The Church today venerates the memory of Jonah the Prophet. The Prophet Jonah prophesied during more than eight centuries before Christ.
God commanded him to go to Nineveh, the great city of the Assyrians, and to proclaim that its destruction was imminent because of the sins of its people. Instead, he disobeyed the divine command, and boarded a vessel. A sudden and fearsome squall erupted and the revelation of Jonah’ disobedience caused the sailors to cast him into the sea. A great sea-monster appeared straightway by divine providence, and swallowed him up. For three days and nights he was found in the beast’s belly, where he prayed for deliverance. The sea-monster then vomited him up on dry land and he again heard God’s command.