Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Wednesday of the first week of Lent, February 25th, 2026

Delivered by Elyanne from the Parish of Saint James in the Diocese of Surabaya, Indonesia. Jonah 3: 1-10; Rs psalm 51: 3-4.12-13.18-19; Luke 11: 29-32.MORE THAN A SIGN OFWARNING The title for ourmeditation today is: More Than a Sign of Warning. When the Jewish leaders,religious authorities and scholars pressed Jesus to give them a sign for allmiracles He had done, Jesus did not want to give any. He responded them withHis silence. Eventhough He would say an answer, they would not understand andaccept Him. On various occasions and in kinds of words He expplained that Hehimself is indeed a sign from God, but they prefered another kind of sign. Theyactually did not recognized Yesus as the One sent by the Lord who is in heaven. The book of theprophet Jonah in the first reading shows that the people and the city ofNineveh who were known for their sins, heeded God's warning and recognizedJonah when he came to speak to them. God presented His signs through theprophet Jonah. Then the city, its leaders and the inhabitants listened to theProphet. The result was that they all repented. On another occasion, the Queenof Sheba who was not of a Jewish and a believer recognized God's wisdom throughthe King Solomon. This shows that Jonah and Solomon were signs from God. God'ssign through Jonah was the message of God's mercy for the people of Nineveh.Through Solomon God delivered the message of joyful wisdom to the queen and thewhole world. If our response is toaccept, acknowledge, and undertake the messages from God through human signs,things become easy and God blesses us with abundant gifts. We then have joy,peace, happiness, and salvation. The problem is that there are always humanreactions that do not hear, reject, and do not heed the warning. Obviously theresult is that they do not receive God's blessing. The reactions of the Jewishleaders, religious authorities, and scholars were even harder, as they did notaccept the signs from above. They did not acknowledge God to be more powerfulthan Jonah and Solomon. This is their big mistake, so the Lord warned themright away and strongly! We experience God'spresence directly through the preaching of His word. The Word is preached bythe various ministries of the Church as the light and source of our lives. Inthe Eucharist, the word becomes the Body of Jesus we receive and eat. In the sacramentof Reconciliation, the word becomes a gift of mercy that forgives and saves usfrom sin. In homilies, the word becomes a spiritual spring that satisfies thethirst of our souls. In pastor's blessing, the word becomes a spiritual forcethat strengthens our spiritual life. In spiritual songs, the word becomes agentle touch that makes us calm and comfortable. In the counsel of parents andadults, the word protects us. So throughout our lives the word of God isincarnated. We just need to accept and acknowledge that there is a God, andthen we fulfill His will. Let's pray. In the name of the Father... O most loving and generous Father, fill our hearts with Your wisdom andlove so that we may grow in the way You wish us to be. Let us alwaysacknowledge You and Your plan for us. Glory to the Father and to the Son and tothe Holy Spirit ... In the name of the Father ...