Bro. Sasit "Ice" Wongsirimaetekul | Province of Thailand

For today, the reading tells us the story of Jonah with the city that repents from their sin. Gospel today also connects to the reading that talks about people asking for a prophet to prove they are believed, and they did not aware of Jesus himself who greater than all the prophet is with them already.  I want to point out the idea of the presence of God in our life from the joke story that we may hear of it before. A fellow was stuck on his rooftop in a flood. He was praying to God for help. Soon a man in a rowboat came by and the fellow shouted to the man on the roof, "Jump in, I can save you." The stranded fellow shouted back, "No, it's OK, I'm praying to God and he is going to save me." So, the rowboat went on. Then a motorboat came by. "The fellow in the motorboat shouted, "Jump in, I can save you." To this, the stranded man said, "No thanks, I'm praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith." So, the motorboat went on. Then a helicopter came by and the pilot shouted down, "Grab this rope and I will lift you to safety." To this, the stranded man again replied, "No thanks, I'm praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith." So, the helicopter reluctantly flew away. Soon the water rose above the rooftop and the man drowned. He went to Heaven. He finally got his chance to discuss this whole situation with God, at which point he exclaimed, "I had faith in you but you didn't save me, you let me drown. I don't understand why!" To this God replied, "I sent you a rowboat and a motorboat and a helicopter, what more did you expect?"

Now let us look back to our experience in the past about the chance that God offers to us and we have taken it. ….. Personally, for me is the time I got invited to experience seminarian life. At the same time, I look back at the opportunity that I have successfully taken it there are some opportunities that I refuse or missing it from my mistake and selfishness. I am late to respond to the call of God and the need of others around me and then that opportunity had gone and never come back again. This Gospel today has offered me a chance to be aware of the presence of God.

The story that stands out, when I talk about my lost opportunity, is the story of when God led me to enter the seminary, it is the connect story with the opportunity that God offer me to seminarian life that I have mentioned before. I had refused the invitation to join the seminary for 5times before I decided to try but God's mercy has offered me a chance to make the right choice. My story is lucky but imagine if people that Jonah met did not repent when God offer them a chance. They may all be doom. We have only one life and sometimes only one opportunity to repent like the reading story.

Let us be aware of people who God had to send to us as a messenger for us. All of our brothers and sisters around us offer a chance for us to be alive and repent in everyday life.

For example, we have offered a chance to say hi to others before letting others say hi to us first. We have offered a chance to share your food with a cat or Sofee or chicken. We have offered a chance to help others in times of struggle. We have received the opportunity to repent in everyday life because Jesus is always within us and others. Lastly, we never know that it may be our last helicopter for us. Jesus led us to be aware of his presence.

And to answer about the greater presence of Jesus there are 2 stages for me.

"The thing that is greater than me is Jesus in me."

The thing that greater than Jesus in me is Jesus in others. So, prioritize what others need first so that we will not complain about others and the community because community happens from all members in the community help to build it together. Last, of lastly, we may make mistakes but we have been offered a chance to do it better in everyday life.

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