Something Greater than Jonah is Here "

Today's Mass Readings

On this memorial of St. Teresa of Jesus, better known as St. Teresa of Avila, we find Jesus hinting at His significance in today’s reading from the Gospel of Luke. He is criticizing many of His generation, because they did not recognize who He was. At the preaching of Jonah, as we saw last week, the Assyrians of Nineveh repented, but Jesus is far more important than Jonah. Jonah was a prophet of God, but Jesus is God Himself. And yet, Jonah’s preaching, the preaching of one of God’s prophets was sufficient for the wicked Assyrians to repent. Jesus is likewise greater than King Solomon. Under King Solomon, the Davidic Monarchy reached its zenith. The Israelite Kingdom of David was at the height of its power and glory under Solomon’s reign. Gentiles, including those from the south, flocked to Jerusalem to learn the wisdom of God from Solomon. Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem. And yet, Jesus is greater than the wise builder Solomon; Jesus is God Himself come down as one of us. Many in Jesus’ generation did not recognize Him as God. Some even thought Jesus was demonic, as we also saw in readings from last week.

St. Teresa of Jesus, however, recognized Who Jesus was. Empowered as she was by Jesus, she initiated important reforms in the Carmelite order, at a particularly important time, at the dawn of the Protestant Reformation. She was so inspired by the spirit of Jesus that she is one of the 33 Doctors of the Church, the first ever woman Doctor of the Church, of only three women Church Doctors. Her example of faith in Jesus is one we can all follow. Like St. Teresa, let us recognize Who Christ is, and then allow Him to transform our lives so that we can transform the world around us.