Homily-
Thursday of the 26th Sunday in Ordinary time Year B./ Memorial of
Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church.
v Job 19:21-27
v Ps 27:7-8a, 8b-9abc, 13-14
v Luke 10: 1-12
Like
Job, We Know that Our Vindicator Lives (19:24)
Today we celebrate the memorial of Saint
Therese of the Child Jesus, virgin and Doctor of the Church. She joined the
Carmelite in Lisieux, France, at the tender age of 15 years, and was often
referred to as, “the Little Flower of Jesus.” He writings, prayer life, faith,
steadfastness, love, humility, simplicity of life, modesty, and total abandonment
to God, shows she was really God’s gifts, God’s flower.
In the readings
of today, we hear similar messages of humility, simplicity of life, modesty and
complete suspender to God, dependence on him, being in his presence- his
vindicator. This notion of vindicator/redeemer (gō’el) is obvious in today’s first reading, which anticipates the Gospel
as well.
In the first reading (Job 19:21-27), Job response, or continues his
arguments with his friends, including Bildad who suggested that God does not
deal crookedly, that Job’s problems were retributive, as a result of his sins.
Although Job disagreed, yet so emaciated, tired in his sufferings that he thought
his words might as well not survived. He thought that his complain might be
permanently recorded on a leather book, metal and rock (vv21-24), using an iron
pen!
He sought for a vindicator, an audience with God. It is true that in Hebrew literature “a
vindicator/redeemer (gō’el), is usually the next of kin as we find in the book
Ruth in the person of Boaz (Ruth 2:20; see also Lev 25:25; Deut 25:5-10). God
is also sometimes called a Redeemer in Exodus 6:6 and in Psalm 103:4, but, in
this texts, Job in addition to his call for a mediator ( (9:33-35) and a defender between him and God ( 16:19-20),
now he hopes to obtain, through a vindicator, a direct audience with God( he
knows his redeemer and vindicator lives).
In spite of his suffering, Job hopes to see God’s face, he will meet him, encounter
his love, peace, and mercy! He knows his redeemer and vindicator lives (v.24).
Even after his skin, flesh or death, he shall see God (v.27). What a humble
expression of humility, faith, hope, modesty and love and trust in God!
Such virtues we saw in Job of Uz,
especially in his trusting in God, in spite of his losses and sufferings, were
also anticipated in the seventy-two that Jesus appointed and sent on a mission
in today’s Gospel of Luke 10:1-12(cf. Matt 9:37-38;10:7-16; Mark 6:7-11). They
were to carry out this mission with a sense of purpose, dedication, focus,
urgency and with faith, hope, love, modesty, humility, simplicity of life and
total abandonment or dependent on God like the saint we celebrate today,
Therese of the Child Jesus.
As we undergo our Christian missions, callings and journeys from different location,
capacities, with talents and gifts, as parents, pastors, clergy, deacons,
teachers, students, superiors, apprentices, leaders, etc, sometimes we are met
with mysterious sufferings, testing, deaths, even of our friends and loved one.
We are met with rejection, violence, poverty, hunger, insults, lack of basic amenities.
Like, Job and the Seventy-Two and Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, let nothing
ever separate us from the love of God. Nothing should ever stop us today, even
in the face of our all forms of daily challenges, from humbly and constantly
seeking God face, his presence, knowing fully well that “our vindicator and
redeemer lives” (v.24).
Reflection Questions
1.
Do we trust in God’s love and care as our redeemer and vindicator in
moments of challenges and trials?
2.
Can we see ourselves in the 72 called and commissioned in today’s Gospel?
3.
What do we like in the life of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, and why?
