As we read the story of Jonah, we need to recall the definition of a prophet. A prophet is one who speaks for God, not someone who predicts the future. Here the “prediction” did not come to pass because the people of Nineveh listened to God, via the prophet Jonah and reformed their lives. This is especially significant because Nineveh was not a Hebrew/Jewish town. It is also significant in that it shows God’s mercy and love to all peoples, not just those descendants of Jacob.
The Psalm asks, Teach me your ways, O Lord. I have found the Lord always ready to teach, yet how often are we ready to listen and learn? I know all too often I don’t want to hear what God wants me to learn so I shut my ears so as to not hear! The second reading reminds us that the world in its present form is passing away. Do we look at our lives as passing swiftly? I suspect the older we may be, the faster it seems to pass. For eons people have asked God, “How long?” We need to realize our lives can be like a passing shadow from a cloud on a sunny day. The Gospel says the Kingdom of God is at hand! Do we live like it? I remember a TV show from years ago. The premise was simple. What would we do if we knew without-a-doubt we only had a short time to live? What would we do differently? How would we respond to others?
I speculate that, if we were living the way we are called to be living, no changes need be made. Are we that ready? I remember a pastor asking the community on a Sunday, “Who is ready to go to heaven?” Most people raised their hands. The pastor then stated there was a bus leaving immediately, most hands came down. Should we not always be ready?
Countenance of God 