Mother Church invites us to celebrate Sunday, February 7, 2021 as the fifth Sunday in ordinary time in the Church’s Year B. In the Entrance Antiphon we pray: “Come, let us worship the Lord. Let us bow down in the presence of our maker, for he is the Lord our God. Amen.”
The first reading of this day presents one of the most dramatic passages of the Old Testament, that is, the story of Job, who was put to the test and had to go the hard way of suffering. It reminds us of the tragic condition of human life and the need for trusting in the Lord in good as well as in bad times. In the second reading from First Corinthians, Saint Paul puts himself wholly at the service of the Lord without looking for personal advantages in return. Preaching the gospel was the only thing that mattered in his life. In Saint Mark’s gospel message, Jesus is seen at the beginning of his public ministry. He has embarked fully on preaching the Good News in synagogues, houses and public places, and curing the sick and chasing away evil spirits from the possessed. Working miracles is an integral part of our Lord’s ministry. Let us pray in the course of this Eucharist for our brothers and sisters who are sick. May they learn to turn to Christ our Lord, who cures us of all our infirmities, both physical and spiritual.
First Reading: Job 7: 1-4, 6-7.
Job spoke, saying: Is not man's life on earth a drudgery? Are not his days those of hirelings? He is a slave who longs for the shade, a hireling who waits for his wages. So I have been assigned months of misery, and troubled nights have been allotted to me. If in bed I say, "When shall I arise?" then the night drags on; I am filled with restlessness until the dawn. My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle; they come to an end without hope. Remember that my life is like the wind; I shall not see happiness again.
Comment
The Book of Job forms part of what is usually referred to as the wisdom literature of the Old Testament. Whereas the other books forming the wisdom literature usually take the form of proverbs, maxims and sayings, the Book of Job is a piece of wisdom writing in the form of a continuous narrative. It is the story of Job, a man who is faithful to God, but who suffers a series of terrible reverses in which he loses his property, his family and even his health. His friends and family members try to reason with him and show him where he has gone wrong. Job refuses to reject God despite his terrible conditions and, in the end, he is shown to have been an upright man in every way, and God again blesses him with a new family and with fortune greater than the one he lost. After a long and happy life he dies, like an ancient patriarch, surrounded by esteem and honour.
The passage of our meditation reminds us of the tragic condition of human life. It makes us wonder why an innocent man should face such a fate. In Old Testament times, it was thought that suffering was directly caused by man’s conduct and behavior, and that anyone who suffered had to have sinned. That is why Job’s friends and relatives believe that he is suffering from some sin he must have committed. He protests that he has not sinned, that he has always loved God and his neighbour. That is why he asks himself the eternal question every persecuted man or woman always asks: “Why me, of all people?” This man, who suffers indignities he does not deserve is a symbol of all people in history who suffer unjustly and are persecuted for nothing.
Man’s life is a continual battle. As the Fathers of Vatican II tell us in their document, Gaudium et spes, No 37), “The whole of man’s history has been the story of dour combat with the powers of evil, stretching, so our Lord tells us, from the very dawn of history until the last day. Finding himself in the midst of the battle field, man has to struggle to do what is right, and it is at great cost to himself, and aided by God’s grace, that he succeeds in achieving his own inner integrity.” Who should we turn to when we suffer? To our Lord who, in the Gospel of this day, proves that he has come to preach the Gospel and cure us of our infirmities, in body and spirit. Let us pray with the Psalmist: “Great is our Lord and mighty his power; to his wisdom there is no limit. The Lord sustains the lowly; the wicked he casts to the ground. Amen.”
Second Reading: 1 Cor 9: 16-19, 22-23.
Brothers and sisters: If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it! If I do so willingly, I have a recompense, but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship. What then is my recompense? That, when I preach, I offer the gospel free of charge so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible. To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some. All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it.
Comment
Shortly before this passage, Saint Paul gives a list of rights he rightfully should be entitled to. He serves others by preaching and administering the sacraments and so should be supported by the faithful he serves. However, to make himself more acceptable as a messenger of salvation, he is prepared to renounce all those apostolic privileges. He does not even want to think of his rights, but is dominated by his duty to preach the Good News, in season and out of season, whether he is listened to or not.
Conscious that his God-given calling obliges him to preach the Gospel, he prefers to carry out that mission without receiving anything in exchange. His attitude shows both his greatness and his humility. He faces every kind of suffering, privation and danger for the sake of the Gospel and yet considers that he is doing no more than his duty. His policy recalls what our Lord himself teaches: “When you have done all that is commanded you, say, ‘we are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty’ (Lk 17:10).
To keep this self-imposed policy, Saint Paul has to do all his work of evangelization in addition to working to earn a living. In Acts of the Apostles (18:3), we learn of a certain Jew named Aquila and his wife Priscilla who, like Paul, were tentmakers by trade; he joins them and earns an honourable living by making tents. Later, he tells his converts of Thessalonica that “we worked night and day, that we would not burden any of you, while we preached to you the Gospel of God” (1 Thess 2:9; 2 Thess 3:9). It is only from the Philippians, for whom he felt a special affection, that Paul accepts any gifts at all (Phil 4: 15-16).
To ensure the success of his mission, he becomes all things to all men, making himself a slave to all. Failures or no failures, he must carry on preaching the Good News of Christ’s salvation in order to gain his own share in the Gospel he peaches. These are some of the most incisive of all Paul’s words on his apostolic office. Preaching the Gospel is an obligation to him. “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel”, he tells us in this reading.
The Church has often used these words of Saint Paul to remind us, Christ’s lay faithful, that Christ has also called us to the apostolate through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. Pope Francis designated October 2019 as an Extraordinary Mission Month in which he reminded us that we are all baptised and sent forth to preach the Gospel wherever we are, beginning especially in our own immediate families. There is a beautiful hymn in the Cameroon Hymnal which says that if you cannot cross oceans to find the heathen to convert, look for the heathen at your own door, or even inside your own household, for there you would most likely find a heathen in a brother or sister whose faith has weakened, or has grown lukewarm, for one reason or another. Pope Francis says that the Christian obligation is to share the Gospel through personal witness. For their part, the Fathers of Vatican II Council remind us in one of their documents that: “The true apostle is on the lookout for occasions of announcing Christ by word, either to unbelievers to draw them towards the faith, or to the faithful to instruct them, strengthen them, incite them to a more fervent life.”
What lesson do I draw from this reading? I draw inspiration from the words of Saint Jose Maria Escriva de Ballaguer, founder of the Opus Dei Movement, when he writes: “A Christian has to be ready to share his life with everyone at all times, giving to everyone the chance to come nearer to Christ Jesus. … A Christian cannot afford to separate himself from others, because if he did, his life would be miserably selfish. He must become ‘all things to all men, in order to save all men.’
Not an easy mission at all but we must pray for the grace to be of service to someone today without counting the cost. Holy Spirit, strengthen our faith as we strive in our own imperfect way to preach Christ’s gospel of love and tolerance towards all. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Gospel acclamation: “Alleluia, alleluia. Christ took away our infirmities and bore our diseases. Alleluia.”
Gospel: Mark 1: 29-39.
On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them. When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him. Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, "Everyone is looking for you." He told them, "Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come." So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.
Comment
Last Sunday, we saw how Jesus preached with authority. The people were astonished and said to one another: “Here is a teaching that is new and with authority behind it” (Mk 1: 27). Today, we see the authority Jesus shows in his words being increasingly transformed into action. His words and actions have divine power behind them and he cures the sick wherever he goes.
He cures Simon's mother-in-law, and she immediately begins to serve him and his disciples. He also cures many others who are brought to him, healing their illnesses and driving out demons. On the morning after this busy day, Jesus retreats in prayer, but is pursued by Simon and others who bring news that many people are looking for him. We now begin to see a distinct role for the inner circle of Jesus' disciples—they act as intermediaries between Jesus and the people. Jesus reports to his disciples that they need to leave Capernaum to preach in other places.
This Gospel completes a picture of Jesus' ministry: preaching, curing the sick, driving out demons, and then moving on to continue this work in another place. Jesus' compassion and healing of the sick is a sign of the Kingdom of God. The Church continues to extend Christ's healing presence to others in its ministry to the sick. In the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, the Church prays for spiritual and physical healing, forgiveness of sins, and comfort for those who are suffering from illness. That is why the Church dedicates February 11 of each year as the World Day of the Sick. Pope Francis has given as the theme for this 29th World Day of the Sick, “You have but one teacher and you are all brothers,” (Mt 23:8). A trusted-based relationship to guide care for the sick.” While decrying the world-wide effects of the coronavirus pandemic, especially on the poor, the Holy Father asks “us to stop and listen, to establish a direct and personal relationship with others, to feel empathy and compassion, and to let their suffering become our own as we seek to serve them (cf. Lk 10:30-35). The experience of sickness,” continues the Holy Father, “makes us realize our own vulnerability and our innate need of others. It makes us feel all the more clearly that we are creatures dependent on God. When we are ill, fear and even bewilderment can grip our minds and hearts; we find ourselves powerless, since our health does not depend on our abilities or life’s incessant worries (cf. Mt 6:27).
He further urges us to pause for a moment from the frenzy and rush of our daily lives, to give ourselves freely to take care of others who are sick.
That is what Christ does in this Gospel. People come crowding around the door bringing with them many who are sick and broken in body and spirit and our Lord uses his power to liberate them from the evil forces that dominate their lives. His words act as a liberating force that frees people from the stranglehold of the devil. They set them free from fear, hatred and enmity and bring them salvation, liberation and happiness. His words restore peace to troubled hearts and minds, and heal broken bodies, minds and spirits. “Daughter, your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Lk 8: 48), he tells the woman with the issue of blood, who had said to herself “If only I can touch his clothes I shall be cured,” (Mk 5: 28).
Like Job, in the first reading, all those who are crowding around Jesus are seeking answers to the question of suffering. Everyone is wondering: “Why me?” and so they put their trust in Jesus, looking for an answer to their torments; and he does not disappoint them. He attends to their plight and cures them. He feels sorry for them and so frees them from the root cause of their illness, that is sin, which destroys the whole person.
This Gospel also points to the importance of prayer in Jesus' daily life. He rises early in the morning, removes himself from the crowds, and goes to a deserted place to pray. There, he asks his Father for more strength to continue his preaching and healing ministry. This is a great example for us to follow. After a day of hard work and endless problems, let us create some space in a lonely place to give thanks to God and place all our sufferings, all our doubts, all our worries in his hands. A daily examination of conscience should be a necessary part of our day.
Jesus continues to work his wonders in our lives today as he did during his life time. He cares for us and heals us but we sometimes lack the faith to believe in Christ’s healing power in our lives. That explains why so many of us, Christians, have more faith in soothsayers than in Christ.
As we pray today for the faith to believe in our Lord, the physician of both body and soul, let us pray to him to bless those among us who have dedicated their lives to the care of the sick. We pray for our doctors, nurses, healers, midwives, hospital chaplains, and all who tend to the sufferings of others. They are, as someone has put it, God’s compassion in flesh, God’s care in motion. Even though they too, like Job, have reason to wonder, to protest and to be angry when they see the innocent, especially the children, suffer, they never give up. Like Christ, they remain committed to alleviating the suffering of others. Lord, grant our hospital workers courage and strength to continue their work in spite of the difficulties and discouragement they may encounter as they strive to bring healing to the sick.
Let us in turn pray for all our brothers and sisters who are sick in body and soul. “Lord Jesus, healer of our souls and bodies, during your life on earth, you went about doing good, healing every manner of sickness and disease, strengthening, curing, comforting and consoling. You want nothing more than to see us healthy and happy. You are the enemy of death and disease, and in and through you they are overcome and conquered. Lay your healing hands upon us now, so that we may live in your praise untiringly. You, who lives and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.”
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