Wednesday of the First Week in Lent (Feb. 17, 2016)

Reading 1 and//www.usccb.org/bible/jonah/3and1 JON 3and1-10 The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second timeand Set out for the great city of Nineveh,and announce to it the message that I will tell you.”So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh,according to the LORD’s bidding.Now Nineveh was an enormously large cityit took three days to go through it.Jonah began his journey through the city,and had gone but a single day’s walk announcing, Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,”when the people of Nineveh believed Godthey proclaimed a fastand all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.When the news reached the king of Nineveh,he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe,covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes.Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh,by decree of the king and his noblesand Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep,shall taste anythingthey shall not eat, nor shall they drink water.Man and beast shall be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to Godevery man shall turn from his evil wayand from the violence he has in hand.Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath,so that we shall not perish.”When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way,he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to themhe did not carry it out. Responsorial Psalm and//www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/51and3 PS 51and3-4, 12-13, 18-19 R. (19b)A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodnessin the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.Thoroughly wash me from my guiltand of my sin cleanse me. R.A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. A clean heart create for me, O God,and a steadfast spirit renew within me.Cast me not out from your presence,and your Holy Spirit take not from me. R.A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. For you are not pleased with sacrificesshould I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirita heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. R.A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. Verse Before The Gospel and//www.usccb.org/bible/joel/2:12 JL 2:12-13 Even now, says the LORD,return to me with your whole heartfor I am gracious and merciful. Gospel and//www.usccb.org/bible/luke/11:29 LK 11:29-32 While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, This generation is an evil generationit seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,except the sign of Jonah.Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,so will the Son of Man be to this generation.At the judgmentthe queen of the south will rise with the men of this generationand she will condemn them,because she came from the ends of the earthto hear the wisdom of Solomon,and there is something greater than Solomon here.At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generationand condemn it,because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,and there is something greater than Jonah here.”