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September 28 - Job 1: 6-22

Fr. Michael MachacekNativity of Our LordSeptember 28, 2020
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for the readings of today's mass, go to 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092820.cfm

And you thought you were having a bad day.  If so, then read the story of Job.  

The Book of Job begins with with a description of how Job is a righteous and devout man of faith.  But then his circumstances change dramatically, as we hear our first reading.  Satan causes 3 great calamities to happen to Job in a single day, including the death of all his children.  But he refuses to blame God.  Soon after, Satan causes all kinds of boils to appear on Job's body (2:7), causing intense physical suffering.  But again Job refuses to curse or blame God.

Three of his friends, hearing of what has happened to Job, come to console him - but for 7 days they cannot speak, so amazed are they at his intense suffering.  Then from chapters 3 through 27 we hear of a series of speeches between Job and his friends, with his friends urging him to repent for he must have done something wrong, and Job justifying himself.  Finally, God speaks to Job, with words of wisdom and chastisement.  Job repents, and he is restored. 

Job's journey of faith throughout this book is fascinating.  This is a good man who suffers immensely.  But through his suffering he comes to understand the glory, the majesty and gets a great insight into the wisdom of God.  Job is not a saint of our church, but he was someone who came to know the Lord, in the most difficult of circumstances, and is someone we can learn from.  As Job so brilliantly says in our first reading today, when we encounter times of great suffering, sometimes all we can do is echo his words:

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord".