20181005
SEEING A BIGGER
PICTURE KEEPS US IN PERSPECTIVE
05 OCTOBER,
2018, Friday, 26th Week, Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour:
Green.
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First reading
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Job 38:1,12-21,40:3-5 ©
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The immeasurable greatness of God
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From the heart of the tempest the Lord
gave Job his answer. He said:
Have you ever in your life given orders to
the morning
or sent the dawn to its post,
telling it to grasp the earth by its edges
and shake the wicked out of
it,
when it changes the earth to sealing clay
and dyes it as a man dyes
clothes;
stealing the light from wicked men
and breaking the arm raised to
strike?
Have you journeyed all the way to the
sources of the sea,
or walked where the Abyss is
deepest?
Have you been shown the gates of Death
or met the janitors of
Shadowland?
Have you an inkling of the extent of the
earth?
Tell me all about it if you
have!
Which is the way to the home of the light,
and where does darkness live?
You could then show them the way to their
proper places,
or put them on the path to
where they live!
If you know all this, you must have been
born with them,
you must be very old by now!
Job replied to the Lord:
My words have been frivolous: what can I
reply?
I had better lay my finger on
my lips.
I have spoken once... I will not speak
again;
more than once... I will add
nothing.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm
138(139):1-3,7-10,13-14 ©
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Lead me, O Lord, in the
path of life eternal.
O Lord, you search me and you know me,
you know my resting and my
rising,
you discern my purpose from
afar.
You mark when I walk or lie down,
all my ways lie open to you.
Lead me, O Lord, in the
path of life eternal.
O where can I go from your spirit,
or where can I flee from your
face?
If I climb the heavens, you are there.
If I lie in the grave, you are
there.
Lead me, O Lord, in the
path of life eternal.
If I take the wings of the dawn
and dwell at the sea’s
furthest end,
even there your hand would lead me,
your right hand would hold me
fast.
Lead me, O Lord, in the
path of life eternal.
For it was you who created my being,
knit me together in my
mother’s womb.
I thank you for the wonder of my being,
for the wonders of all your
creation.
Lead me, O Lord, in the
path of life eternal.
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Gospel Acclamation
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Ps144:13
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Alleluia, alleluia!
The Lord is faithful in all his words
and loving in all his deeds.
Alleluia!
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Or:
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Ps94:8
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Luke 10:13-16 ©
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Anyone who rejects me rejects the one
who sent me
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Jesus said to his disciples:
‘Alas
for you, Chorazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had
been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in
sackcloth and ashes. And still, it will not go as hard with Tyre and Sidon at
the Judgement as with you. And as for you, Capernaum, did you want to be
exalted high as heaven? You shall be thrown down to hell.
‘Anyone
who listens to you listens to me; anyone who rejects you rejects me, and those
who reject me reject the one who sent me.’
SEEING A BIGGER PICTURE KEEPS US IN
PERSPECTIVE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ JOB 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5; LK 10:13-16 ]
Most of us, like Job, have been brought up
within a religious tradition. Our faith values and beliefs are dependent
on that tradition. Whilst religious tradition is important in
shaping our faith in God, yet, at times it does not fit into every
situation. Indeed, many of us question why the Church is so
strict when it comes to divorce and remarriage. There are many other ethical
issues or even Church disciplines that some of us cannot reconcile with the
mercy and love of God. Some have left the Church as they find the Church
too legalistic, dogmatic and ritualistic.
This was the situation
of Job. He was
brought up in a religious tradition that taught him that the good are rewarded
by God and the bad are punished. The doctrine of immediate
retribution was very strong in the early part of the Old Testament, which is
dealt with in the Book of Ezekiel. One of the sayings in those days was,
“The parents eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on
edge.” In fact, there is a general belief in the doctrine of
Karma. You reap what you sow. This was what St Paul also told
the Christians in Galatians. “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for
whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” (Gal 6:7) Job was brought up in that theology
of immediate retribution in this life. Hence, we can appreciate his inner
struggle, seeking to reconcile his misfortunes with his innocence.
We can all surely
empathize with Job in the way he reacted towards God. Searching and examining his life, in all
conscience, he did nothing wrong to deserve the punishments he was
receiving. Indeed, he was a just and righteous man. He was
blameless and truly a law abiding Israelite. He was more than fair in his
dealings with others but was also generous with the poor. Even his
friends could not find anything that he had done wrong. Although most of
us cannot compare with the integrity of Job, on many occasions, we too have
been fair in our relationships with God and our fellowmen. We treat our
workers and our loved ones well. We provide for their welfare and pay
them a just salary. Yet, how often have we been cheated by them, or even
betrayed in spite of all the good we have selflessly done for them. In
such moments we feel like Job, that God has been unfair to us. We have
contributed so much to the Church all our lives and then He permitted us to
suffer a terminal illness or took away our spouse or children. When such
tragedies strike, like Job, we wonder where the justice of God is, since we
read so often in the bible, particularly in the psalms, that the righteous man
will be rewarded by God.
Right from the onset, we
must state clearly that the doctrine of immediate retribution cannot be applied
without qualification. Most
times, retribution happens in this life. If we do not work, we will be sacked;
and if we do not study, we will fail our exam. This is something expected
and a principle based on universal experience. However, it is
also true that there are many occasions when the unjust also seem to prosper as
well whilst the good suffer. This was how the psalmist felt too, “Surely
God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my
feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold for I envied the
arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles their
bodies are healthy and strong.” (Ps 73:1-4) Sometimes, like the psalmist, we
envy evil and selfish people because they seem to be doing so well even though
they break all the commandments of God, whereas law-abiding Christians like
ourselves suffer the disadvantages of being true to our principles. So we
must not fall into the sin of presumption, as the friends of Job did when they
sought to find some hidden blemish in his life to defend the justice of
God. The fact was that Job’s suffering had nothing to do with any wrong
that he had done.
So where do we go from
here when religious traditions do not agree with life experiences? We are called to embrace the mystery of
God’s love in the midst of a world that is imperfect and sinful.
Suffering will remain always a mystery regardless how we try to explain it away
or to make sense of it. Even God is not exempted from suffering. So it is
not just us who are suffering. Anyone who loves will suffer. We
suffer not just for ourselves but for our loved ones. The answer to the
question of suffering and evil is not a matter of logic but a matter of
embracing this profound mystery in faith and love. This was the sin of Job.
What was the sin of Job? Even though
initially he claimed he had no sin, in truth he did sin by questioning
God’s wisdom and knowledge. He was so proud and confident of himself
to think that he could bring God to a trial and show forth the lack of wisdom
and justice in God. He had accused the Lord of being unjust. With
that limited knowledge of his, without being able to see the big picture, Job
was simply thinking about himself. He was too presumptuous to think that
he was able to understand everything. One thing was that he was unaware
of the reason why God permitted Satan to tempt Job. This is so common even in
daily life. Many of us are not happy with our superiors and all those in
authority for their decisions and management of situations. That is why
those in public service get the most complaints because those who complain can
only see the problem from their narrow perspective. It is about “I, me
and mine”. So when their needs are not satisfied or their
convenience is compromised, they will accuse the authorities for not being
responsible or caring, failing to realize that there are many other factors and
considerations to be taken in every decision.
Seeing things in
perspective and humbly admitting our ignorance is what is required of us, as
Job finally did.
God did not defend Himself or explain His reasons for what He did. He
simply helped Job to know his place in the world. God spoke through His
creation. Where was Job when God created the world? The point is
that God in His wisdom and power created the universe. Surely He knows
better how to manage this creation than anyone of us! We cannot even
bring a person to life or create life in any creature. So who are we to
question the wisdom of God, His justice and providence? When Job
came to realize his insolence of wanting to bring God to trial, he became
conscious of his sin. His sin was in questioning God and thinking he knew
better what to do. He doubted God’s justice and even suggested that He
was unjust and evil. He was deeply remorseful when challenged to see the
bigger picture of life and creation. He said, “My words have been
frivolous: what can I reply? I had better lay my finger on my lips. I have
spoken once…I will not speak again; more than once … I will add nothing.”
We are limited, finite and mortal. So all we can do is to bow down in
silence before the mystery of God’s creation and accept it in faith and love.
Yet, the irony is that
when we surrender ourselves to the providence of God and His divine will, we
will find peace. Like
the psalmist, we are called to surrender in faith to God’s will and plan for
us. With the psalmist, we must pray, “O where can I go from your spirit,
or where can I flee from your face? If I climb the heavens, you are
there. If I lie in the grave, you are there. If I take the wings of
the dawn and dwell at the sea’s furthest end, even there your hand would lead
me; your right hand would hold me fast. For it was you who created my being,
knit me together in my mother’s womb. I thank you for the wonder of my being,
for the wonders of all your creation.” If we could pray this prayer with
faith, then like Job, we will once again experience His love and blessings.
When our commitment to
God is dependent on circumstances and temporal favours, our faith remains weak. Rather, we must follow Job in
coming to realize our finiteness and God’s incomprehensible wisdom.
Let us be humble before God and continue to respect and trust in Him even when
we are suffering. We must avoid falling like the inhabitants in
Capernaum, condemned by the Lord for their pride. We must not lack faith
like those in Chorazin and Bethsaida who did not recognize the marvels of God’s
love and creation. So with faith and humility, embracing God’s plan and
His will, we will find peace and joy.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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