Our Lord Jesus Christ, addressing the Scribes and the Pharisees who demanded a sign from Him, said that no sign would be given except for the sign of the Prophet Jonah, “As Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so also shall the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights (Mt. 12: 40). From these words the Lord shows clearly the symbolic meaning of the Book of the Prophet Jonah in relation to Christ’s death on the Cross, descent into Hell, and the Resurrection.
Reproaching the lack of penitence and recalcitrance of the Jews, the Lord said, “The Ninevites shall rise in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and one greater than Jonah is here” (Mt. 12: 41).
A video for young children on the life of Prophet Jonah:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqW70DsZpVw
One book that's good in the Orthodox tradition is
by Mother Melania, illustrated by Bonnie Gillis
Here are a few fun crafts to do for this Old Testament Prophet!
Cut Jonah out of black construction paper, then have kids cover sheets of contact paper w/small squares of tissue paper. When the sheets are completely covered, put Jonah on top & cover the whole thing w/another sheet of contact paper, sticky side in. Then, glue the contact paper with Jonah in the back behind blue construction paper w/fish shape (I'd cut out a whale...) cut out. When you hang it, with Jonah on the backside, he only shows up inside the fish when the sunlight streams thru.
A simple coloring page
- The memory of your Prophet Jonah,
- We celebrate today, O Lord.
- By his prayers we entreat you:
- O Christ God, save our souls!
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