Saint Jonah, prophet

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Jonah Michelangelo.jpgYou did pass three days and night within the sea-monster's entrails, showing forth the Lord's descent into the belly of Hades. For when He had freely suffered His saving Passion, He arose out of the sepulcher on the the third day. Hence, we honor you, O Prophet, who wads deemed worthy to be a figure of Christ. (Kontakion, 3rd tone)

The Roman Martyrology notes today, in addition to the evangelist Saint Matthew, as the feast day of the Old Testament prophet Jonah, as a saint. Jonah lived in the eighth century BC and succeeded the Prophet Elisha. His prophecies included judgments on the people of Israel and the downfall of Jerusalem, the suffering of the Savior, and the final destruction of the world; his prophetic utterances therefore focused on penance and repentance of all believers which is a central theme in the preaching of Jesus, which He the disciples to. The Fathers of the Church have taught that Prophet Jonah is a type of Christ:

An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them - and now, something greater than Jonah is here! (Matthew 12:39-41)

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Paul A. Zalonski is from New Haven, CT. He is a member of the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation, a Catholic ecclesial movement and an Oblate of Saint Benedict. Contact Paul at paulzalonski[at]yahoo.com.

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This page contains a single entry by Paul Zalonski published on September 21, 2010 4:00 PM.

Conventual Franciscan professes vows: Gabriel Scasino hopes to attain perfect charity was the previous entry in this blog.

I invite you to become saints, Pope Benedict said to UK students is the next entry in this blog.

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