5TH SUNDAY HOMILY IN ORDINARY TIME – YR. B
THEME: DON’T GIVE UP; TURN TO GOD.
BY: FR. KARABARI PAUL
‘So I am allotted months of emptiness, and nights of misery are apportioned to me.’
We all face times of suffering, sickness, and pain. We are not immune to these things simply because we are Christians. In both the First and Gospel Readings (Job 7:1-4, 6-7. Mark 1:29-39), we see human afflictions. We see people who, like Job, had to endure pain. Job cried out in pain and frustration. It is natural to cry. Crying is not necessarily a sign of defeat. It exposes the humanity in us.
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Job was ‘an honest and innocent man’ (Job 1:1). But a whole chain of bad things happened to him. He lost his animals and servants, all ten of his children died, and his health declined. In all this, he continued to trust in God. But ‘Job’s wife said to him, “Why are you trying to stay innocent? Curse God and die!”’ (1:9 ). Job had a choice in this very dark valley. He could fall apart and turn away from God, like his wife was encouraging him to do, or he could draw closer to God and continue to praise and trust Him despite everything he was facing. Job answered his wife, saying: ‘Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?’ He was aware that life wasn’t always going to be good, and accepted the fact that his had now been filled with trouble.
Significantly, Job didn’t know what God was making out of his life as long as he wasn’t aware of the argument between God and the devil over him. Can God have a contest over us? You may not know whose life you have inspired by your resilience and endurance. Sometimes, parents hide their pain from their children in order not to bring up broken children. Every day, you meet people in need of encouragement. They may not show it on the surface, but underneath, they are struggling to keep their head above water. Some of them are at the point of despair, and your words can lift them. Even a smile can do it. Job said, ‘When they were discouraged, I smiled at them. My look of approval was precious to them’ (Job 29:24). Solomon said, ‘Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad’ (Proverbs 12:25).
When we fail, we don’t only disappoint ourselves but God himself. Sometimes, it can feel like God has abandoned us and taken away everything He blessed us with. But even in the darkest valleys, He is still there, and He is still walking alongside us. Psalm 23 says: ‘Even if I walk through a very dark valley, I will not be afraid because you are with me’ (Psalm 23:4). If our lives seem to be filled with trouble and we are wondering where God is, let us ask Him to show us that He is right beside us, encouraging us to keep walking until we see His goodness shining through again.
When trouble comes, you can either turn against God because you served Him and don’t understand why He is allowing it or turn to Him for strength and understanding. That is why what David says next is so important: ‘Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart’ (Psalm 27:14).
Sometimes, God changes our circumstances; other times, He uses them to strengthen us. Try to understand this. It is not just about you, but those God wants to reach through you.
Job may never have fully understood all the losses he experienced in life. But there came a time when he was able to look back at the time of pain and say with confidence, ‘He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy’ (Job 8:21). And that is God’s promise to us, too. For every trial and trouble we face in life, God has sufficient grace to carry us through. Every need we have, God will provide. He has answers for every problem. He has comfort and healing for every hurt we experience. So when we are walking through a valley, we need to be trusting that God will come through for us and will bring us out the other side.
Just the way Job was eventually saved, Jesus in the Gospel restored the people who had lost their places in the family and society due to diseases. There is an urgent need to allow God to use us to reduce pains and sorrows in the world. Jesus acknowledged in the Gospel that it was the reason He even came. We can collaborate with Him. Sufferings strive more in the face of human negligence and indifference. While praying and asking God to restore us, we can work hard to restore others to their joy. GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. God bless you and your household always through Christ Our Lord Amen. You are remembered in my prayers. Happy Sunday
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