Today is the fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
In today’s first reading Job asks “Is not man’s life a drudgery?” What do you say to that? Given Job’s experience, losing his family and all, after knowing he is in fact a “blameless and upright man”, you can understand why he feels this way.
The book of Job, and his story, are one of my favorites in the Old Testament. Job’s friends, if they really were his friends, were not much help in Job’s desolation as the Jesuits might call his funk. No one is meant to understand Job’s story literally, but just as with the rest of the Bible, there are theological truths contained there.
The story of Job vacillates between Job’s complaints and his friends response. The essence of the story is that Job had some incredible misfortune yet maintains his faith in God, noisy as it is at times. Today’s selection is one of those times of complaint or sharing his misery. Job has every right to feel sorry for himself, who wouldn’t if in similar circumstances?
Later in Job he calls out God to explain the unfairness of his situation. Ultimately God Answers him in a way that causes Job to respond, “behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?I lay my hand on my mouth…” Job comes to see that God is God and he is not God. That’s a good position for all of us to take.
As we approach Lent it’s good to have the right disposition. The Church asks us to practice the disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving but more, to look inside ourselves to see how we have strayed from God and how we need to return to Him. The book of Job takes 42 chapters to do that. In size and theme Job would make an excellent Lenten project to facilitate our growth. If you were to read one chapter a day it would work out about right.
We don’t hear from Job very much in the three year cycle of Sunday readings, just twice, but the book is suitable for reading prayerfully. This is also one of those books where the reader can really benefit from a good commentary. This commentary from the New Collegeville series is one I like: https://www.amazon.com/Job-Collegeville-Bible-Commentary-Testament/dp/0814628532/ref=sr_1_9?crid=26VP539O7NGE7&keywords=job+bible+commentary&qid=1707076842&sprefix=Job+bible+%2Caps%2C393&sr=8-9
Regardless of what you do for Lent Job is a good text for you to study with lessons we can all apply to our lives.
Speaking of Lent there will be numerous opportunities to receive reflections in your email to help guide your spiritual progress. The first of those I’ve seen is from the Jesuits. You can get more information, and sign up if you like at: https://www.jesuits.org/traveling-the-landscapes-of-lent-a-digital-pilgrimage-with-christ-to-the-cross/
If you like to read I have a number of suggestions for you.
First is Mercy in the City by Kerry Weber. https://www.amazon.com/Mercy-City-Hungry-Thirsty-Imprisoned/dp/0829438920/ref=sr_1_1?crid=32UD9WSTF5AD5&keywords=mercy+in+the+city+by+kerry+weber&qid=1707077395&sprefix=mercy+in%2Caps%2C445&sr=8-1
Next is You Did it to Me by Fr. Michael Gaitley: https://www.amazon.com/You-Did-Me-Practical-Action/dp/1596143045/ref=sr_1_1?crid=26Y97K7PUW9Z2&keywords=you+did+it+to+me+michael+gaitley&qid=1707077466&sprefix=you+did+it+t%2Caps%2C248&sr=8-1
Next is Roman Pilgrimage by George Weigel. This book will especially be of interest to those interested in Christian art: https://www.amazon.com/Roman-Pilgrimage-Churches-George-Weigel/dp/0465027695/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2XFSZT30CJJJI&keywords=roman+pilgrimage+george+weigel&qid=1707077566&sprefix=roman+pilg%2Caps%2C250&sr=8-1
Finally, one of the best books I’ve read, The Return of the Prodigal Son, by Henri Nouwen: https://www.amazon.com/Return-Prodigal-Son-Story-Homecoming/dp/0385473079/ref=sr_1_1?crid=B10VQF5OJI3L&keywords=the+return+of+the+prodigal+son+by+henri+nouwen&qid=1707077800&sprefix=return+of+%2Caps%2C280&sr=8-1
Finally, our friend and BS parishioner Tim Moore has written another volume in his series in Thomas A Kempis’ The Imitation of Christ. It is available in Kindle format on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Imitation-Christ-Book-Commentary-Fictional-ebook/dp/B0CLRDP7XT/ref=sr_1_4?crid=27JJNJAUHYHK3&keywords=The+imitation+of+Christ+Timothy+E+Moore&qid=1707078102&sprefix=the+imitation+of+christ+timothy+e+moore%2Caps%2C239&sr=8-4
That’s it for now. Thanks for reading.
I hope you have a great week.
Peace, Bob
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