On Monday, February 6, the Coptic Orthodox Church begins the Fast of Jonah, a three-day fast that commemorates the fast of Jonah the Prophet while he was in the belly of the great fish. In the Christian tradition, these three days are type (a symbol or parallel) of the three days our Lord Jesus Christ spent in the tomb.

 

During these three days, the Church calls Her faithful to reflect on their sins and turn away from them as the people of Nineveh did after Jonah was sent to them. We should also reflect on the boundless mercy of God in relenting from the destruction He promised to the Ninevites. This, in turn, is a reminder of God’s boundless mercy in His Divine Plan of salvation for mankind, especially as manifested in His glorious Resurrection.

 

Jonah was an eighth century BC famous prophet from Gath-helper, a small Galilean town near Nazareth. Jonah the Prophet is famous for the well-known story about him and the diverse ways in which the Lord spoke to him. Most often, Jonah was spoken to in obscurity pertinent to his needs at the very time he was spoken to. Perhaps this is similar to the way in which the Lord speaks to us all today....

 

Fast and Feast Schedule