Wednesday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
(Job 9:1-12.14-16; Luke 9:57-62)
The refugees from Syria are only the latest in a long, never-to-end line of innocent people suffering. No doubt, they fled from their homes wondering why they could not live on in peace. They endured two generations of brutal dictatorship, but their so-called liberators seem equally authoritarian as the tottering regime. We hear Job asking similar questions in the first reading today.
Job’s conscience is clear. He knows that he has done no wrong to merit the loss of family, fortune, and health that he has experienced. But he also knows that God can easily brush aside his arguments if he tries to plead a case. He feels frustrated and hopeless. For now he is content to suffer steadfastly. He will neither curse nor challenge God.
The suffering of Job becomes a less dark story in the light of Christ. He is the only truly innocent human being, yet he suffers one of the cruelest punishments imaginable. But death is not the final word with him. Jesus rises from the dead to eternal life and promises his followers a similar destiny. We still may question why some must go through a horrific middle stage, but we know that their future is secure if they remain close to him.
