5th Sunday in OT Year B (2)

Welcome to mass this morning. Today in our scriptures we hear from the book of Job who brings us an image of toil and emptiness that is crest fallen and drowning in pity. In the second reading from the 1 Corinthians, St Paul gives an account of the selfless giving of the Gospel to one and all which is commissioned work which we must have a strength of purpose and mission. In our St Mark’s Gospel, we are presented with a synthesis of Christ’s selfless mission of preaching and healing - never remaining anywhere too long - always on the move.

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If we look at the progression of our readings today we see that Jesus is the key to being content.

Job was really in the dumps - there was no or little light at the end of the tunnel for him. Life was slipping him by and he felt not in control.

Jesus, almost seems in a rush to get the work done. He preaches the kingdom of heaven, the salvation of the people and they come to him for healing - he becomes the doctor of the soul. How often does our physical health have some correlation with our mental health? When we are sad we walk with our head down. When we are happy, our physical ailments slip into the background.

Jesus is the tonic and St. Paul on his part of the mission, acknowledges that he must put aside his own needs and wants meet the people where they are at - Just as Jesus, emptied himself of all that was heaven to be born as a slave - to be born into the world, to experience the world so that he would open the gates of heaven for us at the right time through his passion death and resurrection - which he did not for his own sake but because it was the will of the Father, that we might be saved. Saved from the waywardness that is our humanity.

So, let us today, pray for a renewal of action in our heart - to have the those healing words of Jesus poured into our hearts through our participation at the Altar and the in the sacraments.

Amen.