It's been a while since I shared a thought through Father Ryan Online ... blame it on my retreat which led into Lent at St. Michael Parish. But as I sit here preparing for tonight's Mission Mass, I can't help but be struck by the readings which the Church provides for her liturgy today. As we wrap up our reflection on "Our Call to Holiness and How to Get There," the Church invites us to reflect on the life of the prophet Jonah -- the guy who provided a three-day snack for a great fish.
Jonah is a great reminder for us about what the call to holiness means. He didn't want to be holy. He actively tried to RUN AWAY from God's call to holiness. He wanted to get as far away as possible from his vocation. And yet God intervened in his life in a powerful way to BRING HIM BACK to where he needed to be ... with the result that "a very large city" repented of their sins, down to the last donkey.
So often we think that holiness is something that we have to do. Yet we learn from the life of Jonah that God desires our holiness even more than we do. He desires to intervene in our lives to put us where we need to be ... in short, to help us to respond to His love, and thus to BE HOLY. When it comes to our part, WE need only place ourselves in a position where we can respond to that call. We need only open our hearts to receive His grace so that we can respond to that love. We need only "pull a Jonah" and let ourselves be taken to where we need to be.
I hope to see you at the Parish Mission Mass tonight at 7:00 at St. Michael's. ... And until then, may God give us the grace to hear His call and allow Him to put us where we need to be, so that we can be holy.
