When today’s saint's parents died when he was only a boy, his brother, who was a priest named Damien, lovingly took care of him.
To honor this act of charity, his younger brother changed his name to Peter Damien. This future saint dedicated his life to God as a hermit and monk who became an abbot and ultimately a cardinal-bishop of Ostia. He’s known for his work in reforming the clergy of his diocese from laxness and immorality to fidelity to God and holiness of life.
He and his brother remind us of the importance of sacrificial love within our families and how God can bring good even out of tragic loss.
In today’s readings, we are reminded of God’s love for us, even when we have fallen into sin. We have the classic story of Jonah being sent by God to warn the Ninevites that the end was near for them.
Saying No to God
But before we get to that, did you notice that it says that the Word of God came to Jonah a second time? This is because Jonah tried to avoid following God’s instruction … and we know how that worked out for him!
It made me wonder, has God ever called you and me more than once, and we’ve been like Jonah, who tried to evade God’s call, or maybe just ignored it?
As Father Pinto said yesterday, Lent is a time for personal reflection on what God is saying to us each day. Yes, it is a time of fasting and almsgiving, a time of sacrifice and giving to others, but it is also a time to honestly listen to what God is calling us to do or not do—are we listening and responding?
The Sign of Jonah
In Luke’s gospel, Jesus tells the listeners that their sign is Jonah, who became a sign for the Ninevites to wake up, repent, and do penance for their sins. In response, the people believed God’s message as told by His prophet Jonah.
Their actions, from the King down to his subjects, were to fast, put on sackcloth, and sit in ashes. In addition, the King decreed that all should cry out loudly that everyone should turn away from evil and violence.
We can ask ourselves, what do we need to turn away from? Is it pride, anger, jealousy, greed, lust, or something else? God has pity on the humble. Even in cases where our self-esteem is low, it can be hard to humbly admit we are wrong, that we have sinned and need God’s forgiveness.
When was the last time you went to confession? Has God called you more than once? If there is any hesitation, remember the hope-filled words of the psalmist: “A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.”
St. Peter Damien, like Jonah, acted out of love for God and his brothers and sisters in Christ. If we want to do the same, we must first humble ourselves, seek God’s forgiveness, and then help our brothers and sisters to do the same.
St. Peter Damien, pray for us!
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