Homily: August 7, 2026, Friday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Forgiveness/Punishement)

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 "Till everyone who sees you runs from you, saying, 'Nineveh is destroyed; who can pity her? Where can one find any to console her?'"

These are striking words from the Book of the Prophet Nahum we read today.

Most of us are familiar with the story of Nineveh as told in the Book of Jonah. When Jonah finally went to preach at Nineveh, the people repented sincerely. From the king down to the common people, they fasted, prayed, and turned away from their sins. Seeing their repentance, God, who is rich in mercy, withheld the punishment He had announced.

Fast forward a hundred years later, that’s when the Book of Nahum was written. The same Nineveh by then had forgotten the mercy it had received a few generations earlier. It had over the century, became the capital of the Assyrian Empire, a nation known for its cruelty. The Assyrians attacked and conquered many nations, including the Israelites, and treated them with brutality. History tells us of their violence, especially against women and children. The people who had once repented of their sins had returned to pride, violence, and injustice.

So prophet Nahum announced God's judgment. Soon afterward, his prophecy was fulfilled. The Babylonians invaded the Assyrian Empire, and Nineveh was completely destroyed. The mighty city which believed itself to be invincible had disappeared from history.

Clearly seen throughout history, those who thrived on pride, violence, and injustice may wield some power for a time, but they will not prevail forever. The same goes for God's chosen people. Whenever the Israelites remained faithful, they enjoyed God's blessings. Whenever they turned away from Him, they suffered the consequences of their sins. God's justice may seem delayed, but it is never absent.

The Gospel emphasizes that same message for us. Jesus says, "The Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay each according to his conduct." 

These are words not meant to frighten us but to awaken us. Every one of us will one day stand before the Lord. 

God is merciful and always ready to forgive those who repent. The tragedy with Nineveh is that they forgot God’s mercy and persisted in their sinful ways.

St. Catherine of Sienna said, “It is human to sin, but diabolic to persist in sin.”

It is evil. Stop the sin, confess and reconcile with God. Turn back to the Lord now and be blessed.

Amen.


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