Wednesday of the First Week in Lent

Conversion

Liturgical Cycle: A, B, C | Lectionary Cycle: I, II

Introduction

Even for pagans, even for those known for their cruelty, like the people who enslaved the Jews, it is possible to be converted. When the author of the Book of Jonah told this to the Jews, it was an astonishing message to them. For Jews, yes, but for pagans? Jesus seems to turn things around: pagans turn to God, but you, God’s people, don’t. Aren’t we Christians perhaps, too smug too, thinking that we are God’s people, and therefore, need no conversion?

Opening Prayer

Forgiving, merciful God,
we pray to you for a good measure
of humility and honesty
to acknowledge before you and people,
that we are weak and fallible men and women,
who often try to turn a blind eye
to our shortcomings and our sins.
Strong with the grace won in the hard way
by your Son on the cross,
we beg you for the courage
to seek your forgiveness
and to turn and return wholeheartedly to you
and to serve you and people.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

First Reading

Jonah 3:1-10

The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:
""Set out for the great city of Nineveh,
and announce to it the message that I will tell you.""
So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh,
according to the LORD's bidding.
Now Nineveh was an enormously large city;
it took three days to go through it.
Jonah began his journey through the city,
and had gone but a single day's walk announcing,
""Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,""
when the people of Nineveh believed God;
they proclaimed a fast
and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.

When the news reached the king of Nineveh,
he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe,
covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes.
Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh,
by decree of the king and his nobles:
""Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep,
shall taste anything;
they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water.
Man and beast shall be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God;
every man shall turn from his evil way
and from the violence he has in hand.
Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath,
so that we shall not perish.""
When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way,
he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them;
he did not carry it out.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19

R. (19b) A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
In the greatness of your compassion, wipe out my offence.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

Alleluia Verse

Joel 2:12-13

Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!

Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart
for I am gracious and merciful.

Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!

Gospel

Luke 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.”

Prayers of the Faithful

– That God may give to the Church the courage to hear God’s call to constant conversion and renewal, we pray:

– That we may hear the call of the Lord to become ever more faithful to the Gospel, we pray:

– That the Church and each of us may receive the call of being prophets to change what is to be changed, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord, our God,
your Son, Jesus, prayed for forgiveness
for those who tortured him.
He invited sinners to his table
as he invites us now.
Let him restore us
and make us receive humbly and graciously
his forgiving love.
May we too, restore others
by sharing your mercy with them.
We ask you this through Christ, our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Merciful God,
may we leave this Eucharistic celebration
as people changed by the Word of Jesus,
knowing where he wants us to go.
And may his bread of life be our strength
to follow the path he has shown us,
the way to you and to people.
For he is our way and our life,
now and for ever.

Blessing

The trouble with us is that we sometimes congratulate ourselves on how good we are. Yet, we are called to live the Gospel more deeply, that it may be indeed Good News for us and for the people around us. May God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

REFLECTION:

Luke 11:29-32

The Jonah Sign

As we read the Gospel today, Luke illustrates Jesus' message with a metaphor: "the sign of Jonah", which talks about gaining life through death. Without the sign of Jonah —i.e., the pattern of new life only through death — Christianity remains a lifeless ideology, another way to “win” instead of turning all failures into triumphs.

All failures are potential stepping stones on our heavenward journey! By becoming a failure himself, Jesus redeems and transforms all human failures. Though we know the theology too well, it's never easy to deal with failures and pain. "The Way of the Cross" is the sign of Jonah, and what Jesus is teaching and living is this: Do not trust any spiritual teaching which does not lead you into the belly of the whale at least once—and lead you out the other side with a deeper message and a very clear God identity.

The “sign of Jonah” is the “only” sign that Jesus says he will give us. It is rather amazing that many spiritual teachers and leaders, and even clergy, have spent their whole life avoiding such suffering and failure. Looking at our life styles, will the Lord repeat the same words, "This generation is an evil generation...?" How do we intend to be witnesses to the resurrection event."

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Luke 11: 29-32

Lent is a time of conversion - Sign of Jonah

As we journey through this sacred season of Lent, we are reminded that it is a time of conversion, renewal, and transformation. The Gospel speaks of the Sign of Jonah as a call to repentance and change. In the same way, Jesus calls us today to turn back to God with sincerity and courage.

The people of Nineveh did not ignore the warning; instead, they humbled themselves, fasted, and sought God’s mercy. In contrast, Jesus rebuked the people of his time for seeking more signs, even though he himself was the greatest sign—God’s presence among them.

Too often, we become lukewarm, resisting real change. The danger is not just sin itself but our indifference—convincing ourselves that everything is fine even when we know we need to change. The Ninevites teach us that we waste no time to return to God with sincere hearts.

What signs is God sending into our life today? Sometimes, they come as struggles, sometimes as moments of grace, but all of them invite us to conversion. The people of Nineveh responded with fasting, prayer, and humility. This Lent, let us examine our conscience, recognise our faults, and take action to grow closer to God.

The Ninevites had to change their ways, and their conversion was not just for a moment but a commitment to live differently. Our journey of conversion is like a daily battle—we fall, we struggle, but we must rise again and keep moving forward in holiness.

Lent is our time to respond—to repent, believe, and renew our hearts. Let us not waste this season of grace but embrace it with open hearts, knowing that our ultimate goal is Heaven.

Lent is a time of conversion - Sign of Jonah - Youtube