💖 HOMILY - OCTOBER 8 💖

First Reading - Jonah 4:1-11 

Gospel - Luke 11:1-4

Have you ever felt frustrated when things didn’t go the way you expected, even when you were trying to do good? Perhaps you prayed for justice, and mercy came instead; or you wanted someone to change, and God seemed to be gentler than you thought they deserved. Moments like these can stir the same kind of inner struggle that Jonah experienced in today’s first reading.

Jonah had obeyed God’s command to preach to Nineveh. He had finally done what God asked, and his message was effective — the people repented. But rather than rejoicing in their conversion, Jonah became angry. He wanted punishment, not pardon. He wanted justice on his terms, not mercy on God’s. God’s response to Jonah is deeply tender: “Should I not be concerned for Nineveh, that great city?” God reveals His heart — a heart that values mercy over vengeance, compassion over pride.

In the Gospel, Jesus teaches His disciples to pray, giving them the words we know as the Lord’s Prayer. At its center is the same spirit that God was teaching Jonah — the spirit of humility and trust. “Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us.” In this short, powerful line, Jesus invites us into the rhythm of divine mercy. To pray the Lord’s Prayer sincerely is to let go of resentment, to align our hearts with God’s — to desire mercy, not only for ourselves but for others.

Dear friends, prayer changes us before it changes others. Jonah’s story shows what happens when we pray but still cling to control, when we want God to act according to our will. The Lord’s Prayer, however, teaches us to surrender — to let God’s mercy shape our hearts.

In daily life, this means learning to pray with open hands, not clenched fists. It means forgiving those who have hurt us, even when it’s difficult. It means choosing compassion when we’re tempted to judge, and patience when we want quick answers. God’s ways are not always ours, but His plans always flow from love.

So today, as we pray the words “Thy will be done,” let us remember Jonah’s lesson. God’s mercy is bigger than our expectations, and His love reaches farther than our comfort zones. The more we pray as Jesus taught us, the more our hearts become like His — forgiving, generous, and free.

May we learn, through prayer, to see others as God sees them — not as problems to be fixed or punished, but as souls to be loved and redeemed. Then our prayer will no longer just be words; it will become a way of life.