Wednesday of the First Week in Lent

 Lectionary: 226

The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:
""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.

Only a culture without humor, set on vindictive hostility against its own, could miss the humor of Jonah. They disbelieve God's word because a whale cannot swallow a man and a worm cannot consume a tree. When Jesus cited the Old Testament parable his Jewish listeners certainly laughed with him at the leaders who feared his prophetic mission. Faith in God's mercy goes with a sense of humor; they're practically the same thing. We know who we are, God's faithful, beloved, sinful people. And sometimes we're ridiculous. 

Among the friars and Knights of Columbus, 12-step groups, and the Veterans in the VA hospital, I have often observed the joy and humorous quips of those on the way to recovery. They have found themselves in God's presence and, greatly relieved of the burden of self, they laugh about their misadventures and shortcomings. 

As we practice penance we discover that our sense of humor must also be disciplined and inspired. Adults know when to laugh and when to cry. They recognize the humor that heals and reconciles, and the humor which only hurts. They know that healthy grief can laugh with stories about loved ones even as we mourn their passing. 

I have to wonder if the Hebrew word Hallelujah began with ha ha. When the Lord is raised up at Easter, we laugh with relief as evildoers, abandoning their weapons, their arguments, and their pride flee from God's justice. Cowards, they disappear over the horizon. The danger is passed, the Lord has vindicated us and his word; we can laugh about how scared we were. 

Lent is a practice of penance. During this season we remember the righteousness and the sins of our ancestors. We recognize their pretensions and our own; and in the darkness of the confessional we see ourselves in the light of God's mercy. We have sinned, we and our ancestors. He handed us over to the nations and our adversaries ruled over us. We defiled ourselves by conforming to the nations. We became adulterers by our conduct; and so the LORD grew angry with us; he abhorred his own heritage.

But still God has regard for our affliction when he hears our wailing. For our sake he remembers his covenant and relents in his abundant mercy. We are so relieved. Our tears are pure joy.