21-02-24 Mencari Tarsis: Ketika Kita Melarikan Diri dari Panggilan Tuhan

Wednesday 1st week of Lent "Lk 11:29-32" When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nineveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation...The men of Nineveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here." God needed someone to preach in Nineveh, and decided that Jonah was 'the man for the job'. But you know the story, don't you? The instructions were simple: set out for the great city of Nineveh and preach against it. As a matter of fact, the Ninevites were an idolatrous, proud, and ruthless people who had long been a threat to Israel. So Jonah, being an Israelite, decided to put as much distance as he could between himself and them. Whatever happened to Nineveh, Jonah would not be there to see it. So he fled in the opposite direction; he got on a boat to go to Tarshish. 'God has His plans,' Jonah may have thought: 'but I have mine!' God loves us; He created us and knows what we can do. We can be certain that He will never ask you for 'more' than you can give... But He will never ask you for 'less'. Because it is not just about you. It's about the many souls who depend on you. Nineveh could have been condemned if God had not gone after Jonah to 'convince' him (in a very persuasive way) that the people of Nineveh needed him. When Jonah eventually complied and did what God had asked for, the result was impressive: the people of Nineveh converted and turned to God. What would have become of those thousands of people if Jonah had not gone back? What will become of your relatives and friends who may be far from God if you do not do anything to help them? There are many souls who depend on my generosity in following my vocation; souls who will not hear about God's Love for them if I don't tell them; souls whose salvation depends greatly on me. Mary, Refuge of sinners, I beg your assistance to help those souls and, if ever I run away from those who need me, please come and fetch me!