God ordered the Prophet Jonas to go to Ninive and preach penance, for the people were committing many great sins. Unwilling to go, Jonas fled to the sea, and embarked on a boat going to Tharsis.God ordered the Prophet Jonas to go to Ninive and preach penance, for the people were committing many great sins. Unwilling to go, Jonas fled to the sea, and embarked on a boat going to Tharsis.
God sent a violent storm, and the ship was in danger of being wrecked. The sailors in great fear threw overboard all the goods they carried, to lighten the ship. Believing that someone on board was the cause of their misfortune, they drew lots. The lot fell upon Jonas, who said, "Cast me into the sea, and the tempest shall be calmed." The sailors took Jonas and cast him into the sea. At once the tempest ceased.
God prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonas. The prophet remained inside the fish for three days and three nights. He continually prayed to God. At last at the Lord's command the fish vomited Jonas upon dry land. Then God again ordered Jonas to go to Ninive.
This time Jonas obeyed. At Ninive he said, "Yet forty days, and Ninive shall be destroyed."
The people, upon hearing this, repented and fasted. Even the king did penance, and issued a proclamation that everyone should repent, so that God might forgive Ninive and spare it. God saw their sincerity, and in His mercy spared the city.
Jonas feared that he might be looked upon as a false prophet. Building a but outside the city he waited there to see what would befall Ninive.
God caused an ivy to grow and shelter Jonas from the hot sun. For this Jonas was grateful. Now the next morning, God caused the ivy to wither. The sun beat down with such heat on Jonas that he cried, "It is better for me to die than to live."
God then said to him, "You are sorry for the ivy, although you were not the one to make it grow. Shall I not therefore spare Ninive, which has more than one hundred twenty thousand people?"
Jonas, cast into the sea to save the crew, was a figure of Jesus Christ, who was sacrificed to redeem mankind. Jonas was three days inside the fish; Christ was three days in the tomb.
- from My Bible History in Pictures, by Bishop Louis LaRavoire Morrow, D.D., 1934; it has the Imprimatur of Archbishop Michael J O'Doherty of Manila, Philippines