God made us for Himself and wants to share His love with us. But from the beginning of time we know that people often turned away from God and turned to evil. Yet God always calls us back to Himself. In the First Reading God calls Jonah to be his instrument to warn the people to repent and turn away from their evil ways. The people, much to Jonah's surprise obeyed him and the King proclaimed forty days of fasting and penance. The people of Nineveh were saved.

Jonah has always been a sign to people but today there is something greater than Jonah here. Jesus Himself is offering us this invitation. At the beginning of this Lenten season we are invited to turn away from sin and to turn back to God.

Looking at the world today we can see much evil and destruction. What is Jesus calling us to as individuals and as communities? Can we create a new sign for people, a sign of repentance and forgiveness, a sign of new hope in Jesus leading to transformation of ourselves and of our world? Change begins with each of us individually, with you and with me.