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| “St. Vincent de Paul” Artist and Date are UNKNOWN |
Commentary:
Reading I: Job 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23
Commentary on Jb 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23
Job, the faithful servant of God, has lost all his possessions. His family has been taken from him, and he has been personally afflicted. In these verses he begins his first soliloquy. Without asking for salvation by God, Job laments his desperate state, by beginning to question why he was even given the first gift of life (see parallels in Jeremiah 20:14-18, 1 Kings 19:4 and Sirach 23:14). The important element of this lament is the question itself: “why,” for what reason? Going further in vs. 20-23, the question is broadened to include all who are born into suffering and harsh servitude. In this early part of the Book of Job, there is bewilderment on Job’s part. Divine justice has not yet been introduced.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 88:2-3, 4-5, 6, 7-8
R. (3) Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
Commentary on Ps 88:2-3, 4-5, 6, 7-8
Reminiscent of Job, Psalm 88 is an individual lament. The psalmist cries out, having been afflicted and deserted by his friends. As the singer calls for God to attend his prayer in the first strophe, he considers his descent to death in those that follow.
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Gospel: Luke 9:51-56
Commentary on Lk 9:51-56
This passage from St. Luke’s Gospel marks the beginning of the Lord’s final journey to Jerusalem. Just as his Galilean ministry began with a rejection by the people of his home town, this passage sees him rejected by the Samaritans. Jesus disregards the suggestion by his disciples to call down heavenly retribution. In doing so he disassociates himself from the image of Elijah (see what could be thought to be a parallel story in 2 Kings 1:10, 12). The final journey begins as it will end, with rejection.
CCC: Lk 9:51 557
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Reflection:
Taken as a whole, the readings today are really depressing. First Job, having lost everything, his possessions, his family, and even his health, asks the rhetorical question: “Why was I even born?” That same tone is taken up in the lament of Psalm 88, as the singer pleads with God to hear that desperate prayer. Finally, in the “Good News,” Jesus begins his ominous last journey to Jerusalem, encountering a (not unexpected) rejection by the Samaritans. What joyous, pragmatic advice can we deduce from these selections?
If this day were taken alone, out of context, our faith would indeed suffer a bout of depression. But even as we reflect upon the hardships of Job, and the rejection of Jesus, we know how things will turn out. Job has his fortunes and health restored, and Jesus, though he dies, rises to new life. But how could we rejoice in these final outcomes, if we had not first been plunged into the despair of life’s realities faced by our heroes?
These difficult situations and events relating extreme conflict serve as times of consolation for us. They are in actuality gifts of hope. Job, whose fall was far worse than any most of us will ever experience, demonstrates a faithfulness that, even faced with complete disaster, was not broken. His example in the face of dire consequences is one of fidelity, which we are called to emulate. Jesus’ rejection by the Samaritans likewise teaches us that even the most joyous news can be rejected by those who are blocked from seeing truth by forces about which they are ignorant.
Rather than being depressed by these stark events today, we should take hope from them. We know how their stories end, and how ours, if we remain faithful, will end as well. Let us rejoice in our misfortunes this day; we are in very good company.
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