27th Week, Monday, Oct 9
Jonah 1:1 - 2:1, 11 / Luke 10:25-37
God calls Jonah: Jonah fled from God.
Psychologist Abraham Maslow says that most of us suffer from the Jonah Complex. He explains it this way: Just as Jonah fled from God’s call, so many of us flee inner calls and dreams. Our reason for fleeing them is that we think they are beyond our grasp. Maslow makes his point with students by asking them, “Which of you hopes to write the great American novel or be senator or governor someday?” The students always giggle and laugh. They think such goals are out of the question.
****
Are we like Jonah? Are we fleeing from some inner call or dream? “A blind man’s world is bounded by the limits of his touch; an ignorant man’s world by the limits of his knowledge; a great man’s world by the limits of his vision.” E. Paul Harvey
****
The late Cardinal John Henry Newman struggled to understand the mystery of his own life, as well as the meaning and purpose of life. As he prayed, he came to this conclusion: God has created him to do some definite service. God has committed some work to him which He has not committed to another. Hence, he has a particular mission in life.
Cardinal Newman was an Anglican cleric, but after researching and studying Scriptures and Church doctrines, he felt that he had to return to the roots of the Church. Subsequently, he became a Catholic and devoted his life and intellectual talents to teaching and explaining the Catholic faith. That was what he felt was his mission and meaning of his life.
As we reflect on today's readings, we also see two characters who had to struggle with their mission and finding the meaning of their lives. The prophet Jonah tried to avoid his mission but God's call was just too strong to evade.
In the gospel, Jesus portrayed the Samaritan as someone who faced the basic human mission of helping another human being who was in need, and that called for the putting aside of the discrimination and the animosity. So, God has a mission for us, for each one of us. Certainly, each of us has a particular calling to a particular service to God. But let us also not forget our basic human mission, and that is to be a neighbor of love to those in need.
***
According to an old Jewish story, a father tells his small son: “I think that God made people because he likes to tell stories and he wanted someone to tell them to.” We have Jesus with us today to tell us the immortal story of the Good Samaritan. Who is my neighbor? Anyone who needs me, whoever he or she may be. And “go and do the same.”
***
Prayer: Our God and Father, in signs and stories your Son Jesus made it clear to us that love of you and our neighbor is the heart of the Christian life. Make it indeed clear and obvious to us that anyone in need is our neighbor and that in serving those around us we love and serve you, our Lord and God forever. Amen
