Stop, Listen and Respond

Homily for Tuesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Today, we reach the point in the story of Jonah which reveals that the people of Nineveh, despite their reputation, respond immediately and wholeheartedly to Jonah’s message. Their repentance is communal and sincere—from the king to the commoner.

Our response to this reading comes to us from Psalm 130. This psalm is a heartfelt plea for mercy, echoing the spirit of Nineveh. It reminds us that God does not keep a record of sins but offers forgiveness to those who seek Him.

From the Gospel of Saint Luke, we hear the story of Mary and Martha. Martha is busy with service; Mary is still and attentive. Jesus doesn’t rebuke Martha’s service but points out that Mary has chosen “the better part”—being present to Him.

These readings inform us that true transformation begins when we stop, listen, and respond. The Ninevites listened to Jonah. Mary listened to Jesus. The psalmist listened for God’s mercy in the depths. As the verse before the Gospel reminds us: “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” However, we must all admit that there are many distractions in our world, a world full of noise, which keeps us from truly hearing the word of God. Just as Martha is distracted by her duty to welcome Jesus into her home, we also find it difficult at times to spend time with God’s word in prayer. Unfortunately, we miss an important opportunity when we allow those distractions to pull us away from truly listening, from true hearing. The heart of the message of today’s Scripture readings is the need to continue responding to God’s word with repentance, and with the knowledge of God’s mercy toward us.

The rosary, which is the focus of our prayers today, is such an opportunity as it calls upon us to reflect on the mysteries of the life of Jesus and our Blessed Mother. She sets an example for us as she keeps reflecting on the memories that filled her heart.