Monday of the Twenty-sixth
Week in Ordinary Time
(Job 1:6-22; Luke 9:46-50)
In a book four years ago sociologist Charles Murray
demonstrated the importance of faith for a prosperous society. People who earn large incomes tend to go to
church more often than people who live in poverty. The reason is not that they have more time,
but that faith religion provides motives for working hard and avoiding
life-disrupting vices. In today’s first
reading the prosperous Job experiences downfall. It might be expected that he eject his trust
in God.
But Job maintains a firm faith in God despite the losses heaped
upon him and more difficulties to come.
Rather than curse God or simply forget about Him, Job’s response to
hardship is: “’The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name
of the Lord!’”
We are wise to trust God in both good times and in trials. We act as His true servants when we encourage
the poor to believe. In today’s gospel
Jesus says, “”Whoever receives this child in my name receives me…’” That child is the poor person who should be
sought out and then received at the church door.
