Houston, We Have a Problem! The Warning of Jonah

Hurricane Harvey makes landfall near
Corpus Christi.

Remember when God sent Jonah to Nineveh to warn the people to repent? After a rocky start with the prophet fleeing in the opposite direction and being punished by being swallowed by a whale and spending three days in penance, Jonah did as God asked. He walked through the city warning the people to repent. They did.

God sometimes uses big events to get our attention and the storm in Houston is a big event. Keep in mind that in 2010 Houston built the biggest abortion mill in the world outside of China right smack dab in the middle of four minority neighborhoods. Here's what Catholic Exchange wrote at the time:

Three of these neighborhoods have an average 85% Hispanic population and the fourth is 80% Black American. The third floor is being specially built as an ambulatory surgical center for the purpose of performing late-term abortions. Obviously, Planned Parenthood is targeting these minority communities and families to fuel their abortion industry like never before.

Houston also elected one of the first openly gay mayors in the country -- three times! Annise Parker, who served from 2010 to 2016, "married" her partner in 2014 during her term as mayor. The current mayor, Sylvester Turner, is also a big proponent of LGBTQ rights.

Now Jesus made it clear that disasters don't indicate that the victims are the biggest sinners. When he talked about the collapse of the tower of Siloam that killed eighteen people, he asked a pertinent question and answered it. "Do you think they were more guilty than anyone else who lived in Jerusalem? Certainly not!" And then he gave this warning. "But I tell you, you will all come to the same end unless you reform." Houston doesn't "deserve" Harvey any more than New Orleans "deserved" Katrina. But it is interesting that the storm barreled down on the coast near Corpus Christi (Body of Christ) and was dubbed with a name that means "flaming sword," which reminded one blogger of the Fatima vision where an angel with a "flaming sword" called out "penance, penance, penance."

Houston's tragedy is, indeed, a call to penance. The courageous reactions of many in the area reminds us of the goodness of the American people and their ability to immediately respond to "love their neighbors." But Houston also calls to mind that our national sins, like those of Nineveh, cry out to heaven for vengeance. The murder of the innocent and sexual perversion are biggies, but what may be even worse is indifference to their glorification. And who is most guilty? Catholics. When Catholics, blessed among all the people of the world with the Body and Blood of Christ, approve of or are silent about these abominations, we sow the whirlwind. It is time to put on sackcloth and ashes like the people of Nineveh and repent. Let us pray for Houston and recognize its invitation to all of us to put on penance and beg for God's mercy. May we not flee in fear like Jonah, but embrace God's call to conversion.

Have mercy on us, O Lord. For we have sinned against you. Show us, O Lord, your mercy. And grant us your salvation.