October 10, 2005

Lk 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.”
The people seek a sign. Christ will be a sign and the only other sign will be the sign of Jonah. The early Christians used the sign of the whale to mark liturgical gatherings and the sign of the resurrection in the cattacombs. The early people of Ninevah listened and repented. Our generation is also evil. It remains to be seen how many will listen to Christ and repent. Turn from evil and follow God. Jonah was reluctant to follow God and tried to avoid traveling to Ninevah. I will recall this reluctance today and pray to resist any reluctance that I may have today to follow God's will and call in what I do today.