The Gospel episode tells us of Jesus visiting the house of his friends: Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Luke highlights two types of hospitality offered by the two sisters. Martha is occupied with the domestic chore of preparing meal for her guest (most probably, for the Apostles as well); her view is that of attending to Jesus’ immediate need before enjoying his company. Pope Francis remarks that Martha’s “philosophy” seems to be duty first, pleasure second. On the other hand, Mary sits beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak, and for Jesus she has “chosen the better part” (v 42). This is not to discredit Martha’s attitude of service; rather Jesus accentuates that “listening” to his teachings is a better choice in the new order of priorities. Mary is the type of disciple who is attentive to the will of God, although service (diakonia) is also an important part of community life. Listening to the word of the Lord precedes the worth of practical efforts, since intentionality and sense of purpose gives meaning to our endeavors. Attention to the Lord prevents us from fussing and fretting over many things.

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. Now Nineveh was an enormously large city; it took three days to go through it. Jonah began his journey through the city, and had gone but a single day’s walk announcing, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,” when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.

When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes. Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his nobles: “Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep, shall taste anything; they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water. Man and beast shall be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God; every man shall turn from his evil way and from the violence he has in hand. Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath, so that we shall not perish.” When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.