Blessed in Seeing and Hearing

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today draw us,

In the Kingdom

through the Book of Job, to the paradox of theophany, God has revealing God’s self, and our being childlike.

* [42:6] A difficult verse. Some doubt, in view of God’s commendation in v. 7, that Job does in fact express repentance, and alternative translations are often given. Along with v. 5, it describes a change in Job, which the encounter with the Lord has brought about. Dust and ashes: an ambiguous phrase. It can refer to the human condition (cf. Gn 18:27; Jb 30:19) or to Job’s ash heap (2:8).

In the Gospel from Luke Jesus praises the Father after the mission of his disciples for the revelation to those who are childlike.

* [10:21] Revealed them to the childlike: a restatement of the theme announced in Lk 8:10: the mysteries of the kingdom are revealed to the disciples. See also note on Mt 11:25–27.

Jay Carney asks how does one square these readings with the reality of the world in which we live, a world of innocent suffering, sickness, and sin?

Perspective can help here. As anyone knows who has read the whole Book of Job, this man has suffered mightily in his life, stripped of nearly everything he held dear. Likewise, while the disciples have performed mighty deeds, their lives will be marked more by the Cross than conquest. The Psalmist prays for understanding, wisdom, knowledge, and discernment, and yet also confesses that he has learned God’s teachings through affliction. Today’s readings offer us signs of hope, reflecting our age-old human desire for the transcendent – to “see God” and receive divine blessing. But as Job reminds us, there is no formula here but rather graced mystery. I pray that I will be able to perceive the mystery of God’s revelation to me this day, even within the sinful and fallen reality in which I live.

John Piper offers some great truths learned by Job and concludes with a summary of the changes in Job.

So the book closes with the sediment of pride strained out of Job's life through the sieve of suffering, the bad theology of his three friends corrected and their foolishness humbled, the brotherhood of God's servants restored and purified, and the honor of God's name vindicated over against the accusations of Satan.

Psalm 119 is a lengthy poem about wisdom knowledge and trust in God.

* [Psalm 119] This Psalm, the longest by far in the Psalter, praises God for giving such splendid laws and instruction for people to live by. The author glorifies and thanks God for the Torah, prays for protection from sinners enraged by others’ fidelity to the law, laments the cost of obedience, delights in the law’s consolations, begs for wisdom to understand the precepts, and asks for the rewards of keeping them. Several expected elements do not appear in the Psalm: Mount Sinai with its story of God’s revelation and gift to Israel of instruction and commandments, the Temple and other institutions related to revelation and laws (frequent in other Psalms). The Psalm is fascinated with God’s word directing and guiding human life.

Don Schwager quotes Saint Augustine of Hippo as he picks up the theme that the Lord Jesus wants us to know him personally and experientially.

Jesus makes a claim which no one would have dared to make: He is the perfect revelation of God - he and the Father are perfectly united in a bond of unbreakable love and fidelity. One of the greatest truths of the Christian faith is that we can know the living God. Our knowledge of God is not simply limited to knowing something about God, but we can know God personally. The essence of Christianity, and what makes it distinct from Judaism and other religions, is the knowledge of God as our Father. Jesus makes it possible for each of us to personally know God as our Father. Saint Augustine of Hippo wrote: "God loves each of us as if there were only one of us to love."

The Word Among Us meditation notes that there are ways we can build our trust over time.

One way is to acknowledge our disappointment and bring our questions to the Lord. Then use stories like Job’s to help you find his answers. Another way is to practice gratitude. Count aloud your blessings, and see if your perspective changes. Or perhaps you need to talk with someone who can help you remember God’s love for you.
Yes, life can be hard and painful at times. But one thing is true: our God, whose ways are mysterious, is worthy of our trust.
“Father, I choose to trust you today.”

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Job realizes he does not understand so much God. With a spirit of gratitude we experience the fulfillment of living in the Kingdom already dawning on the earth.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, believes the real meaning of speaking the name of God “in vain” is to speak God’s name casually or trivially, with a false presumption of understanding the Mystery—

We come from a very ancient, human-based, natural, biological, universally experienced understanding of God. God’s eternal mystery cannot be captured or controlled, but only received and shared as freely as the breath itself—the thing we have done since the moment we were born and will one day cease to do in this body. God is as available and accessible as our breath itself. Jesus breathes the Spirit into us as the very air of life (see John 20:22)! Our job is simply to both receive and give this life-breath. We cannot only inhale, and we cannot only exhale. We must breathe in and out, accept and let go.

as if we knew what we were talking about!

References

(n.d.). Job, chapter 42 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 6, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/job/42
(n.d.). Luke chapter 10 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 6, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/lk/10:52
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved October 6, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
1985, August 4). Job: Reversal in Suffering | Desiring God. Retrieved October 6, 2018, from https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/job-reversal-in-suffering
(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 119 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 6, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/119:97
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 6, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
(n.d.). Meditations - The Word Among Us. Retrieved October 6, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/
(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 6, 2018, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/