THE FEAST OF THE PROPHET JONAH (SEPT. 21ST/23RD)

A Contemporary Byzantine Style Icon of St. Jonah

"O merciful and compassionate Lord, who accepted the tears of the Ninevites and spared them from destruction when they repented at the preaching of Jonah, we beseech Thee: have mercy upon us and accept our repentance as Thou didst accept the repentance of those in ancient times. Cleanse us from all our iniquities, and deliver us from the wrath we deserve for our sins. Just as the people of Nineveh found forgiveness through Thy love, so grant us the grace to turn to Thee with true repentance, that we may be saved. Amen." - Prayer of Bautha d-Ninwaye

Edited by Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West) 

INTRODUCTION 

The Prophet Jonah, whose name means "Dove," stands as a figure of both defiance and redemption, embodying the tension between human reluctance and divine mission. In ancient Israel, doves held symbolic significance - they were a sacrificial offering for the poor and a messenger bird, the carrier of peace and reconciliation. Jonah, too, was called to be a messenger - sent by God to preach repentance to the fearsome people of Nineveh, a city emblematic of cruelty and aggression. Just as a dove returns faithfully to its home, Jonah was tasked with delivering God's message, returning God’s mercy to a people steeped in sin. Even though St. Jonah struggled with this task, attempting to flee, and finally being swallowed by the “Great Fish,” his ultimate triumph came in simply obeying God’s commandments, even in the midst of struggle and doubt. 

THE REASON FOR ST. JONAH’S FEAR: THE EVIL AND VIOLENCE OF THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE 

Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, was a source of terror for the Hebrew people. The Assyrians were renowned for their inhumanity, having carried off ten of the tribes of Israel, who would later be known as the "Lost Tribes." Their constant warring made them feared enemies of Israel, and their culture of conquest left scars upon the Near East. Their own literary record, reflected in the clay tablet library of Ashurbanipal, shows that the Assyrians not only delighted in the most cruel tortures, but that they regularly engaged in genocide based solely out of hatred and pride. Yet it was to this people that God sent Jonah, demonstrating that even in the darkest hearts, there was room for repentance. In this way, St. Jonah became a vessel for the divine plan of salvation, reminding the world that God's compassion transcends all boundaries.

THE LANGUAGE OF ST. JONAH’S PREACHING BECAME A CHRISTIAN LANGUAGE 

Assyria's influence was not limited to military dominance; they brought Aramaic, the language that would later become central to Jewish life. Aramaic, the language spoken by Christ and His Apostles, and the linguistic foundation of the Peshitta, arose in prominence during Assyria’s reign. Jonah’s mission, though marked by initial disobedience, was bound up with the unfolding of salvation history, as Aramaic would shape both Jewish and Christian history. The Jewish alphabet in use today bears this influence, a language born in the midst of Assyrian dominance but destined to carry the Word of God to the ends of the earth.

ST. JONAH’S TYPOLOGY OF DEATH AND RESURRECTION

The Church Fathers, especially in the Greek and Syriac traditions, saw St. Jonah as a type of Christ. St. Cyril of Jerusalem taught, “Jonah was sent, but fled. Christ came willingly, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved” (Catechetical Lectures). St. Augustine further developed this typology: “As Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so did our Lord spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Jonah foreshadowed the Lord’s descent into hell and His glorious resurrection” (Sermon on Jonah). Jonah’s three days in the belly of the fish prefigured Christ’s three days in the tomb. His deliverance from the fish’s stomach is an icon of the resurrection, the ultimate triumph over death.

St. Jonah’s narrative reveals that the purposes of God are fulfilled not by human will, but by the Spirit of God. Despite Jonah’s initial resistance, he becomes a sign of obedience, and through his mission, the universal nature of God's mercy is revealed. St. John Chrysostom spoke of Jonah’s reluctant obedience as a lesson in humility: “Learn from Jonah not to resist the will of God, for what was prepared for his chastisement became the means of his salvation.”

ST. EPHRAIM THE SYRIAN’S HYMN OF ST. JONAH 

St. Ephraim the Syrian, one of the great hymnographers of the Syriac-speaking Churches, composed various hymns that reflect on the themes of repentance and God’s mercy, with Jonah often serving as a symbol of both. In his “Hymns on Paradise” contain rich allegorical and typological references to St. Jonah’s story, which help us to contextualize the life and ministry of the Messenger Prophet in the Christian Tradition descended from the Assyrians who repented and turned to God, due to St. Jonah’s ministry. Below is a paraphrase of a hymn attributed to St. Ephraim that mentions Jonah and reflects on his typological significance as a foreshadowing of Christ:

The Hymn on Jonah and Christ 

O Sea, what wonders didst thou hide in thy depths?

For in thee was buried the prophet Jonah,

Who became a sign of the Savior to come.

In the belly of the fish, three days he lay,

As Christ, the true Jonah, lay in the tomb,

And from the darkness he rose, a sign to the world,

That God brings life from death and light from the deep.

Jonah fled from the face of the Lord,

Yet the Lord pursued him with mercy.

Christ, our Lord, came willingly to death,

To pursue us with His endless love.

Just as the prophet was cast into the sea,

So our Lord entered the abyss for our sake.

And as Jonah was raised up to life,

So Christ is risen, and we are saved. 

THE LOST RELICS OF ST. JONAH

St. Jonah’s relics have been venerated in both Christian and Islamic traditions. His traditional tomb in Nineveh, Iraq, has long been revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, standing as a symbol of shared faith in his prophetic witness and God’s infinite compassion. Tragically, this tomb was completely destroyed by ISIS in 2014, but its memory endures as a sign of the enduring significance of St. Jonah to the world. Many churches and mosques have been built in his honor, such as the Church of St. Jonah in Nineveh and the Mosque of Yunus in Mosul, further attesting to the wide veneration of this prophet across the Abrahamic Faith traditions.

ST. JONAH AND THE ROGATION OF NINEVEH 

In the Eastern Churches, particularly the Assyrian Church of the East and the Syriac Orthodox Church, Jonah plays a significant role in the liturgical life of the faithful. The "Rogation of Nineveh," a three-day fast, commemorates Jonah’s call to the people of Nineveh and their repentance. This fast, which usually occurs before Lent, serves as a time of spiritual reflection and penitence, recalling the mercy of God shown to those who sincerely repent. It is deeply connected to the story of Jonah, as the Ninevites’ repentance becomes a model for all Christians seeking forgiveness and reconciliation with God. The fast is a powerful reminder that the message of St. Jonah - repentance and divine forgiveness - is not confined to one time or place. It is a living tradition, calling the faithful to humble themselves, seek mercy, and trust in the boundless compassion of God. God will always forgive the repentant sinner. All we must do is ask! 

ST. JONAH AS AN ICON OF CHRISTIAN MISSIONS

St. Jonah’s mission to Nineveh, a place of enmity and violence, reveals the depths of God's love for even the most hostile nations. His story also serves as a reminder that the divine message, carried like a homing dove, will always find its way home—even through reluctance, disobedience, and despair. Even the most disobedient and fearful of believers, with repentance and humility, may become a great saint by God’s love, forgiveness and power. 

COLLECT 

Almighty and Merciful God, who didst send thy servant Jonah to the people of Nineveh, and didst show forth thy great mercy in calling all men to repentance: Grant that we, being delivered from the depths of our own disobedience, may rise to new life in Christ Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our Faith; and by the power of his resurrection, proclaim with joy the good news of salvation to all nations; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.