A little girl was noticed by her pastor, as she held her storybook, entitled "Jonah and the Whale." The pastor thought he would see if the little girl believed the story about Jonah. So, after saying “Hi” to the girl, he asked her to tell him about the book she was holding. The girl said the book was about Jonah, and how he was swallowed by a whale. The pastor asked: "Do you believe that really happened?"
The little girl replied, "Yes, I believe the story of Jonah is true." You mean you really believe that a man can be swallowed up by a big whale, stay inside him all that time, and come out of there still alive and okay? She said, "Absolutely – this story is in the Bible, and we studied about it in Sunday school today!"
Then the pastor asked, "How can you prove that the story about Jonah is true?" She thought for a moment, and then said, "When I get to heaven, I'll ask Jonah."
The pastor then asked, "What if Jonah's NOT in heaven?" She scowled, put her hands on her little waist, and sternly said: "Then YOU can ask him!"
Our first reading about Jonah doesn’t mention the whale, but no matter, we cannot discuss Jonah without that whale-of-a-tale story. It involves a boat, its crew, and the sea which brings us to our Gospel about the Sea of Galilee, fishing and a boat with its crew – Simon, Andrew, James and John who left their nets and boat to follow Jesus.
These fishermen with their nets provide a good introduction to a timely fable by Aesop believed to be the author of a collection of Greek fables.
A fisherman cast his net into the sea, and when he drew it up again, it contained nothing but one small fish that begged to be put back in the water. “I’m only a little fish now,” it said, “but I shall grow big one day, and then if you come and catch me again, I shall be of some use to you.” But the fisherman replied, “Oh, no, I shall keep you now that I’ve got you. If I put you back, should I ever see you again? Not likely!”
Many of us Catholics parents of young children, are like Aesop’s fisherman, and we are tempted not to let them grow and mature with a clear understanding of what it means to be Catholic. We insist our little ones become practicing Catholics even when they don’t understand our faith. We don’t do a good job explaining our faith or modelling how a Catholic should act with understanding, tolerance, compassion, mercy, and love of our neighbor. We don’t show them a clearly marked way – a narrow path to walk.
Unlike the fisherman who replied, “Oh, no, I shall keep you now that I’ve got you. If I put you back, should I ever see you again? Not likely!,” we must show patience and resolve with our children. The nets we cast for our children – and all others for that matter – must be constructed and mended with Jesus’s blueprint and twine to provide an understanding of what it means to be a Catholic, as well as how to read Scripture and apply its moral lessons to everyday living. That is the only way we will catch them, release them, and always see them again as they follow Jesus.
Furthermore, for us adults and net casters, we must not have a Catholic faith that remains childlike – meaning a faith that is still in its infancy – that does not evolve beyond what we learned in Sunday School, like the little girl in the story. A childlike, immature faith is one in which we take the Bible quite literally – that, for example, we believe a whale really swallowed a man called Jonah and then spit him up on dry land. Or that God is punishing and would actually destroy Nineveh as described in our first reading.
The real meaning of this story is repentance and mercy. Jonah first refused to bring the message of God’s mercy to the Ninevites who were wicked. He later changed his mind and preached to the Ninevites that they should repent, and they did. They turned from their evil ways. As should we.
This is a real-life lesson for us because we tend to be like Jonah. We refuse to bring the message of God’s mercy, meaning we refuse to forgive and show mercy to those who have trespassed against us – who have hurt us in some ways. In a way, we remain in the belly of the whale in darkness where we nurse our hurts and seek revenge or retaliation. We must act like Jonah when he was back on dry land, presumably covered with whale spit and slime, to be merciful and forgiving.
Finally, we have our responsorial psalm that sings: “Teach me your ways, O Lord. Your ways, O LORD, make known to me; teach me your paths.” Along that path we can find many signs providing that teaching. Some signs might read:
He who kneels before God can stand before anyone.
When praying, don't give God instructions – just report for duty.
God doesn't want shares of your life – God wants a controlling interest.
Don't wait for six strong men to take you to church.
Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory position.
Exercise daily – Walk with the Lord.
Never give the devil a ride – the devil will always want to drive.
A clean conscience makes a soft pillow.
Worry is the darkroom in which negatives can develop.
Give Satan an inch and he'll be a ruler.
Stop wailing and be thankful God’s blessings.
Be fishers of men, and women – you catch them & God will clean them.
Mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.
Where mercy is shown, mercy is given.
Those are some signs we might find along the Lord’s path clearly marked at its entrance by this commandment: Do what is good and moral while shunning what is evil. Never abandon hope, all who enter my narrow path; I am with you.
Deacon David Pierce
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