Armenian Church commemorates Prophet Jonah

Today, on January 26, the Armenian Church commemorates the Prophet Jonah.

Prophet Jonah is one of the minor prophets of the Holy Bible. In the Book of Jonah of the Old Testament, there is a narrative describing the adventures of the Prophet Jonah. By the Lord’s command, Jonah was sent to Nineveh to preach to the heathens and tried, in every way, to disobey God’s command. However, in the end, his attempts were in vain. The Lord designated a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah remained in the stomach of the fish for three days and three nights. Only after Jonah’s prayer and redemption did the Lord allow the fish to free Jonah. This time, he obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh.

On the first day, Jonah set out into the city. He proclaimed, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.” The Ninevites believed in God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, even the king, put on sackcloth. When God saw their deeds and how they turned from their evil ways, He relented of the disaster which He had declared He would bring on them.

Later, Christ brings the example of the Prophet Jonah to the Pharisees, asking for a divine sign.

The Armenian Apostolic Church commemorates the memory of the Prophet Jonah always during the period of the fast of Catechumens, symbolizing that thanks to sincere repentance, one may deserve God’s mercy.