Friday

26th Week in Ordinary Time, Friday, Year II

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In today’s First Reading the Lord responds to Job’s multiple chapters of lament and disputation with his friends over why such suffering befell him. Wisdom encompasses a great deal of knowledge, and one of the characteristics of ancient wisdom literature in general are great lists surveying the immensity of the natural world. The Lord is now questioning Job about how much he really knows, as opposed to how much he thinks he knows. Job, again showing his humility and respect for the Lord, knows he won’t win any debates with God.

In the face of suffering our distress is compounded by how little we ever truly know about the why. When our suffering is due to evil we’re reminded that iniquity is a mystery; sometimes we ask why and there is no answer. When faced with any mystery we’re dismayed by how little we truly know, and suffering is one of the greatest mysteries of all, but it is nothing compared to the mystery of God.

Our Lord knows the answer to all of life’s mysteries and has experienced suffering in a way most of us cannot even imagine. In difficult moments let’s turn to him for consolation and strength. He may not give us all the answers we want, but he will accompany us in every leg of our journey.

Readings: Job 38:1, 12–21, 40:3–5; Psalm 139:1–3, 7–10, 13–14b; Luke 10:13–16. See also 15th Week in Ordinary Time, Tuesday.

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25th Week in Ordinary Time, Friday, Year II

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In today’s First Reading Qoheleth invites us to consider the meaning of all the moments in our life: our birth and death, our up moments and our down moments, times of change, times of adversity, times of joy, and times of sadness. There is a time for everything, and the Lord has established that, not only so that there may be some order in life, but also to make our thoughts turn to whether anything is timeless, anything is eternal.

Eternity is not just a mental construction that we extrapolate from contemplating finite, temporal situations. Eternity is where we find God, at least until he became man, and even then he bridges the gap for us between time and eternity and consoles us with the certainty that one day all our toil will end, having achieved its purpose.

Many people today “live for the weekend”; let’s ask Our Lord to help us live for eternity.

Readings: Ecclesiastes 3:1–11; Psalm 144:1b, 2a–c, 3–4; Luke 9:18–22. See also 12th Week of Ordinary Time, Sunday, Cycle C, Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, Thursday after Ash Wednesday, 25th Week in Ordinary Time, Friday, and 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B.

24th Week in Ordinary Time, Friday, Year II

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Why does Paul insist so much on faith in the Resurrection in today’s First Reading? Why do we insist so much on faith in the Resurrection at all? The Resurrections is not just a teaching; it is a crucial event at the core of salvation history. As Paul himself recalls in his letter to the Romans (see Romans 5:12-21), death came into the world when sin came into the world; it is a consequence of sin. Death is the ultimate sentence for the crime of our sins; even when we plead ignorance for what we’ve done, we know that someday that sentence will be carried out.

With the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ we know that death does not have the last word. Christ’s Resurrection conquered sin and death. We pray in the liturgy that life does not end with death; it only changes. We believe that because of the Resurrection. Even when it seems the tide of evil swells in this world, in Christ we know that evil will not prevail. The Resurrection is proof of that, an event testified to by countless Christians down the centuries, even at the cost of their life.

Faith in the Resurrection helps us to renew our earthly life and prepare for eternity. Let’s ask Our Lord to show us today where our outlook on life could use an injection of that faith.

Readings: 1 Corinthians 15:12–20; Psalm 17:1b–d, 6–7, 8b, 15; Luke 8:1–3. See also 24th Week in Ordinary Time, Friday.

 

23rd Week in Ordinary Time, Friday, Year II

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In today’s First Reading Paul reminds us that, for him, sharing the Gospel is not like handing out flyers for a restaurant on a street corner: a job promoting something that people could take or leave, and nothing more. The Gospel involves a commitment and a lifestyle, often a change of lifestyle for those who have not been born and raised as believers. The more convinced you are of its importance, the more you transmit the message by wanting to share it at all.

Living and sharing the Gospel is not something that gets easier with practice either. Like the athlete, the Gospel requires discipline and hard work in order to have a chance at success. There is a chance of losing the great competition of life, even after many years. Paul didn’t consider victory to be a given; it is a gift from the Lord.

If we let the Gospel shape our lives, we will transmit a formula for success. Let’s not be shy about sharing it.

Readings: 1 Corinthians 9:16–19, 22b–27; Psalm 84:3–6, 12; Luke 6:39–42. See also 23rd Week in Ordinary Time, Friday.

22nd Week in Ordinary Time, Friday, Year II

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In today’s First Reading the Christians of Corinth are reminded by Paul that as a steward of the Lord and his mysteries he is accountable to the Lord, not the flock. This may concern us today when most organizations require some sort of oversight that comes from the group in general, but it is important to see here that this does not give Paul the license to do whatever he wishes. Every minister answers to the Lord for what he does, Paul included.

Paul himself says he doesn’t think he has done any wrong, but the Lord is the ultimate judge of his actions. This is not just true for ministers, but for everyone. If we can help someone to see that their behavior is displeasing to the Lord, we should try to help them see it, but ultimately they will answer to the Lord for what they’ve done or not done.

Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians is addressing criticisms regarding him and his ministry that he has been receiving. Let’s pray for our ministers today and give them the benefit of the doubt. If we experience the human weakness of one of the Lord’s ministers, let’s help him however we can.

Readings: 1 Corinthians 4:1–5; Psalm 37:3–6, 27–40; Luke 5:33–39. See also Friday after Ash Wednesday, 22nd Week in Ordinary Time, Friday, and 13th Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday.