CALL TO CHANGE

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) 
Jonah 3:1-5, 10/Psalm 25/1 Corinthians 7:29-31/Mark 1:14-20 

Our readings for this Sunday talks about the call to change. God calls everyone to change their ways. 

We hear in the First Reading how God sent the prophet Jonah to Nineveh in order to warn the people that God will destroy the city of Nineveh if they do not change their ways. At first, Jonah disobeyed the Lord because he didn't want to and went on board on a boat to another place in order to escape from the Lord. But, after the experience of the storm and being eaten by the whale, Jonah obeyed the Lord's command to go to Nineveh and preach the message of God. 

The people of Nineveh heard the message of God, and upon hearing it, turned away from their sinful ways and prayed to God for mercy. They wore sack clothes as a sign of repentance. No feasting went on upon hearing the news from Jonah. They had forty days to repent and turn back to God. As a result of their repentance, God did not continue with the plan to destroy Nineveh. God's mercy and compassion towards the sinners prevailed. The Lord spared the people of Nineveh from His wrath because they repented and turned back to Him. 

At the start of today's Sunday Gospel, we hear Jesus preaching repentance to all the people. He says, "The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel." (Mark 1:15) Jesus calls upon His countrymen in Galilee to repent and believe in the Gospel. He is calling everyone, even up until today, to repent and turn back to God. 

The second part of the Gospel this Sunday talks about the first disciples of Jesus. The first four disciples of Jesus were fishermen - Saints Peter, Andrew, James (the Great) and John. Despite being fishermen and unqualified, Jesus chose the four fishermen to be His disciples. The lives of the first four disciples - the fishermen - were changed since the day Jesus called them. Their mission is to no longer to be fishermen. Instead, they were chosen to be fishers of men. The first disciples now have a new mission. 

God is calling each and everyone of us to have a change of heart. What will be our response? How will we respond to God's call to change our lives and turn back to Him?