Sunday 21 January

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jonah 3:1-5,10; Psalm 25; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31; Mark 1:14-20
A God of tenderness and compassion
God called Jonah to preach repentance to the Ninevites, former enemies of the Jews. Taking fright, Jonah fled to Spain instead. But God had other ideas involving a storm and a huge fish. Eventually Jonah obeyed, the Ninevites repented and God did not punish them. “Oh dear,” says Jonah, I knew you wouldn’t destroy them because “you are a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in graciousness.” The Ninevites will think my threats were empty. God answered Jonah, “Am I not right to feel sorry for Nineveh?” God of tenderness and compassion, have mercy on me too.