Jonah 3:1-10 / Luke 11:29-32
The number 40 in the Bible has the meanings of being a time of trial, a time of test and also a time of purification.
Before Jesus began His ministry, He spent 40 days in the desert to be tried and tested by the devil, and He overcame the temptations of the devil.
The people of Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years where their faith in God had to undergo trials and tests before they entered the Promised Land.
And as we heard in the 1st reading, Jonah announced that in 40 days' time, the great city of Nineveh will be destroyed.
The people of Nineveh had 40 days to decide their destiny. Or they can be defiant and see if Jonah's prophecy will come true.
But their immediate response to penance and repentance became an example even to the people of Israel, who hated the Ninevites as their arch-enemies.
And in the gospel, Jesus even used the story of Nineveh's repentance as a sign to the people of Israel.
We have already begun our 40 days journey of Lent. Like the people of Nineveh, we also have 40 days to decide what will be the outcome after this time.
The days are counting down. We have all the signs. This is the time of test and trials and also a time of penance and purification.
Let us ask God for the grace to live up to the test and to overcome the trials so that we can offer to the Lord a pure heart after these 40 days.