SAINT DENIS, BISHOP, AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

The Lord, however, hurled a violent wind upon the sea. 

If you read the story of Jonah carefully, you’ll notice that the Lord never abandoned his wayward prophet. Instead, he kept calling him back. At first, when Jonah didn’t listen to him, the Lord sent a violent storm—not to harass him, but to bring him into his will. Then, when Jonah was thrown overboard, he sent a large fish to swallow him. In those three days inside the fish’s belly, Jonah had time to think and pray, and he finally decided to heed the Lord’s call: “What I have vowed I will pay,” he said (Jonah 2:10).

What about us? What does God do when we don’t listen to his voice? We learn from Jonah that God doesn’t abandon us—regardless of how we might feel or how dire the situation might look. Like Jonah, we may find that circumstances are not going well for us. Instead of a literal wind that knocks us off our feet, though, we are more likely to feel an inward disturbance. This feeling of unease can be a sign that we are “off course.” It’s really the voice of the Holy Spirit telling us that something’s not right.

The Spirit’s “still, small voice”—even when it seems very insistent or “loud”—never stops speaking to us. Through his Spirit, God will continue to nudge us. When we resist him, we may feel like Jonah in the belly of the whale, constrained and alone. But what we are really experiencing is God’s faithfulness and relentless persistence in calling us to follow him.

Is there a situation that the Lord has you “stirred up” about? Is there something he’s asking of you that seems too challenging? Perhaps you feel that you’re too busy and don’t have the time for another commitment. Or maybe you’re afraid of stepping out, and you’re worried what will happen if you do. Keep experimenting with listening to the Lord. If you think he’s asking you to do something, don’t be like Jonah and run in the opposite direction. Take that first step along the path God is showing you. Then see what God does with your willingness!

“Lord, help me to listen to you. Open my heart to hear your voice in every circumstance and to always follow your call.”

Jonah 1:1-2:2, 11
(Psalm) Jonah 2:3-5, 8
Luke 10:25-37