A Journey with Jonah by Paul Murray, OP

Jonah is the only ancient prophet with whom Jesus identifies in the Gospels. But when we turn to read the book of Jonah itself, we discover that this so-called “book” is only two pages long―and that Jonah’s prophesying is limited to one short sentence. And yet, around this small book, as if it were around Jonah’s own troubled ship, high waves of controversy and mystery have swirled for centuries. In A Journey with Jonah: The Spirituality of Bewilderment, Fr. Paul Murray strives to uncover the great lesson of this story.

This was more scholarly than I expected but was still very readable as a deep dive into the Book of Jonah. Word on Fire has bundled together three short pieces to form a meditation: 3 chapters from Father Paul Murray which were first published in 2002, a 2003 lectio divina from Cardinal Ratzinger (who was later Pope Benedict XVI) In English for the first time, and the Book of Jonah itself (which I thought was a nice touch).

Murray's reflections range through a lot of sources while keeping the focus on the deeper meanings found beneath the surface. Both it and Ratzinger's examination provide lots of food for thought. I liked both and recommend the book.