to the Ninevites. Jonah doesn’t see any value in the Ninevites and makes a bare minimum effort. Nevertheless, the King of Ninevah proclaims that not only all the citizens but the sheep and cattle were to repent and put on sackcloths and ashes. Then Jonah, waiting for God to destroy Ninevah, is fit to be tied when a plant that provides him shade dies. The story is preposterous, but so are we. We too can harden our hearts. The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray because they noticed how peaceful he seemed after praying. The Our Father, a short prayer, right at the heart of mercy says “forgive us our sins, as we forgive those whose indebted to us.”
Gospel: Luke 11:1-4
