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 The rest of Jonah’s story:   Whenever I hear the word Jonah, I think of Jonah in a whale.  The Book of Jonah was written in the period after the exile to Babylon and the Jews were returning home.  This Book has a story with an important message – repent and believe in the Gospel.  The first mission that the Lord gave to Jonah was to go to Nineveh because “their wickedness has come up before me” (Jonah 1:2).  What does Jonah do, he tries to run away from the Lord’s mission.  So, he gets on a ship that would take him away from Nineveh.  What happens, there is a great storm and a decision is made that Jonah should be tossed overboard to calm the storm.  The story goes that Jonah is swallowed by a large fish and remains in the belly for three days.  Then the Lord commanded the fish to spew Jonah up on the shore. 
The first reading today is the second mission the Lord gave to Jonah “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed” (Jonah 3:4).  To the surprise of Jonah, the wicked city listened to his message of doom and repented immediately.   From the king to the lowest subject, they humbled themselves in sackcloth and ashes.  Seeing their repentance, God did not carry out the punishment he had planned for them.  
Each day, perhaps even each hour, we are called to repent and turn toward the Good News Jesus brings us.  Lent is on the horizon. [1] 

A relationship of faith and commitment exists between the Catholic Church and its members and the public, whether they are children, young people, adults or elderly.  Sexual abuse in this context, or any other relationship, is a matter of grave concern.  Knowledge of such abuse requires a special response in order to facilitate the healing process and assure the safety of the community.  With this in mind, the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee is committed to healing the hurting hearts of sexual abuse victims.  This diocese has established Victim Assistance Coordinators who are experienced and trained counselors.  These coordinators are available to help persons who have been sexually abused by a priest, deacon or other church personnel.  VICTIM ASSISTANCE COORDINATORS: Louis M. Makarowski, Ph.D., P.A., Pensacola/Ft. Walton (850)477-7181; James Gagnon, MSW, LCSW,  Tallahassee/Panama City (850)877-0205; Deacon Santiago Molina, for Spanish speakers - En Espanol, (850)627-2350.
 

Diocesan Abuse Hotline: 850-435-3536