The explanation of the readings 

The Third Day of Ninevah’s fasting 

 

The theme of this day’s readings is the compassion of God, who leads and encourages every soul to repent and trust in his rich mercies. 

The readings begin with a second call of God to Jonah for the sake of the people of Nineveh and Jonah’s shock at God’s acceptance of their repentance and his confession that this was the reason for his escape from the beginning. 

“You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.” 

 

God reproached Jonah for having compassion on a day-old pumpkin and not having compassion on a whole people. 

“But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. 

And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left–and much livestock?” 

 

The Matins Psalm also shows God’s rich mercies as a father with his children and his rich forgiveness and breadth. 

“As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 

As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him.” 

The psalm of the liturgy leads us to the entrance to divine forgiveness, which is the confession of sin. 

“I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. “ 

 

The Matins gospel preaches to the children of the New Testament the divine rest freely poured out on all who are tired of sin and heavy loads from its effects, and this rest is the object of God’s delight. 

“At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 

 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” 

 

As for Pauline Epistle, St. Paul shows the extent and depth of the richness of God’s mercies in the life given to those who were dead in spirit. 

 “among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 

 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 

 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus…. 

 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,” 

While Catholics proclaim the three greatest gifts to mankind from the riches of God’s mercy, namely forgiveness, victory over Satan and knowledge of God. 

“I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. 

I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father.” 

 

As for Praxis, it tells us about the divine visitation of nations in the fullness of time. 

“Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name… 

So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the Lord who does all these things.” 

 

The Gospel of the liturgy concludes with divine compassion for the weary crowds in the desolate place as an example of His compassion for our weak humanity in the wilderness of this world. 

“ Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” 

 

The summary of the readings 

	Jonah   Ch.3,4		God’s second call to Jonah and the great repentance of the people of Nineveh.
	The vespers Psalm		God’s rich mercy and forgiveness.
	The Vespers Gospel		Divine rest is freely given to all who are tired of sin.
	Pauline Epistle		God’s rich mercies to the alien nations that were dead in spirit.
	Catholic Epistle		The three greatest divine gifts to man are forgiveness ,victory over Satan and the knowledge of God.
	Praxis		God’s visitation of nations in the fullness of time.
The liturgy psalm			Confession of sin is the entrance to divine forgiveness.
The Liturgy Gospel			For the divine pity for the weak humanity in the wilderness and desolation of this world

 

The church in today’s readings 

 

Jonah		The true concept of repentance is life-changing.
The Vespers Gospel		الابن واحد مع الآب في الجوهر.  The Son is one with the Father in essence.
Pauline Epistle		Good deeds are a divine gift to those who live in Christ , glory be to Him
Pauline Epistle and Praxis		The unity of the old and New Testament Church, Jews and Gentiles.
Catholic Epistle		Spiritual struggle against the love of the world.

 

 

Top of Form 

Inspired by the readings
Reproach with God 

“Was not this what I said when I was still in my country?“ (Jonah 4:2) 

Bottom of Form 

• Can we see the things of our life better than God!.
• Is our soeech more truthful?

* Is our logic more realistic? !. 

* Should we implement what we see!. 

* Question marks with him are better than the answers of the world? 

* His silence is deeper than human philosophies. 

* Those who live with Him understand. 

* Anyone who tries to understand without dealing with Him stumbles. 

Let us sit at His feet and pray for His peace and presence in our confusion and helplessness.