Lectionary 463: A Layman’s Take

Key:

What these passages tell us about God

What these passages tell us to do

What these passages tell us not to do

Commentary/observations

 

Reading 1 JON 4:1-11

Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry that God did not carry out the evil he threatened against Nineveh. He prayed, "I beseech you, LORD, is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I fled at first to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, rich in clemency, loath to punish. And now, LORD, please take my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live."

But the LORD asked, "Have you reason to be angry?"

Jonah then left the city for a place to the east of it, where he built himself a hut and waited under it in the shade, to see what would happen to the city. And when the LORD God provided a gourd plant that grew up over Jonah's head, giving shade that relieved him of any discomfort, Jonah was very happy over the plant.
But the next morning at dawn God sent a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. And when the sun arose, God sent a burning east wind; and the sun beat upon Jonah's head till he became faint. Then Jonah asked for death, saying,
"I would be better off dead than alive."

But God said to Jonah, "Have you reason to be angry over the plant?"

"I have reason to be angry," Jonah answered, "angry enough to die."

Then the LORD said, "You are concerned over the plant which cost you no labor
and which you did not raise; it came up in one night and in one night it perished.
And should I not be concerned over Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot distinguish their right hand from their left, not to mention the many cattle?"

Responsorial Psalm PS 86:3-4, 5-6, 9-10

R. (15) Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for to you I call all the day. Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
R. Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in kindness to all who call upon you. Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer and attend to the sound of my pleading.
R. Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
All the nations you have made shall come and worship you, O Lord, and glorify your name. For you are great, and you do wondrous deeds; you alone are God.
R. Lord, you are merciful and gracious.

Alleluia ROM 8:15BC

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You have received a spirit of adoption as sons through which we cry: Abba! Father!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 11:1-4

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples."
He said to them, "When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread

and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test."

1.    God loves all His creatures, even those who do not understand/follow His will.

2.   God has a very understanding, patient, and forgiving nature. See Psalm 103.

3.   God welcomes, calls, us to Himself. See Wisdom Principles--God Loves Us and Calls Us to Him.  

4.   God wants us to seek His will. We see that in the Jesus’ instruction that we pray that God’s “kingdom come.”

5.    God wants us to love and forgive as He does.

6.   God does not want us to rebel against His will.

7.    God does not want us to be angry with/at others.