"Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation"
You foresaw the despair of Nineveh, you turned away the threat already made and your mercy, Lord, overcame your anger. Today, too, have pity on your people and your city. With your mighty hand turn back our enemies through the intercession of the Mother of God, receiving our repentance.
The hospital of repentance is open to every moral sickness, so come on, let us make haste towards it and there acquire strength for our souls. It was in repentance that the sinful woman recovered health, Peter was delivered from his denial, David brought his heart's affliction to an end; it was in repentance that the Ninevites were healed (Lk 7:50; 11:30; 22:62; 2Sam 12:13). Let us not delay, then; arise, let us show our wounds to our Savior and allow him to treat them. For he surpasses all our hopes in the welcome he offers our repentance.
No fees are ever demanded from those who come to him since they could not make a gift equal in value to the cure. Freely their health has been restored yet they have given what they could: tears instead of gifts since, for this Liberator, these are precious objects of love and desire. The sinful woman, Peter, David, the Ninevites, all these bear witness to it, for it was only bearing with them their lamentations that they made their way to the Liberator's feet and he received their repentance.
Tears are often stronger than God himself, if we might put it like this, and truly put pressure on him. For he who is all Mercy joyfully lets himself be bound by tears or, at least, by the tears of the spirit (cf. 2Cor 7:10)... So let us weep from our hearts just as the Ninivites, thanks to their contrition, opened heaven and were seen by the Liberator, who received their repentance.