“The sign of the cross is not an on-and-off switch,” I’d tell my students. “Some people think that when you make the sign of the cross, God is online. After you pray, you trace another cross, and God goes offline. Nope, it doesn’t work that way. Because God is always online!”

The prophet Jonah went to Nineveh to deliver a message from God. But Jesus, our Lord and our Brother, came to earth to be with us! Not just then, when He was physically present in the world, but now and forever. 

So the sign of the cross is a sign of God’s love. It is a sign of His victory. It’s a reminder that Jesus is with us always—no matter where we are, what we are doing, how we are feeling, or who we are with. 

The next time you make the sign of the cross, why don’t you make it big? Do it reverently. Be a “Wi-Fi signal” for Jesus. Inform those around you—in the gym, in a class, at work, in a cafe—that God is online. Always. Anytime. Anywhere. Marc V. Lopez (marcvlopez88@gmail.com) 

reflect

Are you waiting for a sign? You don’t need one. Jesus is right beside you. Talk to Him. 

Jesus, thank You for being with me always. Even when I don’t feel Your presence, I believe in faith that You are here. Please help me. Please guide me. Amen. 

Saint Seraphina, pray for us.

Jonah does what God asks him to do—he goes to Nineveh to preach repentance to the people there. They respond to his preaching, repenting of their evil ways. God relents and does not destroy the city. But why does Jonah get upset? He is worried about himself and his own reputation. To put our own needs before the needs of others is one of the struggles we have to overcome to become victorious over sin. 

¹ The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: ² “Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you.” ³ 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. ⁴ 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,” ⁵ when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth. ⁶ 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. ⁷ 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. ⁸ 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. ⁹ Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath, so that we shall not perish.” 10 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: A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. 

³ Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. ⁴ Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. (R) ¹² A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. ¹³ Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me. (R) ¹⁸ For you are not pleased with sacrifices; should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it. ¹⁹ My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. (R) 

Gospel | Luke 11:29-32

Every generation has its own wickedness. There is no point in complaining about our situation whatever it is. We need to make the most of our present life and do whatever we can to proclaim and live the Gospel. Jesus is frustrated by the slowness of people to accept the Gospel He preaches. People’s hardness of heart is much worse today. However, let us rejoice that we have the answer in Jesus and share this saving truth with others. 

Gospel Acclamation

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

²⁹ 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. ³⁰ Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. ³¹ 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. ³² 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.” 

 Read the Bible in one year! Read GENESIS 4 - 6 today.

Repentance during Lent is translated to our giving up of sweets, meat, social media, alcohol, etc. However, we return to them by Easter. It is as if Lent is just a breather. Though it has its benefits, its effect is oftentimes short-lived, not transformative. 

The Ninevites teach us what repentance means: (1) turning away from sins, but more importantly sinful and self-defeating patterns; and (2) turning toward God. Giving up something as a way of turning away from sins is a means toward a fuller way of living. 

The Ninevites did. The Jews in the Gospel did not, despite having Someone greater than Jonah. They even demanded for a sign. Just like us. We look for signs, causing us inconvenience. That is why we settle for shallow things to give up. We can just go back to it after Lent. 

Giving up sweets or alcohol is a good start, but this should level up to something more substantive in effecting deeper transformation. After all, we have Jesus Christ, Someone greater than Jonah, even much greater than our petty comforts and conveniences. This Lent, why don’t we get hold of what’s behind our comforts and conveniences—our self-centeredness? 

Confronting our petty selves can be painful but softens our ego. Eventually, it opens a bigger crack in our ego to allow God’s love to flow more fully through us. This prepares us well for Holy Thursday, when we allow the Lord to wash us clean. On Good Friday, we allow our resistances to be nailed with the Lord on His cross and be buried in the tomb. It is about this God who loves us unconditionally. Then we rise up with Jesus as new beings on Easter—we have decentered ourselves. It is no longer us but Christ! Fr. Bros Flores, SJ 

reflection question

What keeps you from decentering yourself this Lent? 

Lord Jesus, may I die more to myself so that You may live more in me, especially during this Lenten season. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ______________________________________